Review of The Elusive Samurai

I feel like this show deserves more recognition but at the same time I do recognize elements of it that would drive people away. It's not for everyone but if it's for you then you will enjoy it quite a bit. Cloverworks handled the production side of things very well. The visuals are pretty great but a lot of it is achieved through clever use of different artstyles and angles. The show has a lot of energy and drive both in terms of visuals and pacing (although it does slow down closer to the end). The negative side of production is occasional CG modelsand while it's good CG, you will notice it and it does feel a bit weightless at times especially when weapons are involved.

Now, the controversial part is the tone. At first it was a bit jarring going from lighthearted, wholesome stuff to blood and death (and the show doesn't have much chill when it comes to violence) but as soon as I noticed that different characters react to these tonal shifts differently, it kinda made sense. Also. it's an era when death often doesn't come from old age and it makes sense for characters close to fighting to not be too phased by it. Still, because of those tonal shifts the overall impression the show creates is rather lighthearted despite the occasional limb getting detached... Or maybe it's just me...