 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 5.1 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 600 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/27/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/26/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai 7 the anime, is an incredible futuristic retelling of the movie classic. It holds true to the original 1954 film about a village in need of protection and the few varied samurai who choose to protect it against overwhelming odds. In this science fiction retelling, the anime allows for those odds to be even more oppressive as the bandits become a force of mechanized weapons of war and destruction. Set in an age when the time of the samurai class is nearing its end, many of the noble warriors have lost their way, some to the extent of joining up and trading their souls into machines. Those are the Noburesi. The higher rank you are, the larger the mechanized warrior unit you inhabit. Therefore when the seven samurai, all entirely human with the exception of one man, face off against the monstrous hordes of the bandits, they are not only facing odds that make victory impossible, but also face foes that are now more man than machine with capabilities far beyond that of mere mortals. Therefore, like its original, The Seven Samurai, it’s Western retelling: The Magnificent Seven, and even the latest blockbuster film Frank Miller’s 300, this TV series recounts a story of the courageous few against the many, those warriors who valued hearth and home, respect and honor, and most importantly freedom, over their own lives. It makes for an emotionally powerful epic series.
It is a journey that isn’t all about battle, although it certainly deals with the toils and cost of war, but Samurai 7 is primarily a story about right and wrong and about people. It is character driven with an ensemble cast that includes not only the diverse small band of samurai, but also the priestess and her sister who went in search of protectors for their village, the people of the village itself, and a magistrates son who turns out to be far more important to the fate of one small rice village and of the nation, than any could imagine. With each character, we get to see their rise to grace or fall from it as the story unfolds. For them, it is not simply a question of either protecting a band of strangers, protecting their own homes, or destroying them, it is also a story about those who search for redemption, others who search for fame, some who long for safety, and one man’s quest for power. In the end, each finds the end of their journey and goes through an emotionally moving metamorphosis over the course of the series. For the samurai and the villagers, this is not only a story about honor, it is about the journey of the soul and the triumph of the spirit.
Samurai 7 features breathtaking animation. Produced by GONZO, their reputation for excellence proven with such titles as Last Exile, Trinity Blood, Burst Angel and others, this series features richly textured backgrounds, creative character designs and awe inspiring visuals of a future and a people that will be indelibly imprinted in your mind and your heart. The mechanical designs are fascinating and it would be hard to expect less from the company that animated Last Exile. The action sequences are thrilling to behold. The animators have managed to give a futuristic feel while still providing a rustic feudal look to the world and people of this story. The samurai battles themselves are truly epic in visual scope and emotional impact.
The music is amazing. The opening and closing songs are good but it’s the score that really stands out as something exceptional. Kaoru Wada, who has worked on such respected titles as Inuyasha, Gilgamesh, Battle Angel Alita, Ninja Scroll, To Heart, D Gray Man and more, sets the bar here when he manages to give this futuristic world a feudal samurai feel with the incredible score.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features in this box set include clean opening and closing animation, a promotional video, character profiles, image galleries, trailers of other FUNimation titles, and enjoyable commentary on episode 14 by the English ADR Director Christopher Bevine and voice actors R. Bruce Elliot (Kambei) and Sean Michael Teague (Katsushiro).
The set has some gorgeous art work with an antiquated look on the art box itself. The discs are held in a fold out manner with each of the samurai splendidly featured on a panel inside. In the box there are also seven guidebooks. Each book features full color art work, animation clips, character sketches, episode summaries, and extensive interviews with the Japanese crew including the director, producers, animators, music director, and many, many more.
IN SUMMARY:
Samurai 7 the anime is a masterpiece of animation and story telling that holds true to the soul of the classic film that inspired it. It is a futuristic samurai tour de force.
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