The Elusive Samurai: Tale Of A Future Hero
From now on, you will see me posting and reviewing animes pretty often. I have been a passionate otaku since my childhood days with Ruroni Kenshin. I always had a special bonding with this art and its a huge part of my life as well. The industry is no longer the entertainment format that lived and died for story, art and make people feel. Yet, at this age of commercial anime, I must act as the senpai that will guide youth to make them realize the true value and spirit of this otaku culture and anime.
I’m embarking with this already hit one, but it took time to get the admiration it deserve, yet caught my eye from the very beginning . Its the anime with that lovely kawaaii little boy with long hair and superior running away skill- The Elusive Samurai!
Many of you may be familiar with the story of the phoenix bird. A mythical bird that rises from its own ashes over and over. Some stories of a few individual humans are no less. The Elusive Samurai is a story of a boy who is skeptical, only a kid around rough tough samurai men. It’s a wonderful tale of a boy finding himself, his acceptance of reality and his journey to change his destiny. As a passionate anime enthusiast, Elusive Samurai has left a nice memoir to me.
At the beginning, I was amazed by its flashy, crisp character design, perfect detailing. The background music is also catchy to hear. If you are a slice of life lover, you are easily about to get enchanted by the innocence of the main character Tokiyuki Houjou, merely a 8 year old boy.
Tokiyuki’s Self Exploration & Development
The story begins with a sorrowful event, where Tokiyuki is the sole survivor of his family after a clan clash. He has only a few bodyguards who traits him more like a political tool, than a human. The only well wisher he has on his side is his father’s long term friend, political advisor and clan leader Suwa Yorishige .
At first, Suwa appears similar to the other people around Houjou, only interested in using him as a ladder. Over time, we see him emerging as not only a wise war strategist, but also a paternal figure. To reestablish Houjou’s position as a future leader of his clan, Suwa guides him.
As time passes, we see Houjou discovering the power structure, and his position. Under governor Suwa’s influence, we see a boy gradually grasping his responsibilities destined to him.
Tokiyuki’s Future Alliance
In Japanese culture, childhood friendship holds superior value over any later bond in adulthood. Houjou’s journey was not linear, in fact it was thorn ridden. To overcome obstacles and save himself, he needed people he could count on.
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And we also know trust comes with a cost and barely people are eligible for it. To build a reliable alliance, you also need to prove yourself to your friends as well.
Here we see Kojirou , Ayako, Genba and Fubuki. They come forward to obey their duty but Houjou gives them hope. You will also observe a genuine character development that grows with circumstances unlike modern shonen.
Tokiyuki’s Growth & Susume-Philosophy
As a dedicated anime lover, seeing countless masterpieces nearly for a decade, I saw some amazing quotes. One of them is “Susume” or “Mover forward” from another legendary anime Attack on Titan. In reality, at some point everyone struggles. The grief is a never ending cycle but you will also drown into the abyss if you do not pursue a better future.
Toriyuki, after losing all of his family members, regrets living, daily cursing ownself, wishing for death and meeting his family in the afterlife. But here we see the charishma of high priest Suwa Yorishige. In feudal Japan, living as a priest for nearly 30 years, the person realizes a grieving child, who is running into despair needs more than compassion.
He drastically places an 8 years old boy into the battlefield to get a grasp on life and realize its value. He makes Houjo realize no matter what we feel, we can not bypass our duty and responsibilities toward our beloved ones who choose to stay close to us.
Author’s Trick Which Can’t Be Overlooked
At some point, we see every character has some dark and inhuman past they overcame. To sit on a throne, we see Houjo becoming overwhelmingly influential against such folks. As a sufferer, he understands how to cope up, and learned so much from the priest as well. Houjo becomes the very thing which once saved his life, giving his life a great meaning to cling on.
We see the young prince lending his hand to people, showing them the light of purpose so they can continue living. This is where mangaka truly deserves a clap.
Becoming A True Leader From Running Away
Overall, my experience with Elusive Samurai is exceptional compared to the true traditional historical classic image we are used to seeing. If you have come this far reading my review and are interested in saving a copy, it’s available on Shonenjump. The art style is not very detailed. Background details did not receive that much of a high attention from the artist.
However, the mangaka has demonstrated considerable care in character design, storytelling style, and the crafting of the dramatic plot
