# The Elusive Samurai

The Elusive Samurai (Japanese: 逃げ上手の若君, Hepburn: Nige Jōzu no Wakagimi, "The Young Lord Who Is Skilled at Escaping") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui. It has been serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump since January 2021, with its chapters collected in 19 tankōbon volumes as of February 2025. The series is based on the historical figure of Hōjō Tokiyuki, a young samurai determined to enact revenge on Ashikaga Takauji, a samurai who betrayed and caused the downfall of his family.
An anime television series adaptation produced by CloverWorks aired from July to September 2024. A second season has been announced.
The series won the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024.

## Premise

Set between the late Kamakura and early Muromachi periods, the story follows the tale of Hojo Tokiyuki, a boy on the run after his family is overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji. With his only allies being a shady priest and his followers, the young lord must seek revenge and regain his glory, with his only weapon: a superhuman ability to flee and hide.

## Media
### Manga

Written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui, The Elusive Samurai started in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on January 25, 2021. Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on July 2, 2021. As of February 4, 2025, 19 volumes have been released.
In North America, the manga is licensed for English release by Viz Media, who simultaneously publishes the chapters digitally as they are released in Japan on its Shonen Jump website. In October 2021, Viz Media announced that they would publish its volumes in print, with the first one released on July 5, 2022. Shueisha also simulpublishes the series in English on the Manga Plus platform.

### Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in March 2023. It is produced by CloverWorks and directed by Yuta Yamazaki, with scripts supervised by Yoriko Tomita, and character designs handled by Yasushi Nishiya. Yūsuke Kawakami serves as assistant director, and Gembi and Akiyuki Tateyama composed the music. The series aired its first season from July 6 to September 28, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "Plan A" (プラン A, Puran A), performed by Dish, while the ending theme song is "Kamakura Style" (鎌倉 STYLE, Kamakura Sutairu), performed by Botchi Boromaru [ja].
A second season was announced on October 6, 2024.
In North America, the series is licensed by Aniplex of America, streaming it on Crunchyroll; an English dub premiered on August 3, 2024. Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.

#### Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date |
| 1 | "May 22nd" Transliteration: "Gogatsu Nijū-ni Nichi" (Japanese: 5月22日) | Yuta Yamazaki | Yoriko Tomita | Yuta Yamazaki | July 6, 2024 (2024-07-06) |
| In 1333, Hōjō Tokiyuki is the reluctant heir to the regency who partakes in mischief; he meets with Hōjō ally Ashikaga Takauji as the latter departs to quell a rebellion led by supporters of the Emperor. Tokiyuki is later startled at the presence of Suwa Yorishige and Shizuku, who have come to pray for Kamakura's protection against its enemies. Yorishige shares to Tokiyuki a vision of him being hailed as a hero of a great war in the future, making Tokiyuki uncomfortable enough to leave and hold suspicion with their claims. An envoy reports to the shogunate of Takauji defecting to the Emperor's side and launching a coup against them, leading to mass killings and suicides and the fall of the shogunate, traumatizing Tokiyuki. Yorishige and Shizuku appear again to help him escape under the orders of his deceased father. As they overlook the burning town from a cliff and Tokiyuki wishes on wanting to die, Yorishige abides by pushing him off the cliff where Tokiyuki demonstrates his skills in speed and evasion, using them to his advantage in killing several samurai before returning to Yorishige. Yorishige then speaks on how he can use his elusive nature for survival with Takauji hunting him and they leave to gather more allies. ||||||
| 2 | "The Gentle Uncle" Transliteration: "Yasashī Ojisan" (Japanese: やさしいおじさん) | Yūsuke Kawakami | Yoriko Tomita | Yūsuke Kawakami | July 13, 2024 (2024-07-13) |
| A search party loyal to Takauji is dispatched to locate Tokiyuki's brother Kunitoki [ja] as he is found by their uncle Godaīn Muneshige, who points the party to his direction. Tokiyuki later learns of Muneshige's treachery and Kunitoki's capture and execution and he collapses to his knees, feeling betrayed by everyone he knew. After hearing from Yorishige on Muneshige's whereabouts and wanting to avenge his brother, Tokiyuki follows him as they observe a desperate Muneshige wanting to claim glory by capturing him. Tokiyuki meets Yorishige's allies Kojirō and Ayako, who lend their assistance to his cause. Later that evening, Tokiyuki and Muneshige meet, where Tokiyuki springs a trap that is countered by Muneshige. Tokiyuki evades Muneshige's swings, which Kojirō and Ayako exploit to give Tokiyuki an opening, taking it and killing Muneshige. A flashback to before the coup is later shown of Kunitoki telling Tokiyuki to become a hero. ||||||
| 3 | "A Forest Inhabited by a God" Transliteration: "Kami no Sumu Mori" (Japanese: 神の住む森) | Riharu Funakubo | Yoriko Tomita | Riharu Funakubo | July 20, 2024 (2024-07-20) |
| Yorishige briefs Tokiyuki after the fight on being righteous while not forgetting his roots if he comes to face Takauji in battle and defeat him as they leave Kamakura. They arrive at the Suwa Grand Shrine, where Yorishige plans to train Tokiyuki in martial arts and academic studies, compelling Tokiyuki to skip training. Yorishige confronts him during a rainy day and reveals himself to be a god as he demonstrates his powers, surprising Tokiyuki and he places his trust in him in training to become a hero. Yorishige later elects Kojirō, Ayako, and Shizuku to be Tokiyuki's retinue and tasks him to become familiarized with them; he is shocked with their eccentricity and choice for the first task, but they settle for hunting. While hunting rabbits, they encounter an ox demon and they engage it in battle, managing to kill it through teamwork. Tokiyuki is grateful for their assistance as the group settles on naming themselves the Elusive Warriors. Elsewhere, a group of archers are seen finding Yorishige. ||||||
| 4 | "Sadamune Appears!" Transliteration: "Sadamune Tōjō!" (Japanese: 貞宗登場!) | Yūichirō Komuro | Dai Masuyama | Yūichirō Komuro | July 27, 2024 (2024-07-27) |
| Takauji is commended by the Emperor for his efforts in overthrowing the shogunate and appoints his retainers in court positions. He tasks one of his appointed retainers, Ogasawara Sadamune, to find remnants of the Hōjō clan. Sadamune complies and later meets with Yorishige, threatening to use brute force as governor of Shinano to find any survivors as he shoots a shrine maiden and grazes her ear as a warning; Tokiyuki observes this and commends his archery skills while acknowledging him as a threat. Sadamune joins a dog shooting competition, leading Yorishige to elect Tokiyuki as his opponent while teaching him to use it as an opportunity to learn from Sadamune, much to the disapproval of the Elusive Warriors. During the competition, Tokiyuki, under instruction from Yorishige, directs Sadamune's full attention to him and annoys him enough for Tokiyuki to score a point. Sadamune, noticing he used up most of his arrows to try and hit Tokiyuki, uses his last remaining arrow to land a headshot on him, giving Sadamune a massive point advantage. Tokiyuki, wounded from the arrow, begins to have fun. ||||||
| 5 | "Settling the Score! A Dog-Shooting Competition and then..." Transliteration: "Ketchaku! Inuōmono, Soshite⋯" (Japanese: 決着!犬追物、そして⋯) | Ayako Kurata | Rino Yamazaki | Ayako Kurata | August 3, 2024 (2024-08-03) |
| As Sadamune focuses his attention on Tokiyuki's blind spot to hinder his attempts on landing a shot, Tokiyuki exploits it through directly shooting at his neck, staggering Sadamune long enough for Tokiyuki to secure a win; Yorishige commands Sadamune to leave Suwa. Sadamune retaliates by planning to confiscate parts of Suwa under an Imperial Command, causing panic among its citizens. Yorishige tells Tokiyuki he will be meeting a thief named Kazama Genba and work with him to steal the Command. Following Yorishige's request, the Elusive Warriors head to a village Genba is rumored to be staying, where Genba introduces himself and works with Tokiyuki under the promises of earning more under him. Genba and Tokiyuki head to Sadamune's mansion to steal the Command as Genba takes issue with Tokiyuki's compassion for people. Tokiyuki later sees Genba impersonating Sadamune to lure out the guards from the warehouse housing the Command and Genba asks if he can be trusted with his skill. ||||||
| 6 | "Steal the Imperial Command from Ogasawara's Residence at Night" Transliteration: "Nusume Rinji, Ogasawara-kan no Yoru" (Japanese: 盗め綸旨、小笠原館の夜) | Yōko Kikuchi | Rino Yamazaki | Yōko Kikuchi | August 10, 2024 (2024-08-10) |
| The mansion guards are alerted by the suspicious activity inside the warehouse, prompting Tokiyuki and Genba to escape with the Command. One of Sadamune's retainers, Ichikawa Sukefusa [ja], suspects the boys are hiding nearby and, using his hearing, attempts to find them. Genba prepares to abandon Tokiyuki, but his silent footsteps are heard by Sukefusa and he strikes him, only to be narrowly saved by Tokiyuki taking the blow. Sadamune comes to Sukefusa's aid and they track the boys, as Tokiyuki slowly loses his strength from Sukefusa's hit. Seeing this, Genba distracts Sadamune and Sukefusa long enough to escape with the Elusive Warriors, joining them afterwards and gaining newfound respect for Tokiyuki. With the Command no longer in his ownership, Sadamune is unable to confiscate Suwa, angering him. As the Elusive Warriors celebrate, Yorishige reminds them they should not underestimate Takauji as he shares of him thwarting Prince Moriyoshi's attempt on his life and be aided by the citizens of Kyoto due to his charisma. Tokiyuki thanks Yorishige on helping him rebuild his strength and promises to not give up against Takauji. ||||||
| 7 | "Children in Winter" Transliteration: "Fuyu no Kodomotachi" (Japanese: 冬の子供たち) | Yasushi Tomoda | Yoriko Tomita | Yūichirō Komuro | August 17, 2024 (2024-08-17) |
| New year arrives and Yorishige is distraught because it is also the time of the year when he temporarily loses his clairvoyance powers. With news that Sadamune's forces are attacking the borders of Suwa, the Elusive Warriors decide to investigate by themselves, despite Yorishige's protests. The group arrive at a village near the border where they are attacked by a teenage warrior fighting with two swords. Kojirō and Ayako fight the enemy until he recognizes Shizuku and introduces himself as Fubuki, a wandering warrior looking for a master to serve. Tokiyuki learns from Fubuki that Sadamune's forces attacked the village and killed all the adults, with Fubuki and the children having killed the invaders with traps and other diversions. Tokiyuki is advised to leave the village behind, taking the children with them, but he refuses, determined to protect the children's homes and invites Fubuki to join his group. Meanwhile, Sadamune's subordinate Shōkan, who leads a group of bandits and is behind the attacks, decides to attack the village by himself. ||||||
| 8 | "A War of Hide and Seek" Transliteration: "Kakurenbo Sensō" (Japanese: かくれんぼ戦争) | Yūsuke Kawakami | Dai Hazeyama | Yūsuke Kawakami | August 24, 2024 (2024-08-24) |
| After finishing their preparations for the impending invasion, Tokiyuki asks Fubuki to teach him some swordsmanship. In the occasion, Fubuki decides to teach Tokiyuki a special fighting style that is appropriate for his elusive abilities and kind nature, but only works in one on one fights so that Tokiyuki can defeat the enemy general himself. Shōkan invades the village and most of his men fall by the traps set by the villagers and the Elusive Warriors. Kojirō and Ayako lead Shōkan to a small house where he is locked inside with Tokiyuki, who challenges him to a duel. Tokiyuki questions his motives on attacking the village despite having already killed its adults, and Shōkan replies taking joy with making the village's children suffer. Enraged, Tokiyuki begins the duel as the other Elusive Warriors handle Shōkan's lieutenants. Shōkan, certain that he has the advantage, attacks Tokiyuki who evades all his attacks and manages to seriously injure him which surprises Shōkan. ||||||
| 9 | "My Buddha" Transliteration: "Watashi no Hotoke-sama" (Japanese: わたしの仏様) | Arifumi Imai | Dai Hashiyama | Arifumi Imai | August 31, 2024 (2024-08-31) |
| Despite his injury, Shōkan keeps attacking Tokiyuki to no avail and collapses from blood loss, while the other Elusive Warriors kill Shōkan's lieutenants. Sadamune arrives with reinforcements and attempts to claim the village but is forced to retreat when Genba arrives bringing Yorishige and the Suwa's main force with him. Sadamune rescues a critically wounded Shōkan and, recognizing his worth, awards him with an official title and lands, while forbidding his group from committing more crimes, in preparation for the imminent war against the Suwa. After the battle, Fubuki learns about Tokiyuki's real identity and is officially welcomed into the Elusive Warriors. ||||||
| 9.5 | "History" Transliteration: "Rekishi" (Japanese: 歴史) | N/A | N/A | N/A | September 7, 2024 (2024-09-07) |
| A recap special covering events from the first nine episodes. ||||||
| 10 | "A Perverted Kid and Disturbances of Holy Power" Transliteration: "Hentai Chigo to Shinriki Sōdō" (Japanese: 変態稚児と神力騒動) | Riharu Funakubo | Yoriko Tomita | Riharu Funakubo | September 14, 2024 (2024-09-14) |
| After securing the village, Tokiyuki and the others return home and Yorishige requests him to make some strange errands in secret in order to restore his divination powers. The other Elusive Warriors and Yorishige's aides take note of Tokiyuki gradually getting more suspicious items and mistake him for a pervert, much to his chagrin. Finally, Yorishige asks Tokiyuki to retrieve some water from a secret holy source. As Tokiyuki doubts if divine power even exists, he meets Shizuku at the source. In the occasion, Shizuku shows him the creatures who reside in Suwa's divine territory, and Tokiyuki leaves with more questions about Yorishige and Shizuku. Meanwhile, Takauji sends his younger brother Tadayoshi to reinforce the defenses of Kamakura, with a feeling that Tokiyuki intends to reconquer it. Tadayoshi complies, but he grows concerned with Takauji's strange behavior. Tokiyuki brings the holy water for Yorishige to restore his powers, but in return, forces him to clear the misunderstanding with his servants. ||||||
| 11 | "Samurais Who Are Eager to Die and an Elusive Samurai" Transliteration: "Shinitagari to Nige Jōzu" (Japanese: 死にたがりと逃げ上手) | Yoshihiro Hiramine | Rino Yamazaki | Yoshihiro Hiramine | September 21, 2024 (2024-09-21) |
| It is April and the time has come for the wheat harvest. Kiyohara Shinano-no-kami, the provincial official of Shinano, confiscates all the grains production from the villagers, killing anyone who oppose him. In response, Hoshina Yasaburō leads a revolt against Kiyohara in Kawanakajima, despite knowing that there is no chance for him and his retainers to survive. Yorishige sends Tokiyuki, Kojirō, Genba and Fubuki as messengers to convince Yasaburō to retreat, but to no avail. Certain that Yasaburō would be easier to convince after the initial skirmish with Kiyohara's forces, led by Wada Yonemaru and Sukefusa, Tokiyuki and the others assist Yasaburō's forces in battle, reducing casualties to a minimum. At night, a drunk Tokiyuki has a heated discussion with Yasaburō and finally convinces him to retreat with the women and children. However, Yasaburō's retreat plans are intercepted by Sukefusa's hearing and Kiyohara orders to give chase and eliminate them. Anticipating this, the Elusive Warriors begin their strategy to allow Yasaburō and his retainers to successfully retreat. ||||||
| 12 | "Hang in There, Tokiyuki, Until the Day You Retake Kamakura" Transliteration: "Ganbare Tokiyuki, Kamakura Dakkan no Sono Hi Made" (Japanese: がんばれ時行、鎌倉奪還のその日まで) | Yui Midori | Rino Yamazaki | Yuta Yamazaki | September 28, 2024 (2024-09-28) |
| With the Elusive Warriors' help, Yasaburō's forces successfully allow the women and children to escape to safety but fight for their lives to contain the enemy advance headed by Yonemaru. Kojirō confronts Yonemaru and his detachment with a few Hoshina allies, who proves himself too strong for him to defeat alone, until his allies manage to grab him for Kojirō to give the final blow and kill him. In response, Kiyohara sends Sukefusa to the frontlines, ignoring his pleas, when Fubuki attacks him from a blind spot and narrowly cuts his hat off as a warning, certain that having such an incompetent commander on the enemy side will give an advantage in the future; a frightened Kiyohara is deceived into believing Yasaburō's reinforcements are arriving and orders his army to retreat, much to Sukefusa's frustration. Yasaburō thanks Tokiyuki and the others for his help and the group returns to the Suwa temple where they are welcomed by Yorishige, Shizuku and Ayako. ||||||

## Reception

By May 2022, the manga had over 1 million copies in circulation; over 1.5 million copies in circulation by April 2023; over 2 million copies in circulation by March 2024; and over 3 million copies in circulation by July 2024.
In June 2021, The Elusive Samurai was nominated for the seventh Next Manga Award in the Best Printed Manga category and placed sixth out of 50 nominees. The series ranked eighth on the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2022. Along with Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Sūji de Asobo, and Trillion Game, The Elusive Samurai won the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024.
Anthony Gramuglia of Comic Book Resources wrote that the series has become one of the "highlights of [Weekly] Shōnen Jump's newer titles", adding that "[it] is not only surprisingly emotional but also surprisingly intense, starting with all cylinders at full-throttle and never letting up".