Samurai 7
Tags: violence

Plot synopsis:
Samurai 7 tells the story of a village named Kanna. Set in a futuristic world that has just witnessed the end of a massive war, scores of villages are terrorized by Nobuseri bandits. But the Nobuseri are no normal bandits. They were once Samurai, who during the war integrated their living cells with machines to become dangerous weapons now appearing more machine than man. Absolute power corrupts, and their reign of terror is increasing its hold on the countryside.
The elder of Kanna Village has decided that to protect the village they must hire samurai to fight against the bandits. However, the village has no money and thus must find samurai willing to protect the village for a payment of rice. Three members of the village leave to attempt to recruit samurai. They travel to the city and search for samurai willing to work, and after finding several samurai and having a few encounters with the local government, they return to Kanna village to prepare defenses against the bandits.
The samurai train the villagers in the use of bows, building walls, and construct a giant ballista to defend the village against the bandits. After successfully defeating the bandits, the samurai then launch an attack upon the capital to defeat a power-hungry ruler who has recently risen to power as Emperor. After heavy casualties for the samurai, and the near-destruction of Kanna village, the capital is finally defeated.

Review: First of all, this high quality anime series comes from the Kurosawa company so it has the blessings of the Kurosawa family for whatever that's worth.At first I was skeptical about the transference of the story to some sort of fantasy future.
While not in league with the strong characters of a "Cowboy Bebop" or other top animes, Samurai 7 has a well thought out and developed crew.
The story is paced for a full series so your memories of the film have to be tempered.
The whole production has the integrity of the Zatoichi film series and other classic samurai dramas.
There are some other anime concessions (beautiful girls, mega destruction) but overall it doesn't hurt the series.Some notes on the US DVD release: The video quality is excellent but the sound and translation are a mixed bag.
With episodes 5 - 8, the Japanese track has the sound effects turned way down, giant crashes sound like small drops, but the English track has the music and sound effects overpowering the vocal track..
Fun and Enjoyable Adaptation of Seven Samurai!.
First of all, this is definitely a high quality anime series that does have the blessings of the Kurosawa family.At first I was unsure about the story being changed into some sort of fantasy future.
This is one good looking anime series.
This is one good looking anime series.
While not in league with the strong characters of other top animes, Samurai 7 has a well thought out and developed cast.
The story is paced for a full series so your memories of the film have to be kind of tempered.
There are some other anime concessions (beautiful girls, mega destruction) but overall it doesn't hurt the series.Some notes on the US DVD release: The video quality is excellent and so is the sound and translation .
A lot of dialog is slightly different or changes the original intent of the Japanese writers.
With some episodes, the Japanese track has the sound effects turned way down but the English track has the music and sound effects overpowering the vocal track.Overall, I believe the series is very enjoyable and fun while not being over the top...9/10.
One of the Best Animated Action Series ever..
I can understand how others can enjoy it, with the quirky characters and bright colors, but for me, it just stands as a mostly un-enjoyable genre.As for this series, Samurai 7, a futuristic recreation of the classic black-and-white masterpiece?
I absolutely loved it.Samurai 7, while taking some generous liberties with the original film (obviously there weren't giant mechs raiding villages back in any 30's film) stands on its own as an engaging story that uses top-notch animation and clever translation/writing to keep itself intriguing.
The CGI for the numerous robots and the hand drawn animation for the rest of the characters all looks great, though I did notice in the later installments of this series that there were points of animation that suddenly looked sub-par.
Don't ask why, my guess is that the better animator got sick or something and they called in a cheap replacement.But what really makes this series stand out, and is also a feature I feel is desperately missing from the majority of the anime genre, is the simple, relatable humanity of the characters.
As with any "team" film or series, which have large ensembles of interacting and different characters, Samurai 7 relies of the simple yet difficult art of human subtlty and foibles to deliver diologue and conflict that is above and beyond most animated features.
Even for the characters that are mechanical (I don't believe its ever explained how the people are put in robotic bodies)you feel a definite attachment and understanding for them, and in the process, you care for them.
There are virtually no over the top anime-staple "weird faces," or whatever they're called by anime fans, where an over-the-top emotion causes the face of a character to become "super-deformed." I find this a welcome breath of fresh air, and its absence truly keeps the idea that these are actual people in the story alive, though some odd character designs do occasionally mar the experience, if only for a few brief, forgettable seconds.As for the action, fear not.
Especially between the hand drawn characters, the fighting couldn't be better, with a beautiful mix of "Kung-Fu" and "Samurai-champloo" esquire combat that truly leaves you breathless.
My one complaint in this aspect of the series is that the giant mech characters, who are each about the size of a building, seem a bit helpless to the small, faster human characters, who dice them up like cheese at a deli over and over again.
Fortunately, as the mech characters are few, this never really bars anything down.While the visual style may irk Seven Samurai purists, and the storyline is greatly molded to fit this post-war, cyber/steam punk universe the plot is set in, open-minded fans of Seven Samurai and its several spin-offs ("Magnificent Seven" anyone?) will find tons to love, as well as anime and animation fans in general who have never seen the film.Dig up this vastly underrated series.
Based on the old samurai film made by Japan's legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, Samurai 7 is probably the first remake ever to be fully approved by the Kurosawa Estate after years of being 'unofficially' spawned into several versions by other international filmmakers.This animated TV series tells the story of a maiden and her friends who seeks for the seven warriors who are willing to protect the rice fields in a faraway village from the bandits (basically, the premise is almost the same as the original, albeit with different arrangements and settings).
Despite the fact that the show's anachronistic nature (humans and robots roam in this industrialized-world of feudal Japan) seems to be ripped off from a Final Fantasy game, it still retains the crucial themes and its dramatic storytelling that make the original Seven Samurai a legend among film buffs.
It's an entirely new realm, everyone may admit, but hey, it's still worth the price of its complete DVD collection.Let's start off with the animation flow: generally, it's really good but no, it's no Miyazaki (and it's not even up to the par with the giants like Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion) but its butt-kicking action scenes are undoubtedly impressive anyway.
If only they were designed as they were on any Gundam shows (and hey, some of the giant mecha samurai DO resemble of Gundams, only stiffer) Characters develop nicely throughout the show, with some valuable info slowly coming out into the light, revealing the main reasons behind the feudalistic atmosphere and yes, there are some hidden pasts behind each of the characters that will augment only the story's thematic plot.There are so many reasons why Samurai 7 is both loved and hated by not only fans of Mr. Kurosawa but also anime buffs as well.
To be honest I had been aware of but avoiding the Samurai 7 series.
I had no inclination to watch a animated remake as I felt its would be the same story but with drawings.
Yes its a remake of 7 Samurai but different setting and story arch.
The art work is brilliant in the beginning of the series but part way through the standards fell.
Kurosawa's masterpiece changed into post-apocalyptic sci-fi anime, hmm.
I just watched the first episode of this take-off on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai on IFC, dubbed into English (and possibly edited in other ways I'm not sure).
At first I wasn't sure what to make of it, and in the first five minutes or so I had no idea what connection, if at all, this had to Kurosawa's original story.
Then as the episode unfolded I could see the relationship to it, if only on a loose basis; large mechanical machines in battle and dominance over people has a farming community panicked, leading to reaching out to find samurai to protect them.
In the first episode there is only minimal swordplay towards the end, as the "one" is discovered, at least one of them I could figure.In order to have more of an appreciation for the show, I think, one has to take it sort of apart of the original film.
Watching this series, I could see this owes a lot more to the dozens of other anime like this, where samurai are cast against the light of a science fiction backdrop (some of the opening animation made me think of Star Wars, also a connection to Kurosawa coincidentally), as technological forces of mass destruction face off against those ultra-skilled with a sword, or maybe more.
The hero of this episode, for example, and who I can imagine has a much greater role in the course of the series, is like the Takashi Shimura character from the Kurosawa film crossed with one of the characters from an ultra-stylized Magma comic book, to give a generic comparison to be sure.I'll keep on watching the series to see how and when the action unfolds, and I'm even intrigued enough to seek out the uncut, Japanese-language version of the DVD.
But make no mistake, this will divide (or just make made) those who place the Kurosawa film in such high regard, as to whether such a work of art can be transposed into a well-made, if not that spectacular on a first go-around, anime show.
Those who are already fans of the animation style anyway may gravitate to it, however when compared to programs like Fist of the North Star and Ninja Scroll it isn't quite the caliber either.
My recommendation- if you have IFC, it's worth a view, but if you are expecting a literal translation from live-action film to animation, look elsewhere..
Samurai 7 is a good show, The plots & characters are decent & original.
CatDog failed to be that good.IFC is really faithful now that there airing anime & DVDs are probably gone dunning it's cancellation.
As a fan of the original movie, i like this very much.
This is an Japanese Animation series made as a remake from the Japanese 50's Seven Samurai.
But the difference is that this is based in the future as the nobuseri (bandits) whom were mechanized samurai before are robbing the villages around the "world".
So one village decides to send a "water maiden" her sister and a peasant Rikichi to find a suitable crew of samurai to beat the bandits.
The movie has great battle scenes (as the battle in the beginning of the first episode where the armies of mechanized samurais fight).
there's about 28 episodes in the series.
I hoped that they would actually continue the series etc.i would give 9/10 for this anime series as it is a good remake from a great movie..
An interesting retelling of the 'Seven Samurai' story.
This series, loosely based on the classic film 'Seven Samurai' is set in a world that resembles feudal Japan but also features futuristic machines.
The farmers of Kanna village are fed up with living on gruel because mechanical bandits keep stealing their precious rice harvest so they decide to engage the services of a group of samurai to help them fight back.
To this end three member of the village; water diviner Kirara; her young sister Komachi and farmer Rikichi head to the nearby city to find samurai.
Kirara also catches the eye of Ukyo; the adoptive son of the city's leader and will need the help of the samurai to get away from him.
Once back at the village they manage to fight off the bandits but their fight is far from over and not all of them will survive.I had been put off this series by trailers featuring lots of 3D mechs battling in space and a rather gloomy DVD box cover but once I started watching it quickly became apparent that this was something special.
The main characters were interesting and emotionally involving; this was particularly true of Katsushiro the young samurai who has yet to see combat and is changed forever when he does; experiencing both excitement and tragedy in battle.
The main character designs look great and they are well animated, the 3D mechanical bandits they fight aren't so good; they stick out too much from the main 2D animation.
Those wanting plenty of action shouldn't be disappointed and those wanting some lighter moments should like it too some good laughs are provided by Komachi and her new friend, the mechanical samurai, Kikuchiyo.
Ukyo proves to be an interesting antagonist; at times it seems like he might not be bad after all and at others he seems conniving and dangerous.
Overall this series was much better than I expect it and I certainly recommend giving it a go and if you do don't skip to the next episode when the credits start; after the 'coming next' prologue there is a little section featuring Komachi writing a letter to her friend Okara.These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles..
I'd like to say, I'm a little bit prejudiced about the samurai themed animes because of the Afro Samurai.
Samurai Champloo was the first series proved me I was wrong.
I was reluctant to watch Samurai 7 both being prejudiced about Samurai themed animes and the average point on IMDb. I thought if it couldn't even be over 8, it wouldn't be impressive.
Then I watched the series and it was everything.
Thanks to directors and writers, I watched this kind of a amazing series.
Story, characters (both psychologically and visualization), philosophy and especially last episodes.
I've watched pile of animes so far.
The main characters were dying one by one in a reasonable way.
Great series.
This was an excellent series about the farmer, the farmers life, and the war between the common man and an emperor.
During this series, it was a wonderful look into the politics of how a simple merchant dealer's son became an emperor.
Now in the middle are seven samurai warriors who must stop this new tyrant from up heaving a peaceful village which grows and deals their rice to the emperor for fuel cells to the capital city which flies above the ground.
These fuel cells are then traded with mechanical bandits which are ex samurai turned machine.
Kambei, a samurai of pure instinct and excellence with his sword is called in by a simple water priestess who hires his help to stop the oncoming battle at her village.
With him are Katsushiro, a rogue young samurai who wants to learn how to fight properly and asks Kambei for help, but refuses.
In his so doing, Katsushiro then later understands it is only his unique qualities that make him a samurai to stop the emperor.
Excellent swordsman and spears man, but does not like the fighting.
And for this to happen a water priestess named Kirara, hires Kambei to stop the evil which plagues her village, who is Ukyo a son of a merchant dealer who became an emperor.
And joins forces with the samurai to stop his own son.
All in all this series is an excellent example of how differences and politics can sometimes cause too much power for one to handle.
I recommend this series to those who love to watch the code of the samurai in its fullest extent and clarity..
This series is a reinvisioning of the 1954 Akira Kurosawa film.
The basic story is the same -villagers plagued by rice-thieving ex-Samurai turned bandits hire Samurai from the city to defend their village paying them nothing but rice.
This version takes place in a post-war future that mixes machines with some old-world environs in a beautifully animated ensemble that conducts values of noble Samurai versus the corruption of the merchant class with the peasants caught in between just trying to stay alive with some dignity.The series has a few advantages over the movie in that the extra time it takes to plot out episodes lets you see a more vibrant interaction and development of the characters.
The "steam punk" elements may seem to trounce the realism and action Kurosawa included in his original film, but I believe the updated imagery helps convey Kurosawa's story to 21st century audiences.
'Samurai 7' may or may not be a trend-setter, but its imagery, music, and plot do Kurosawa's story great justice..
This is an intelligent adaption of 'The seven Samurai' as Anime.
Yes, it is a typical Anime with comic elements but beautifully told and crafted excellent from cinematographic point of view.
The story is never boring over all 26 episodes so it keeps you watching until the end.
The character development is excellent and because you have the seven main characters plus some side-kicks, there are enough interesting things which can be told about these characters for 26 episodes.
Each episode, something new is revealed about the characters in a natural way, which fits excellent to the development of the story.
It is the theme of 'The seven Samurai' and the only movie, I know of, which got approval from Kurosawa's family.
There is some small love story but the most impressive parts are epic fights taking place in huge battle scenarios with thousands of robots and huge battle castles - at the climax of the story towards the end.
This is the main element the Samurai fight for.
It is also about oppression from the leaders and their political games between robot Samurai, rice farmers and the land lords.
This is the setting for the story about the farmers, trying to get help from jobless Samurais - after the big wars have ended - to fight against the oppression of the 'Lord of the heaven' and their relation with the salesmen, taking the rice from the farmers with force.
I can highly recommend to watch it and you will see - It's all about the rice.