Shura no Toki: Episode 06

Simply astonishing. Half way through the episode, I realized that I was completely sucked into the storyline. While the show has not reached addicting status yet, this release gave a glimpse of what may be happening soon. Or is it only wishful thinking?

The lovesick Shiori decided to leave Yankumo behind because of the attack of the ugly green monster named jealousy. Unfortunately, she was unable to make her dramatic exit since the Kukki clan had other plans for her.

Moments after Shiori left the palace, Yankumo immediately suspected something amiss. His search for Shiori led to a duel at dawn. Needless to say, he successfully retrieved her without breaking a sweat. Although he effortlessly defeated the baddies, the dirty tactics of the opponent almost succeeded. Thankfully, Musashi leveled the playing field. After a few intense moments, Yankumo’s promise to end the Kukki clan was fulfilled. The episode ended with Musashi and Yankumo facing each other.

Despite the poor animation, the techniques for the fight sequences was clearly presented. I especially enjoyed Yankumo’s last attack whilst fighting Kukki Genjiro. His unexpected punch to the right hand used for drawing the sword surprised not only his opponent but Musashi as well. While Yankumo’s methods are not as graceful as swordsmen, I can see myself appreciating the finer points of his technique.

The princess is not as innocent as she looks. Upon learning the duel at the Three Pines, she manipulated the situation to her advantage. She asked her father to grant the winner of the duel the title of serving as the instructor for the royal family. I doubt that she has evil intentions since she is quite taken by the travelers but her scheming leads me to believe that she has questionable motives as well.

Surprise, surprise. I’m actually looking forward to watching the next episode.