Samurai 7: Episode 01

Ahhh…a fusion of traditional samurai and mecha. And take note, this series is an adaptation from Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1954 film which was hailed by critics as one of the greatest films of all time. My first reaction when I learned of the anime was basically, “How will Gonzo ruin and bastardize this series?”.

I barely remember the film since it has been years since I’ve viewed it. And to be honest, for a kid in elementary, I barely paid attention to the screen. It was long, in a black and white, in a foreign language, and subtitled. Definitely not for me at that age. But I digress, all I’m saying, I can’t really draw any educated comparison because I haven’t seen the film in its entirety.

Putting the film aside, I have to rate the first episode better than I expected. I put off the series for a while because of some unfavorable reviews I’ve read. It’s a good thing I was bored enough today to preview the pilot.

The animation definitely caught my attention. If I ignore the most of the 3D, I’ll be fine. But since the show centers on mecha action, I’ll just deal with them when the time comes. The music is surprisingly excellent. Haven’t seen the OP theme yet but the ED fits quite nicely. I have I hopes for its soundtrack. As for the storyline, it already tickled my fancy. I suppose not even Gonzo can mess this up, right? Or will my hopes be crushed?