Samurai 7: Episode 12

Such a high tension environment. An extremely unattractive villager betrays his people and the samurai. Katsushiro realizes the repercussions of his mission. Heihachi shows his psycho personality. Kikuchiyo reveals his background. And Kanbei plain confuses me.

As David pointed out, it’s hard to side with the villagers when they act oh-so-selfishly. However, this betrayal may be the turning point of their cowardly attitude. They may prove to be likeable enough to root for in future episodes.

Heihachi, for all his carefree smile, is one scary samurai. I have agree with Jeff. This dude IS creepy. And take note, this isn’t the first time he attempted to slash someone in half because of a betrayal.

To be honest, Kukichiyo’s wailing has no emotional effect on me whatsoever (I suppose that’s the point). Even when he revealed his real ancestry, I can’t seem to find any sympathy for him. I still just see him as an over-the-top character.

Kanbei’s reaction to the Katsushiro incident can be a little confusing. On one hand, he knows that Katsushiro only performed his duty. But still, I suppose, he’s deeply affected that he is an instrument for taking away his young apprentice’s innocence.

Interesting developments yet I wonder how can the writers are going to fill up the entire twenty-six episodes with substantial storyline.