REVIEW: ‘The Elusive Samurai’ Episode 1 — “May 22nd”

The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 positively bursts with energy from the moment the premiere begins. Based on the manga written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui (Assassination Classroom), the series uses its historical setting to come alive with flourishing details and dynamic animation styles. Aided by a dark yet seamlessly edited tonal shift, “May 22nd” is a formidable introduction to this character and the world and period he inhabits.

Suitably, the first time we meet Hojo Tokiyuki (Asaki Yuikawa), he’s on the run from his handlers who’d rather see him train. This engaging opening sequence perfectly sets up Tokiyuki’s boyish energy, unbridled youthfulness, and impulse to escape and elude commitments as best as possible. Set between the late Kamakura and early Muromachi periods, Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. However, he’s seen how his father acts more as a puppeteered figurehead rather than an actual, decisive leader, and therefore, he figures he should get to explore his village and world without strain.

As the world unfolds and we get to see the beauty of his village, which is carefully rendered through the visuals, we understand why. Tokiyuki immediately charms as a protagonist, in constant motion as he plays with his brother—his elder but the son of a concubine so unable to be the heir—and runs through the village.

During his journey, he meets Suwa Yorisige (Yuichi Nakamura), a priest who declares he can see the future, saying he foresees Tokiyuki becoming a hero in two years. The first half of The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 is playful and vibrant, from broad strokes of humor to the electrical charge that amplifies whenever Tokiyuki moves. It, like its protagonist, hums with barely contained energy.

But that changes mid-way in a chilling cut, indicating youthful innocence’s fall. A ball falls from the sky, only to be revealed as the decapitated head of one of the Kamakura soldiers. Ashikaga Takauji, a trusted vassal, has betrayed them and led an army to overthrow his family. This entire sequence is deafening in its brutality and devastation, stealing our breath after such a sweet, charismatic introduction. Before, this world was seen through the eyes of a boy whose life had yet to be touched by death. The Elusive Samurai strips away any pretense in the back half—this world is violent.

It’s teased even in the opening, where a narrated introduction speaks of heroes of this era and how often they met their glory by dying on the battlefield. There’s no honor in what Tokiyuki sees. Directed by Yuta Yamazaki, the assault on Kamakura infuses itself with horrific expressions of destruction. From the frozen face of a man who has just been fatally wounded to the village ablaze in bleeding, fiery reds, the shift is distinctive not just in narrative tones but by colors, too. There’s boldness to the color stories, the blood splatters contrasting the intricacies of the character designs and their costuming.

If there’s any genuine fault in the episode, it comes from the humor, which doesn’t work as well in tandem with the severe nature of the story. Suwa Yorisige, who comes to Tokiyuki’s aid at the end as the boy about to give up his life to honor his father and fallen comrades, works much better when he’s not as amplified. His narration about how Takauji and Tokiyuki differ. The former gaining hero status through death and the latter through life is poignant. But his first introduction is grating compared to the rest of the story.

But the ending of The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 is so dizzying that it makes us forget the broad comedic elements that don’t flow quite as well. As Tokiyuki chooses life, utilizing his skills in running and evasion to escape those trying to kill him, his form becomes engrossed in color, sprouting metaphorical wings that deliver one of the most impactful moments of the premiere. It’s a gorgeous display of action and animation, utilizing unique clashes of color and dynamic movement to create something larger than life while honoring the personal character growth moment spurned.

From the opening credits until the bruising, emotional end, The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 is visually an absolute stunner. Its arresting visuals are in and of themselves enough to warrant continued watching, with CloverWorks once again delivering highly detailed action that plays more with balletic grace than muscular impact. But the story, for now, is also engrossing, especially with a protagonist as charismatic as Tokiyuki. Hopefully, as the series progresses, minor tonal hiccups will work out as Tokiyuki works to reclaim what was rightfully his.

The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 is out now on Crunchyroll.