REVIEW: ‘The Elusive Samurai’ Season 1 Deals In Extremes

Half of The Elusive Samurai Season 1 is genius. The first two episodes and specific, singular action sequences suggest a compelling visionary who channels an electrical current into this new manga adaptation. Yet, despite the robust and compelling start and those individual scenes where the artistry is on full display, it ultimately falters. From poor comedic timing — or simply more comedic taste — to a reliance on cheap visual tools and a finale that refuses to honor the character’s journeys, the series stumbles in maintaining its high set bar of excellence.

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui (Assassination Classroom), the series follows young Tokiyuki (Asaki Yuikawa) whose idyllic life is thrown into bloodshed and chaos after Ashikaga Takauji (Katsuyuki Konishi) overthrows his family. While on the run, he finds protection and guidance from an aloof priest, Yorishige (Yuichi Nakamura), who aids the young lord in seeking his revenge, believing him to be capable of incredible heroics in the future. The series’ twist is that Tokiyuki isn’t known for an unnatural prowess in battle but instead in his ability to run away.

One of the many immediate charms of the series stems from how the animators and character designs capture Tokiyuki’s love of running and evading capture. How it manifests itself visually is a thrill, especially in the first few episodes. In the premiere, The Elusive Samurai Season 1 captures his spirited nature through his swinging gait as he runs and leaps into frames, weightless and seemingly airborne. Directed by Yuta Yamazaki and produced by CloverWorks, the series establishes a tone early. There are elaborate color stories and rich tapestries of background imagery and foreground action.

When entirely in its element, The Elusive Samurai Season 1 is a visual feast. The character movements are kinetic yet cohesive, and how the series bridges seeming childhood harmony with jarring trauma helps capture the horror that Tokiyuki is witnessing. In one moment, he’s simply a child. In the next, the last of his family and the only real hope of avenging his name. There’s a necessary severity to the tone when need be that makes sure to highlight the destruction and terror of war. The gravitas, charming characters, and bold visuals make for a gripping story of resilience.

It’s just that there’s such a distinctive divide of quality that makes the low parts of the series difficult to ignore. Despite the strong setup, The Elusive Samurai Season 1 often loses focus. The comedy works, to an extent, but mainly in situational and/or gag-focused scenarios where the point of the sequence is the punchline. When the series leans into its absurdist tendencies, it works. It doesn’t do as well when it tries to bring comedy out of otherwise dramatic moments.

This divide prompts tonal dissonance within the narrative too. While there’s no doubt the series needs levity, especially when focusing on such a young protagonist, there’s no escaping the sheer brutality he first witnesses in Episode 1. The nightmarish sequence of his town being brutally slaughtered delivers a swift blow, declaring its intent to not hold back from the reality of this time period. Some of the finest moments of the series are found in the devastation, even when it’s hard to watch because of it. The Elusive Samurai needs to find a way to better bridge the cold detachment of how it depicts war to the goofy hijinks of Yorishige and co.

There’s a garish, jarring quality to the series that’s hard to ignore and doesn’t gel well with its highlights. When the comedy fails, it’s juvenile and distracting. Worse still is the rudimentary animation that takes the place of the graceful and dynamic work when CGI is brought into the equation. Certain installments, like Episodes 4 and 5, are the weakest links because they rely so heavily on CGI sequences that don’t marry well with the rest of the production.

It’s frustrating. Part of the charm is how the animators and creative team seem so exuberant over playing with different forms, styles, and animation genres. But that excitement dampens on viewers’ end when the result is stagnant, expressionless animation. When the big swings work, the result is a cacophony of color and movement as the world bends and breaks to the making of the artist behind it. The colorful backdrops and blood splattering are gorgeous and grotesque in equal measure. But for every extraordinary high, there’s a definitive low.

While The Elusive Samurai Season 1 is thrilling at the moment when every element comes together, it isn’t memorable. With brusque humor and thin character work, the visuals are where the series lives or flounders. We needed more time with the villains — especially the mysterious and haunting Ashikaga.

The Elusive Samurai Season 1 is fun in the moment but fails to stick. With some genuinely striking animation that unleashes all that the medium is capable of, it’s transcendent. But the breathtaking moments aren’t constant, leaving us with an otherwise entertaining but listless series that needed more time to bolster its story and anchor its characters.

The Elusive Samurai Season 1 is out now on Crunchyroll.