Samurai Anime

I know that many of you were waiting for my next Egyptian or archaeological update, but I thought I’d take a short tangent or two into a few other topics that I enjoy. I have talked about cosplaying a few posts back, but I glossed over the anime aspect of that brings most people, myself included to cosplay.

Anime has been shown in the United States since the late 1960’s. Everyone know this show which was the first anime shown in the US in 1967:

Speed Racer Theme

Well! Now that you have that re-embedded into your ear, let’s move on to some of my favorite animes. I have always loved the samurai and I have always carried a great respect for the Bushido code.

Seven Codes of Bushido

Justice (Gi)

Bravery (Yuu)

Benevolence (Jin)

Politeness (Rei)

Veracity (Makoto)

Honor (Meiyo)

Loyalty (Chuugi)

So instead of 10 I Really Wish You Wouldn’t’s, we have a list of 7 things you can aspire to be. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the 10 I Really Wish You Wouldn’t's, but some of these are a little easier to remember.

That said, most of the anime I love revolve around the samurai theme. Rurouni Kenshin is still my number one samurai anime, if I had such a list. The main character, Himura Kenshin, is a ronin or master-less samurai. He wanders into Tokyo one day, meets a girl named Kamiya Kaoru and has lots of interesting adventures.

Number two on my list would have to be Tsukikage Ran. In this show, we have a female samurai named Ran and her sort of side-kick, Meyo. Ran drinks sake like she needs it to live, which is why she is always broke. Meyo wants to help out everybody she meets, and keeps dropping herself into affairs that don’t really concern her. And getting paid for it.

Unlike Rurouni Kenshin which ran an exhaustive 98 episodes and three movies or OVA’s, Tsukikage Ran is very short, only 13 episodes, none of which are really related to each other.

My third favorite is Samurai Deeper Kyo. In this relatively short series, only 28 episodes, we meet a man named Kyshiro, and another man named Kyo. Kyoshiro is a nice person. He’s a little silly and sells medicine out of a bundle on his back. He was a samurai, but has hung up his sword for the simple life.

Kyo on the other hand is called Demon-Eyes Kyo because of his red eyes and red armour. He’s not thought to be a nice person. Kyo and Kyoshiro had a battle 10 years before the story starts, at Sekigahara. Kyoshiro defeated Kyo and hid his body, but Kyo hid his soul in Kyoshiro’s body. Now, Kyo wants his own body back.

Those are just my top three. Don’t even get me started on Inuyasha, Samurai Champloo, Afro Samurai, Samurai Gun, Blade of the Immortal, Samurai Jack . . .

I’ll stop, but I must leave you with the opening theme for Samurai Champloo. It is one of my favorite openings.

Samurai Champloo Opening Theme "Battlecry"