Samurai 7

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Samurai 7


caption = The seven recruited samurai
ja_name = サムライセブン
ja_name_trans = Samurai Sebun
genre = Adventure, Fantasy, MechaInfobox animanga/Anime
title =
director = Toshifumi Takizawa
studio = Gonzo
network = flagicon|Japan Animax
network_other = flagicon|Malaysia flagicon|Singapore flagicon|India Animax flagicon|Argentina flagicon|Brazil flagicon|Mexico flagicon|Thailand Animax flagicon|United States IFC, Animania HD flagicon|Canada Razer flagicon|Singapore Arts Central flagicon|Malaysia TV3 flagicon|Hong Kong TVB Jade flagicon|HUN flagicon|Poland AXN flagicon|Italy GXT flagicon|Israel Arutz Hayeladim flagicon|Philippines GMA 7 flagicon|Indonesia Global TV flagicon|Peru Animax flagicon|Portugal RTP2 flagicon|Germany Animax
first = June 12, 2004
last = December 25, 2004
episodes = 26
episode_list = List of Samurai 7 episodes

The series premiered across Japan on the anime satellite television network, Animax, as an exclusive high definition CS-PPV broadcast, and was also later aired by the network across its other respective networks worldwide, including Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America and other regions. FUNimation has acquired the dubbing rights for the North American release. It is airing in America through the Independent Film Channel (using FUNimation's dub) since April 2006 and in high definition on Dish Networks Animania HD channel (also using FUNimation's dub). It has also been broadcast across Canada by specialty channel Razer and across Hong Kong by TVB Jade.

Plot

"Samurai 7" tells the story of a rice village, Kanna. Every year during the harvest a group of bandits come and steal away almost all of the rice that had been harvested that year. Not only that, the bandits are becoming more demanding, now taking women and children in addition to rice.

The elder of Kanna Village has decided that to protect the village they must hire samurai to fight against the bandits. However, the village has no money and thus must find samurai willing to protect the village for a payment of rice. Three members of the village leave to attempt to recruit samurai. They travel to the city and search for samurai willing to work, and after finding several samurai and having a few encounters with the local government they return to Kanna village to prepare defenses against the bandits.

The samurai train the villagers in the use of bows, building walls, and construct a giant ballista to defend the village against the bandits. After successfully defeating the bandits, the samurai then launch an attack upon the capital to defeat a power hungry ruler who has recently risen to power as Emperor. After heavy casualties for the samurai, and the near-destruction of Kanna village, the capital is finally defeated.

Characters

Episodes

Differences/similitudes with the "Seven Samurai" film

The main difference is the steampunk setting, as the series features mecha, flying castle and other futuristics elements (the seven samurai still simply use katana, and display superhuman strength which allow them to fight mechas). Notably, Kikuchiyo (the once-peasant samurai) has a mechanised body.

As far as the plot is concerned, the biggest difference with the film is the extension of the action before and after the defense of the village from the bandits (the series, of course, is several times longer than the film). This introduces a complete political aspect to the intrigue, linking the fight for the village to the rise and fall of Ukyo as the country's leader. This is a important stride from the film, where the battle is of no significance and glory.

On the contrary, the roles of the samurai are close to what they are in the film, keeping most of the dynamics between them. Notably, the same 4 samurai (Gorobei, Kikuchiyo, Heihachi and Kyuzo) die in the battle, an unusual pattern for an anime. as most anime have their characters die off in different battles and not at the same time.

Also, Ukyo, Amanushi, Kirara and Komachi are unique characters to the anime. There is no priestess in the film, and no love triangle either.

Theme songs

*Opening: "Unlimited" by Nanase Aikawa
*Closing: "Fuhen" ("Ubiquity") by Rin'
*Opening NHK TV Version : "Justice" by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V6_(group) V6]

External links

* [http://www.samurai-7.com "Samurai 7" Official Website] ja icon
* [http://www.animax.co.jp/ppv/samurai7/ Animax's official website for "Samurai 7"] ja icon
* [http://www.animax-asia.com/synopsis/default.asp?pid=112 Animax East Asia's page for "Samurai 7"]
* [http://www.samurai7.tv FUNIMATION's official North American website for "Samurai 7"]
* [http://www.ifc.com/samurai7 IFC's official website for their US airing of "Samurai 7"]
*Tv.com show|id=34253|title=Samurai 7
*ann anime|3127