Currently streaming on Crunchyroll, The Elusive Samurai is some ‘wild work’—witty, weird, demonic, and dynamic. Produced by CloverWorks, the series is one of the RIOTUS standouts of the 2024 summer season. The story cleverly inverts our expectations of a shonen hero through Hojo Tokiyuki, a child heir to the Kamakura shogunate, who, after being orphaned, uses his agility and cunning to navigate a world filled with nasty battles and silly moments.
While he might be considered a coward elsewhere, here Tokiyuki’s ability to dodge danger becomes a valuable asset. As a ‘soft boy’ character—straight out of a middle-grade novel—he excels at outwitting his enemies as much as outrunning them. In his quest to win back the shogunate that was taken over when his family was killed, he surrounds himself with a classic group of epic fantasy heavies and misfits—each of them bonkers or bizarre in endearing ways.
Oh, and they’re all kids. Younger than teens. There is Toki’s initial daimyo, strong-girl Mochizuki Ayako, and the puckish, Nezu Kojiro. The priestess Shizuku, who found him at his lowest point, the dual sword wielder with a bottomless stomach, Fubuki, and the profane masked ninja, Kazama Genba.
Another strong character is Tokiyuki’s mentor, Suwa Yorishige, a monk who can foresee multiple possibilities for the future—similar to Doctor Strange. Yorishige’s gift is so strong he often references trends and events from our modern era. These goofy sight gags and fourth-wall breaks add a layer of meta-humor to the historical narrative.
That last bit helps because the violence is shockingly vivid, many of the adults are demons in disguise. They’re smiling one moment and viciously murdering entire villages the next—using enhanced body parts that border on body horror. That took some time to get used to, but I was raised on old-school “geysers of blood” Japanese movies. Once I switched modes mentally, the combination of comedy, paranormal, and fantasy samurais sank in. If you can do the same, The Elusive Samurai delivers a highly enjoyable first-season arc. We’re at episode 9.5 out of 16, and I’m already stressing about where the season will end and how quickly I can get it back for season 2.
sidebar: It also helps that the villain, Ashikaga Takauji, is fine on the same level as the Fire Lord (and just as dipped in insanity).
There’s only one thing that threatens to pull me out of the action and that’s the occasional animation fumble. Although some sequences are mechanical and simplistically computer-generated, the visuals are primarily fluid, hyper-stylized, and as colorful as a painting on silk.
Be prepared to get sucked into the world of The Elusive Samurai like it’s an isekai (and you’re a hapless middle-aged salaryman). This anime had me up in the middle of the night, wondering how it could be so horrific, heroic, cute, and comedic. Somehow the mangaka, Matsui Yuusei, and CloverWorks make wildness work, and the wildness works well.
DISH//
“PLAN A” (The Elusive Samurai featured song)