Samurai 7


Samurai 7 is a 2004 anime television series produced by Gonzo and based on the 1954 Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai. The seven samurai have the same names and similar characteristics to their counterparts from the original. The series was directed by Toshifumi Takizawa, and its music was composed by Kaoru Wada and Eitetsu Hayashi. There are 26 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 acquired the dubbing rights for the North America release. It previously aired in America through the Independent Film Channel in April 2006 and in high definition on the Voom's Animania HD channel. It has also been broadcast across Canada by specialty channel Razer and across Hong Kong by TVB Jade. The Funimation Channel aired the series on September 6, 2010. It began airing on Adult Swim's revived Toonami block on August 19, 2012 and ended its run on February 10, 2013.

Plot

Samurai 7 tells the story of a village named Kanna. Set in a futuristic world that has just witnessed the end of a massive war, scores of villages are terrorized by Nobuseri bandits. But the Nobuseri are no normal bandits. They were once samurai, who during the war integrated their living cells with machines to become dangerous weapons now appearing more machine than man. Absolute power corrupts, and their reign of terror is increasing its hold on the countryside.
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

Samurai

; Shimada Kanbei
;Okamoto Katsushiro
; Katayama Gorobei
; Shichiroji
; Kikuchiyo
; Hayashida Heihachi
; '''Kyuzo'''

Kanna Village

; Kirara Mikumari
; Komachi Mikumari
; Rikichi
; Gisaku
; Setsu
; Okara
; Manzō
; Shino
; Mosuke
; Yohei
; '''Gosaku'''

Antagonists

; Ukyo
; Tessai
Tessai's dress is a derivative of the traditional dress of the Dutch fishermen town of Volendam, including his pipe.
; Ayamaro
; Hyogo
; Amanushi/Lord/Emperor
; '''Genzo'''

Mechanical Samurai

During the great war, there are samurai that had converted their bodies into large fighting machines. When the war was ended by merchants, many became Nobuseri, or bandits. Under the emperor's employment, the bandit units rob farming villages of their rice, and occasionally women and children for the capital. During Capital's journey to Kanna Village, Ukyo orders the court physician to remove the bandits' souls, so they will be nothing more than mindless machines, accepting orders only from the emperor.
; Yakan/Teakettle
; Raiden
; Benigumo
; Tobito
; Mimizuku
; Syusai
; Sobei
; '''Kobayakawa Tamono'''

Other characters

; Masamune
; Yukino
; Honoka
; Sanae
; Mizuki
; Koharu
; '''Chiaki'''

Theme songs

  • Opening: "Unlimited" by Nanase Aikawa
  • Closing: "Fuhen" by Rin'
  • Opening NHK TV Version: "Justice" by Coming Century
  • Closing NHK TV Version: "Niji Musubi" by Rin'