The Elusive Samurai

its like a documentary it great

This episode felt like a real growth moment for Tokiyuki. Running and evasion aren't his only tools anymore — for the first time, we see him ask Fubuki to actually teach him how to properly wield a sword, and that felt like a meaningful step in his development. The technique he learns, "Onishin Butsutou" (Demon-Heart Buddha Blade), is clever: instead of going for a finishing blow, Tokiyuki keeps retreating from his opponent while cutting them, gradually wearing them down through blood loss rather than direct confrontation — which fits his whole "running away" identity perfectly. The fight against Shokan — leader of a gang whose name translates to something like "subjugating the ants" — was tense and satisfying, and I felt like that name reflects Shokan's arrogant view of his enemies, like he sees them as small and easy to crush, just like ants. To be honest though, some of the CGI shots looked a bit off compared to the rest of the beautiful animation, which was the one thing that took away from an otherwise perfect episode. Aside from that, it's a dramatically strong episode with plenty of quiet moments that remind you why you love this anime in the first place.

Outsmarting enemies and executing military tactics and strategies in fiction is just interesting and enjoyable. The writing simplifies it to be understandable to people who are not well-versed in it.

How one lived is what remains in people's minds rather than how they died. Tokiyuki realizing this and making Hoshina realize how much more they could achieve alive is beautiful and right, unlike what Kiyohara envisions.

Takauji's change scares even his brother. Whatever is up with him, it is definitely something that directly clashes with what Tokiyuki and Yorishige's group have.

Fubuki is OP and a perfect combination of brains and brawn plus a little quirkiness with food being his lifeline. Yorishige hugging Tokiyuki is so wholesome, I'm gonna cry. I love them.

Fubuki is smart and strong as an individual and he is going to be a big help to Toshiyuki as part of their team. I can't wait to see what the combination of Fubuki and Yorishige can do, and how they would bring out the potential of each character especially Tokiyuki.

Yorishige's humanness was definitely shown here when he kept on worrying for Tokiyuki and the others as he couldn't see the future.

Samurai looking down on ninjas is just weird for me. They're both cool but I mean like, ninjas are stealthy, good in infiltrations, can manipulate their enemies' senses, etc. That's just way cooler to me.

A lot of characters are shown to have a trait that makes them stand out from the rest. First, it was Tokiyuki, then Sadamune, and now this guy with super hearing.

The combination of Yorishige and Takayuki is just different from the others. There's trust but also doubt on Tokiyuki's end.

Even though they were only formed, their relationship being that close already is something Tokiyuki definitely needs after all he's been through. He needs a safe space and support.

This show is so meta, it breaks the 4th wall like Gintama referencing other anime or shows, and Tokiyuki is like Luffy in Gear 5th having fun during a fight.

The first part of the episode is so unserious with him just running away from his attendants then the second part came and the tone of the show definitely changed to a darker vibe.

I was NOT ready for this. It starts off all colorful and lighthearted and then out of nowhere it turns into a full-on bloodbath by the end of the first episode. The tonal shift completely caught me off guard and I'm honestly impressed by how well it was executed. And Tokiyuki as a protagonist is genuinely adorable — his whole deal of being a coward who just runs away is so endearing and refreshing compared to your typical shonen hero. The animation quality is top notch too, CloverWorks really delivered here.

The finale sets up Tokiyuki’s future fight to reclaim power. The season ends with hope and determination for what comes next.

The emotional side of Tokiyuki’s story becomes more visible. His goal of reclaiming his clan’s legacy grows stronger.

A tense pursuit keeps the episode exciting. Tokiyuki’s survival skills are pushed to their limits.

Tokiyuki’s confidence continues to grow. His ability to evade enemies turns into a unique fighting style.

The threat of Ashikaga Takauji grows stronger. The episode builds tension as the enemy’s power becomes clearer.