SAMURAI 7: VOLUME 1 - SEARCH FOR THE SEVEN DVD REVIEW
Featured review by Paul Melia, Contributing Editor
"Everything old is new again."
"It's like deja vu all over again."
"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."
The English language is filled with sayings about the circular
nature of existence. We just cannot seem to break free of the desire
to revisit themes or events that we have experienced before. Just
think of that cousin that kept doing the same dumb thing over and
over again. So what does all of this have to do with anime?
Well, in Akira Kurosawa's Samurai 7, we are treated to
a "reimagining" of the classic tale of conflict between seven
honorable warriors and the fallen nobles turned thieves that prey
upon the helpless. But this update is an uncomfortable marriage of
old and new. Wars are fought with huge flying fortresses and cyborg
samurai but everyone still uses swords. Society is technologically
advanced but still uses rice as currency. It all looks great but
there is very little explanation why a world with huge Matrix-like
machines would also look like feudal Japan. Which brings us back to
the "everything old is new again" theme.
In the recent Steamboy, Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) conceived a
Victorian London filled with amazing modern machines all powered by
steam. He went to great lengths to make the viewer believe that all
the gears and boilers worked to achieve the results. In Osamu
Tezuka's Metropolis, mechanical people and fantastic machinery exist
believably in world vaguely set in the roaring '20s. And we would be
remiss in not mentioning the works of Leji Matsumoto (Star Blazers,
Queen Emeraldas, Captin Harlock, Galaxy Railways) where WWII
battleships, pirate ships and steam engine trains all zip across
space. The point is that all of these series combine old with new
but make it believable. Unfortunately, Samurai 7 doesn't quite
succeed at that.
Which is not to say that this is a bad series. Gonzo (Last Exile,
Kiddy Grade, Blue Submarine No. 6) has done a remarkable job. 3D and
traditional animation have been seamlessly combined and the artwork
is superb. The characters range widely in style though, with the
leads lovingly drawn while supporting characters can be quite
unusual in appearance. The background audio is a subtle but
effective mix of traditional Japanese instruments and modern pieces
that convey the mood perfectly. Also, the script has been nicely
adapted, keeping Kurosawa's unique combination of action, drama and
humor. There is plenty of all three and no anime fan will be
disappointed with this series.
As a DVD, Samurai 7 soars. Funimation has given this title loving
attention and it shows. The English cast is perfect - the voices are
just what you'd expect when you first see the characters. Even
challenging characters such as the cyborg samurai Kikuchiyo come
across great.
The video is presented in 16:9 widescreen format and the sound comes
in immersive English and Japanese 5.1 or standard English and
Japanese stereo. The disc and packaging come chock full of extras as
well. The case includes a great action painting of the samurai in
action running the full width of the interior and a hefty book full
of interviews and artwork. The disc offers character profiles,
promotional videos (including a five-minute piece that gives much of
the new story's background), an image gallery, textless songs and
Funimation trailers. It is all very cleanly executed though some of
the menus are so subtle that they are bit difficult to navigate.
One minor bone to pick with Funimation - their recent discs have
come with long promotional videos for other titles that play before
the menu appears. On the Samurai 7 disc, that meant spending 1
minute and 30 seconds watching a promo that cannot be skipped over
before the menu appeared. The promos were nice but having the option
to skip over them would have been even nicer.
Overall, Akira Kurosawa's Samurai 7 is an ideal sci-fi/action
adventure. It has cool heros, nasty nasties and plenty of stuff to
look at. Just don't try to explain why the super science is
there...it just is.
http://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/samurai7/volume1.asp