The Elusive Samurai Chapter 1
VIZ
Mangaka: Yūsei Matsui
The creator of Neuro: Supernatural Detective and Assassination Classroom is back with a brand-new series!
Tokiyuki Hojo is the young heir to the Hojo clan, a powerful family that serves as regent to the shogunate during the Kamakura period. While a favored house by the shogunate, the Hojo’s are known to be weak-willed and to run away from their problems. Takatoki Hojo, Tokiyuki’s father, is nothing more than a figurehead, and Tokiyuki’s favor is sought merely because of his familial status. Tokiyuki himself is seen as an exceptional coward, and his ability to evade danger (and responsibility) is second to none.
Everything changes for Tokiyuki, however, when an esteemed samurai betrays the shogunate and slaughters the Hojo family save for Tokiyuki. Now, the young Hojo heir must use his “unmatched talent for staying alive” to face this new threat and change Japan.
As far as first chapters go, this one gives readers a lot to digest. The story is a historical retelling of the life of Tokiyuki Hojo, and many of the characters are based on their real-life counterparts. However, even if you’re familiar with the 1333 Siege of Kamakura, this story definitely takes liberties with the source material.
In this chapter we’re introduced to a myriad of characters, the setting and time period, and the titular character and his personal struggles. Tokiyuki is a fine protagonist for a shounen series; young, weak-willed, but possessing a hidden strength that is yet unknown to him. Suwa Yorishige, a noble loyal to the Hojo clan, serves as the deuteragonist and main ally to Tokiyuki as well as the primary source of comic relief in the chapter. While I think the major weakness in this chapter is that we as readers don’t get much character out of the rest of the cast, both Tokiyuki and Suma give a lot and their interactions are fun to see.
Matsui’s distinct art style works best when he’s able to draw creatures and demonic-looking people, but his regular humans look good as well. Sometimes the human proportions look a bit off on the bodies, but the faces are always incredibly expressive and a lot of Matsui’s humor is conveyed through character reactions.
The Elusive Samurai is off to a good start with this first chapter. Hoping that future chapters provide further character development on the main cast.
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The Elusive Samurai Chapter 1
An interesting premise has me excited to read further chapters.
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