Samurai 7: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Great show. I like the characters and story. Nicely done blu-ray/DVD combo. Can't wait to see if my kids will enjoys this as much as I have.

Absolutely, Akira Kurosawa's  Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection - 3-Disc Remastered Edition  is one of the great films of all time, and, in attempting a remake, one would require a hefty set of balls, as well as ample funding and talent. In 2004, with the approval of Akira Kurosawa's estate, a top notch anime version, SAMURAI 7, was created and debuted on Japanese television. In SAMURAI 7 - THE COMPLETE SERIES, we get the entire series, consisting of 26 episodes on 7 discs. SAMURAI 7 takes Akira Kurosawa's original masterpiece and transports it from the 16th century to a war ravaged, sci-fi future setting. However, the tweaked storyline still chronicles the tale of seven samurai who come to the aid of a tormented farming village that has been subjugated by bandits; this time, however, the bandits are the Nobuseri, mechanically-integrated predators who themselves were once samurai.You don't need to have seen the 1954 film to enjoy SAMURAI 7, though viewers of both will make rapid connections between the two. The makers of this anime did a great job of instilling into their project the same heart and intent of the original SEVEN SAMURAI. This isn't just a meaningless point A to point B anime action flick. Emphasis is thoughtfully placed on character and plot development as we actually get to know the players in this series, from the ragtag samurai, which the last great war has largely reduced to a jobless and purposeless state, to the lowly farmers, who are insular, abhor fighting, and fear the samurai almost as much as the bandits.Although palpable throughout the series, it's in the samurai's stay at the Kanna village where the distinction between the two social classes become most pronounced as the bushido code clashes with the villager's less "noble" but infinitely more realistic principles. The bridge between the two castes lies in the form of Kikuchiyo, the boorish but exuberant mechanical samurai who used to be a farmer; this was the role originated by the great Toshiro Mifune. Don't get me wrong, this animated Kikuchiyo version doesn't even come close to bringing to the table what Mifune did. It just underscores how bigger than life Mifune made his character that this incarnation actually had to be in a mechanical shell to halfway compete. Honestly, Kikuchiyo here is adequate and, at times, nerve grating.But there comes a time when plot and character development must give way to serious hind kicking. And, in these moments, the samurai do NOT mess around. The action scenes are astounding! You almost believe a regular-sized guy can take out a mechagiant. These key sequences are significantly emphasized by the blood-pumping score, which uses a healthy dose of Japanese taiko drums. The animation is very, very nice to look at, even if, at times, the CG doesn't quite harmonize with the 2-d animation.By the way, this thick box set also comes with 7 booklets with interviews and production art. Special features of note are: weird animated shorts of "Mr. Stain on Junk Alley" on discs 2, 3, and 4; relaxed commentary by the Voice Director & several voice actors on disc 4; and character profiles and image galleries on several discs.Along with the sci-fi trappings, there are a few other significant changes that were made from Kurosawa's original film. There's a more impactful role played by the love interest Kirara the water priestess, as well as the introduction of her younger sister Komachi, who, along with Kikuchiyo, serves as comedy relief (Kirara and Komachi, by the way, are also Japanese brands of rice). Another change made is that, here, the samurai actually take the battle beyond the village bandits. But, listen, even with the sci-fi elements, the cool animation, the awesome battle scenes, I feel that the best thing about SAMURAI 7 is that it somehow retains the humanity of the original film. This really is anime for grown ups. The ending is still appropriately bittersweet as, ultimately, it's the villagers who win. There will always be harvests and harvest songs for the farmers. The samurai, on the other hand, just drift away. And the samurai leader, Shimada Kambei, who claims to have lost every war he's been in, has just lost another one...

Real good.

True to an animation it has it highs and lows but over all it was well worth the money. it averages out to about $1 per episode. (Rounding) To watch it all would be a binge watching 21 hours wow.

The first one I received someone stole the BluRay disc out of it. The replacement came quickly and sending back the other was extremely simple as all I had to do was produce a QR code to UPS and hand them the item. Easiest and best return system I've ever dealt with.On the TV series itself, good voice acting(even in the English which is kinda a rarity). The animation is great and the use of various styles to help differentiate certain locals was masterfully applied. The story is an old one and I've been a fan of the original Seven Samurai and both version of the Magnificent Seven(American Westerns based on the original Seven Samurai). I recommend highly to anyone who enjoys anime or the original story.

Love the story and the liberties taken to tell it in a new and unusual way.

I just want to say that you can't compare this to Kurosawa's masterpiece because it's just never going to be on that level. It's best to watch this as its own piece and judge how it does on its own.This is a great epic series that is visually stunning. The art is clean and fluid, the story is believable, and the characters are memorable. I especially loved that it wasn't "noble heroes protecting completely innocent villagers" like many other series. No one is truly good or innocent and you see that humans are prone to the same faults, no matter what time period they're in.My only gripe with this series is all the recapping. After you cut out the recaps and previews for the next episode, you're left with only about 19 minutes of real story.This is a great series that is worthy of owning, and if you like samurai, mecha, fighting, or even just a great story, definitely check it out. I also recommend anyone who liked this to watch Last Exile or Wolf's Rain, two other great series.

I am very pleased with this product. I paid less than $20 for a complete classic in blu-ray format and play quality is excellent.

Akira Kurosawa's Samurai 7... I think Kurosawa would have crapped his pants if he had seen what they had done here. Not that there is anything wrong with a futuristic dystopian story loosely based on Seven Samurai, I just don't think that it should really have his name on it.The story is pretty good and different enough to make it original, but held on to enough to keep the spirit of the original film. It hits a lot of the main points, and some of the characters are pretty bang on in regards to original cast they were inspired by. Others are a bit of a stretch, and some miss entirely. The new/original characters, definitely help pull this retelling of the tale along and keep it moving. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the ones that didn't quite match up with their B&W counterparts. The voice acting in both languages was very good, and matched up well for a change.The inconsistency in the animation would be the only other minor drawback. Some of it had a real early 80's Hana-Barbera quality to it which was a little disappointing/distracting.It arrived quickly, despite mail service interruptions. It was well packaged, undamaged and all of the discs were without scratches and played without issue. It's a solid program and earns a solid four out of five stars. There's just not enough there to give it 5/5.

For fans of the classic Kurosawa film, this series is a must watch.Whether that means a purchase or not isn't for me to say.For me, someone who has watched 6 of Kurosawa's films, subtitled and dubbed (when available) it was absolutely worth it.I've seen this twice subbed, once dubbed and look forward to another play through.Maybe when I finally update my first press DVD of the original film with Bluray :DA story of suffering, perseverance, glory, vengeance, redemption, triumph, sorrow, and beautifully animated with powerful performances and a gripping score, Samurai Seven is moving reinterpretation of one of cinema's greatest moments.

A classic series for a low price if you haven't seen this show yet what are waiting for buy it now

I would recommend this to anyone that is a fan of anime.

Very inexpensive for what I got. Not only was the shipping time absolutely incredible, but the boxset itself is perfect.