Samurai 7 English Sub & Dub

About Samurai 7

Samurai 7 (サムライセブン) arrives as an action anime by GONZO (2004), and the premise is easy to summarize. What the story covers: In the far distant future, on a planet that might have been called "earth", there was a war between samurai who mechanized their bodies. After the long war, people enjoyed a modest peace.

More of the story: Facing starvation and abductions at the hands of fearsome mechanized bandits (Nobuseri), the farmers of Kanna Village make the dangerous choice to hire samurai for protection. The village's water priestess, Kirara, her younger sister, Komachi, and a heartbroken villager, Rikichi, set off to hire willing samurai with nothing to offer but rice from their meager harvests. Through perilous encounters and a bit of luck, seven samurai of varying specialties and experience are gathered for an epic clash against the bandits and the merchants that influence them.

As an action title, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Fumiko Orikasa as Kirara and Masaki Terasoma as Kambei Shimada. It will appeal most to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. The run is 26 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by GONZO, so the studio's house style defines how Samurai 7 looks and moves on screen. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. A 7.0/10 score points to a dependable, well-liked series. On the casting side, Fumiko Orikasa voicing Kirara gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 2004, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.