The Elusive Samurai Season 2

Episode 2

Even though he is yet very young, Tokiyuki's success as the rebellious young lord of the endangered Hojo clan comes down to the same factors that have determined the fates of all the nobility who have warred for their place in Japan's history. He needs plenty of guile, yes, and more than a little luck, but he also needs a crew of loyal vassals who are willing to go to the ends of the earth to ensure his victory. At the end of the day, in a feudal system like the one of the Kamakura era, a lord can only ever really be as powerful as the people who serve him.

This week, instead of getting an ensemble showcase like the season premiere, The Elusive Samurai sends its titular young hero into the fray with brave Ayako as his stalwart vassal. It's a great development, since the trusty swordswoman has rarely been given so much time alone with the young lord. Instead of being stuck in the muck of some country battlefield alongside the rest of her companions, Ayako is accompanying Tokiyuki into enemy territory, as Sadamune has expressed interest in getting to know this “Chojumaru” fellow that has made such a name for himself. Clearly, the last living Hojo cannot afford to have his cover blown by the patron bug-eyed freak of Shinano, so our duo has to play things as close to the vest as possible (though we all know that Ayako could probably murder their way out of a tough jam if necessary.)

As is par for the course by now, the confrontation between “Chojumaru” and Sadamune is as silly as it is exciting, even though the whole scene consists of a grown man and a very small boy exchanging ostensibly civil conversation in a tiny room. We get all of the expected exaggerations and visual metaphors, and while this isn't the greatest psychological showdown that we've seen from The Elusive Samurai, it's still pretty good. If nothing else, I really appreciate the fact that it gives Ayako the opportunity to show off her gentler talents when Ichikawa comes in and tries to play the role of lie-detector by pressing those freakish Alfred E. Neuman ears of his to Tokiyuki's chest.

I've been expecting Ayako and Tokiyuki to become an item at some point, and here is where The Elusive Samurai makes its greatest case yet for the pair. Obviously, since our two heroes are still so young, we are thankfully not relying on gratuitous and inappropriate fanservice; instead, the show emphasizes Tokiyuki's awe for Ayako's skills as a musician and performer. The beautiful little sequence that we get where Tokiyuki imagines all of the versions of his loyal swordswoman who could have gone on to impress Japan as a lauded pop idol through the ages was unexpectedly moving and sweet. That said, we can't say that the growing boy's hormones aren't playing a role in this sudden realization of Ayako's beauty and grace. That face that gets etched onto the screen as Tokiyuki watches Ayako dance? That right there is the last known lithograph of a kid who just got fatally struck by the ten-ton semi-truck of puberty.

Naturally, the show waits until after Ayako has had the chance to beat the everloving bejesus out of Sadamune's army to have the pair start talking about siring some heirs as soon as the war is over (“It was a different time” and all that). I can't blame the Once-and-Future Hojo for getting the pitter-patters over his loyal maiden warrior. After all, the only thing better than a girlfriend who is an exceptionally talented and loyal partner is a girlfriend who is an exceptionally talented and loyal partner that can also vanquish your enemies with a bloody smile on her face when needs must.

Episode 2 Rating:

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.