Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. 5
Samurai shows are some of my favorite anime, so I naturally picked up Samurai Deeper Kyo and started watching it. As I was watching the first episode, the similarities to Rurouni Kenshin seemed uncanny. Now that the viewer is getting to the center of Samurai Deeper Kyo, the distinction between the two has become clear.
The final preparations are being made for the Mibu Clan's resurrection of Nobunaga, one of Japan's most fearsome emperors. Demon Eyes Kyo is making preparations for his own return to his master, Muramasa, to learn the ultimate Satsujin sword form. Shortly after Kyo's group catches up with Muramasa, Shinrei, one of the Mibu Clan's assassins, appears to kill Muramasa for betraying the Mibu Clan. Kyo, being his proud and arrogant self, tries to stop Shinrei single-handedly. Kyo receives a bad beating by the assassin, and things look grim until Muramasa steps in and uses the ultimate Satsujin to defeat Shinrei and send him running back to the Mibu Clan.
After the training is complete, Muramasa meets with one of Kyo's traveling companions, Yuya. Muramasa tells Yuya that Kyo needs her, and she can draw out Kyo's deepest strength. Yuya's role in Kyo's life is becoming clearer as the series progresses. Muramasa also tells Yuya that Kyo's body can be found in Sekigahara, where Mibu Castle is. Yukimura makes an important decision that blurs his character, and the motives behind it. The gang reaches Sekigahara and splits into two groups to divide the Mibu forces. Yuya, Benitora, and Migeria run into a bazaar kenyou, who can create puppet dolls, while Kyo and Sasuke head straight for Mibu Castle.
In terms of animation, this isn't Studio DEEN at its best. The overuse of stills and looped cells can become redundant and annoying. However, this isn't as bad as Benitora constant hitting on Yuya, but it comes in as a close second.
The outtakes in Media Blaster titles usually give me something to look forward to. Once I have finished viewing a Media Blaster title, I go directly to the outtakes to see what crazy lines the directors have come up with. The outtakes make up for the humor that has been slowly dying in this show. A nice insert was the interview with Akimine Kamijyo, the creator of Samurai Deeper Kyo.
Samurai Deeper Kyo is easy to suggest to some one who likes the samurai genre. You could even suggest it as a filler for the people who have watched Rurouni Kenshin or Berserk, and are looking for a new series to look at. Samurai Deeper Kyo isn't quite on par with those two series, but a lot can happen in the last four episodes, though sadly, I have heard that the ending leaves much to be desired.