The Anime Network deserves kudos, for airing Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls, a show which features a wide variety of sexy young girls acting as legendary samurai warriors.
I kid you not. This series includes a female reincarnation of Jubei Yagyu, the famous blind assassin who shows up in numerous samurai films. I have no clue why Jubei appears as a naked girl who floats down from the sky, just to kiss the male protagonist.
However, I can't resist liking this show. It's the only show where we can see Jubei reincarnated as one of the sexiest anime girls of all time. Although there isn't much of a story in this series, it makes up for its flaws with some really spunky character designs. The descendant of the Hattori Hanzo clan shows up as a sassy French maid ninja. The daughter of the Tokugawa shogun is dressed in a modern high school girl's uniform.
This show tends to follow a drab plot which resembles almost every other harem romance/action series. In the beginning, a samurai man named Muneakira Yagyu tries to meet up with his friend from from training, Sen Tokugawa. However, he gets sidetracked by two girl students, who are investigating the Tokugawa castle for various reasons. When the maid ninja Hattori attacks them, Muneakira agrees to help the two girls.
In the middle of an especially difficult fight, a mysterious girl named Jubei Yagyu floats from the sky to kiss Muneakira. She then turns into an ultra-powerful master samurai and almost kills the maid, until Muneakira tries to stop the murder. Jubei then mysteriously turns into an airheaded girl with a power level of only 20.
The first episodes serve up some intriguing questions. Jubei is probably the most unusual character in the group, because she only gains her wanton powers of destruction after her new "boyfriend" kisses her. Yet, her partner's possessive attitute always seems to revert her back into a little girl.
In spite of all the questions I still have about this series, it still follows a cool, modern vibe. Characters use their cell phones as often as they use their special ninja powers. Even the villainous samurai warriors drink fine wine in their fancy crystal glasses.
The art style of this show is also beautifully classy. All the characters and background objects have a thick black border, to make it look more like a mural which was painted on a scroll. Also, black splotches of pain cover up any inappropriate parts of the female body. This gives the artists some more freedom to show more skin for the female characters, in order to make the series more racy.
So Samurai Girls might turn out as a hit for the fall season. I'm not betting the horse on this series, but it holds plenty of promise for a pseudo-period piece. Watch it on The Anime Network.
