This simple but stunning wallpaper features the cunning witch, Medusa, from the anime Soul Eater. One of the most powerful witches in the whole series, she plays a key role in the Kishin’s revival and causes an immense amount of damage and chaos to Death City. She uses powerful spells that redirect her opponents and arrows that ricochet off any surface. She pushes the most powerful Meisters to their limits and is most deserving of this gorgeous wallpaper. Showcasing her in her child form just emphasizes how manipulative she can be.

The wallpaper is featured on www.animepaper.net and is designed by Kyle Silverwind. You can see more of this artist’s work here.

If you’re interested in the anime, the full series can be found at our friends, Anime Season.

I’ve been in the church scene and know how absolutely judgemental that can be. My wife endeavoured to find a church she felt comfortable in a few years back. Since I am normally working on Sunday, she went by herself, taking our kids with her. She felt as though she was being sized up and categorized immediately upon hitting the doors. Single mom. Two kids. Poor thing. I have visited other churches and the zealous eagerness that permeates each smiling face is more than off-putting, it’s overwhelming.

It’s one thing to believe in something, it’s another thing entirely to judge someone less or try to pressure someone to believe “your way” just because they are of a differing opinion. I have had friends who I just stopped talking to because every time I came around them, that is all they wanted to talk to me about. Your religion can and should be an important part of who you are, but letting it be everything you are… Nothing should consume you that totally and wholly, especially something that is as easy to misconstrue as religious doctrine. Just the fact that the Bible has been translated through several different languages is enough to worry me, much less having someone on a pulpit telling me what he thinks it means.

I don’t say all this to criticize people who follow Jesus or any other religion. I encourage everyone to use the mind that they were given to find their own path. I myself am a bit agnostic. I feel I am cognizant enough to recognize that everything didn’t happen as some sort of domino effect and that we aren’t left alone to our own devices. I have seen too much and witnessed to many strange and wonderful things to feel otherwise. I believe there is some guiding force, some higher power. I personally call this presence God. I worship God in my own way and pray to him on my own time.

Think for yourself and believe what you feel is the truth. That’s the choice we were given to make.. don’t let someone else impact your choice.

The anime follows an organization called Hellsing, which was founded to eliminate vampires. It’s deadliest weapon, ironically, is the eccentric vampire Alucard, who is featured in our wallpaper. He has a very peculiar personality, sometimes seeming quite insane and does things on his whim, though his loyalty is without a doubt to Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, leader of the organization.

Alucard creates a servant, a police woman named Seras Victoria. Together, they work for Hellsing in uncovering the mystery of a group called Millenium. Finding out what they are up to and constantly crossing swords with the Vatican’s own group, Iscariot, makes for a thrilling plot and some truly epic fight scenes. If you’re interested, the six current episodes can be seen here on Anime Season.

The overall feeling is clean and mellow. Bright tones but muted colors and the art style is fantastic. Of course I would love this paper anyway, because I’m a huge fan of the anime and of Jin himself.

I have to admit… Live Action Animes tend to scare me a bit. They have such potential for utter failure that it’s really hard for them to do otherwise. The type of imagery and visuals that a lot of animes are full of just won’t come across on-screen the same way. Fights that are intense and epic in ink may seem overdone on camera; or worse, rendered in poorly executed CG.

I have not, I confess, seen the series of Blood+ but I did watch the anime film which started everything. The Live Action film follows neither closely, but creates its own plot. I prefer it this way as it has less chance to cause a riot with existing anime fans. A new story is better than changing the old one. There are a few similarities in the beginning, but the movie quickly deviates into its own intricate storyline.

The film features some old school kung-fu scenes featuring Saya’s mentor Kato, which add a bit of nostalgia. Saya has some excellent sword fights and acrobatic stunts throughout. The fight scenes can be a little lengthy but are not at all boring to watch. The only true complaint I have is the CG looks rough in some scenes, but its passable. The animation of blood spraying could also use some work, looking much too thick and black to be blood.

The plot follows Saya, a 400 year old half-breed vampire with a dark past. She enters a school near an American air force base on the orders of “the Council”, where she soon befriends a young student named Alice. The movie makes several references to Alice in Wonderland, but it is tastefully done. You discover more about Saya’s origins about halfway through the movie and get a spectacular fight scene with Kato. Saya’s past is tainted by the oldest and most powerful demon, Onigen, who killed her father. The film follows the Council’s efforts to lure Saya and Onigen into a confrontation so she may fulfill her destiny. I thought the story was well written, though there may be some confusion when comparing it to the anime film; as I said before, this should be taken separate and apart from the anime.

The sound did it’s job. The music and soundtrack added to the atmosphere of the scenes, but it didn’t stand out and I recall no memorable scenes where I was enthralled by the composition. A good backdrop and enhancing the film, but nothing special.

Saya comes off short and cold, the actress’ accent causing some issue in the transition. I think she did an admirable job, however, the portrayal could easily be taken as simply bad action. I give her the benefit of the doubt. Comparing her to the original Saya of anime, she does very well.

Kato steps right out of a traditional kung-fu film as a wise and patient master. He has a few brief scenes in some flashbacks with Saya before exploding onto the screen in a well choreographed battle royale.

Alice is the character the story follows, an American girl who gets assaulted for being the general’s daughter. Saya aids her and a sort of friendship is formed. She holds her own well enough, however, I think the part itself exists simply to give Saya a reason to talk.

The supporting cast, specifically the two officers following Saya, did well.

The biggest knock I see is the CG animation. It is a bit jerky and the quality lacking, which is evident in any of the fast-moving scenes. The CG blood is off-color and does not spray realistically. The one thing that the film does do well is the ribbons of Onigen’s kimono that flit about in resonance with Onigen’s movements. That fight scene in particular is very entertaining to watch.

It doesn’t break any rules, but the film is very enjoyable to watch. The fight scenes are well stylized and the entire movie builds to a showdown between Saya and Onigen. Though some of the action could have been better, there is nothing that truly drags the film down. The movie is a good effort in putting imagery and action from anime into film. Watch it with an open mind, without harsh judgement and you just may enjoy yourself.

With these thoughts swirling around in my head, I can’t focus on another story. I had been planning on writing another chapter to Bait and Switch, but while debating on whether to pick up that story with Tavos or Tom I find myself thinking of Nick..

You haven’t met Nick Sharpe yet, but you will.. It’s only a matter of time now.

Wish me luck.

Recently my wife and I watched Shinichirō Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop. I convinced her to watch it after stating it was directed by the same man as Samurai Champloo, which is an anime we both loved. (No review for that one yet, it has been a while since I watched it.) So on my days off, we watched several episodes at a time until we finally finished the series.

The anime follows Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter (called a “cowboy”) who is a former member of the Red Dragon Syndicate. As Shinichirō did with Samurai Champloo, the focus is more on the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot. The crew aboard the Bebop consists of the owner and former ISSP Jet Black, a mysterious woman who can’t remember her past known as Faye Valentine, a data dog known as Ein, and a red-haired girl known as Ed. Each episode sees our crew either chasing the next bounty, scraping for money, or revisiting their past.

All four of our human crew members have very interesting stories in their past. Flashbacks from Spike’s Syndicate days spice up several episodes, but do not come to a meaningful point until the final two episodes. Faye has a scattered past she learns about through bits and pieces of Beta footage until her memory finally triggers and returns. Jet has several episodes concerning his past life with Alisa and his days in the ISSP, which details how he got his cybernetic arm. Ed’s past shows she was left at an orphanage, but does have a father who cares about her, though he is so absentminded he constantly forgets she is there. Ein has no past worth retelling and his identity as a data dog remains unclear, however it becomes evident he possesses advanced intellect and possibly has a mind similar to that of a computer. At one point he hacks into a security system even Ed couldn’t break through.

The anime quickly wraps up with the final two episodes with a showdown between the only real antagonist, Vicious, and Spike. Vicious is Spike’s old partner and rival in the Syndicate and makes a few appearances throughout the series. He is portrayed as a cold, calculating and, well, vicious man, high-ranking in the Syndicate. The last episode was very intense and ends the series with style.

As mentioned before, the plot is not very linear or themed, but a series of unrelated events strung together. Each episode focuses more on you getting to know the crew, introducing new characters, or learning about their past. I think this is a very different and, in some ways, refreshing way of telling a story. However, the show does not build much anticipation for the next episodes, with the exception being the final two. Don’t get me wrong, the story and the world within the anime is excellent and I loved it, but the way its told may throw some off. This is not your average anime.

Both Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo feature distinctive and unique soundtracks. The deep jazz and blues backdrop really sets off the dark and gloomy imagery used throughout the series. Not a huge fan of either genre of music myself, I truly enjoyed the theme throughout the anime and could not imagine a more suitable voice for Cowboy Bebop. After seeing the anime, I am considering buying the soundtrack just to listen to on my own time.

While this is an older anime, the style of animation is still crisp. The environs and atmosphere is dark, gritty, fitting for the world it depicts. The characters are well drawn, each with their own distinctive sense of style. Spike dresses well, but a little sloppy, fitting his personality. Jet wears clothes suited for work, while Faye barely wears anything at all, really. Ed lounges around in a tank top and shorts. The personalities play well off of each other, with Spike and Faye fighting much like siblings and Jet being the father figure who acts like he doesn’t care. Ed is always in the background and her antics truly make for some funny moments. Of all the crew, I think I like her the best.

After watching Samurai Champloo, I felt compelled to give Cowboy Bebop a shot. I had heard great things about it, but I am not really into guns and spaceships in my anime. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and am now a staunch supporter. This will be on the top of my lists for all time. The memorable characters, seductive music, and engaging story behind each of the crew members really brings it all together. A must see, for any anime fan.

He was a merchant bartering passage from the Spice Isles. He dealt in exotic goods, magical items, and rare reagents… basically anything illegal. It was good money and was never boring. His cargo on this trip happened to be a dragon egg. Well, he was calling it a dragon egg. It was actually a wyvern egg, which looks identical. The only way to be sure it is a dragon egg is to steal it from a dragon’s nest yourself. Of course, wyvern eggs were practically worthless. The dumb beasts were feral and impossible to train. So.. Yeah, it was a dragon egg.

This is where it gets a little sticky. Tavos was eating in his small chamber when Slim and Grunt burst into his room. They seemed to be half-drunk, but they had seen too much. It was a sad affair; he actually liked the guys, but business is business. They were too slow to react and went down quietly; disposing of the corpses had been easy enough. The crew became skittish the next day, but there was no evidence of foul play. The rumor he heard is they finally went mad with a condition they called seafayver. At least, that’s what it sounded like; the crew pretty much stayed drunk.

The ship creaked and swayed with the small swells of the ocean. Soon they were dropping anchor and throwing tie lines to the crew on the docks. The ship’s cargo would wait until morning; the captain and his crew lashed the sails and headed into port. Tavos had already gathered his possessions and his cargo was in a pack, tightly wrapped in sealskin to keep it warm and dry. He shouldered his pack and walked down the ramp, taking in the sights and sounds of Yale. It had been a few years since he had last visited the city. He needed to find some contacts and someone to take this touchy parcel off his hands.

The smell of fish was overwhelming this close to the wharf and he could hear several bawdy tunes echoing from the various taverns and bars. He could hear the cheers of men coming from a shabby looking place just off the port. He recognized the sign and knew it to be a strut, a brothel of sorts where the girls performed various abilities and talents in front of their would-be customers. They auctioned off their services to the highest bidder. This normally increased the amount of gold the establishment took in by a fair amount, depending on the girls’ talent. Of course, it was a good deal more dangerous; stories were in every city of how some drunkards had dragged a girl down and raped her before the guards could get to them. She was half-mad by the time they cleared the rabble off her.

Tavos had some business to finish before he could enjoy any of Yale’s entertainment. He walked down a cobbled street leading to the interior of the city. He looked for some familiar signs, but a lot seemed to have changed in the time he had been abroad. This part of town had fallen into disrepair; he could only hope his contact still lived here. Several grungy looking men glanced a little too long in his direction; he was dressed in fine robes of dark blue silk and the glint of gold on his belt clasp was drawing many eyes. By his dress and the way he carried himself, he looked nothing short of highborn. That fact turned as many eyes as it drew.

He slowed as he approached a well-kept little shack with a green door. A chime made of bones hung from the rafters and rattled sadly in the sea breeze. It was late, but he would be awake. The steps moaned a little under his weight as he rapped on the door. He heard heavy footsteps from within and the door opened a crack. A fat man with curly black hair and gold teeth peered at him. The brown eyes widened in recognition and the door opened as a big meaty hand grabbed him and yanked him inside. A dim blue light was coming from a moonstone hanging from the ceiling.

“Tavos.. I was fer shure yah wur dead!” A hearty slap on the back knocked him forward a step. The man reeked of ale.

“What would make you think that?”

“Dem guards found a body in da fishin’ nets. Coulda swore it wur yah.” A lazy smile was on his crooked face.

“It wasn’t me, Tom. I was miles from here by then.” Not exactly the truth, but he didn’t need to know that. His last visit to this city ended in a bad trade with a very manipulative client. Tavos lucked out on that bargain. He had never been so close to death.

“Good to see yah back! I still ‘ave a drop er two o’ the King’s wine yah got me.” Big Tom stumbled over to the cupboard. It wasn’t the King’s wine, though it did bear the royal seal. Well, kind of.

“That’s okay, Tom. I don’t have time for a drink, unfortunately. I came here to see if you might know someone who would be interested in a dragon egg.” He could not have gotten more of a response if he had hit Big Tom with a chair.

“A dragon egg? You ‘ave one? ‘ere?” Big Tom’s eyes widened as his face drained of color.

Tavos removed his pack and opened it, pulling out the bundle of sealskin and laid it on the table. He could feel its warmth even through the thick folds of leather. He opened the wrapping and exposed the tough leathery shell. He rapped the top of the egg with his knuckles, making a solid thumping sound.

It took a minute for the sight to register.

“How da hell did ya get that?”

“I stole it from the mother.”

“WHAT!?!! Get that thing out of ‘ere right now! I dun want no damn dragon burnin’ down me ‘ouse!”

“Keep your voice down! Are you trying to let the guard know what we’re doing? Now sit down.”

Tom took a stool near the table, glancing furtively at the large egg. He hadn’t planned to show this to Tom, but it might be for the best. He reached into his pack and removed a large ball wrapped in black velvet. He took off the cover and emptied it into his palm. It was warm to the touch and gave off its own light, a soft orange glow. The inside of the ball was murky and seemed to move in random patterns.

“Dragon’s eye… Ya killed the damn thing? ‘ow da…”

“Not important. I need to know if you can move this thing for me. I’m keeping the eye, but I need to get rid of this egg. Any ideas?” The dragon wasn’t actually dead. It was very angry and missing an eye. Dragon’s are damn hard to kill and Tavos wasn’t equipped to down one himself. He was lucky enough to escape with its eye. A genuine dragon’s eye would fetch a small fortune to the right client. The egg was a fake and a liability. He was sure, however, that he could make good on it.

Big Tom scratched his curly black head as he looked from the egg to the eye. He heaved a great sigh.

“Got a buyer. I’m sure he’d take it off yer ‘ands. Pays well. Mean as a snake. I’ll contact him. It’ll be a few days.”

“I don’t have that long. How about you buy it from me and sell it to him? Hell, you might be able to turn a profit yourself.”

Tom looked a bit cornered.

“I don’t ‘ave all dat much gold, Tav. Not nearly enuff fer dat egg.”

He knew this to be a lie. Tom had once been a very dangerous pirate-lord, though his years in retirement and hiding seemed to have mellowed him out. The bones dangling from his wind chime had once belonged to his crew. A finger was the price for joining up with Big Tom Gallows. Back then, he had woven the bones into his unruly black beard. It certainly added to his fearsome image as a pirate; people had abandoned ships at the mere sight of his sails. No, he wasn’t poor by any means, but he also knew Tom to be shrewd and calculating. Most likely, he didn’t want the dragon’s egg anywhere near him.

“I’ll throw in a holding fee, only because it’s you and I can’t stay too long here. I have business in Silverport that is rather time sensitive.”

The prospect of his own tidy profit seemed to sober Tom up quickly.

“What did ya ‘ave in mind?”

After about an hour of haggling back and forth, Tavos left the pirate’s shack and headed back down to the wharf for a drink. He had a suspicion that Big Tom had only acted drunk. He left with only five-hundred gold, which was a low price for a dragon egg; he had given Tom a large ruby (real, unfortunately) and a pearl handled knife he had gotten from a nobleman’s daughter. Tom had laughed heartily when he heard this, saying he was sure she was quite the dish if he had bedded her. Well, she had been a tasty one. The moon was still high, though playing hide and seek with the clouds. He still had time; he checked his purse and pack before rounding the corner and entering the tavern.

The Hook’s End was a shady little joint; a couple of thugs sitting in the corner sneered at him as he entered and there was a dark-haired woman dancing on a table singing a crude sailor’s song. From what he could tell, she was botching the words badly, but no one seemed to care. They were too busy trying to get a glimpse of her undergarments as she swished her dress. As he passed through the crowded bar, a few more people took notice of him. The balding bartender had already spotted him and was cleaning a glass in anticipation. He took an empty stool and asked for a good drink. The old man smiled crookedly and wiped his hands off on his apron. He pulled a dusty bottle from under the counter, brushing off the dust so Tavos could read the label. Inglewood, 791. He was surprised this place even had such a stock. It wasn’t expensive wine, but he had deemed it much too expensive for a dive like this to have.

More eyes turned to him as the cork popped from the bottle and the bartender filled his glass. He picked up the glass and turned to watch the songstress. From where he was sitting, it was evident she wasn’t even wearing any undergarments. The men closest to her watched her with undisguised lust. He inhaled the fragrance of the wine, admiring the subtle nuances of the vintage as he swirled it around in his glass. He had been a wine connoisseur once. This would have a full-bodied flavor with an aftertaste so subtle it would be easy to miss. Wine like this should be savored, anyways. The barmaid had finished a song called Sailor’s Wives and was moving into a song he didn’t know; it must have been a local tune because many of the patrons were singing along or tapping their feet to her voice. He continued to survey the tavern over his wine, keeping his back to the bar.

Most of the patrons were simple fisher folk with the exception of a few hardy seamen. He noticed a couple of brutes leaning against either wall of the bar. They weren’t watching him. They weren’t watching the girl either. They were watching the crowd. Enforcers. This place must do fair enough to afford some muscle like that; or maybe they were the girl’s private protection. She had a fair enough voice on her; she could do well on her own as long as some drunkard didn’t break her neck. He placed his glass on the bar and slid the bartender a gold coin. It was twice what the entire bottle of wine was worth. He picked up the bottle and slid it into his pack. The old man had snatched the gold before any of his patrons noticed, his eyes glancing curiously at him and the full glass of wine. Finally, he shrugged and resumed wiping down his counter.

He heard the songstress yelp as someone laid hands on her. He turned to see her guards moving into action as two of the rougher looking seamen dragged her off the table. Now seemed like the perfect time to leave. He quickly made his way out of the tavern, being careful to avoid the skirmish that was breaking out in the middle of the room. He wasn’t the only one leaving. No one wanted that kind of trouble.

He strolled across town slowly, enjoying the moonlight and sea breeze. It wasn’t often he took a ship somewhere and the change of scenery was thoroughly appreciated. He saw a sign for The Blue Whale, a clean-looking inn with blue shutters. He made his way down the street and was not surprised to see two shadows step out of an alley adjacent to him. The two thugs from the bar pulled him into the shadows of the alley quickly and tossed him against the far wall, away from the main street.

“Give us all your gold and jewels and we’ll leave ya be.” He had greasy black hair and his clothes were rough and ragged from life at sea. Pirate. He had scars of battle and a thick bladed knife in his hand that he held with confidence. His voice was thick with drink, but he knew that he was not drunk.

“Me ‘n Glenn are good enuff fellas. We won’t hurt ya. We just want yer monies.” The man was short and slender, bald as a cannonball and spoke with a thick accent.

“Please, gentleman. You are making a mistake. You don’t know who I am.”

The two pirates guffawed. The short one pulled out a wooden club from behind his belt and stalked forward.

“We know well enuff. Some rich noble who shoulda stayed in his manor. Sorry, ‘milord’ but yer luck has run out.”

He lunged forward, swinging his club with as much power as he could muster. He was too slow. Just like Slim and Grunt. The bald pirate moved as if in water and Tavos stepped around him easily, pulling the bottle of wine from his pack and busting it over his head; he went down in a heap.

Glenn blinked hard. He growled and rushed forward, the knife sweeping in to sink into his side. Tavos caught his hand and broke it, bending it back on itself and snatching the knife out of his hand. The pirate yelped in pain and struggled to break free, but Tavos pinned him against the wall, his eyes locking him in place with a piercing stare.

“I told you that you were making a mistake.”

Tavos smiled revealing his sharp fangs. Glenn opened his mouth to scream but his voice cut out as the knife ripped open his throat. Glenn struggled against his grip, but Tavos held him firmly, letting the hot lifeblood pour into his mouth from the gash in the pirate’s throat. It was sweeter by far than any vintage. He savored the flavor and thought to himself how much like wine human blood tasted, each person with his or her own different scent and taste. He dropped the corpse as the heart slowed to a stop and dropped the knife by his friend’s unconscious form. He’d inform the innkeeper of The Blue Whale he saw a scuffle in an alley and let the authorities handle it. He was positive the evidence left behind would keep them from digging very deep.

Tavos was a master at deception and had always been a successful smuggler. He could swindle the meanest crook out of his own private stash under the right circumstances. After being bitten and nearly killed by a vampire he had cheated in this very town only a few years back, he had worked hard to maintain his former life. After all, his on the go, secretive smuggling business was the ideal profession for one of his kind. Lulling in would-be attackers like these two greasy pirates… well that was just part of the game for him.

He checked his clothes and face for blood; satisfied with his appearance, he stretched lazily and headed off to grab some sleep. Dawn was coming.

The premise of the story is roughly the same as the classic. A farming village is being raided by bandits, so they hire ronin samurai to defend them. The bandits in the anime are samurai who have forsaken their honor and turned themselves into machines during the last war. The plot is well written and flows well, involving character development in most of the main characters and several supporting ones. I don’t want to give everything away, but keep your eye on Ukyo.. He’s much more cunning than he looks.

Each samurai interacts with the farmers in different ways. As you learn more about their pasts, you are able to relate and understand their feelings and reasons for helping the farmers, which vary from having come from a farming community to trying to cleanse the blood on their hands by doing good deeds. The farmers can only pay the samurai in rice, so the battle is taken up strictly for personal reasons.

Fighting styles vary and are all a joy to watch on-screen, though most notably is Kyuzo and Kambei, easily the more skilled samurai out of the seven. They fulfill the role of true master swordsmen, never wasting a stroke of the blade. Kyuzo’s Nito-Ryu (Two Sword Style) is devastatingly beautiful to watch.

The anime is short, only 26 episodes long and moves fairly quickly. The writers try to incorporate a love interest during the story, but ultimately i feel it was a failed attempt. It provides a needed character development for the young samurai, Katsushiro and the priestess Kirara, but I fail to see the significance of the other party and why that was necessary.

I will not spoil the ending, but I will say I was not disappointed. The short anime was entertaining, speckled with humor from the robotic samurai Kikuchiyo and the younger priestess, Komachi, and keeps the story moving at a good pace. There are deep elements tied within this anime: frustration from living under a corrupt government, honor among the samurai, and the loss of innocence.

The story was well written, involving elements that you would expect to find in a blockbuster film. Continuity was maintained and I saw no holes in the script or any loose ends. The plot flows well and does not jump around. I would say that the few flashbacks they did provide seemed unnecessary, as the length of the anime itself does not truly warrant flashback sequences. The intrigue and complexity of the plot combined with the well written characters and their relationships bring out the true depth of this story. There is a lot going on here, for those who are looking for it.

The music fit the film and I never heard a score that was out-of-place, but at the same time it did not stand out to me. Don’t get me wrong, the music applied the correct atmosphere for the scenes and fit the tempo of the moments, but it really didn’t grab you the way you want a good musical score to do.

The animation style is very good, sharp movements, colors and detail all crisply executed. Battles are drawn as intense, not just physically, but emotionally. The artists do an outstanding job portraying abstract feelings in the characters through facial expression and posture. Each samurai has his own personality, through mannerisms, stature, dress, and fighting style. You learn enough about each one’s path to understand what makes them tick and why they make the choices they do. This goes further to many of the farmers, who do not play a static role in the anime. There are static characters in the series, but the writers did a good job making sure that most of the characters you see play an important, dynamic role in the story. The names and personality of most of the characters stay pretty true to the original movie, which is a nice plus for anyone comparing the two.

I highly recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys a well written story. The characters are vivid, each samurai having their own personality and even some of the farmers going through life-changing trials and changes. The writers did a superb job balancing all of these elements, tieing them together with no loose ends. The plot is deep and intriguing, having subtle connotations that tie even to our modern-day issues.