Anime Review: Shura no Toki

Review Shura no TokiWritten by WarpshadowRating good

The idea of a lovable idiot who loves fighting does seem to be timeless in anime but did you ever expect to see it in the Edo era? Well now you do.

There is a style of martial arts that surpasses all others. It's name is the Mutsu Enmei style and with it a man can fight several armed opponents with only their bare hands. As such the style is a legend and it's practitioners are a mystery. What is best known about them is that they have a tendancy to be wanderers that search out the strongest opponents of the generation to fight. This is the story of three such fighters and the journeys that made them legends.

Shura no Toki is a semi historical martial arts fighting show. Although it technically has three protagonists they are in effect the same man put into three different eras. The character in question is a standard shonen stereotype, a simple man whose primary loves are eating and fighting strong opponents. Even though the show does seem somewhat ridiculous there are very few liberties taken with physical reality as the Mutsu Enmei style is just a bit over the top but still within the realm of physical possibility. Each of the show's three story arcs follow a similar premise. The being as such, introduce the Mutsu in question, have him beat up opponents for a few episodes until the climatic duel with a historical figure of legendary skill and then have him walk into the sunset with whatever woman is slated to be the love interest. The third arc which takes place during the Meiji Revolution is a bit more complicated and is easily the best part of the show. Thus I recommend that one watch the whole show or at very least skip the first three dvds and catch the last arc.