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Shura no Toki: Mutsu Enmei Ryu Side Story (2004) - 26 episodes

Animenewsnetwork link AnimeNfo link Review written: June 23, 2005 Seen: April 2004 - June 23, 2005 Gallery

Ratings Animation 6.5 Characters 8 Sound 7 Music 8 Story 8 Overall Enjoyment 8.5

Plot Synopsis The legendary fighting style Mutsu Enmei Ryu has been handed down since the Heian period. Renowned for it's strictly unarmed style, this school has gone undefeated for 1000 years. Yet it remains a mystery as it is a style only passed down from father to son. This anime follows the lives of three of the members of this school who happened to live and participate in some of the most interesting times in Japanese history. From the pre-Edo period (~1600 AD) to the beginnings of the Meiji restoration (1868), this anime spans over 200 years as history unfolds before our very eyes. Over it's 26 episodes some of the greatest samurai ever in the history of Japan including Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi, Hijikata Toshizou, Okita Souji and the statesman Sakomoto Ryoma are all supporting characters in this truly epic tale.

Perhaps it is the material, or just because of the kind of person who would watch such a thing, but with the notable exception of Kenshin, martial arts animes usually either involve some sort of super powers (i.e. Dragonball), or feature some sort of motif where the angier the main character gets, the better they are (i.e. Dragonball). While this seemingly violates the idea that martial arts are to be praticed with a clear mind, no one seems to mind. Meanwhile historial animes especially samurai ones have a large tilt towards anime with some sort of comedic value or are so grossly inaccurate (i.e. Samurai Deeper Kyo) that they are barely historical at all. Thankfully there are some animes out there that actually do try to be somewhat historic while grounding the martial arts in more real world terms. Shura no Toki is one of those rare gems.

Released in April of 2004, this historial anime traces the lives of three seperate members of the martial arts school Mutsu Enmei Ryu and the interesting times within which each lives in. While the main plot essentially focuses upon the various Mutsus and their quest to fight ever stronger opponents, the anime is really a lot more than just endless fights. We are told from the OP that Mutsu Enmei Ryu is a barehanded fighting technique that has never lost in 1000 years, and from that we can surmize that our three protagonists will never lose a single fight throughout the show. As well, because this show is rooted in history, we know that many of the characters whom our protagonists will fight against will either die or not die at certain times depending on what actually happened centuries ago. What's important to understand is this anime is neither about the protagonist himself, nor is it about what ultimately happens in history, but rather this anime is about the journey that each person made to get to where they were.

How did these historical figures come to be? How would they have reacted if Mutsu really did exist? What kind of people are these really beyond what we know of their achievements? This anime attempts to give us a glimpse into their world. A pairing of the best samurai of all time with this one lone and unarmed man. Unlike the very 'by the textbook' treatment (or completely radical treatment a la Ninja Scroll for Jubei) that historical figures usually get in anime we are given a perfectly believable story for each historical figure. Character traits are added in, personal introspection routine, and other little things make these historical figures come alive before you. We learn a bit about why they did the things that they did, and we get a glimpse into the kinds of thoughts that must have raced through their heads as they did all the great things in their lives that they were later known for. This is the true heart and soul of the anime, and it really does shine brightly. Of course no show is complete without some love story, and this show adds in a bit of that too.

That said, the plot is nowhere near perfect. By fitting in three story arcs in a small 26-episode frame, we are never really given enough time to truly connect with the characters before we move on again. As well the first few episodes of this show seem to muddle along, which combined with this show's poor animation may turn off many viewers. If you find that happening to yourself, don't decide to drop this until at least four episodes in because if you still like it then, it will definately be worth it to finish.

Of course it is pointless to review a fighting anime without talking about the actual fighting itself. While the grunt killing is grunt killing like all other shows, the big battles against major characters here are quite spectacularly presented. For those used to seeing fighting being a series of 'I'm going to get madder and better now' this anime is a real treat. As well, even though anime such as Samurai Champloo for instance has animation light years beyond this show, the fights in this show are somehow much more tense and much more exciting. We are given an opportunity to hear the thoughts of each fighter as they think about their opponent and their moves. We see each move in splendid detail, and while at times they are just a bit too fantastic, they are still quite believably realistic that one can see it actually happening in real life. I like to think of the fighting in this show as the 'thinking man's fight' instead of the standard anime fare we see every day.

As far as production values go, it is evident from the very beginning that this show doesn't have much of a budget. While I personally loved the character design, it's right out of the late 1990s along with the animation itself. With detail and framerate suffering at many points, I am just glad that much more effort was put into the fight scenes than the rest of the show (which is usually the opposite of most fighting anime), as fights were quite fluid and detailed. Meanwhile the music while a bit boring at times, added a lot to the tense scenes and the fighting scenes. For some reason the excitement in this anime was just really well conveyed even if it did have low production values.

Shura no Toki is an interesting look into what may have been had we been there ourselves to witness history in the making. The characters are believable and the fights while spectacular are almost real enough to believable. While the production value definately suffered for this show, solid directing made up for this and the show still retained a surprizing amount of excitement and suspense for a show where we always knew what the ending would be like. Ultimately, this is not about the end or what ultimately happens, but rather about the journey, and what a journey it was.

Ratings
Animation	6.5	It is quite obvious from the very first episode that this show does not have much of a budget. The fact that the character designs seem right out of the 1990s doesn't help either. But the fights are well animated, and some CG later in the show does show off some better animation as it progresses. Still in comparison to other anime these days, this is very average.
Characters	8.5	While the main characters (the Mutsu guys) are all pretty much the same and somewhat uninteresting, it is the side characters of the historical figures which lets this come to life. The historical figures are obviously embellished but yet they still possess that quality of 'realness' which solidly grounds this series and gives it depth. This show is also not scared to add interesting character traits and self-introspections to historical figures to make them seem more like real people, rather than words in a history book.
Sound	7	There is nothing special about the sound, but it seems to be quite adequate for what it does. At least the sword sounds are pretty cool.
Music	8	The best song in this anime is the 'next episode preview' song which is only featured once in it's full form during episode 21. It's had me humming it on and off for a year now. Meanwhile the OP and ED are decent too. The music within the series is well placed and adds a lot to exciting scenes in the anime.
Story	8	While this anime is not really about rewriting history or a fabulous continuous plot-line (as evidenced by its three mostly unconnected story arcs), it does do a wonderful job of putting the viewer back into historical times. You really get a sense of the real motivations of these people in history and a real sense of excitement and even anticipation even if you know what is going to happen.
Overall Enjoyment	8.5	This anime has been a true pleasure to watch. Although it did slow down at the end somewhat, it managed to teach me a lot about Japanese history both by watching it and by my own research thereafter. The fight scenes are very memorable and were quite intense. Overall, while this is not a definate recommend, I'd recommend it for anyone interested in a good martial arts or samurai anime for sure.

**Explanation of ratings**

Note: Screencaps are all from episode 1

Mutsu Yakumo	Miyamoto Musashi speaks to Yakumo
Kisshoumaru/Shiori and Yakumo	A sample of the Mutsu fighting

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