Episode 2: The Pupil

April 1, 2006

As a swordsmith works on a sword, the beheaded mechanical samurai walks in and asks him the fix him. The swordsmith asks if a samurai did it, judging by the cut. Kiku acknowledges and gets mad for bringing it up. As Kirara looks to her water crystal, Rikichi runs up and says that he lost the samurai. As a carriage passes by, the son of the town lord looks out and sees Kirara and wants his guard to get her. He protests saying the his father's meeting is soon. The boy says to get her later, then. As Zaemon walks down the street, the young samurai catches him and asks him, by name, to be his teacher. The samurai says it was only a name he used to get close to the burglar, and the young samurai, named Okamoto Katsushiro, asks his name. The samurai tells him it is Shimada Kambei and tells Katsushiro to find someone else to be his teacher. Kirara catches him, and Kambei moves them to somewhere else. As Kambei thinks about the offer, Katsushiro offers to go and help them. Komachi says that he doesn't smell like battle. Kirara quiets her, but Katsushiro says it is all right to speak the truth. Kambei rejects the offer, saying that every battle he has fought, he lost. He tells Katsushiro that if he goes, he will lose. An Imperial Envoy speaks to the magistrate, and the magistrate comments that the age of the samurai is over. The son of the magistrate gripes about having to sit through that and goes to his chambers. His harem greets Ukyo with pleasure. At the inn, Katsushiro sees the peasants eating millet while he eats rice.

In the city, Katsushiro and the peasants search and ask samurai for help, with all of them refusing. At the inn, men comment about nobody wanting to die for peasants, angering Katsushiro. Ukyo asks his guard about Kirara, and he says that she is looking for samurai. Ukyo greets Kirara on the street and gives her flowers. He tells her that a samurai has accepted her offer, and that he wants her to meet him at Ukyo's place. She refuses, and his guard rushes in and knocks her out. Komachi sees Kiku on the street and goes to meet him. Katsushiro searches for Kirara with a samurai but finds only her crystal. At the inn, Komachi offers Kiku some rice, and he says he'll fight the bandits. Some men laugh about him being mechanical, and Kiku gets up and attacks them. Katsushiro rushes in and asks about Kirara, and the men say that she could have been taken to paradise. As Kirara wakes up, Ukyo sweet talks her. Katsushiro and Kiku run off to find her, and finally catch up to Ukyo's coach. Kiku cuts the top off, and Ukyo escapes leaving his guardsmen to fight them off. One attacks, cutting off Kiku's arm, and Kiku grabs his sword and starts to attack while Katsushiro protects Kirara. Thee men get past Kiku and disarm Katsushiro, him letting go of Kirara. Kirara runs off, and two men go after her. Kiku, having a rough time of his own, tries to fight off the rest. Katsushiro is restrained, and Kirara reaches a break in the pipe she is running through. Seeing Kambei on the streets below, she jumps, evading her captors. As she falls, Kambei jumps after her, catches her, cuts an elevator shaft cable, and lands on a nearby elevator. He slows its descent with his sword, but they still have to jump before it crashes. He says he told her to look elsewhere, and she says that she knew he would catch her.

Well, this really set the table for the beginning the story. After that last stunt, we know Kambei will help with the bandits. Ukyo will continue to be a problem for them until they leave the city, and Kiku (whose actual name is Kikuchiyo, but it hasn't been said yet) has also seen the need to help the villagers. Although it isn't for sure yet, I think we have three of the seven samurai foretold in the title. It will be interesting to see the others. This episode continues to receive top marks.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy the regular DVD or the LE DVD (eps 1-4) from Right Stuf/DVD Empire

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