Episode 7: The Friend

July 10, 2006

In the rice fields, the bandits scan the rice fields to see its progress. The group hides out from merchant patrolmen in an alley while discussing their options. Kambei suggests they lay low and call on former friends. He suggests his former mate, who Katsushiro thinks he means literally. At an inn called the Firefly House in a small village, Shichiroji dances to song to entertain guests. In a separate room, a samurai drinks and gripes about the merchants. He asks for another refill, but the waitress tells him to pay in advance, angering the samurai. A waitress takes leftover sake to the kitchen, but Shichiroji intercepts her and offers to take them himself. She accepts, and Shichiroji takes them to another room and drinks them. A woman, Yukino, enters, scolding him for drinking leftovers, saying he can have his own. She serves him eel that he says is delicious, when Yukino starts to get close to him. A scream is heard, and Shichiroji goes to investigate. The samurai is attacking a merchant, boasting his skills as a spearman during the war. Shichiroji grabs his sword and tries to calm him down, to no effect. He lets go causing the samurai to fall face first. The samurai attacks Shichiroji, to no effect, as he is too quick. The fight ends in Shichiroji pushing him down the steps of the inn. Yukino walks up and Shichiroji stumbles after him pursuing the bill he owed. Kambei's group stands overlooking the Town of Respit; Heihachi explains that social status doesn't matter in the town. He also asks about Kikuchiyo, but Gorobei says that they'll probably run into him soon. Kiku runs through the city with patrolmen chasing him. Yukino talks with Shichiroji about the fight, but he denies being a samurai any more and will stay with her for the rest of his time. Kambei walks up and asks for shelter for the night that Shichiroji gladly provides. Patrolmen are outside the village gates, and one mistakes a swimming Kiku for a water-imp. Kiku drags him in and jumps over the gates into the village. Kyuzo cuts down some samurai, with Ukyo's crossbowmen lending support. A patrolman reports a mechanical samurai around the Village of Respit, at which Ukyo suggests they go there.

Kambei introduces Shichiroji to everyone causing Katsushiro to think he is talking about Yukino. Kambei corrects him, and Heihachi kids him about the mistake. Gorobei mistakes Yukino for Shichiroji's wife, and she explains that she simply fished him out of the river, remembering him floating down the river in an escape pod. Heihachi mentions it sounds like the tale of Momotaro, which gathers a laugh. Shichiroji asks if Ayamaro's after them, and Kambei asks if his men cam, if they could hold out. Shichiroji tells him that holding out isn't an option but there's a secret escape route that will take them out of Kogakyo but passes through the lair of the Shikimoribito. They ask if that's a problem, and he says no ones been back to tell him. Yukino has people bring in food and drink for the guests, and when she asks Katsushiro to pass something down, he blushes bright red. Komachi notices and makes fun of him. Yukino notes how they are all one big happy family, and Gorobei goes on to tell the story of how they all met. Outside, Kiku walks up to the Firefly House. Komachi notices her sister isn't eating, and she says she cannot eat while the village is starving. Shichiroji, seeing the solemn mood, brings in dancers and music to cheer the crowd up. Kiku sits with the waitress that was with the troublesome samurai and pulls out his family scroll. Tessai bangs on the village gate, but robotic eyes explain that no one can enter or leave the village after curfew. Kyuzo jumps up and stabs the main eye, and the gates open. With everyone asleep, Kambei and Shichiroji discuss the old war and why Shichiroji quit the samurai way. Shichiroji offers to help Kambei, who warns that they could die this time. In a bath, Yukino washes Kirara and discusses Katsushiro liking her. Kirara says she has no time for a relationship, but seeing Yukino and Shichiroji gives her hope. Yukino hears a clatter outside, and see the patrolmen. They run and warn the group, and they wander how they could have found them. Shichiroji mentions the escape rout, and they hear Kiku resisting arrest. Kiku runs over to where they are and sees the group. Ukyo's group rushes over and upon attacking, Gorobei repels them. Shichiroji raises the floors into a makeshift shield and they escape through the floor. Tessai knocks down the floor panels and sees nobody's there. Yukino tells Shichiroji she knew he would leave, and gives him his spear. They push off, and Kirara reminds her that Momotaro always comes back with a mountain of treasure, leading Kiku to believe his name is Momotaro. They float towards a cave, when Ukyo's motorboat comes up behind them. Entering the cave, they notice the Shikimoribito hanging from the roof of the cave.

Here we see the comeback of my favorite character, Shichiroji. He was introduced in the first episode as Kambei's pilot, and now we see him and his five-year girlfriend running an inn-type house. It was inevitable that he would leave, but his situation makes his the most needless. He had settled down wit ha life. None of the others seemed to have done that. Well, he makes the fourth samurai, which means there is three more to be found. Little is revealed of the Shikimoribito, except that they look kind of weird. Another note is the quality of this episode's art. There is none. It gets a little better after the halfway mark, but the first bit is inexcusable. This alone drops my rating two stars. Other than that, good episode.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Buy the regular DVD or the LE DVD (eps 5-8) from DVD Empire

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