First Impressions / Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls

OP1.01 Sequence

OP: 「AI DO.」 by 橋本みゆき (Hashimoto Miyuki)

「解除不能」 (Kaijo funou!)
“Unreleasable!”

Clearly, we have entered a new phase in Hyakka Ryouran and the updated opening sequence is as good a sign as any that the series will be heading in a different direction – down with the meido kissa and up with the action-packed second half! The show certainly does not waste any time with the transition and not only were we presented with a full-on attack by the Dark Samurai this week, there was also a narrow brush with death that kept me on pins and needles all the way! But before I delve into the episode on its own terms, let me just state up front that Maeda Keiji is quickly emerging as one of the finest, if not the best character in the entire Hyakka Ryouran universe. It’s not just her trolling antics and dashing good looks that made her stick out, she’s also incredibly noble and fearless in her attempts to help those who are in need. Keiji was at the forefront of the imminent threat facing them this week, and the sheer “GAR” and righteousness that she displayed here would put any gentleman or self-proclaimed “bro” to infinite shame – after all, she was the one who singlehandedly fended off the Dark Samurai’s carnage, thereby buying Muneakira sufficient time to save Juubei’s life!

Speaking of Juubei, it looks like her badass persona is not going to make a permanent stay – for good reasons, of course – and her childlike self has made a complete comeback by the end of this episode.  “Qi” manipulation in not a concept that is entirely foreign to the anime universe and we know for a fact that the consequence of such mismanagement of “Qi” could be catastrophic to the user. Indeed, the aforesaid misfortune is what befell poor Juubei in this episode and it was only through the combined effort of her comrades, both old and new, that she was able to survive this calamity. The entire incident and the tumult that ensued were a change of pace for Hyakka Ryouran, and no question, this was a slightly more solemn take to the story – something that wasn’t especially apparent in the first half. But make no mistake about it, it was not all prim and formal for the whole episode, and as usual, there were several comical skits that managed to draw a chuckle or two out of me.

Whether it was intentional or not, the contrast between the real Kanetsugu and her fake counterpart from last week could hardly be more apparent in this replay. While Keiji’s portrayal of Kanetsugu was defined by spunk and sassiness, the real thing was her usual train wreck and the embarrassing blunders of her failed attempts at trolling – one that ended with her ass blazing with fire, were downright sidesplitting, if not mortifying! Then there’s Gisen – who refused to let Keiji steal all the spotlight, and where she stood out this week is her valiant attempt to win back the title of Hyakka Ryouran’s best troll. There’s never a dull moment when Gisen is present – whether it’s her personalized back rub or her instantaneous reflex to strip naked, it’s almost impossible for me to not find her wild antics hilarious! What comes next for Munaekira’s harem is hard to say, but if the most recent fallout with the Dark Samurai is any indication, the inevitable showdown is probably not too far ahead – presumably, as soon as Juubei gets a hang of “Qi” manipulation. It also looks like Hyakka Ryouran is not done with the character introduction yet and a brand new character could be making an appearance next week. Who that may be is anyone’s guess, but I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that she’ll be able to live up to Keiji’s charisma and striking presence – the fine dandy of Yonezawa was certainly one of a kind and I sincerely hope this is not the last time we’ll see her!

Random tidbits:

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – #HyakkaRyouran Samurai Bride 07: The sheer GAR that Keiji displayed would put any bro to shame! A change of pace as the action picks up! #Anime
 
Full-length images: 04, 06, 07, 10, 11, 18, 20, 21, 23, 29, 30.

 

Preview

44 Comments

      1. mmm… I actually know this is not porn -__- Just trying to pull a joke there :p, apparently some people did not like it at all. But well, the internet… Thanks for the clarification Seishun ^_^.

        projectnoa
        Reply

  5. Keiji is the dandiest of all dandys!She’s gone just as soon as she came ;/ Gisen won’t have to defend her title as much until Keiji returns lol.

    That “new” character’s voice reminded me of the end of Blue Gender when the planet was talking.A chill ran down my back.I think we might be getting the very first “magician” type character.The Ninja Loli Dark Samurai still uses a weapon so she doesn’t count.

    Magoiichi
    Reply

    1. Keiji will be fine as long as she returns before Amakusa’s revival and that’s a very long time XD
      To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced we’re really getting a new character next week – Inshun will probably be the main focus and it does seem like all the main characters have been introduced 😡

      Seishun
      Reply

      1. Yeah, they’re teasing at a new character, but they did show that Loli Ninja in the previews and she did have a similar voice when she did one of her attacks at the beginning of the anime.

        You’re probably right, it’s probably an episode focused on her.

        Magoiichi
        Reply

  7. Not much of a spoiler for anyone who looked at the Op but it looks like Hanzo and Matabei finally get to become master samurai in the next arc!! (Also they foreshadowed it in the first ep where it showed Munekira and his master samurai’s all behind him shadowed out, Matabei and Hanzo were both there with different outfits)

    SDFSDG
    Reply

    1. Speakingof the op, anyone noticed how master samurai hanzo’s attack almost hit Kanetsugu in the op? I love how they incorporated how she usually gets in the way during the opening fight sequence ^_^

      SDFSDG
      Reply

  9. Keiji is so much fun and I think she’s my favorite behind the dual personality Jubei. I was sad to see her leaving at the end of the episode. She missed out on a naked apron Jubei willing to serve her a fantastic feast. I do hope Keiji’s absence is not too long.

    Oh and I thoroughly support Keiji x Gisen. Actually, I would support a full on Keiji harem =P.

    One thing I was looking forward to during Keiji’s heroic stand against the Dark Samurai girls was bad ass Jubei coming in a putting them in their place. I was so frustrated when that did not happen. Man this show is making us wait so long for a full on Jubei fight action sequence.

    RifuloftheWest
    Reply

    1. A yuri harem for Keiji? That would be so epic!
      Me too, I was expecting someone to jump in and perhaps give Keiji a hand – either badass-Juubei or Kanetsugu. That clearly did not happen and I’m slightly disappointed 😡

      Seishun
      Reply

  14. Both the plot and PLOT were on fire this week, it was my favorite episode so far. Maeda Keiji is crazy awesome. Even the preview was hilarious with Sen hime & Yukimura complaining about the influx of new characters.
    I love the new animation sequence in the op, I keep looping it.
    Seishun you should get on irc more I miss you.

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  15. Great episode! Kanetsugu is turning into a classic comic character. She should have learned her lesson the first time, but instead had to keep up her antics and ended up with a barbecued fanny. Bad luck!

    Smythe
    Reply

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