Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So I managed to watch the first 4 episodes of Samurai Bride, which is the 2nd season to the original Samurai Girls series from Sentai Filmworks. All of the cast returns to reprise their roles, though given the flagrant in-your-face T&A fanservice of this show, most of the cast also opted (again) to use stage names rather than their real names.
Hi, Tabitha Hickey (*cough* Luci Christian *cough*)!
Anyway, we catch up to our characters several years after the events of the original story. The Master Samurai Girls are trying to modernize and keep up with the times and have converted their master’s Dojo into a “Moé Maid Café”, much
to his shock and surprise. They were apparently overinvested in Lehman brothers and their assets took a pounding when that firm went belly up, so the needed a way to turn a profit quickly; they put up the Dojo as collateral for an investment loan to create
the Maid Café.
This is the least of their worries, however, as four “Dark Samurai” have risen from the dead and thrown down a challenge to the Dojo and its General. They demand to fight Master Samurai Jubei Yagyu. However, normal Jubei (who, though
pretty and loveable is ditzy and not very smart) lost her ability to manifest her Master form at the conclusion of the first series and is at a loss as to how she can regain that power. It is strongly suggested that if normal Jubei were to become a rare Samurai
Bride warrior-princess, she might not only regain her Master form but become even more powerful than other Master Samurai. Indeed, it is speculated that only a Samurai Bride has the necessary power to defeat the newly arrived Dark Samurai. At their current
levels, the other Master Samurai Girls lack the numbers and power to mount an effective challenge to the Dark Samurai group’s power. The question is open as to which girl Muneakira will choose to be his Samurai Bride (well, not really, but it does provide
pseudo-dramatic tension).
Last night was the premiere of the dub of this series, and it was very well attended by a near-capacity crowd at Alamo Drafthouse. There were several Laugh-out-loud moments that made me gratified with my decision to watch this with an
attentive audience rather than alone in my room by myself.
I thought the original series started strong but the finish was merely ‘so-so’, rather a disappointment. While I probably won’t end up buying this second season the way I did the first (though I subsequently sold it), I was reasonably
entertained by these first four episodes. It’s a nice combination of ridiculous & sexy slapstick comedy along with some pretty cool magical melee combat. If I had an Anime Network subscription, I might idly watch this series sporadically, if I was bored
and there was nothing else to do. My purchase of the first season was an impulse buy, based on its first four episodes, which were heavily sexual…it dials it back after that, however, much to my disappointment. It’s not quite as raunchy as, say,
Queens Blade, but if you like this show, you just might like Queens Blade, and vice versa. That said, continue to avoid
Queens Blade Rebellion at all costs. You can thank me later.
The characters are interesting & quirky (and often delusional) and it’s fun to laugh at them but also be emotionally engaged with their struggles. This show is worth a watch. Worth a buy? Not for me, but your mileage may vary. The original
Samurai Girls sold VERY well for Sentai Filmworks, and I wish them luck with this sequel as well.
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