I’m really disappointed in this one. It has a great plot that I got quickly invested in and a likable main character. The problem is that the humor pretty much ruins the story for me. First of all it shows up right when something dramatic and emotional happens which gives readers mood whiplash. Secondly, most of it comes from this priest character who comes off less as comedy relief and more as a creepy child groomer. It’s a pity because this has the potential to be a really great story otherwise.

Loosely based (and I mean that) on the life of Hojo Tokiyuki, a samurai during the Kamakura period in Japan. Hojo is well-known for dodging trouble and shirking responsibilities. Set in 1333, the year the shogunate is overthrown, Hojo just barely escapes with his life. His father committed suicide and the rest of his family was brutally murdered while Hojo is saved by the monk Yorishige. Supported by a small rag tag group of fighters, Hojo is tasked with seeking vengeance for his family and restoring the shogunate. Yorishige tells Hojo that his elusiveness and ability to avoid danger is actually a strength. That Hojo can use his strange power to right the wrongs and save his people.
Created by the manga artists responsible for Assassination Classroom, The Elusive Samurai carries a lot of the same quirky humor, but the violence and bloodshed has definitely stepped up several notches. At first I wasn't sure about this graphic novel, but it has peaked my interest by the last chapter. This is a fairly unique twist on a historical figure.

I had a surprising amount of fun with this title! It's a mix of Japanese history, action, and godly(?) fourth-wall breaks! One of the cooler things I found while reading this title was the author's use of history with some of the more more well-worn tropes. A young lord's clan is killed off and he seeks vengeance (if he feels like it)? Neat! The back of the book giving more historical context for the setting, characters used, and and their motives? Very neat! I hope the trend continues!

Thank you NetGalley and ViZ for the digital review copy of The Elusive Samurai.

I absolutely loved this manga. I hadn't heard of the title before, but the cover is attractive and enough for me to pick it up and flip through. The art is well done and highly detailed, with large action panels drawing your attention.
Now for the story - having all the historical context given in the book helps tell the tale of the Elusive Samurai. He is endearing despite his faults, and I genuinely want to know what happens next. It makes me want to look up more about this time period! The storytelling is fantastic and the art helps carry the story.
Can't wait for the next volume!

I have no idea what to make of this series. Set up as a shonen-ified historical fiction series, Matsui takes readers to Medieval Japan, where 8 year old Tokiyuki's whole family has been killed. As the lone remaining heir to the Hojo clan and the only one standing in the way of the traitor Takauji's complete takeover of Japan, Tokiyuki is urged to flee and fight another day. In fact, the whole gimmick here is Tokiyuki is so good a running away, it'll save his life and eventually, Japan. The few fights we see him in, he remains on the defensive, constantly dodging until an opening presents itself. A lot of this volume is spent on setting up the plot and characters, so not a lot of development happens, but it shows glimpses of a standard shonen premise. I'm not familiar with Assassination Classroom, so I don't know if this is just Matsui's style, but the art was very distinctive, though sometimes off-putting. The faces some of these characters were pulling felt out of place for the kind of story being told, and often were used to break tension, to varying success. This feels like a pretty unique story plotwise, i'm just not sure i'm sold on the actual execution just yet.

A quirky read about a young shogunate prince named Hojo Tokiyuki whose whole family and clan has been betrayed and murdered by someone within their ranks. Hojo is only good at running away and manages to escape with his life. He is destined, however, to become a great hero and avenge his people by honing his currents skills and learning some new ones. The story was silly, but had great action scenes. It's not something I'd typically go for, but I'd be interested in reading the next volume.