| Native Title | Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi (逃げ上手の若君) or Nigewaka |
| Manga By | Yusei Matsui |
| Studio | CloverWorks |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy |
| Episodes | 12 |
The Elusive Samurai Episode 3 Review: The third episode of The Elusive Samurai was again very entertaining and engaging. Let’s review how this went and decide if it’s worth watching.
The Elusive Samurai Episode 2 Recap
The episode begins with several men searching for someone in a forest. We learn that the person hiding is Tokiyuki’s brother, Kunitoki. Tokiyuki’s uncle, Muneshige, informs Kunitoki that Yorishige plans to help Tokiyuki escape Kamakura. However, low-ranked samurai arrive, and Muneshige betrays their true identities. Tokiyuki, still grappling with Takauji’s betrayal, confronts Yorishige.
Later, Tokiyuki eavesdrops on two men discussing Kunitoki’s execution. Yorishige and Shizuku arrive, revealing that Muneshige betrayed Kunitoki to Nitta’s army. The narrator explains that Muneshige sought power and became a brutal warlord. Kunitoki is ultimately beheaded.
Yorishige extends his hand to Tokiyuki, urging him to avenge his brother and reclaim their country. This ties directly to the “game of tag” concept Yorishige mentioned earlier. Meanwhile, Muneshige plots to capture Tokiyuki, a much more valuable target, as he used to be the original heir.
The Elusive Samurai Episode 3 Review And Recap
Today’s episode was much calmer than what we have seen in this series. It begins with Tokiyuki journeying towards the place where he will finally form his domain and train to become a better warrior. On the way, he thanks his two new helpers, Kojiro and Ayako. Tokiyuki also pledges that he will fight for his claim, and as a sign, throws his sword up in the sky. But this anime will obviously have a comic twist to enhance an epic moment like this.
Later, we see Tokiyuki journeying through vast plains and reaching Yorishige’s domain, the Suwa grand shrine. Even though this shrine is not very big, it still holds tremendous power and influence. However, our hero is not satisfied with the entire situation, as he still doesn’t believe that Yorishige can help him get to his goals.
Yorishige himself accepts that he has not proved his worth to Tokiyuki, and thus, in a very dramatic moment, we witness just how much power Yorishige holds and why he is the man for Tokiyuki to rely on. Yorishige even declares himself a God, but all his godliness evaporates the very next moment when he goes back to his weird and playful schemes.
In this episode, we also understand the importance retainers hold in the life of a Lord. Retainers are the pillars of strength that showcase just how influential and powerful the Lord is. The retainers not only protect their Lord, but they also fight with him and for him. As Tokiyuki has lost all his family and has been betrayed by everyone else, he needs to start from scratch and get his own retainers who will stay with him till the end.
This is where comes Kojiro, the greatest swordsman of this generation who is definitely going to be a military commander in the future. Then we have Ayako, who has great physical strength and is filled with artistic talent. Finally, we have Shizuku, the adopted daughter of Yorishige, who is attentive and well-versed in secret tactics.
The second half of this episode is the part where we see our young Lord bonding with his retainers and successfully facing problems without the help of a grown-up. They analyse the situation with the help of Shizuku, and the other three fight with their enemy where everyone is equally involved.
Verdict
I love today’s episode as we are finally confirming the people who will support Tokiyuki in the long run. The animation is as usual very good, and I especially love how they utilise multiple types of animation to portray the whole episode. The constant switch of genre in this anime is also something that is fresh and very entertaining.
Also Read: The Elusive Samurai Episode 1 Review: OMG That Was So Good!