Samurai 7, Vol. 4 - The Battle for Kanna

Before I review this DVD, I want to say this: IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED OR PLAN ON PURCHASING THIS VOLUME, DON'T READ THE INSERTED ART BOOK UNTIL YOU WATCH THE DVD, AS IT WILL RUIN THE ENDING. That out of the way, I also want to say that I didn't expect what is contained in this volume of Samurai 7. After having seen Seven Samurai, I know the conclusion of that movie ends with the battles with the bandits. This version of it does not, as will be seen in the next and final two volumes.(POSSIBLE SPOILER) Of all the volumes, volume four is the truest to the movie so far (and by the looks of it, it will remain so). It details the battles with the bandits and even has one of my favorite moments in the Seven Samurai movie, and that is the death-toll countdown of the bandits, though in this version it's a little abbreviated. It also has some other memorable moments, like Kyuzo's scouting mission; yet of course everything has the new GONZO spin placed on this series. But the part that surprised me is that, with the conclusion of this DVD, a new conflict is introduced, one not exactly familiar with the movie. It also has a good ending, one inevitable when placed next to the movie.But what's common in this volume to the others is the great action, the great characters, and some subtle comedy. This volume only reasserts that this series will become one of the greats (is the quality of anime in general rising, or am I just easily impressed?). And with Funimation giving these DVDs the full treatment with includes special features that can truly be considered such, like a mini-feature, an episode containing commentary, the inserted art book, and the normal anime special features--text-less songs and trailers--it makes this a great buy. So, if you've already been collecting the series, then obviously this isn't one you should miss.

Vol. 4 of the animated series "Samurai 7" is the final segment of the story as it corresponds to the Kurosawa film on which it was based. It's the payoff we've been waiting for, and it delivers. The animation is excellent, and the action is leavened with a pleasing amount of comic relief. In this series characters evolve, rather that remaining completely predictable as in so many series of this type. Fans of the original film will be eagerly awaiting the scenes they loved so well in the film, and they will not be disappointed. The futuristic spin on the story allows for intriguing glimpses into what may come after the battle is won. I for one can't wait to see what happens next.

A solid series that allows for the development of each samurai's character and arc, as opposed to Kurasawa's original film that was limited by its medium. The animation is fantastic, with the exception of the CGI, which looked outdated when the show was released. I am sure there is a box set of these now. If you like anime and Akira Kurosawa, buy these.

Out of all the Dvd's so far this one in my opinion has been the best. It leaves you wanting the next dvd extremely badly. The best battle sequences so far and much of the story is moved forward. The animation is very good in this one along with the graphics they use for smoke and explosions and all that. There is also extra's and they have the normal art gallery and previews but the best thing is they have actor commentary. It only goes through one of the episodes but its pretty funny, its mostly jokes but some good info about the series. Its with the voice actor of Kambei and two others. But yeah if you like the series keep on watching its just getting better.

Love this series, a nice retelling of the classic Seven Samurai with an anime twist. see the stories unfold based on the original.

Volume 4 just continues to drive home the fact that Samurai 7 is a brilliantly-done anime revamping of Seven Samurai. This volume is particularly interesting because it explores how the group of seven, once seemingly-unstoppable, reacts to the loss of one of their own. You also get to see the growing changes among the farmers of Kanna as they no longer depend solely on the samurai for protection, but begin to take an active part in the village's defense. I plan on ordering Volume 5 in the next day or two; I can't stress how good of an anime this series is.

Great DVD for a great series! You should have the collection! The music is great, the menus are excellent, the costumes are very nice, there are a lot of thing to watch in this DVD!

If you're at all into anime, you should know by now the main plot usually kicks in at the halfway point. Samurai 7 in a way actually got good at the halfway point. It's hard to hate the series: it's got great production values(thanks to a 300,000$US budget per episode), CG enhancements, and of course it's handled by Gonzo and is based on one of Japan and cinema in general's classics. This volume is probably the most truest to the original, well as truest as it can get when the bandits ride massive mechs.The battle's finally on as the Nobuseri attack Kanna Village leaving the seven samurai to try to take them down. This results in a pretty big battle with probably the coolest crossbow ammo ever and them trying to take down one of the Nobuseri's bases from the inside. Things don't go as planned however when the Nobuseri use forbidden weaponry and the team gets cut down permanently.Unlike other shows where there's plenty of action but a compelling story leading everything forward, Samurai 7 works best during its action scenes. While it doesn't have the fluidity of other shows, they are quite dynamic and cool to watch especially when we see why Kyuzo will become your favorite after this.The characters don't get as much development as they should and the love story between Katsushiro and Kirara doesn't really gel(I finished the series and it still didn't gel). After this the series leaves the film behind and goes off on a separate direction which some will love, others will like which is pretty much like this show.