It’s been a while since Samurai 8, Kishimoto’s latest work has hit the shelf, so I wanted to talk about what I’ve thought of it so far.
I’m not gonna lie at first I wasn’t vibing with it, but now, it’s started to grow on me a bit. I’ll admit that I wasn’t too sure on whether this new series by Kishimoto would do well, but after going back and honestly reading it with an open mind, I can say that Samurai 8 has the potential to be a great series if it ever gets turned into an anime.
We had a lot of new concepts thrown at us in the first few chapters that made it hard to kinda get a gauge as to what the tone of this Samurai 8 series was going to be all about, but after reading a bit more, and keeping an open mind once again, I’ve come to appreciate what Kishimoto has created.
The characters have all grown on me so far and the overall scope of the this world, or should I say this universe is intriguing and compelling to learn about. The story itself is pretty endearing so far as the story follow a boy who once upon a time was on life-support but got turned into a fighting machine and is now able to live and learn what it means to be a samurai and a human being.
I really do enjoy the weird cybernetic concept as the Samurai that has to gain their strength from others through symbiotic connections called a Trinity. It also, the main aspect that finally drew me in was that it has some gaming elements to it that kinda clicks with me as a gamer. How they gain new abilities is relation to their stats as cybernetic fighters. It’s pretty cool. Which also makes the power scaling that much easier to under stand as the status of a samurai is clearly outlined
It’s also at heart a shonen for sure, but with its own little twist to it. And the whole space aspect is a nice touch too. One minute these guys are fighting on land, the next they’re wearing their Key Holder as armour, while the princess is praying for them to power up and fight in space. It’s crazy.
The pacing feels a little off at times but there’s room for improvement in that front. We’re only almost 40 chapters in, and if this is anything like Naruto, in terms of longevity, then there’s plenty of time to improve that aspect, but I’d like that sooner than later. If you’re into this futuristic samurai space adventure, then give Samurai 8 a chance, you might like it.
