I’ve rather suspected that the long knives were lying in wait for The Elusive Samurai. Some of the praise for this adaptation has seemed quite grudging, which is unsurprising given the general lack of respect the manga has received. If some were looking for an excuse to turn on it like Ashikaga on the Houjou, the burst of CGI for the sequence at the start of this episode will surely be the veritable red cape to the bull. Do I love that Chojumaru’s fight with Sadamune was mostly depicted that way? No – but it doesn’t shock me that it was, production committee budgets being what they are. And once again pretty much getting everything else right more than makes up for it.
Horses are hard to animate. Nevertheless the choreography at least was on-point for the conclusion of the dog-shooting competition, which is critical as it debuts an important element of Tokiyuki’s fighting style. No dogs were shot in the filming of this episode – the only arrows loosed were aimed at Sadamune’s head and neck. The established pattern of Yorishige giving Tokiyuki a push and letting him get there himself holds here. Chojumaru uses the “Parthian Shot” (a real thing), combining his skill at running with his gift for archery. And like a Roman legion, Sadamune is taken aback (and felled) by a tactic he’s never seen before.
As I noted last week Yorishige drawing Sadamune’s attention to Tokiyuki seemed a counter-intuitive move. But there was a method to his madness – and if any idiom captures Yorishige, that’s the one. Sadumune is ultra-observant – if Yorishige had tried to hide Tokiyuki there’s a good chance he’d have been discovered. Instead he chose to hide the boy in plain sight, reasoning that Sadamune’s exceptional vision would work against him here, creating false assumptions. Sadamune is convinced there are Houjou in Suwa (it’s no secret), but somewhere he hasn’t yet looked.
This cat-and-mouse between Yorishige and Sadamune has many levels. Sadamune can honor his wager and still not lose the game. He procures an Imperial edict declaring that much of Suwa is forfeit as punishment for siding with the Houjou. Yorishige’s bannermen are rightfully angered and counsel war – he rebuffs them. This is not the time for that – not yet. But Yorishige always has a plan. He tells the Young Lord (put to manual labor in the shrine to keep up appearances) that he has a new target for retainer-dom – Genba Kazama, a master thief with ninja-like skills.
Genba (the always superlative Aoi Yuuki) is actually a young boy about Tokiyuki’s age. That makes him a natural fit for the Elusive Warriors and their youthful fraternity, though Genba is no samurai. Tokiyuki initially balks at the idea of retaining a thief, but Yorishige gently scolds him that as things stand, bushido is a luxury the Houjou can’t afford. He must employ anything and anyone, “wicked” or otherwise, if he’s to reverse the fortunes of his clan (and survive). He sends the boy and his comrades to Genba’s village to recruit him, starting with a mission to steal the Imperial order from Sadamune’s warehouses. Imperial orders take a long time to procure – stealing this one will buy time for Suwa.
Genba is a piece of work – shunned by the villagers for good reason. But he’s very good at his job, as witness his thefts from the Elusive Warriors (the question – which one of them was carrying a toad?). He demands 100 kanmon (100,000 mon, the official Japanese currently until 1870) for the current job, and every subsequent one. The retainers are shocked at the price, but Tokiyuki (Genba already knew his true identity) merely asks if that’s all the boy thief wants – money, not a province. Shizuku assures him that the Grand Shrine will cover any payments and expenses, and Genba starts to wonder if he’s sold himself too cheaply.
In the end, Genba agrees to the current job – on the condition that Tokiyuki accompany him. Nominally to prove that he has courage, but at least at much to prove to Genba that he’s willing to dirty his hands by playing the game his way. But Tokiyuki learns quickly – shame is not a luxury he can afford in his current state. Given the nature of capabilities of Genba (and his mask) stealing the edict seems easy enough. But Sadamune has resources of his own, and is not one to be taken lightly – as the boys are about to find out.
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