# Samurai 7 (2004)

> A young priestess gathers a band of stray samurai to defend helpless villages from a cruel warrior race.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/5529

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 26
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, adventure, drama
- Network: ANIMAX
- Cast: Kong Kuwata, Masaki Terasoma, Romi Park, Shin-ichiro Miki, Toru Kusano, Tetsu Inada, Fumiko Orikasa, Tadahisa Saizen
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482424/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, elegiac, gritty, tense, bittersweet

## What critics say

Audiences rate Samurai 7 positively as a faithful, stylish anime reworking of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

## Synopsis

Samurai 7 (2004) is a Japanese anime series produced by GONZO and aired on ANIMAX, a single-season adaptation-style action drama spanning 26 episodes. Young priestess Kirara (voiced by Fumiko Orikasa) travels the countryside seeking masterless warriors willing to defend villages being crushed by a cruel race of raiders. Among them are the seasoned strategist Kambei Shimada (Masaki Terasoma), the hot-headed Kikuchiyo (Kong Kuwata), and the eager young swordsman Katsushiro Okamoto (Romi Park). Each episode blends stylized swordplay with the grind of planning a defense, as the recruits must train farmers, build fortifications, and face the brutal realities of a war they cannot win by skill alone. The show unfolds as a serialized story rather than a case-of-the-week format, so the group's bonds and doubts grow across the season. Its tone is earnest and elegiac, with bursts of raw violence and dry humor, and its historical setting gives it a weathered, dusty texture. Fans of Seven Samurai, Samurai Champloo, and Basilisk will find resonance in its blend of honor, ensemble heroism, and feudal-era conflict. Viewers wanting a grounded yet dramatic samurai story will find it satisfying.

## Shows like Samurai 7

- [YAIBA: Samurai Legend (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/168953)
- [Dororo (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70923)
- [Gintama (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/51071)
- [Rurouni Kenshin (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/25916)
- [Last Samurai Standing (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/167281)
- [Orient (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/96542)
- [Rurouni Kenshin (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/132372)
- [Blade of the Immortal (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/78002)
- [Onimusha (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/132425)
- [Shigurui: Death Frenzy (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/31428)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt