Often overshadowed, it’s the samurai’s time in the spotlight
Japanese warriors get a wave of attention in video games, animated films and pop culture
Samurai are a lot like ghosts.
Both entities tend to get overshadowed in pop culture — by ninjas and zombies, respectively — and yet they never really go out of style.
But those who live by the way of the sword are about to enjoy a bit of a samurai renaissance, as the feudal Japanese warriors get a moment in the spotlight.
It’s not just in fiction. Last week, in breaking news about the ancient warriors, the Catholic Church beatified Justo Takayama Ukon, who was known as the “Samurai of Christ” in a mass in Osaka, Japan. He was a 17th-century Catholic samurai and martyr who lost his lands for his religious beliefs.
On the pop-culture front, the Jedi Knights of Star Wars are inspired by the Japanese warriors.
Rian Johnson, director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has cited 1964’s Three Outlaw Samurai as one of the inspirations for the highly anticipated film, which arrives in December.
Here is a list of cutting-edge samurai entertainment that shows ninjas better make some room for their fellow warriors. Kubo and the Two Strings This 2016 stop-motion animated feature is the lovely story of the titular character and his magical musical instrument who, as part of his adventures, must solve the death of his father, the greatest samurai who ever lived.
It is up for two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature, and is only the second animated film ever nominated for Best Visual Effects. Nioh Already being hailed in reviews as the first must-own PS4 exclusive video game of this young year, this justreleased action role-playing video game makes you a European warrior who travels to Japan in search of a mystical spirit and, along the way, engages in awesome sword fights with all manner of demons and enemies. For Honour Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this Ubisoft video game — which the Toronto studio had a big hand in building — is a take on The Ultimate Warrior, as it pits factions of knights, Vikings and samurai against each other. An open beta version of the game was available last weekend. Samurai Jack This beloved Cartoon Network series about a time-displaced samurai battling the demon Aku aired for four seasons from 2001 to 2004. It returns for its fifth and final season March 11 as part of the network’s Adult Swim block of programming, which targets older viewers. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky returns and trailers point to a darker storyline for our sword-wielding hero. Adult Swim is also currently streaming all the old episodes on its site. Samurai by Joachim Arriving on March 17, Samurai is a new album from French electronic music producer Joachim. According to a news release, it is inspired by his travels through New York, Paris and Tokyo, drawing from “a wide range of inspirations including new age music and Yukio Mishima’s critical writings on the famous spiritual samurai text Hagakure.” Hagakureis known as The Book of the Samurai. Blazing Samurai Scheduled to arrive August 2017, this animated film features the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Yeoh, Ricky Gervais and more, with Michael Cera playing a hapless dog who dreams of becoming a true samurai to save the town that he lives in.