Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to check back in on the freewheeling adventures of Yaiba, Sayaka, and their increasingly bizarre companions, as we screen a fresh episode of Yaiba: Samurai Legend. When last we left off, Onimaru’s ominous octet of oni had been largely dismantled, mainly owing to the fact that none of them were particularly threatening or malevolent in the first place. Seriously, a sea cucumber? Onimaru, I don’t know what you were expecting.

All of that felt perfectly in line with Yaiba’s fast-paced, lighthearted spin on shonen drama, a style that calls to mind the rambling, playful early days of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. With much of modern shonen aspiring to a self-seriousness their narratives cannot begin to justify, it’s refreshing to see a show that’s just having fun with the template, offering endearingly non-threatening villains and then eagerly inviting them to join the good guys. And of course, all of this is made far more appealing through the kinetic animation and lush background design of Takahiro Hasui’s impressive adaptation, which is clearly and effectively conjuring the nostalgic aesthetics of ‘80s anime. I’m all for this reappropriation of dormant yet enduringly compelling styles, and eager to see what nonsense Aoyama cooks up next. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome on back to Wrong Every Time. Today I think we’ve earned some lighthearted, rip-roaring adventure, as we return to the travels of Yaiba, Sayaka, and Musashi, alongside their trusted vulture, tiger, and recently acquired frog. Having either defeated or befriended the first two of Onimaru’s eight oni minions, the team now set off for the site of a legendary clash of swordsmen, intent on learning the secrets of Yaiba’s lightning blade.

Last episode’s battle offered plenty of opportunities for Takahiro Hasui’s team to show off their dynamic animation chops, with the lightning aura of Yaiba’s uncontained weapon offering a natural compliment to this production’s angular, exaggerated posing. It also provided a few key indicators regarding this narrative’s structure and thematic intent; we’ve essentially set up a Sailor Moon-style league of villains, whose abilities echo the corrupting influence of Yaiba and Onimaru’s blades. Beyond that, Aoyama’s approach to Yaiba’s training and his introduction of new variables both seem refreshingly freewheeling; the series is proceeding with the loose, rambling energy of early Dragon Ball, and that’s a very good place to be. Let’s hop back in!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking back in on the adventures of a feral swordsman and his reluctant chaperone, as we explore a fresh episode of Gosho Aoyama’s Yaiba: Samurai Legend. When last we left off, Yaiba and Sayaka had taken to the hills, in pursuit of a sword worthy of matching Onimaru’s demonic Fujin. Swiftly encountering its counterpart Raijin’s beetle-shaped protector, Yaiba attempted to tame the demon blade, only to prove incapable of containing its power.

Given that embarrassing defeat, I imagine we’re due for an honest-to-goodness training arc, at least if this fresh adaptation’s breakneck pace will allow for it. That’s fine by me, as frankly, one thing I’m particularly curious about here is how anyone demonstrates they’re stronger, smarter, or better-prepared than their opponent. Yaiba’s battles have so far been kinetic spectacles heavy on flash and trickery, making me assume Aoyama isn’t really a “power systems” kind of guy, but a shonen without some sense of personal martial progression tends to have difficulty sustaining itself. The alternative is basically “perpetual episodic invention” (as demonstrated by early One Piece and Dragon Ball), but as far as that goes, Aoyama also seems focused on a singular, continuing narrative rather than a procession of rambling adventures. Thus we find ourselves at a crossroads, with the fundamental nature of Yaiba’s narrative progression an open question. Let’s find our answer!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re bounding back into the ongoing revival of Yaiba: Samurai Legend, the bombastic shonen spectacle originally created by Case Closed mangaka Gosho Aoyama. Within our first two episodes, Yaiba has accidentally shipped himself from his mysterious jungle home to Japan, taken up residence with local girl Sayaka Mine, and found himself a destined rival in the form of kendo specialist Takeshi Onimaru. In fact, Yaiba has proven so intolerable to Onimaru that he was goaded into claiming a demonic sword, an artifact of the wind oni Fujin, which must surely be countered by Yaiba’s own acquisition of the matching Raijin blade.

The story has proceeded at a breakneck pace so far, demonstrating an enticing mixture of dynamic, Kaneda-style action posing and flexible, CG-facilitated storyboarding. The overall effect is one of profound kinetic energy in both framing and animation, yet I’ve nonetheless found myself particularly struck by the production’s moments of stillness, the predawn light cherished by Sayaka and Takeshi alike. Still, with a magic sword-bearing demon on the loose, I imagine we’re in for a hectic time as Yaiba reunites with his rival. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to return to the ongoing Yaiba: Samurai Legend, whose first episode offered a generous buffet of upbeat shonen staples and astonishing Kanada-style action. Shipped from his jungle home to Japan in a packing crate, Yaiba swiftly established himself as a gremlin to be reckoned with, offering a refreshingly guileless Goku-adjacent energy that was neatly complimented by his new housemate Sayaka. All the while, his journey was brightened and elevated by this production’s simultaneously nostalgic and cutting-edge art design, carrying the pleasures of both Kanada’s classic space action and Shonen Jump’s ‘80s energy into the twenty-first century.

Our core team of director Takahiro Hasui and animation director Yoshimichi Kameda clearly know exactly what they’re doing. Given his tenure as Mob Psycho 100’s character designer, Kameda’s distinct approach to this production demonstrates he is an artist capable of adapting his own techniques to the aesthetic and tone of his material, not just bringing original creator Gosho Aoyama’s designs to life, but realizing them through animation techniques that harken back to the era of their initial creation. Through this approach, Yaiba represents a reclamation of treasured animation techniques much like Wit’s prior Ranking of Kings, embracing the tools of the digital era while separating itself from their assumed aesthetic compliments. The more classic anime I watch, the more vivid techniques and embellishments I see that have tragically fallen by the wayside; through works like Yaiba, I am delighted to see these techniques returned to life, ready to dazzle and hopefully inspire a new generation of animators. Let’s get to it!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time! Today we’re embarking on a new adventure, as we explore the first episode of the currently ongoing Yaiba: Samurai Legend. This production is actually based on a shonen manga that ran from the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama, better-known for his later series Case Closed. Yaiba actually received an adaptation back around its initial conclusion, but as with their upcoming One Piece, Wit Studio have taken the chance to update a shonen classic for a modern audience.

Granted, I don’t expect Yaiba to feel too updated. From everything I’ve heard about this production, it sounds like director Takahiro Hasui and his team have successfully fused old and new, synthesizing a winningly retro combination that will hopefully offer the same textured aesthetic appeal as Wit’s recent Ranking of Kings. A callback to Dragon Ball-era shonen rambling and Kanada-style posing by the creator of Case Closed and director of Mob Psycho 100’s third season? Yeah, that all sounds delicious to me. Let’s get to it!

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