Samurai Flamenco Episode 22 “Samurai Flamenco, Naked!!” Preview Images and Synopsis

 

The sound of a single gunshot. Haiji has captured Goto to get to Hazama because he wants Hazama to be the hero once more. He also keeps teasing Goto about his girlfriend. Yes. To know I exist, I will be true evil! And he will find what it is he’s been looking for. It’s finally time for the climax of The Legend of Samurai Flamenco!

Are you ready for the end? Is there going to be a final twist? Based on the pictures, who is the real focus? It looks like a lot of this might actually be about Goto.

In the end times, it’s time get something new. Most of the staff are returners. Kurata is writing, Suganuma is storyboarding, Manabu Nii, Michio Hasegawa, Masahiro Yamanaka, Toshie Kawamura, and Masaki Takasaka are animation directing, and Inutsuma Inukawa is directing. But Inukawa is not directing alone. He’s being joined by Takahiro Omori who you may know as one of the main directors of Baccano! and Durarara!! Now that’s a pedigree. Bring it on home, guys!

(Images from Samumenco.com © Fuji TV, Manglobe, Aniplex, and Project Samumenco.)

Samurai Flamenco Episode 21 “Teach Me About Love” Preview Images and Synopsis

In order to stop Haiji, my own existence must end… These terrible things keep happening, Goto and Hazama’s friendship has been cracked appart, all Hazama can do is keep chasing after Haiji. But another new wall prevents him from catching him. Meanwhile, Goto is also lost in confusion. Just to laugh in their face, Haiji begins his next move.

Hazama and Goto throwing each other around might be some of the best animation we’ve ever gotten in this show. I do wonder how this will be resolved. Is Haiji real? I don’t really know or have a guess with this show.

This crew list has a bit of an embarrassing moment for me on here. Most everyone is someone we know. Kurata is screenwriting. Michita Shiraishi is directing. Masaiku Tayori, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Kazuyuki Igai, Michio Hasegawa, and Shunryo Yamamura are all animation directing. But we have two storyboarders. One is Katsumi Terahigashi, but one is someone I can’t find anything on nor am I clear on how to read the name kanji. 「由卯田和季一」 Can’t find anything on this person, so maybe they’re wholly new? Who knows.

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 20 “I Saw a Boy One Day” Preview Images and Synopsis

The peaceful days have been brought to their knees by a single boy: Haiji Sawada. He’s one of the middle school boys Masayoshi confronted during the early day of “Samurai Flamenco.” Sawada goes to face Masayoshi and says, “In this world, you have one last opponent.” His exact words are that he will attack the people close to Hazama one by one. The “Flamengers,” other key points and so on. Hazama moves to stop him, but a terrible secret is waiting to come to light.

So how about that girlfriend Goto’s got? Eh, some kid blew up a building despite world peace, let’s move on.

What show has 5 ADs? This show has 5 ADs. Amazingly, though, this episode has nothing but previous crew. No new guys this time. Takahiro screenwrote, Masayuki Miyaji storyboarded, You Satou directed, and Michio Hasegawa, Masahiro Yamanaka, Kazuyuki Igai, and Masaki Takasaka animation directed. It’s probably not the last major turn for the story to take because the ending could always be a twist. Maybe Haiji is Goto’s long lost girlfriend’s son with the bus driver and only a combo punch between him and Hazama can stop the explosion. That is this story!

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 19 “The Quiet Life” Preview Images and Synopsis

“Suddenly is not cool at all… Yeah, I’m waiting!!” Something like that.

“We’re in disguise! Please avert your eyes!”

A duel with Alien Flamenco. A talk with the Will of the Universe. It’s an experience that goes a little beyond the normal human mind. The Earth waits for Masayoshi to return home. Evil has been completely eradicated from this world, and peaceful, quiet days are here. But with evil gone, what is there for a Champion of Justice to do? As he contemplates this, Goto gets a text message saying it’s time for a date. Masayoshi and Mari get together, and it’s time to tail him.

Well, it’s time to start winding down I believe. The show’s supposed to be somewhere in the area of 22 episodes, so either finding out who Goto’s girlfriend is will take 4 episodes, or she’ll be the next big reveal of what Hazama has to punch leading to the ultimate conflict between best friends. At least the apparently for some reason highly anticipated reveal of her identity is finally coming around.

How many ADs do you think we have this time? The answer will be of no surprise at all. Having 5 ADs is one of the more predictable things about the show. 4 returners and 1 new guy. The returners are Katsuhiro Kumagai, Hitomi Hasegawa, Masaiku Tayori and Kazuyuki Igai. The new kid is Tomokazu Shimabukuro who has only one AD credit, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, but tons of key to back him up. And crazy AD amount is starting to leak because we also have two directors this time. Yosuke Kuroda is returning alongside yet another instance of someone who could be one of two people. He’s either Tagatsugu Kobayashi, young pup with only an assistant director on Kino’s Journey to his name, or Kouji Kobayashi who has a little bit more including being a director on Kino’s Journey. And of course Katsumi Terahigashi is storyboarding, and Takahiro is screenwriting.

(Images from Samumenco.com © Fuji TV, Aniplex, Manglobe, and Project Samumenco)

Samurai Flamenco Episode 18 “Flamenco in Space” Preview Images and Synopsis

With the revival of the Flamenco Girls, the battle with the prime minister has been defeated. But! The Diet’s true objective, who they really wanted to put down, was not Masayoshi and the world’s heroes. It was his rival, Cosmic Flamenco! All the world’s governments start secretly deciding the next target is Japan! With Masayoshi’s team being thoroughly confused, Cosmic Flamenco prepares to negotiate with “Samurai Flamenco.”

You know, I was kidding with the MGR thing last time. I really didn’t think it’d go that far. I think I might be too naïve. Anyway, Kurata’s on the script. Storyboards are by Miyana Okita, a storyboarder from Date-a-Live. Director is an interesting person being that there’s so little on him. Inutsuma Inukawa, if I’m reading that right, was an ED on Gantz and Ouran. 5 ADs again. I want to say this show has the highest density of animation direction I’ve seen since I started paying attention to the credits of anime. Our returning ADs are Manabu Nii, Michio Hasegawa, Emi Hirano and Masahiro Yamanaka. Our new blood is Kazuyuki Igai, someone with a huge amount of works in AD and Key that one or two examples will do no justice.

Oh, and as a side note, when the synopsis refers to Cosmic Flamenco, it uses フラメンコ星人/Flamenco-seijin. I assume then that there will at some point be some sort of Flamenco Planet. The ultimate evil plan may be to crash it somehow only into Japan. That or there just are already Flamencoians, and I’m misreading the context.

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 17 “The Strongest Prime Minister” Preview Images and Synopsis

Masayoshi goes to Goto as his last, final, ultimate resort, and he’s relieved that Goto just welcomes him in with no question despite him being Public Enemy #1 with pursuers hot on his tail. The two are being chased down, but they’ll show their strength when backed into a corner. The Flamengers have been framed as criminals. The citizens are giving more and more support for the Prime Minister. It’s time for Masayoshi to go up and kick the Diet Building’s door in.

This is my entire commentary on where my mind goes thinking about this:

I wasn’t going to say it until that last picture with the punch burning with Flamenco spirit, but that combined with whatever happened to Aoshima leads me straight to this. I don’t know that that would be a good thing for the show to do, but it is what it is.

We’ve got the big team again. Our old guys are screenwriter Takahiro, director Yusuke Onoda, and ADs Akane Umezu, Yuuji Hakamada, Hitomi Hasegawa, Saka Ikeda, and Akane Umezu. Our new guy is storyboarder Atsushi Wakabayashi, a storyboarder on a few things like Hell Girl and Noein but also a key animator on Mad Bull 34 and Violence Jack 3, and AD. Now that’s a reason to hope. For what I don’t know. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with this show having a punch that blows someone up.

(Images from Samumenco.com © Fuji TV, Aniplex, Manglobe, and Project Samumenco)

Samurai Flamenco Episode 16 “Fugitive Hero” Preview Images and Synopsis

With the reveal of the government’s plans, the Flamengers have become criminals. The Diet introduces the Unauthorized Acts of Justice Control Act as well. The next generations of heroes are being taken in. In the midst of this, “Mr. Justice” helps Hazama alone to escape. Meanwhile, though Mari has turned away from her emotional scars, the time to confront them has come.

It’s an interesting turn for the story. I particularly like the last image of Hazama in the old Flamenco outfit and the first one where he’s standing in front of his own wanted poster. It looks good. Writing this week is brought to you by Kurata. Storyboard is by Suganuma. For the director, this is the season of two people with the same name kanji. ED is either Michita Shiraishi, an ED from Gravion, or Michita Shiroshi, and ED from Heroman. The ADs are mostly returners, Toshie Kawamura, Masahiro Yamanaka, Katsuhiro Kumagai, and Emi Hirano, with one new kid, AD to the point of being Cheif AD at one point for The World God Only Knows Sachiko Sugimoto.

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 15 “Imitation Justice” Preview Images and Synopsis

Masayoshi now looks upon a man with his own face who calls him “older brother” and himself “Beyond Flamenco.” As Masayoshi trembles before him, “Beyond Flamenco” starts to talk about what “From Beyond” intends. And their goal is…!Meanwhile, the Flamengers, the government, and the police are continuing to fight. What will be the final outcome of this battle with “From Beyond?!”

Well, I can’t say the show doesn’t have my attention. It feels like this twist exists only to give the next twist more weight, and since twists are the fuel this show runs on, I can’t say it isn’t working. To what end, I don’t know, but I’m still here, I guess. The staff this time is almost all old crew. Screenwriter is Takahiro. All five of the ADs, Manabu Nii, Michio Hasegawa, Naoaki Houjou, Masaki Takasaka, and Hitomi Hasegawa, have been on the show before. The new guy is the director and storyboarder, You Satou. Mostly key animation, he has done some episode direction for Mitchiko and Hatchin and House of Five Leaves. Does this mean good things for the show? Answering that would imply I understand what direction the show intends to go in.

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 14 “The Destruction of Japan” Preview Images and Synopsis

Immediately after Hazama warns everyone on his variety show, phonecalls go out through all of Japan warning about the impending all-out attack by From Beyond. The only option left is to try and repel the attack. The government declares a state of emergency. The Self Defense Force and the Police are to collaborate on the counter offensive. With Joji gone, the Flamenger members have to get over the tension and fear that’s had a hold of them. And finally, it’s time for From Beyond’s attack to begin!

Well, we have some licks and promises of interesting content in this episode just. Can the show keep it up? Is the collaboration between the JSDF and the police a sign that Goto will be back in a starring seat? Could that be why the show’s site’s main page now has a picture of Goto instead of Hazama? It could be.

Taking us that way are a large set of vets under some new management. Screenplay is Kurata. Storyboard is Terahigashi back from episode 10. 5 ADs again, 4 old and 1 new. Yuuji Hakamada, Shunryou Yamamura, Masahiro Yamanaka, and Akane Umezu are all returning alongside newcomer Emi Hirano, an AD who worked on Toriko. And they’ll all under the new director Aoi Sayo, a director from Kids on the Slope.

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Samurai Flamenco Episode 13 “Eve of the Decisive Battle” Preview Images and Synopsis

The Flamengers have won the first ever National Hero Award, and now every Japanese citizen is pinning their hopes on them. But after repeatedly fighting From Beyond’s minions, one day all the Mysterious Beings just disappear. They seem to have just given up their “Take over Japan” plan. It’s looking like an omen for From Beyond to go forward with an all out offensive, so the Flamengers start planning their counter strategy, but there’s an unexpected impedement that may put an end to all of this.

After last time, I started to worry that the show’s change in direction to straight laced sentai and seeming shelving of most of it’s previous cast in favor of a host of stereotypes was it being under the impression that having a first half that lovingly mocked the kid who never grew out of his superhero fantasy idea meant that making a straightforward toku show would be building back up what it had previously tried to break down. If that was true, we’d be stuck with the new guys while all the cool kids like Goto got to do all the fun stuff where we don’t get to see. But the summary and Goto and Mari being in the pictures gives me hope that we’re gearing up for another heavy switch.

Adding to that is the crew. Hideyuki Kurata is screenwriting. We’ve got another full house of animation directors, Masaki Takasaka and Akio or Michio Hasegawa returning with Naoaki Houjou, Manabu Nii, and Toshie Kawamura coming in for the first time, but the other two are a point of interest. The storyboarder is Eiji Suganuma, and the Director is Yusuke Onoda. Both of them are coming back from Episode 6, the one where a cash prize is put on Samurai Flamenco’s head and his heroic mettle is tested when he saves a guy who was trying to turn him in from falling off a building. You know, when the show was still grounded. So maybe this a sign for another sharp turn. I hope so.

(Images from samumenco.com © Fuji TV, Aniplex, Manglobe, and Project Samumenco)