|
 Summary Samurai Jam -Bakumatsu Rock- is an anime based on a PSP rhythm game that tells the story of the end of the Bakumatsu Era leading into the Meiji Restoration and the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. But instead of the shogunate using the Shinsengumi as a special police force, the Shinsengumi is now a group of pop idols who brainwash the masses with pop music called "Heaven's Songs". And instead of a violent revolt started by samurai, the opposing group rocks out so hard on their electric guitars that the Japanese masses are un-brainwashed and the government crumbles. Also they eat a lot of margherita pizza. Why Would I Want to Watch This? It's a super dumb series that doesn't take itself seriously, and it's amazing to see how far it's willing to play with its premise while sticking to (mostly) historical accuracy. It's 100% stupid, and fun because of it. Only two episodes in and the guitarist has had such incredible spirit that they caused fireworks to appear and explode, and then rocked so hard that the Shinsengumi samurai ran away in fear of his music. Then, the main rock band interrupted a samurai pop concert and had a pop-punk rap battle on stage. I can't imagine where it goes from here, but I bet it'll be quite the ride. Also the main characters often rock out too hard and make their clothes explode.    So that's pretty cool. The game was developed by Marvelous Entertainment, with Studio Deen handling the adaptation. Characters The Heroes  Ryoma Sakamoto is a happy-go-lucky dude and the electric guitarist in the rock band. He works as a waiter at the restaurant Albergo di Terada but he is bad at his job. Although it is illegal to sing anything other than Heaven's Songs, he really wants to sing his own songs and become a famous musician. So he starts a band with Shinsaku and Kogoro and does secret shows to a small group of fans. He is pretty bad at guitar but makes up for it in rock spirit. Historically, Sakamoto Ryoma was a prominent figure in overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate. Inspired by the ideas of the West, he desired to unite Japan under the idea of equality. He is particularly famous for making peace between two warring nations and uniting them against the shogunate, which will probably happen later in the anime when he rocks the gently caress out. He was eventually assassinated by the Shinsengumi before he could see the destruction of the Tokugawa shogunate.  Shinsaku Takasugi is a no-nonsense dude and the bassist in the rock band. As a disciple of Shoin Yoshida, he wants to teach more people about rock music. He hates the government because his parents died at a young age and his guardian was forced to kill himself due to a dispute Shinsaku had with a government official. He takes his work very seriously and hates Sakamoto’s fun-loving attitude. Historically, Shinsaku Takasugi is known for his military work, having desired to modernize the military in his home domain, beginning with the revolutionary idea of a commoner militia. He went to school under Shoin Yoshida, where he adopted the philosophy of Imperial loyalism.  Kogoro Katsura is a relaxed dude and the drummer in the rock band. He is also a disciple of Shoin Yoshida but is also older than Shinsaku so he gets the nickname "Sensei". He often acts as a mediator between Ryoma and Shinsaku, trying to keep both of their personalities in sync. He also owns a samurai radar that lets him know when the Shinsengumi will show up. Historically, Kogoro Katsura served as a liason and mediator for the rebels against the Tokugawa shogunate and later acted as a statesmen during the Meiji Restoration. He went to school under Shoin Yoshida, where he adopted the philosophy of Imperial loyalism. He is the only one of the three main samurai to survive to see the restoration.  Shoin Yoshida is a mysterious man who taught many young disciples the power of rock. He also gave his guitar to Sakamota Ryoma because he saw great potential in his music. He has a nice afro and glasses. Also he is currently missing. Historically, Shoin Yoshida was an intellectual and activists, whose ideas helped to spur the Meiji Restoration. He helped lead an insurgent group during the war and attempted a number of assassinations. The Villains  Soji Okita is the top idol in the Shinsengumi. When he's on stage, he acts tenderly towards his fans and is a general charming heartthrob, but secretly he hates all of his fans and sees them as subhuman. He is also shown to have a cruel side, as he asked to publicly kill Ryoma after he interrupted one of their concerts. Historically, Soji Okita was one of the top swordsmen and founding members of the Shinsengumi and was known for being rather polite and good-natured, unless he was being strict towards his students. He is also had a signature technique that allowed him to hit both shoulders and the neck of his enemy with one strike and with any blade.  Toshizo Hijikata is a director of the Shinsengumi and an idol himself. He writes many of the Shinsengumi's songs. While he always looks calm and cool-headed, he is very passionate about his work. Historically, Toshizo Hijikata was the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. He is said to have been very tall and handsome, and he also wrote poetry. He is the only person so far who died in battle, having been killed by a bullet that shattered his lower back.  Isami Kondo is a director and producer for the Shinsengumi. He used to be the main idol but decided to leave the main stage and make way for new up-and-coming idols. He seems to be all about showing passion and power, as he says Ryoma has potential and allows him onstage at a Shinsengumi concert, despite them being rivals. Historically, Isami Kondo was the commander of the Shinsengumi. After the shogunate fell, he was executed as the murderer of Ryoma Sakamoto, though this is widely believed now to be false.  Naosuke Ii is the head advisor of the Tokugawa shogunate. His position is actually a little more nuanced, but basically his is the Jafar of the Tokugawa shogunate. So far he just ominously sits in his tower talking about Peace Souls, which are apparently part of the Ultra Soul which allows hearts to reach their highest height. Historically, Naosuke Ii led the Tokugawa shogunate to their last great place of power before the Meiji Restoration. He was often seen as villainous and tyrannical, and was eventually assassinated. Other Characters  Yataro Iwasaki is Ryoma Sakamoto's best friend and the only one who supports Ryoma's music career in the beginning. Historically, Yataro Iwasaki founded the Mitsubishi company. He does not appear to have any ties to the shogunate or the Meiji Restoration.  Otose is the owner of the restaurant Albergo di Terada, where Ryoma works.  This Dude keeps popping up to say cryptic poo poo and then disappear. I dunno what his deal is, but he seems to be cool with rock music. Final Note: You can watch this streaming on Crunchyroll! New episodes are released Wednesdays at 9am PDT.
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2014 03:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 20:40 |
|
|
This show is pretty cool.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2014 06:05
|
|
|
Aside from Space Dandy this seems like it's going to be my feel good hit of the season, everyone doubts the main character then he rocks so hard that everything works out.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2014 15:21
|
|
|
Episode 3 is out, and features no rocking out by the main band! However, it does feature a full-effort concert by the Shinsengumi, complete with audience participation, E! biopics, and glowstick katanas! Even without the half-naked rock 'n' roll explosions, I thought this episode was really good and kept the energy up overall. Also, clever gag with Soji needing to fake sickness and learn to false cough, since he died of tuberculosis IRL. Also also, this bumper for next episode is everything I could hope for from this stupid show. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2014 03:00
|
|
|
Hahaha, Episode 4 is everything I could have hoped for and more, given the title. With so many live houses refusing to let our heroes rock out, there's only one place that they can go to play: the bath house! Our heroes will not be silenced!  Plenty of half-naked dudes this episode (and also implied full-naked dudes) from both sides of the fight, and a brand new song is played! Personally, I think it's better than the one they've been playing up until now, and it makes me curious if they're gonna try to get a full mini-album or more released for both groups. And if there's anything to take away from this episode, well... 
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2014 00:46
|
|
|
A little late, but it's not like others are posting in this thread, so for now I'll continue to document this mess of a show. This week in Bakumatsu Rock, the Shinsengumi are cracking down on rock 'n' roll, so the gang leaves for a new city to play in. However, once they reach this new city, it seems the Shinsengumi have completely brainwashed the townsfolk! Also, Okita is given a new song to sing, which is some melodic hardcore thing that also seemed to be filled with dark magic or something. What will our heroes do to combat this new force!?  Like it's even really a surprise at this point. Plus, a new Peace Soul was awakened! Our heroes have finally all reached maximum power! I feel like this whole Sensei melodrama was dragged out a bit over these past two episodes, but the ending was nice enough, as was the big lead-up at the concert this week. Both groups got a brand new song this episode and that was nice, and the conflict feels a lot more real, or at least as real as a musical war can be. There's actual evil things happening with the Shinsengumi that the gang has to fight off. Basically, I was a little iffy at first on this episode, but by the end I felt a lot like this kid.  Keep fighting the good fight, Bakumatsu Rock.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2014 17:11
|
|
|
Thank you for posting.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2014 17:51
|
|
|
It's a new week of Rock 'n' Roll Samurais, and surprisingly, the up-and-coming rock band is not the focus! Instead, we get to learn more about this guy!  He's looking a little worse for wear, but who wouldn't after getting dark magic tuberculosis? We also get a chance to see the horrifying effects of the new Heaven's Song in action.   The last two Peace Souls get activated as well! Finally, the Ultra Soul can be made! But can our heroes do it, with the puppet master still holding the strings on two of the Peace Souls? Also they totally ruined a dramatic moment with a prolonged, poorly-animated ladder scene. So either they're setting up our two main Shinsengumi friends as eventual bandmates or, at the very least, reluctant allies with our samurai rockers, since no one seems to be cool with Ii. But who is this kid who keeps showing up, and why is Ii so fixated on finding him? Only time can tell, and it seems like it'll be a while since next episode is about teaming up and Shoin returning! Time to see afro samurai rocker in action! Oh yeah there was a new song for Okita as well. I think it was pretty meh, but it did a good job of musically showing the difference in ideals for the users of Heaven's Song.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2014 19:56
|
|
|
Oh my god this week of Samurai Rock was a sight to behold. Afro samurai rock 'n' roll teacher is holding a concert, and the band is excited to see their sensei rock once again!  But not all is as it seems; he's been put under a spell by the Shinsengumi and forced to sing Heaven's Song! The band is having difficulty reaching his heart with their own music to fight the magic, but thankfully we have friends coming to the rescue!  (The other ex-Shinsengumi guy is there too but he didn't tie strings to a horse and put on a set of fake wings in order to make his stupid entrance.) That's right, Okita and Hijikata are helping fight Ii with our rockers! They even step in to help the band counteract dark rock magic, and so the obligatory shots!   This episode owned in basically every way and it's times like this that I'm glad I picked up this stupid anime. This kind of thing is just a lot of fun to watch. There's also a new song which I think is one of the best so far and everyone gets to join in! It's good times. Thankfully, the five are able to free afro samurai from this mortal realm and send him to rock heaven where he can watch over them forever. And so, the episode warns us for next time... 
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 19:36
|
|
|
This week on Bakumatsu Rock, with Okita and Hijikata on Ryoma's side, the government hires a new group to take them down!     And so our first important female characters in the series have been revealed! Will they be able to fulfill their mission as idol assassins, or will they be drawn in by the band's devilish charms?  I think it's nice that they have an entire episode dedicated to a different group and building them up as characters, even if they aren't likely to show up later. Sad that their song was truncated to two choruses and nothing else, but it was nice to have a break from so much manliness in this show. Pretty good episode, but I don't think it hit anywhere near all of last episode's amazing nonsense peaks.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 20:04
|
|
|
This week, I can finally give the band a name and I don't have to keep referring to it as "the band"! The band is constantly being stopped by the government, and so they must turn to disguising themselves in order to perform!  The Maskucchis do well for themselves to start, but soon complications rise as the government learns of this new masked band.   The government buys the band and puts it under new management! Will this new corporate attitude and government safety be enough to conquer the saving power of rock, or will the band return to independence in order to continue their mission?  Well, either way the band finally comes up with a proper name for their unmasked group, The Ultra Souls! They even remind you that the Ultra Soul is the collection of the Peace Souls, in case the plot of the story has been lost to all the other nonsense going on. Some good anachronisms this episode, between the punk shirts, the limousine, and some of the mansion fixings. Unfortunately, in a series that's as fluff as this is, this felt like more fluff than usual. I guess it didn't seem like anything developed this episode, either in plot or relationships. The band just learned not to use the government (because it was actually using them), but that seemed like it should've been obvious. I hope this isn't a slump that will continue into the end, but it seems like there's some true arrests next episode from the preview, so it looks like the plot's gonna pick up again!
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2014 05:03
|
|
|
I doubt I will ever watch this, but I feel a little better just knowing that it exists. Thank you for the posts, ChorpSaway!
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2014 05:24
|
|
|
advokat posted:I doubt I will ever watch this, but I feel a little better just knowing that it exists. Thank you for the posts, ChorpSaway! Having talked to a number of friends about this show, this seems to be a common consensus. The show's admittedly pretty slow, so it can be hard to sit through in order to get to the payoff of rock 'n' roll samurai. For me, it just scratches an odd anime itch and so I have a lot of fun watching it and taking weird screenshots to share, and maybe that's the best way to experience this show. Either way, glad this is entertaining someone!
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2014 17:56
|
|
|
Uh, this week was weird for the Ultra Souls. I mean weirder than usual.  The government begins to seriously crack down on rockers, burning instruments and jailing people who rocked or associated with rockers. The band is spurred on by Ryoma to continue fighting the good fight with music, until, uh...      Ryoma meets some people whose lives have recently been ruined through rock and roll, and he has a moment of crisis where he wonders if they're doing the right thing.   However, when news arrives of a new government-approved pop band spreading Heaven's Songs, Ryoma finds the resolve to crash their concert and stop the government's plans. However, Ryoma has another breakdown where he wonders if putting all these people in harm's way is doing any good, and the concert crash fails.   Angered by this inaction, Shinsaku decides to take matters into his own hands and leave the Ultra Souls in order to assassinate Ii. Ryoma leaves the band as well, in order to rediscover his passion for rock and figure out why he's performing. The big problem with this episode is that, while I understand what they're trying to do, it falls flat given everything else that has happened in this series. The dissonance of people's lives being ruined by having listened to rock and how melodramatic they try to make the whole situation only makes the tone change worse. I'd say this is a pretty bad episode, which isn't good, given how few episodes they have left.  However, I do appreciate that the next episode bumper admits to the silliness of the series as a whole. Maybe a sign of better things to come? I can only hope.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2014 21:30
|
|
|
Thank you for suffering through this bad episode, because that gif is excellent.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2014 21:38
|
|
|
The Devil Tesla posted:Thank you for suffering through this bad episode, because that gif is excellent. I do what I can for anyone who wants to see things from this show and doesn't want to sit through it. That episode was bad but the boy band bit kept me strong. And I'm happy it did because wow did this week's episode own a whole lot! Apologies for using more screenshots as I go along but it's been harder to just summarize what's going on anymore. That and I don't think people would believe some of the poo poo that happens in this show without proof.  Shinsaku goes to confront the shogun and Ii and kill them, but then it turns out that mysterious kid who's been showing up everywhere is the shogun and he imprisons Shinsaku with evil pop magic.  Meanwhile, a government worker who looks a lot like Old Joseph and who used to rock with the afro samurai appears to the three members of the band that haven't left to give them some bad news. Apparently the shogun has imported speakers from Japan and plans to fill them with magic so that Heaven's Songs will be spread all across Japan and enslave the entire country. The trio is then sent to crash the music festival where these speakers will be used.  At the same time, Ryoma is back in his home town being depressed and trying to find himself.    Then, right in front of him, a rock band is arrested, and their words encourage Ryoma to return to the Ultra Souls.  He then FLIES OVER THE POLICE to return to the bar the band always hangs out at, but learns that the festival has already started and that there's no way he'll make it there on time if he goes by foot.     So Otose OPENS UP THE ROOF WHICH HOUSES A ROCKET THAT HAS BEEN SET UP BY KOGORO TO SHOOT HIM DIRECTLY TO THE CONCERT AND OFF HE GOES  Meanwhile, the concert is not going well, and Shinsaku has been turned evil by pop music and is now leading the Backstreet Boys in an effort to defeat the Ultra Souls.  But just then RYOMA PARACHUTES IN FROM SPACE TO STOP THE FIGHT AND SAVE SHINSAKU   Shinsaku shoots a Kamehameha out of his bass guitar and destroys Ryoma's clothes, but otherwise doesn't hurt him.  Ryoma's powerful rock spirit then regenerates his clothes and shoots an energy beam into space that gives off such power that Shinsaku is saved from pop music.   Ii is mad about this and I personally agree with him on both points here.  Then he goes crazy, sets the concert on fire, and turns into Orochimaru as he summons giant snakes.   But one of the snakes immediately eats him, and it seems a greater power might be in control here... And that's the end of the episode! There's only one episode left and if it continues any of the trends started in this episode I will be more than satisfied with all the time I have wasted watching this show. Man, this episode was great.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 19:29
|
|
|
I dropped this show and picked it up again just for this episode and yea that owned hard.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 19:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 20:40 |
|
|
Alright, I'm a bit late finishing this up, but holy poo poo this finale is everything I could have ever hoped for, and several things I couldn't have! Gonna try to cut down on screens but again, it's hard to present this stupid anime without them! Let's do our best though!   Okay so the kid from before is more officially announced as the shogun and he controls the snakes and also makes the imported speakers appear on top of the building so that he can broadcast Heaven's Song and create a peaceful nation.    Then the kid says that he was never into rock, but he wanted his life to stop being so boring, so he escaped from his tower and went to meet the Peace Soul wielders in order to see the Ultra Soul awaken, which he thought would save him from his boring life. However, it caused Ii to die from too much power, and the kid blames the Ultra Souls for pushing Ii to his death, and so the kid is mad and decides to go forward with the Heaven's Song plan.   So the kid activates the speakers in every major Japanese city and starts to blast Heaven's Song in an attempt to pacify the entire country, but thankfully Kogoro built a device that nullifies sound so the Ultra Souls are safe!    Meanwhile, the rest of Japan is experiencing natural disasters because apparently the Heaven's Song can control the atmosphere and so the lightning dragons are causing earthquakes and explosions and stuff. Also the Old Joseph-looking dude explains that Heaven's Song is what gave the Tokugawa shogunate all of its power and has been in the family for generations, giving the government power over the people. Also Heaven's Song is also he first Tokugawa shogun's soul and it possesses each new shogun???   So back with our heroes, they've gone sentai and decided to hold one big concert inside the shogun house in order to stop Heaven's Song. But the building is protected by a magical pop music barrier!    Kogoro decides to sacrifice himself for the group by using his sweet drumming to counteract the barrier, which works until the Heaven's Song magic overtakes him and kills him at his drumset. But the others make it in, and the mission continues!       One by one, the other members sacrifice themselves (Shinsaku bites a bullet in half, spreads the gunpowder on his bass, then causes feedback and sparks which leads to his guitar EXPLODING AND KILLING A BUNCH OF POP MUSIC MAGICAL DEMONS), and soon Ryoma is the only one left at the top of the tower.     At the top of the tower, Ryoma finds the kid and the demon of pop music that is possessing him, and they have a duel of music feedback which breaks all of Ryoma's strings. However, he is not defeated, as he does an acapella performance of the ending theme and causes a beam of pure rock energy to release into the clouds, which also returns the Peace Souls to his dead allies. And THIS is where the anime started to lose me on a conceptual level.   Well... uh... So you see...   Yeah... so...   After their brief trip to Heaven (???), the two come back to a chorus of Japanese citizens singing rock and chanting for the new era of rock 'n' roll, thus defeating Heaven's Song.  And all of Ryoma's friends were brought back to life with rock!  And everyone lived happily ever after. I'd say this was just as good as last episode, and was a drat good finale for this show. It started off strong, started to wane, got pretty bad, but the came back in the absolute best way possible. I'd almost say that these last two episodes really made the 12 weeks I spent following this stupid show worth it. There were always good moments in each episode, but these last two were really something else. If you watched along with the show, I give you my regards for sticking through to the end. For those who only read along, you're great too! Maybe just watch the last two episodes; there are a lot of moments that just work better in motion, and there are a lot of ludicrous things I had to cut from these explanations in order to make them a reasonable size. Either way, it's been a fun experience, and I hope anyone reading was able to get some enjoyment out of this as well. Until next time, let's rock!
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2014 07:11
|
|