Samidare: The Last Samurai is a summer anime series airing starting in July 2022. The original manga was serialized from 2005 to 2010, making it the first anime adaptation in 12 years. It's a battle fantasy that combines the everyday with the extraordinary. Its captivating plot has led to it being treated as a hidden gem despite its relatively low profile, but now it's finally been adapted into an anime! Today, we'll introduce the main characters of Samidare!
Character #1: Lizard Knight, Yuhi Amamiya
The protagonist of this work is a college student. Initially, he has a rational, cynical, and cold personality, not actively seeking to interact with others, even treating his lizard servant, Noi, with disrespect. Having lost his parents at a young age and been abused by his grandfather, he has developed a severe distrust of people. However, after meeting Samidare, meeting and parting with Shinonome Hangetsu, who becomes his older brother, and reconciling with his grandfather, his personality gradually changes.
Character #2: Noi Cresant, the Lizard Servant
One day, a lizard suddenly appears before Amamiya Yuhi. To prevent the Earth from being destroyed, she appears before Yuhi and bestows upon him a servant's ring and supernatural powers. A chivalrous and earnest person, she seeks the cooperation of Yuhi, who has been chosen as a knight. However, she is initially treated rather rudely. As the battle begins, they gradually become closer and become good partners.
Character #3: The Knights' Princess and Demon King? Asahina Samidare
The heroine of this work. Chosen by the spirit Anima, she is the princess the knights must protect. She is a powerful force, capable of single-handedly defeating clay dolls. However, behind the scenes, he is also a demon king who plots to destroy the Earth himself. A bright and energetic high school student from the Kansai region, he is actually suffering from a serious illness and is only able to maintain his health thanks to the power of his anima, despite his limited life expectancy. The conclusion of the battle for Earth would mean a return to that state.
Character #4: Crow Knight, Shinonome Hangetsu
A dog knight and a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, this young man practices the ancient martial art of Kounryu. He is extremely strong, having single-handedly wiped out an entire gang, and is even capable of defeating a mud doll. He is a close and reliable older brother figure to Yuhi and Samidare, and continues to have a major influence on them. He falls in love at first sight with Samidare's older sister, Hisame, and approaches her, but then shields Yuhi during a fight with a clay doll...
Character #5: Samidare's Older Sister, Asahina Hisame
Samidare's older sister is an assistant professor at the university Yuhi attends. She is a brilliant woman who studied abroad in France and earned a doctorate, but her frank personality makes it hard to tell. She dotes on Samidare, and Shinonome Hangetsu, whom she met through Yuhi, falls in love at first sight with her. She herself seems to have some feelings for him...
Character ⑥: The Crow Knight, Shinonome Mikazuki
The Crow Knight. Shinonome Hangetsu's younger brother. Like Hangetsu, he is strong, but he doesn't use Hangetsu's ancient martial arts; he fights in his own style. He has a sociable personality and is always the center of attention, always a mood maker, but deep down he is a battle maniac who loves fighting more than anything. He was defeated before fighting Nagumo Souichiro without knowing the use of the Control Domain, but after a week of seclusion in the mountains, he mastered the use of the Control Domain and achieved revenge on Souichiro. He becomes obsessed with Samidare and Yuhi inherits Hangetsu's technology, leading to a rivalry-like relationship.
Character #7: Horse Knight, Nagumo Souichiro
The Horse Knight. At 42, he is the oldest of the knights. Currently unemployed, he was originally a detective who quit after getting caught up in a fight, but still maintains ties to the police. As the oldest, he is a leader who brings everyone together, and is a reliable adult who takes the lead in fighting the mud dolls, cleaning up the aftermath, and mentoring the younger members. His servant, Dance = Dark, is thought to be inspired by a racehorse named Dance in the Dark.
Character #8: Snake Knight, Hakudo Yayoi
The Snake Knight. A beautiful, gentle-natured woman with a kind heart, she can be frightening when provoked, sometimes making ruthless decisions. She received swordsmanship training from the homeless man, Kamiya, and when fighting the mud dolls, she uses a wooden sword with her gripping area. She is a closeted otaku and enjoys cosplay. After fighting the mud dolls, she develops feelings for Amamiya Yuhi, but then she learns of Yuhi and Samidare's plan to destroy the Earth.
Character #9: Black Panther Knight, Kazamaki Hyo
The Black Panther Knight. A portly man with a laid-back demeanor. However, his strong desire for knowledge has led him to interact with the Animus, and he has even gone as far as to betray it, such as wishing to gain access to the Akashic Records as part of his contract. However, he is not a villain who will stop at nothing; he believes that gaining knowledge is a means to the happiness of humanity, not an end in itself.
Character 10: The Mouse Knight, Kusakabe Taro
The Mouse Knight. He is a childhood friend of the Mantis Knight, Sorano Hanako, and lives next door to him. He is a high school boy who is loved by everyone for his honest and cheerful personality. He has feelings for Hanako, but she is not very interested, and there has been little progress between them. He is naturally timid and is afraid of fighting clay dolls, but he still has the courage to face them.
Character 11: Mantis Knight, Hanako Sorano
The Mantis Knight is childhood friends with the Rat Knight, Taro Kusakabe, and lives next door to him. With a calm and unattached personality, she makes a wish for the death of a serial robber and murderer she happened to see on the news. This causes her to carry the burden of her karma, which increases her mortality rate. While she sees Taro as a troublesome younger brother, she feels left behind when Taro has already decided on his life goals and is moving forward.
Character #12: Chicken Knight, Subaru Hoshikawa
Chicken Knight. A first-year junior high school student, she is childhood friends with the Turtle Knight, Yukimachi Tsukiyo. A boyish girl, she and Yukimachi were trained by the Swordfish Knight, Inachi Akiya. While she appears to be an active girl, she is actually timid and not good at sports. However, she excels in reasoning and judgment, making her an excellent match for Yukimachi.
Character 13: The Turtle Knight, Tsukiyo Yukimachi
The Turtle Knight. She's a childhood friend of Hoshikawa Subaru, and a laid-back girl. Despite her appearance, she also has an active side. She continues to practice karate, which she's been doing since elementary school, and has excellent physical abilities. The "Strongest Shield" and "Strongest Spear," which she and Subaru share, possess overwhelming defensive and offensive power.
Character 14: The Owl Knight, Akane Taiyo
The Owl Knight. After his biological mother died, he had a difficult relationship with his stepmother, who remarried. As a result of this, he was partially neglected by his stepmother. He did not participate in the fight to save the Earth, instead siding with the Animus. Through his interactions with adults like Yuhi, as well as with his peers Subaru and Yukimachi, he gradually opens up.
Character 15: Swordfish Knight, Akitani Inachika
The Swordfish Knight. Originally a psychic who gained omnipotent powers through contact with the Akashic Records, he has lived for 500 years and has imparted all kinds of knowledge to all sorts of people in half of his life. Already aware that he would die 500 years before that, he instructs his final students, Hoshikawa Subaru and Tsukishiro Yukimachi, on how to use his powers. He ultimately dies from a fatal wound while protecting them. While he could have extended his life by making a wish, he ends his life without making one. Furthermore, the 500-year span and his obsession with acquiring knowledge suggest a connection to a certain person.
Character #17: The Wizard, Animus
A wizard who created clay dolls and is in conflict with the knights. He plots to destroy the Earth with the Biscuit Hammer, a clay doll capable of destroying the Earth. He attacks the knights with the clay dolls to fulfill the conditions for its use. His true identity is that of a psychic born in the future. He discovered that destroying the Earth allows him to travel back in time and space, and his goal is to travel back in time and obtain primordial knowledge.
Character #18: Spirit Anima
Anima is the central figure in the conflict between the wizard Animus and the knights and the clay dolls. He is a spirit who made a pact with Samidare and made her his princess. After a long absence, he suddenly appears before the knights. He is laid-back and lacks explanation. His true identity is Animus' twin sister, born in the future. In order to stop her brother, she repeatedly challenges Animus.
[Planet Samidare] Character Summary
Here is a summary of the characters appearing in Planet Samidare. While this is an extraordinary battle fantasy, the emphasis is actually on the interactions between characters in their everyday lives, and the interactions between characters in their everyday lives are one of the highlights of the series, with many characters involved. It's a fascinating series that combines the everyday and the extraordinary, so I hope you'll tune in when it airs starting in July!
