Ask John: Is There More Samurai Showdown Anime?

Question:
Have you heard if there is going to be another Samurai Showdown anime movie called Samurai Spirits? I heard this from my cousin and he wasn’t sure.

Answer:
Before I provide detail, it’s necessary to provide an explanation. The Japanese Neo-Geo samurai sword fighting game series is known as Samurai Spirits. When the series was brought to American arcades and game consoles, it’s name was changed to Samurai Showdown. That being said, there are actually 3 Samurai Spirits anime series. The first Samurai Spirits anime from 1996 was a disappointing made for television movie which is currently available on dubbed VHS in America. Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden Dai Ikkan consisted of 2 half-hour OAVs released in 1999. Featuring beautiful character design by Aoi Nanase (better known for her Angel/Dust manga and Seraphim Call TV series) and voices by the cast of the original video games, the Samurai Spirits 2 OAV series was loosely based on the story of the demonic Saki and Asura characters, introduced in the little known full 3D arcade game Samurai Spirits 64 and the Neo-Geo Pocket Samurai Spirits games. Samurai Spirits 2 was much darker and violent than the previous Samurai Spirits anime movie, and was much more faithful to the spirit of the games, including accurate representations of the characters’ “special moves,” graphic bloodshed, and relatively little humor or comedy. A further “plus” for the Samurai Spirits 2 OAV series is the fact that it didn’t try to squeeze in cameo appearances from every character. Instead, the OAV series concentrates on developing a tight, cohesive story around Haomaru, Nakoruru and her sister Rimururu and their conflict with Asura, as they try to prevent him from taking Saki back to hell. Essentially, Samurai Spirits 2 was the anime adaptation of the games that die-hard fans had been waiting for. Unfortunately, although Samurai Spirits 2 is one of the relatively few successful fighting game to anime adaptations, it has never been licensed for translation or distribution outside of Japan.

Groove Corporation, the company behind the production of the recent Geisters: Fractions of the Earth anime TV series and the upcoming Genma Taisen TV series, is currently at work on a Nakoruru OAV series based on the Windows Nakoruru PC adventure game released in Japan last year.