Ask John: Where Have the Samurai Anime Gone?

Question:
Is Samurai anime slowly dying away? I’ve recently dusted off my old samurai anime such as Ninja Scroll (original) the superb Samurai X OAV and TV series and hoping to watch the recently released Sword of the Stranger. During all this i wondered “why aren’t there more samurai anime being produced now like there was in the past?”. Is there a lower demand for it now than there was in the 90’s?

Answer:
We have a natural tendency to let time influence memory. The popularity and influence of 90’s samurai anime including Jubei Ninpucho and Rurouni Kenshin may cause anime fans to fondly remember the 90s as populated by samurai anime, especially compared to the current decade that has fewer especially memorable jidaigeki anime. However, reality conflicts with idealized recollection. In actual fact, there have been more than twice as many samurai-themed anime in the 2000s as there were in the 1990s. The difference isn’t in number, nor is it, I would say, in quality. The difference is simply in popularity and profile. To illustrate, allow me to exclude ninja anime and anime set during the samurai era which are not samurai-themed shows, like Tsuruhime Ja, Kyogoku Natsuhiko Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari, Oh! Edo Rocket, Ayakashi Ayashi, Mononoke, Genji Monogatari Sennenki, and Shoka. Then, I will count samurai themed anime, including titles with sci-fi elements like Musashi Road and Samurai 7. My catalog may not be complete, but the majority of samurai anime from the 1990s includes:

Hakkenden, Oi! Ryoma, Musashi Road, Cat Ninden Teyande, Black Lion, Sekigahara no Gassen, Kawanakajima no Tatakai, Jubei Ninpocho, Crayon Shin-chan: Unkokusai no Yabo, Yamiyo no Jidaigeki, Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai Spirits TV special, Kaitoranma, Makai Tensho

The samurai-themed anime from 2000 to spring 2010 have included:

Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran, Hidamari no Ki, Kaidohmaru, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Jubei Ninpucho TV, Peacemaker Kurogane, Kido Shinsengumi Moeyoken, Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi o Yobu ~ Appare! Sengoku Daikassen, Shura no Toki, Samurai Champloo, Samurai 7, Otogizoushi, Samurai Gun, Sanada Jyuuyuushi, Gintama, Yoshimune, Zenmai Zamurai, Irohanihoheto, Musashi Gundoh, Afro Samurai, Shigurui, Stranger -Mukoh Hadan-, Hijikata Toshizo: Shiro no Kiseki, Sensei no Chonmage, Ayakashi (2006), RoboDz, Mugen no Juunin, Kurozuka, Negibouzu no Asatarou, Sengoku Basara, Musashi: Souken ni Haseru Yume, Katanagatari, Hakuouki, Saraiya Goyou

Three samurai-themed anime television series are airing right now, Katanagatari, Hakuouki, and Saraiya Goyou. Sengoku Basara season two and Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls are due to premiere later this year. There’s obviously no shortage of recently produced samurai anime, and many of the samurai anime of the current decade have been popular and have been especially good. So the real question isn’t where have the samurai anime gone, but rather why haven’t any of the samurai anime of the 2000s become the iconic and beloved franchises among American otaku that Jubei Ninpucho and RuroKen were in the 90s. The question asked of me, I can answer. The question I’ve posed myself, I can’t answer so easily.