Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride Strips Away Everything – Including The Plot

Despite a brilliant first episode that broke the forth wall Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride quickly throws away any pretense and focus on providing mountains of vulgar boobs and butt jokes. But, believe it or not, a mountain of boobs and butts is not enough to hide the backwards thinking that fuels this show.

The first episode of Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride surprised me for the better. Having banished the usurper that threatened the Tokugawa regime the now “retired” samurai girls find themselves broke. So they sack the dignified dojo in favor of where the big cash is at and start a maid cafe. When the blissfully ignorant male lead Yaguu Muneakira asks them what exactly were they thinking the girls knowledgably explain to him about the wonders of moe. Moe, as Yakimura soon adds, is “the keyword for making money”. Also, in order to appear more fashionable and up-to-date the girls are now equipped with a tablet and modern cosplay clothing. To sweeten things up even the fight with the new bad guys (um, girls) near the end was visually pleasing and action-packed.

Sadly the ending credits of the first episode also brought with them the end of anything good Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride could have offered. From the second episode onwards Hyakka Ryouran’s tongue-in-cheek attitude is all but replaced with boobs and cheeks (of the rear kind). The series falls yet again for one of the oldest tricks in the book and rely on silly harem antics instead of establishing a plot of any sort. There’s even a new monkey sideckick to round all the corners (and to cater to the furry lovers). If anything Hyakka Ryouran does a fabulous job at reminding me again and again why the golden age of ecchi-centric harem shows ended in the 90s. Having one weak-willed male character being seduced and unconditionally loved by six females (and later on eight) was a turnoff ten years ago. Seeing it used now only shows how unwilling the scriptwriters of this series were when faced with the unholy task of writing a plot. The world is at risk and deadly samurai are free to roam the town? Well, apparently someone else will have to deal with them because the girls are too busy fighting each other for the right to get into Muneakira’s pants. Miraculously Samurai Bride manages to be exceedingly more vulgar than its predecessor. In the first season the title of master samurai was given to those whom Muneakira innocently kissed. The title of Samurai Bride in this season? That one’s reserved for that special someone Muneakira will fuck. Yep, entertainment at its best.

But perhaps I’m being too harsh here. Why should the scriptwriters even bother with a plot when Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride is obviously an ecchi (borderline hentai) show? I mean, if we are to be deprived of plot, believable characters and realism at least we can take comfort in the ever growing number of voluptuous naked woman appearing on screen right? As the first episode all too cunningly pointed out – moe is where the big money lies. Plot is so passé.