Main Article |
The Remembrance | |
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General information | |
English title | The Remembrance |
Japanese title | Reap! |
Nihongo | 刈る! |
Romaji | Karu! |
Airdate | October 23, 2004 |
Navigation | |
Episode number | 17 |
Previous episode | The Storm |
Next episode | The Emperor |
Reap! (刈る!Karu!), alternatively called The Remembrance in the English version, is the seventeenth episode of the anime Samurai 7 It first aired on October 23, 2004.
Credits[]
- Director and animation director: Hiroyuki Okuno
- Storyboard: Minoru Ohara
- Screenplay: Atsuhiro Tomioka
Plot[]
In Kanna Village, the farmers begin to harvest their crops, and Shichirōji confirms from Gisaku that the village is truly ready for harvest. Nearby, Kikuchiyo, despite once being a farmer, fails to harvest the crops efficiently, making the children like Komachi and Okara laugh. In response to Komachi's suggestion to stop, Kikuchiyo claims that he was once known as the Swift Harvest God of Rice Paddies when he was a farmer, adding that the sickle is most likely why he cannot farm well. As the children laugh again, Shino and her friends Shika, Uma, and two other women inform Kikuchiyo that they will handle the farming, reasoning that Kikuchiyo's current body is made for fighting. They plead with him to follow their advice since they need to finish harvesting the field and avoid wasting time. Accepting in dismay, he leaves and visits Gorobei's gravesite, expressing his grievances aloud for the farmers having him refrain from harvesting. When Kikuchiyo mutters that Gorobei may have died in vain, Heihachi tells him that is Gorobei's decision, but the former retorts that Kambei should not have left everyone behind. Heihachi happily assures him that Kambei will return, and the curious Kikuchiyo asks him what it means to be a samurai. Walking away, Heihachi tells him to look in the mirror and he will find one.
Meanwhile, the male villagers, split into several groups, rebuild their houses with efficient organization due to their grouping being the same as their battle units in their fight against the nobuseri a day ago. Gisaku is impressed with Kambei's planning, and Shichirōji proclaims that defeating the nobuseri was only the beginning since he needs to help Kanna Village rebuild so that the people can grow rice on their own. Near her house, Kirara fixes the samurai banner, and Katsushirō checks out one of her books on war but apologizes for not asking first upon seeing her. He wishes that he could gain the smell of a battlefield on him to become a better samurai, and Kirara recalls how there were many subsequent wars in the old era, resulting in generations of war and the creation of a war culture. She also remembers how the samurai wanted to ensure their victory and therefore mechanized themselves, noting that the samurai wanted to perpetuate war to retain their power. At the same time, everyone else had nothing left as a result of the wars' destruction, and the merchants both sold weapons to the samurai and ended the Great War by buying off the samurai. Additionally, the merchants built cities and houses out of nothing. Kirara puts the book back on the shelf, with Katsushirō assessing that he is a samurai in the era of merchants.
The water priestess again blames herself for putting Katsushirō on the path of murder, stating that the book is evidence of her immaturity. Putting his hand on Kirara's neck, Katsushirō assures her that he chose the samurai path of his own free will. He remembers how Kambei helped him cope with engaging in murder by reminding him that he wanted to save the village and defeat the bandit evildoers. Looking at their samurai battle flag, both Katsushirō and Kirara remember their general journey and encounters with the samurai, including their encounters with Gorobei and Kyūzō. Thinking about his sense of loss, Katsushirō remarks that he now knows what Kyūzō meant when he said that he wanted to try living. At the Kōgakyo citadel, Ukyō trims some flower branches and is impressed that Kanna Village defeated the nobuseri. Tessai clarifies that the samurai, not the peasants, defeated the nobuseri, but Ukyō rebuffs the claim, reminding him that it was Kirara who hired the samurai. Tessai briefs him that Kambei is the seven samurai's leader, and to his surprise, Ukyō orders him to tell the other villages about the victory and that they do not need to live in fear about the nobuseri.
At that point, a guard enters the room and informs Ukyō about urgent news from the capital. He elaborates that his father Ayamaro was relieved of his post as Kōgakyo's administrator and is blamed and to face undetermined punishment for the Imperial Envoy's murder. Whereas Tessai is speechless, Ukyō nonchalantly accepts the news and figures that he is now Kogakyō's next leader. In the electric cell room, Ukyō demands that Tessai give the former his knife, and he repeatedly bangs the railing with the knife to get the workers' attention. Addressing everyone, Ukyō apologizes for their workplace conditions, promising to get them out of there. Back in Kanna Village, Okara, Komachi and Kikuchiyo go fishing. As Kikuchiyo sits still, Komachi tells him that he has a bite, but the machine samurai only thinks about Heihachi's words from earlier as he stares at the pond reflection. Okara answers him that he is a samurai, and Komachi claims that Kikuchiyo is lonely due to Kambei's absence. Hearing the girls' analysis of Kambei's departure and orders, Kikuchiyo throws his rod into the pond and declares that he is a samurai, recalling that he wanted to help save Rikichi's wife upon learning his tale.
As they watch over the resting Rikichi, Katsushirō wonders to Kirara why Kambei refused help for his journey to the capital, and she responds that Kambei would never do anything reckless. Rikichi agrees and thinks that Kyūzō left the village with the same idea. Katsushirō recalls Heihachi's story about the seven gods that protect the rice, bringing back fond memories for all three of them. Entering their house, Kikuchiyo proclaims that he will travel as well to save Sanae. When Katsushirō is hesitant because Kambei ordered them to stay put, Kikuchiyo chastises him and rhetorically asks if he is a samurai or a farmer. Katsushirō answers that he is indeed a samurai, being persuaded to help Kikuchiyo rescue Sanae. Far away, Kambei treks in a sandstorm, and he eventually arrives at the Shikimoribito Village to see Honoka. She is glad to see him and asks about the other samurai and Gorobei, with Kambei confirming his death but clarifying that they defeated the nobuseri. He states that he will fulfill his promise of rescuing Honoka's sister from the capital. Suddenly, several Shikimoribito descend from the cavern ceiling and surround the two.
Characters[]
In order of appearance.
- Mosuke
- Manzō
- Gosaku
- Kanzō
- Yohei
- Gonzō
- Gisaku
- Shichirōji
- Komachi Mikumari
- Okara
- Kikuchiyo
- Shino
- Shika
- Uma
- Heihachi Hayashida
- Kirara Mikumari
- Katsushirō Okamoto
- Ukyō
- Tessai
- Rikichi
- Kambei Shimada
- Honoka
- Shikimoribito
Music[]
- Episode 16 recap — People of the Land (Daichi no Tami) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Opening theme — Unlimited (TV Size) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Farmers harvest the rice — Unreleased #11
- Kikuchiyo pays his respects to Gorobei — Firefly Rice (Hotaru Meshi) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Villagers rebuild their houses efficiently — A Village to Protect (Mura wo Mamoru) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Kirara recalls the history of the wars and samurai — Unreleased #12
- Katsushirō and Kirara recall their memories of Kambei, flashbacks to the other six samurai — Kirara — Samurai 7
- Break — Subtitle — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Ukyō listens to Tassei and orders him to give a message to the peasant villages — Merchants (Akindo) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Kikuchiyo is lonely and recalls his interactions with Kambei — Kikuchiyo and Komachi — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Flashback to Kambei and Rikichi — Unreleased #8
- Flashback to Heihachi's words on rice, Kikuchiyo declares that he is leaving — Camp (Jin) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Kambei returns to Honoka to fulfill his promise — Katana — Samurai 7
- Ending theme — Fuhen (TV Size) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Preview — Water Priestess (Mikumari no Miko) — Samurai 7 O.S.T.
- Okara recaps the episode — Kikuchiyo and Komachi — Samurai 7 O.S.T.