To be honest, I’m still skeptical of talking about The Elusive Samurai manga on my blog despite its popularity.
Yes, the manga does have just as many readers as Kaiju No.8, Dr. STONE, SPY x FAMILY, and Mission: Yozakura Family.
But for some reason, I can’t seem to shake the feeling that the manga will still get axed even if it’s good.
For the most part, I tend to hold off talking about the manga until it has at least 30 chapters.
The last thing I want is for the manga to get canceled prematurely.
If you’re like me who has been reading on MANGA Plus, then you already know how frustrating it is when your favorite manga ends abruptly.
You can’t help but wonder which manga will be on the chopping board next.
Thankfully, the manga is still going strong to this day as I write this, with more than 100 chapters and counting.
What’s more, it has received an anime adaptation, too.
That says something about this manga.
Will the manga eventually end?
Since the manga is based on the true event, the answer is yes, it will eventually end someday.
But at least you can rest assured that it will receive a proper ending, unlike the rest of the manga that comes before it.
What The Elusive Samurai manga is all about
Here’s the book description that I got from MANGA Plus.
Yusei Matsui, creator of Assassination Classroom and Neuro: Supernatural Detective, is back! Set in feudal Japan in between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, our hero Hojo Tokiyuki is a boy on the run that history all but forgot! When the Kamakura shogunate is overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki’s family and standing are visciously taken away from him, and he must flee to the far reaches of the land to survive and seek out his revenge!
What got me to read the manga
I won’t deny what got me to read this manga has a lot to do with the manga being by the same mangaka behind Assassination Classroom.
Well, I love Assassination Classroom. So, it makes sense for me to give this manga a try.
Will I still be giving this manga the time of day if I never read Assassination Classroom before?
You bet I will since the manga happens to be there on MANGA Plus.
That seems to be the case with most of the manga series I stumbled upon on MANGA Plus.
I read them since they happened to be there. And I don’t care whether the manga is by a new mangaka or a seasoned mangaka.
What makes The Elusive Samurai manga worth reading
If you’re familiar with Assassination Classroom’s narrative style, then you’ll notice the narrative style for The Elusive Samurai manga isn’t that much different from Assassination Classroom.
For one, the story with a dark theme but has some wackiness in between. And not to mention, the tactical aspects behind all the things they’re doing.
It’s not that much from Assassination Classroom except the tactical aspects are war-related considering the enemies they’re facing.
Well, it’s a story that is based on an actual historical event, to begin with. And with the story taking place in feudal Japan, war seems to be a common occurrence all the time.
With war taking center stage, then you’re bound to see violence throughout the story.
To be honest, I already expect that any story with a historical setting tends to have many bloody scenes.
Unless it’s purely a slice-of-life historical manga, seeing violence is unavoidable in this type of manga.
And that also applies to The Elusive Samurai manga.
Despite its dark theme, it’s still an entertaining read because of its wacky reference to the modern world.
If you’re someone who enjoys reading historical manga, this is another manga that you should have a look at.
What I didn’t expect when I read the manga
I will say it has to be the references Yorishige made to Tokiyuki and the others. It can feel a little tad too strange that most of the references he made are modern references.
Interestingly enough, they can seem to relate to everything he said and never question him anything at all. The way they react is rather amusing as if they have any experience living in the modern world.
Is it because they take anything that comes out from Yorishige’s mouth as truth considering that he has a divine power?
Maybe. But it’s interesting to see Yorishige using modern references whenever he has to explain something to Tokiyuki and the others.
Sure, the story may take place in feudal Japan. But it doesn’t mean the references have to be confined to that era alone.
And let’s not forget the art style.
Unlike the art style in Assassination Classroom, the art style in this manga has a much thicker line and is more detailed.
It’s hard to believe that The Elusive Samurai manga is by the same mangaka behind Assassination Classroom. The art style is so much different.
Not going to lie that the art style tends to evolve as the years go by. But I never thought to see such a massive difference in the art style.
If you already watched the anime, then you should give this manga a try considering that the anime doesn’t do its justice when it comes to conveying the manga art style in the anime.
Who should read this manga?
If you enjoy reading Assassination Classroom and you love manga with a historical setting, then there’s no doubt you will enjoy reading The Elusive Samurai manga as well.
But just be aware that the manga does contain quite a handful of bloody scenes, though.
Like I said before, it’s not unusual to see bloody scenes in historical manga even if the manga is for the younger audience.
If you think you can’t tolerate anything violent, then this manga isn’t for you.
Where to buy The Elusive Samurai manga
As always, you can read The Elusive Samurai manga online on MANGA Plus.
The first and the recent three chapters of the manga are available to read for free. But you will need to upgrade to their paid subscription if you want to read the chapters in between.
Thinking about giving this manga a try? You can read the manga right here on MANGA Plus:
Read The Elusive Samurai manga on MANGA Plus
Just to let you know you can get the manga in digital and print as well. You can get the manga in whichever format you prefer on Amazon:
Buy The Elusive Samurai manga on Amazon
Prefer to read manga in Japanese? You can buy the manga right here at CDJapan:
Buy The Elusive Samurai manga at CDJapan
Over to you
What do you think about The Elusive Samurai manga? Are you interested in reading the manga after reading about it on my blog?
Let me know in the comment below.
P.S. If you’re someone who also enjoys reading a story with a dark theme that takes place in the modern world, then have a look at my thriller light novel series, Trigger Locked.
Curious about the book? You can take a look at the first book of the series right here on my Payhip store. Use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG to get 25% off on your purchase.