REEL JAPAN

SCORE: 8/10

“Does it spark joy?”

SAMURAI SHIFTERS is a delightful romp through Edo-period Japan which strikes a perfect balance between the dramatic and the comedic. Director Inudo Isshin (THE FLOATING CASTLE) keeps the story laser-focused despite the huge cast of colorful characters. Hoshino Gen stars as Shunnosuke, a pale bookworm born into the samurai class who works as a daimyo’s librarian. Takahashi Issey, sporting much more charm than usual, plays a confident and boisterous samurai in the same clan responsible for shanghaiing Shunnosuke into a high-pressured new job. The two lead actors have good chemistry, mainly by playing as opposites off of each other. Hoshino and Takahashi carry the film which aims to tell a very peculiar story. 

The Tokugawa shogunate presided over a Pax Romana of two and a half centuries by controlling their vassals with an iron fist. From time to time, entire clans would be abolished, forcing lords to fire all their retainers. Other clans would be downsized or forced to relocate domains or switch places with other clans. This policy was handled strategically or capriciously, or stratego-capriciously, if you will. A clan that successfully transformed and relocated according to these edicts had a chance at survival. But a generation later, they might find themselves moving again, with no one left alive experienced in the ordeal. 

This is where we find our young heroes, preparing to not only move, but enact lay-offs, cut expenses to fit the new salaries, and move people and property across Japan. Failure to do this successfully may lead the shogunate to outright abolish the clan. This ambitious and delicate operation needs a managing director and his role will automatically result in his stepping on everyone’s toes. Shonnosuke, the well-read but shy samurai, is nominated to the position against his own wishes. 

Takahata Mitsuki (GUNSHI KANBEI), well known as the Japanese voice-actor and singer dubbing Elphaba in the WICKED films, plays Shunnosuke’s stubborn and aloof love interest, Oran. Oran holds the keys to the clan’s survival in the form of her late father’s moving instruction manual. He once held the job that now belongs to Shunnosuke. He must get his hands on the wisdom of the past to save his clan and his faltering lord (Oikawa Mitsuhiro), who is haunted by dreams of his own father dying en route between domains. 

The chapters of moving instructions become the backbone of the film, which follows their structure religiously. As a relic the book represents continuity between generations. Even the musical score follows as samurai join together in educational songs to teach themselves how to pack up and vacate their castle. A long challenging process of decluttering ensues, replete with tense confrontations between Shonnosuke and his powerful superiors. It all brings to mind Marie Kondo and her catchphrase “Does it spark joy?” 

I cannot avoid comparing two nerdy samurai at the heart of singular films: In SAMURAI SHIFTERS we have Shonnosuke as relocation-tzar and in SAMURAI ASTRONOMER we have Santetsu (Okada Junichi) as a brilliant scientist bucking tradition. Because SHIFTERS is a lighthearted and romantic comedy, Hoshino’s performance never has to rise to the level of Okada’s. Hamada Gaku (MY FAMILY, GUNSHI KANBEI) joins SHIFTERS halfway through, portraying yet another brilliant samurai. Hamada is effective in what is ultimately a superfluous role. 

Between the bureaucracy, the logistics, and the musical numbers, we naturally begin to wonder if this will be a samurai film without a single fight. Patience rewards the viewer of this delightful and utterly original samurai story. 

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