Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings

This is the 12-episode series with an OVA about the fight between the feudal lords of Japan, and the fight against the tyranny of Oda Nobunaga, the "Devil King." The main characters that you follow through the series are all historical figures from the actual Sengoku (or "warring states) time period.  A couple of the more important ones are Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura, who you follow through most of the series.  These two start out as rivals but are eventually forced to join forces when the warlord, Nobunaga, threatens to bring the entire country under his warrior rule. For the sake of having a future at all to fight over, rival warlords begin to establish alliances; each fighting for their vision of the future and what they believe in.

This series started right in with the action, dropping you right into the atmosphere of the time period: all out civil war.  Like the historical background the story is based on, it's a massive free-for-all where these lords must fight for land while watching out for whoever might be waiting on the sidelines to try to strike while they're weak.  The series does a great job of making you understand the turbulent world these people lived in.  While most felt obligated to follow their codes of honor, you generally find that not only do these individual codes vary between leaders, but that some had no codes at all.  The show does have one major shortcoming: the character's "power."  From the start, you see that these characters are capable of unleashing some form of energy as they fight, but there was no explanation of how these powers manifest.  While these sorts of powers are nothing new in the realm of anime, we can usually count on there being some sort of explanation of how these characters can perform such feats.  However, in this show there was no explanation.  While these powers make the action feel larger in scale and more exciting, they kind of make the show feel less grounded and more whimsical without any inherent explanation or limits on what these characters can seem to do.  If you played the games the show was based on, there is probably less confusion and the action doesn't feel as excessive.  However, don't let that deter you from enjoying the story and characters.  Each has a reason to fight and even if the execution felt somewhat marred by a general "over the top" feeling to the action, the show as a whole still has plenty to offer.  Some of the side characters felt more in the fan-service department, but since they serve as side characters it is easy to enjoy or ignore them at your own leisure.

All in all, "Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings" is a solid and enjoyable series.  The main characters help forward the narrative while supplying plenty of action.  If you like the exceedingly epic (albeit whimsical-feeling) action, then this show will almost undoubtedly be enjoyable.  If you are more into the story and/or character side of things, then this show we be somewhat less impressive.  That being said, it still provides an enjoyable ride.

Good:
-Exciting action.
-Interesting main characters, all inspired by historical figures.
-Story may not be original but the execution is solid.
Bad:

-Superhuman abilities are unexplained in the series.
-Some side characters felt weak or uninspired, even for side characters.

Scully Rating: 8 out of 10

Watch "Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings" at: http://www.justdubs.net/list/series/907160/Sengoku%20Basara