Similarities Between "Seven Samurai" and "Fushigi Yuugi"
(or "How Taisa Spent Her Thursday")
"Seven Samurai," is one of the most highly acclaimed and best
movies to date (it was made in 1954!) in Japan. It has been
copied and duplicated by other 'wanna-be-just-as-cool' films,
but never equalled. (mumbles) Probably impossible because it was
so dang long... and they cut many scenes for the English subtitled
version, geez. One stinkin' intermission... one stinkin' minute
long. *AHEM* Anyway, these two meetings we focused on finding
similarities between "Seven Samurai" and "Fushigi Yuugi," to prove
that even now Japanese film/anime-making continues to be inspired
by this masterpiece. (It was an excuse not to research anything...)
Places to go to learn more...
Seven Samurai, technical information and perdy pictures.
Tasuki no Miko's Fushigi Yuugi Page, Tasuki!! Tasuki!! ok... I'm calm now. Manga translations, links, pictures... A TASUKI SHRINE!! Eh-heh, lotsa stuff, you should be able to find what you're looking for.
Don't believe me?! Think "Seven Samurai" didn't inspire "Fushigi
Yuugi" at all?!
Then, please NOTE the following evidence:
"Seven Samurai"
"Fushigi Yuugi"
FORCES
7 samurai
7 seishi
OVERSEXED YOUNG MEN, OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYTHING BUT GIRLS
Katsushiro
Tamahome & Hotohori
TART GIRLFRIENDS OF OVERSEXED YOUNG MEN
Shino
Miaka
INSECURE HETEROSEXUAL COMIC RELIEF
Kikuchiyo
Tasuki
PHYSICALLY STRONG INDIVIDUALS THAT DIED FIRST
The Wood-cutter
The Cross-dresser
ACTIONS-SPEAK-LOUDER-THAN-WORDS TYPES
Kyuzo
Mitsukake
FINAL BODY COUNT
4 samurai
4 seishi
If you're still not buyin' it, you havta believe that at least
Tasuki was strongly based on Kikuchiyo. READ:
The scruffy factor.
-Kikuchiyo was by far the most scruffy of the samurai.
-Tasuki, though well groomed, was most scruffy of the seishi.
Bad entrance.
-Kikuchiyo first made his appearance picking a fight with one of the other samurai.
-Tasuki first made his appearance by kidnapping Miaka. (Good boy!!)
Unwelcome.
-Kikuchiyo was not welcomed at first, and was accepted as the last samurai after valiant efforts on his part to join.
-Tasuki was not very welcome at first because he had kidnapped Miaka. (Yeah! Tasuki!!)
Perverted.
-Kikuchiyo, half-way through the film began thinking about little but where to find a girl.
-Tasuki... (eeeew~) tried to kiss Miaka...
Mocked by others.
-Kikuchiyo tended to be the butt of everyone's jokes, and was even made a different shape than the other samurai on their flag.
-Tasuki was made fun of by everyone, and was even used by Tamahome for one of his stupid jokes.
Offered the only escape from a bombardment of depressingly emotional characters.
-Kikuchiyo was the comic relief.
-Tasuki was the comic relief.
BUT THIS WAS THE ABSOLUTELY-NO-WAY-YOU-CAN-ARGUE-WITH-US,
PERSONALLY-I'M-SHOCKED-THEY-GOT-AWAY-WITH-IT,
I-WANT-MY-MONEY-BACK-FOR-MY-BOOTLEG-COPIES-OF-"FUSHIGI-YUUGI" EVIDENCE:
Horse trouble.
-Kikuchiyo was given the most difficult horse to ride and was naturally thrown by it.
-Tasuki was given the most difficult horse to ride, insulted it, and was naturally punched by it.
Now how often do so many similarities occur? I believe the only
difference between Kikuchiyo and Tasuki was that Kikuchiyo was a
drunkard. Hooray for Tasuki!! Such restraint!! Our hero!! Just for
that we are willing to forgive all of the above. Now let's all
mosey on back to Tasuki
no Miko's Fushigi Yuugi Page for a look at that Tasuki Shrine!
