Ah, what a splendid episode it was, even in a series like this which was full of up and coming talent aided by seasoned veterans. Its many realistic scenes and unique approach which granted complete artistic freedom even at the costs of an unbalance between episodes, no even scenes in the very same episode, marks a landmark in Japanese animation history and till this date there are few shows that are such a showcase of freedom and ideas poured into one product, not abiding by any silly restrictions nor trying to sell a product by superficial means. Incidentally episode 4's animation, was supervised by none other than
Yuasa Masaaki (along a line-up of other impressive animators), who was also responsible for exactly the few 2000s shows, which use creative means to present their ideas, allowing freedom to the single creator, namely
Kemonozume,
Kaiba and
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei.
Overall it's an episode that shows animation film making at its best, many interesting and profound scenes, which serve not only as a way to simply show the story but actually use animation to tell it with all of its nuances. There are also many scenes which are simply gorgeous and exciting to anybody who loves animation. Ideas which haven't been or only slightly touched upon until then are explored and brought into daylight. In a way Hakkenden, and particularly this episode, is in contrast to
Gosenzosama Banbanzai, another landmark in Japan's animation history which preceded it by a half-decade, as both shows have a realistic approach in terms of animation but succeed so in very different ways.
Alas the whole episode is very intense and clearly shows
Ohira Shinya's, who was director and storyboarder, touch. Whether the rice field which uses entirely differently drawn frames the whole time and creates an actual feeling as if they were fleeing through a rice field, the smoke scenes towards the end or the rain during the final battle, visibly drawn and properly shown from any camera perspective, such small details just add to the whole realistic feeling of the episode substained by the overall richness and ambiguity of movement and drawings throughout it.
