REVIEW: Samurai Fury – Sharp Swords, Sharper Spirit in Yurie’s Feudal Epic

A vagabond’s training becomes the key to rebellion in Yurie’s striking period action-drama Samurai Fury.

Well Go USA – Digital & VOD October 7th

★ ★ ★ ½ ☆

A revolt may not be a new tale in samurai cinema, but in Samurai Fury—originally titled Muromachi Outsiders—director Yû Irie finds beauty in the rebellion. Set during the turbulent Muromachi period under the reign of Emperor Go-Hanazono, the film draws from real hardship—the Kan’ei Famine—and shapes it into a spirited, tightly constructed period piece centered on resistance, loyalty, and the everyday warrior spirit often left out of official records.

Shin'ichi Tsutsumi and Yô Ôizumi headline as two childhood friends caught in the tide of corruption and starvation sweeping through Kyoto. But it’s newcomer Kento Nagao who brings the film its underdog heartbeat, playing a vagabond with a bowstaff and a fighting spirit too strong to ignore. While the politics of the shogunate weigh heavily on the narrative, it’s the relationships—built on grit, training, and sacrifice—that carry the emotional weight.

Stylistically, Samurai Fury finds its footing in familiar territory—oppressed villagers, stubborn masters, and the ever-growing band of outsiders preparing for revolt. But it’s in the execution where this film stands tall. The fight choreography is elegant and deliberate, steeped in classical swordplay but brought to life with fresh energy. There are full sequences that feel lifted from the golden age of Toei Studios—with all the grace, blood, and honor that entails.

Cinematographer Ryô Ohtsuka brings a painter’s touch to the visuals, with wide compositions capturing windswept villages, ceremonial marches, and blistering duels with equal precision. There are moments where visual risks are taken—camera sweeps, stylized fades—that could’ve gone wrong, but never do. Instead, they add texture and tempo to the already rich visual palette.

If you’ve seen your share of rebel Ronin tales, you’ll know what beats are coming. That doesn’t make the film any less enjoyable. Samurai Fury wears its lineage with pride, while still giving room to newer voices and visceral action. It’s a film about fighting back—through skill, spirit, and loyalty—and it never loses focus on the people left behind when empires feast and fall.

Final Score: 3.5 out of 5

A classic uprising tale told with care, clarity, and absolutely killer swordplay.