Elusive Samurai is part of Summer 2024 anime releases and its main character Hojo Tokoyuki, an 8-year-old boy, has been dominating popularity charts and rankings in Japan, even surpassing some established series.
If you don’t know about Elusive Samurai, it’s an anime series produced by Studio CloverWorks, based on the manga of the same name written by Yusei Matsui, the author who wrote Assassination Classroom. Assassination Classroom was a massive hit, both as a manga and an anime.
Elusive Samurai is set in 13th century Japan and follows Hojo Tokiyuki, the young heir to the Hojo clan. After his family is overthrown, Tokiyuki must navigate a world of political intrigue and danger while trying to reclaim his birthright.
With help from allies like the mysterious Suwa Yorishige, Tokiyuki learns the art of “elusion” – the skill of escaping and surviving against overwhelming odds.
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Elusive Samurai Popularity in Japan
Elusive Samurai’s popularity among male users has skyrocketed on Pixiv. Pixiv is a popular Japanese online community for artists, similar to DeviantArt but primarily focused on anime and manga fan art. It’s a significant platform in Japan, and topping its charts is a big deal in the anime and manga community.
Elusive Samurai series has overtaken the previously established “Blue Archive” number one spot. Blue Archive is a popular mobile game known for its cute female characters, making Elusive Samurai’s achievement even more impressive. If you search the ranking based on popularity among male users, you’ll find Elusive Samurai on top.
Similarly, Elusive Samurai’s Hojo Tokoyuki is ranked first in illustrations when searching by most popular male characters, surpassing even Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen.
This is not the first time that Yusei Matsui has drawn a female-looking character. Even in his previous manga Assassination Classroom, the main character Nagisa was drawn with features similar to girls. This suggests that the author has somehow cracked the code of what kind of characters are more popular among the audience.
Hojo Tokiyuki’s design follows a similar pattern. While he’s unmistakably a boy, there’s a softness and androgyny to his appearance that seems to be striking a chord with fans.
What are your thoughts on Elusive Samurai’s popularity? Let us know in the comment section.
Source: Pixiv
