Any great Samurai anime out there?

I've just heard of Sengoku Basara.

Is it any good?

Any other great Samurai themed animes out there?

There is an anime called Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal. It is not actually about a Samurai though, just an assassin during the Meiji Restoration. I would highly recommend it. You could watch the whole movie on youtube by the way.

there is also the anima called rounin kenshin, that I highly recommend, it is similar to Samurai X sans it is in the Meiji era. but it is a really good show.

Originally Posted by HappyGoodVibes

There is an anime called Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal. It is not actually about a Samurai though, just an assassin during the Meiji Restoration. I would highly recommend it. You could watch the whole movie on youtube by the way.

Originally Posted by herkles

there is also the anima called rounin kenshin, that I highly recommend, it is similar to Samurai X sans it is in the Meiji era. but it is a really good show.

Samurai X and Rurouni Kenshin are the same thing, actually. Samurai X is just the English title adaptation.

The TV show is okay, I'd only recommend watching maybe the first 65 episodes because after that it is incredibly painful filler material.

The OVAs though (Trust & Betrayal, and another set of OVAs are Seisouhen I believe), are very very good. I feel it captures the historical mood much better.

Another Meiji-era anime is Peacemaker Kurogane, which covers the events leading up to the Ikedaya affair, but I can't say I was much of a fan; Rurouni Kenshin OVAs are 10x better in comparison!

There's a show running right now called Hyakka Rouran Samurai Girls...that ostensibly feature the (female) progeny of famous Meiji-era clans. It's basically a fanservice-filled school comedy that has pretty much nothing to do with actual samurai from the one episode I tried watching. It is funny, but whether you enjoy it or not depends on whether you feel a lot of fanservice adds or detracts to a show.

Someone else mentioned Samurai Champloo...definitely a show to watch as well.

Sengoku Basara is pretty damn good. You have to realize though that while alot of the people and events that took place in the story are based on reality, there are obvious "oh that just didn't happen" moments that shouldn't be too hard to swallow just because of good of an anime it is.

Samurai Champloo is pretty amazing, not historical in the slightest but still amazing.

there is also the anima called rounin kenshin, that I highly recommend, it is similar to Samurai X sans it is in the Meiji era. but it is a really good show.

The Rouronin kenshin anime is the same as trust and betrayal just trust and betrayall is an OVa of the series, i would of course recomend rouronin kenshin samurai x and its ovas, Rouronin kenshin is probably the best anime i saw... and also Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto is quite good.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is kenshin imura against Saito hajime a historical character, he was comander of the 3rth batalion of the Shinsengumi, during the bakumastu ( menji revolution)
this is one of the OVas

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The only manga for this genre that I accept is Vagabond, which is closest thing to show the mentality of Asian how they treating martial art. Unfortunately there is no anime version for this one.

Second for Samurai Champloo and Samurai X, both very good. I've seen a couple episodes of Shigurui: Death Frenzy. The series centers on one samurai duel and the history behind it. It's hyper violent though. It's on Netflix streaming but only the English dub, I'm looking for the original Japanese. (Yeah yeah I'm a purist nerd)

Why not just read a history book about the real thing, rather than read some silly fictional cartoon whose only historical basis is having the names right (and even then)?

Originally Posted by Drakken

Why not just read a history book about the real thing, rather than read some silly fictional cartoon whose only historical basis is having the names right (and even then)?

Errr...because they want to watch a anime? The two aren't mutually exclusive you know.

the ones i know are House of five leaves, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Rouroni Kenshin, Katanagatari and Hakuoki.

Afro Samurai. I know it's Samuel L. Jackson and it's an American anime but it's still pretty awesome. Aside from that, I've only seen Samurai Champloo and its one of the best animes I've ever watched.

Shigurui...But it's brutal, both physically and mentally. If you don't like gores and most of the characters being insane, I wouldn't recommend it.

Originally Posted by Juggernaut

Shigurui...But it's brutal, both physically and mentally. If you don't like gores and most of the characters being insane, I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm watching this right now. Love every minute of it.

Thank you for recommending it.

I'm down to Episode 3. Everything seems absolutely fine to me, thus far.

One question though :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Why is Kogan sensei acting like he is so drugged out of steroids?

Originally Posted by Juggernaut

Shigurui...But it's brutal, both physically and mentally. If you don't like gores and most of the characters being insane, I wouldn't recommend it.

Character design is fantastic, though it's a bit hard to follow at times. Grotesque contrast of blind loyalty with inner self - ambition, pride, hope & love. I'm not sure I entirely get the setting and plot, though, given that it doesn't 'end' after 12 episodes, I've just watched 6 and didn't even touch Manga yet.

personally I'm more of a peacekeeper and rurouni kenshin guy....I'm not too fond of basara(devil kings) simply because of the outlandish things, though I admit I like nohime....it's an interesting take as well as date...though gundam honda justed turned me away........

though samurai deeper kyo is ok too.....except with the whole leyasu dodad......

Samurai Jack. It's not an anime and it's not historical but it sure is awesome.

Originally Posted by Jean=A=Luc

Samurai Jack. It's not an anime and it's not historical but it sure is awesome.

oh god +rep for making my childhood flash into my eyes.

Originally Posted by Lord of the Drunk Penguin

I've just heard of Sengoku Basara.

Is it any good?

Hell yeah.