After getting some episodes of The Elusive Samurai to watch, the journey of Hojo Tokiyuki, may it be for its outstanding and unique animation application or captivating storytelling, has been interesting and enjoyable so far.
However, it is not so easy to take a historical character and spin an entertaining story around him/her without adding some quirk or characteristic shades to him/her.
Staying too faithful only to the historical account could make the presentation more like a document, however, since it’s an anime adapted from the manga written by Matsui Yusei, and animated by the studio CloverWorks, so half of the work of turning a historical account of an individual into an entertaining one is half done already.
For the remaining half, one can only hope that the storytelling and presentation of the character could do the job.
So, considering all those efforts, let’s discuss how the historical character Hojo Tokiyuki is shown in what kind of different shades.
Table of Contents
Hojo Tokiyuki The Brat
At the beginning of The Elusive Samurai, Hojo Tokiyuki is presented as a troublemaker, always escaping from whatever isn’t favorable for him.
The Japanese name for this anime is Nige Jozu No Wakagimi, Nige Jozu means expert escapist and exactly that is what he is, in short, he is a glorified brat.
However, this tendency doesn’t simply stem from his cowardice but something else.
That something is realizing his future role which is to become a puppet ruler just like his father Hojo Takatoki, and he hence decides to fight against his fate, since he noticed that despite his father being the puppet ruler, citizens of Kamakura are quite happy with their livelihood.
And, what he prioritized over anything else was the peace of Kamakura.
So, if seen attentively, Hojo Tokiyuki may seem like a sensible and sympathetic lad.
Hojo Tokiyuki The Thrill Seeker
Hojo Tokiyuki’s characteristic traits came into full bloom whenever he was faced with danger, and that trait is getting an adrenaline rush from endangering situations, in short, he is a pure thrill seeker.
Well, it is an unexpected quality to expect from an escapist, if he is a normal one, however, in Tokiyuki’s case, he finds joy only in the process of escaping, not relief from escaping from something.
According to an important character who is both an ally and mentor to Hojo Tokiyuki, Tokiyuki’s skill of escaping truly shines on the battlefield, unlike others who only escape due to their cowardice.
There was an instance where Tokiyuki had to infiltrate the residence of the Governor of Shinano, a sworn enemy of his clan, Ogasawara Sadamune, and there wasn’t even a speck of fear inside him, instead what he felt was exhilaration!!
This unique portrayal of Hojo Tokiyuki sets him apart from other protagonists who transform their cowardly nature into a brave one, instead What Tokiyuki does is keep his inherent nature intact and adapt to the situation according to that.
In short, Hojo Tokiyuki is a hardcore thrill seeker.
Running Away Doesn’t Make One Coward
As Suwa Yorishige stated, Hojo Tokiyuki’s escapism or capability and mindset to escape truly shines on the battlefield, this couldn’t be said easily if the only reason for Tokiyuki’s escape is fear, this statement was only valid since Hojo Tokiyuki excelled at bating his life to perform his skill of escaping.
Now, in many instances since the downfall of the Hojo clan, Tokiyuki had to escape from his enemies, but for his defense, none of those were out of pity for his own life, but those were strategic retreats to build force to take back Kamakura one day.
This reason was stated by Yorishige in many instances in this series for clarification so that Tokiyuki’s running away doesn’t make him out to be a coward.
Newfound Confidence
Since the very beginning, Hojo Tokiyuki had surrendered to his fate of becoming a puppet ruler in the future like his father Hojo Takatoki, so he had given up even striving to become the better version of himself by learning useful skills, which in turn birthed an inferiority complex in him.
This negative emotion inflated even more after the downfall of the Hojo clan by the hand of the most trusted vassal, Ashikaga Takauji.
Once again he was ready to surrender to his fate of demise, however, that mentality was thoroughly thwarted by one Yorishige, and he brought out another shade of Tokiyuki’s character, which was the instinct to survive.
Yorishige was used as a catalyst in this series for Hojo Tokiyuki’s character to bloom with many shades, and finally become a full-fledged flower.
Finding Strength In Companion
Seemingly reclusive Hojo Tokiyuki after the tragedy of the Hojo clan was depicted as a lone rabbit, who couldn’t even determine his future, in this series, however, once again by the intervention of Yorishige he was introduced to his new companion.
There was episode 2 and episode 3, where Hojo Tokiyuki had enough time to bond with his companions.
There were instances where some tasks that seemed impossible were made possible by the joint effort of Tokiyuki and his companions, and those instances were where the story was able to capture the true essence of Tokiyuki, another characteristic trait of Tokiyuki, where he was able to find his true strength in his companion.
Loyal Hojo Tokiyuki
The level of loyalty that Hojo Tokiyuki possesses comes into light in his joint mission with Kazama Genba, the thief kid.
There were instances where he had to hide distrust in his heart, but as an 8-year-old, it’s understandable, what is paramount is that he still didn’t betray.
This isn’t something one with weak resolve can do, that’s why he had what it takes to be a ruler.
Even though he can’t trust his retainers wholeheartedly he decides not to betray them.
This may seem a contradictory stance, but from an 8-year-old this is the maximum best one could expect per se.
Final Thought
The essence of the character Hojo Tokiyuki and his different shades of characters are some of the most important aspects that made The Elusive Samurai series a captivating saga of legendary Hojo Tokiyuki.
