Animal House Name
Based off the manga by Natsume Ono (not simple, Ristorante Paradiso), the House of Five Leaves anime follows Masanosuke Akitsu, a jobless ronin samurai, who, despite his impressive looks, can't find a job due to his timid nature. Then he is picked up by Yaichi, a robber and kidnapper with a strange set of morals. Yaichi hires the nervous ronin for appearance only, but when Masanosuke reveals his true skills, the robber decides to have him join his group, the Five Leaves.
The first episode of House of Five Leaves is available available in Japanese with English subtitles for free on Hulu and FUNimation Videos, the anime company's streaming video website. The first volume of the manga is forthcoming from VIZ Media.
Mood and Style of the Samurai Anime
The muted colors give the anime a decidedly melancholy tone. This perfectly fits the mood of the characters, with Masanosuke's jobless state and the loneliness of Seinoshin, a boy we meet through Yaichi's memories. These dimmed colors also allow the few spots of brightness to pop: the maple leaves in fall are a vibrant red, and represent a glimmer of hope for Seinoshin.
The same stylized art recognized in Ristorante Paradiso can be seen in House of Five Leaves's character designs. Faces look like pencil sketches that were just barely left unfinished, but this gives the characters a certain personality. The flowing lines allow for expressive faces: when Masanosuke is turned away from another job, his face droops to look like a sad, abandoned puppy.
Anime's Twist Treated Naturally
Even though Masanosuke is timid and nervous, we find out halfway through the episode that he is actually a very skilled swordsman--people's eyes just make him uneasy. It's not the most original thing to have the main character of an anime possess some skill or be stronger than others had assumed. But House of Five Leaves doesn't make a big deal out of the twist as many other anime would. It is simply another realization that the characters make, a natural step made by the plot before it moves on.
Characters Make the Story in House of Five Leaves