The spring 2025 anime YAIBA: Samurai Legend, animated by Wit Studio, is an adaptation of the 1988 manga by Gosho Aoyama (creator of Detective Conan, Magic Kaito). The anime originally aired from 1993 to 1994 with 51 episodes under the title Legendary Brave Swordsman Yaiba. While the original anime is great in its own right, the remake seems to have taken the cake.

First Impression on YAIBA 2025

Anime remakes aren’t anything new. We’ve had Fruits Basket, Dororo, Digimon Adventure, Shaman King, Hunter x Hunter, Trigun, Urusei Yatsura, Spice and Wolf, and more. We even have Cat’s Eye on the horizon. Some of the originals still hold up with beautiful animation and strong execution, while others were improved significantly in their remakes. Fruits Basket, for instance, nailed the emotional tone the original missed and delivered a much more heartfelt experience. YAIBA: Samurai Legend is still fun and boasts decent animation, but the original cut corners in places.

The story follows a samurai boy named Yaiba, trained by his father in the jungle, who one day finds himself thrust into a modern city. There, he causes trouble due to his wild curiosity and habit of challenging people with a sword—leading to a fateful encounter with Onimaru, his future rival. After a series of events, Yaiba must master a legendary sword to defeat a revived demon. It’s a lighthearted tale filled with humor and intense battles—enjoyable for its simplicity and fun.

From the start, you can see the retro charm of the series, yet it blends modern elements seamlessly—like characters using smartphones, which obviously weren’t around back in the ’90s. The ending theme even shows photos of the characters’ daily lives posted to something resembling Instagram. It’s clearly made for a modern audience without losing the show’s original identity.

The original series sped through content, cramming many chapters into single episodes—possibly due to production limitations. Unfortunately, this meant omitting key plot points. Take Onimaru, for example: originally, he appears as just an arrogant jerk. In the remake, we learn why. He lives alone, handles daily chores, and takes care of animals. Crushed under societal expectations and family pressure, he becomes obsessed with winning—at the cost of his own happiness and connection to others.

In contrast, Yaiba has friends who help him recover after battle. Onimaru has no one. This contrast sets the foundation for their rivalry, reflected even in their opposing powers later in the story, emphasizing that they are destined rivals.

The Animation

Wit Studio does it again. The animation is top-notch, with vibrant visuals and beautifully choreographed action that light up the screen. The fun moments feel easygoing and not forced, then the serious moments handled carefully with the change in vibe. The studio clearly put its heart into bringing this classic to life, and it shows—they’ve truly done it justice.

The sound design is another often-overlooked aspect of anime. Without fitting sound effects, even the best animation can feel flat and lifeless. Just as important is the music—it needs to match the tone of a scene to truly elevate it. On the flip side, the absence of music can be just as powerful; sometimes a scene is better left to speak for itself, and adding music might ruin its impact. YAIBA: Samurai Legend handles all of these elements thoughtfully, complementing its visuals with strong audio direction and well-paced storytelling.

After Thought

If you’re a fan of classic anime, you’ll feel right at home with YAIBA: Samurai Legend. It finally feels like a proper adaptation. Legendary voice actress Minami Takayama returns to voice Yaiba—she also voices another iconic Gosho Aoyama character, Edogawa Conan—and it just feels right. A simple story with a modern twist, full of charm, energy, and heart.

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