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Samurai Japan Was Brutal | EP 2

The Rest Is History

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Our whole series on the samurai can be found here: The Samurai
EP 1: How Samurai Became Killers and Butchers |...
EP 2: Samurai Japan Was Brutal | EP 2
EP 3: How The Samurai Took Over Kyoto | EP 3
EP 4: How the Samurai Became the Masters of Japa...

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What made the Samurai such elite warriors? How did the Minamoto clan seize control of vast swathes of Japan in the 12th century? And, which of their Samurai rivals would enact their bloody downfall…?

0:00 Samurai Civil War Begins – Taira vs Minamoto
3:20 Warrior Culture vs Courtly Japan
7:05 Samurai Brutality & Beheading Culture
10:59 Power, Honor, and Ruthlessness
14:04 Rise of the Minamoto in Eastern Japan
17:13 Taira Dominate the West & Control Trade
20:43 Crisis in Kyoto After Emperor’s Death
24:13 Palace Coup & Night of Fire
27:04 Minamoto vs Taira Power Struggle
31:17 Kiyomori Takes Control of Japan
34:05 The Fox Legend & Rise of a Tyrant
38:03 Exile of Yoritomo – A Fatal Mistake
42:05 Plot to Overthrow Kiyomori
46:10 Warrior Monks Enter the War
49:00 Battle of Uji Bridge Begins
52:02 Heroic Last Stand on the Bridge
56:02 Birth of Samurai Ritual Suicide
59:14 War Escalates Across Japan
1:02:03 Death of Kiyomori & Omen of Doom

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Creative Director of Animation: Michael Sherdyts
Lead Animator / Production Lead: Kate Korolko
Lead Illustrator: Vadym Berkutenko
Illustrator: Viktoria Lafazan
Map Animator: Mike Dunakovskiy
3D Artist / Blender Animator: Vishal Dekuzy
Video Editor: Jack Meek, Harry Swan & Adam Thornton
Social Producer: Harry Balden
Producers: Aaliyah Akude & Tabby Syrett
Senior Producer: Callum Hill
Executive Producer: Dom Johnson
Head of Digital & Social: Sam Oakley

20 Comments

@ygaudreault 5 months ago

Ok, if you insist I shall install Shogun II total war.

@PatrickGainey-b8i 5 months ago

WOW! The Rest is History has upgraded 2.0 with the animations. Keep it coming gents. Love from Texas.

@johannes9509 5 months ago

"History never comes to an end." Is a beautiful quote for the day. Thank you very much.

@Caemhoc 5 months ago

¨Little concern for the lives of others.¨ A good thing there aren't any people like that still around.

@MarginaliaABK 5 months ago

It should be noted that the closeness of Samurai and bandits is not absent from Seven Samurai. Kikuchiyo makes it clear to the Samurai how much the farmers suffer from the depridations of warriors of all kinds. Indeed, the seven Samurai are not depicted as typical of Samurai but quite exceptional in their generosity and kindness (the interview scenes show us normal, arrogant, violent Samurai).

@BacklogSemantics 5 months ago (edited)

Has Kate Korolko animated for you guys before? If so I think some of this may be some of her best work.

Really beautifully done representation of a very visually striking era, and an effective incorporation of japanese style.

@midorimar 5 months ago

I’m Japanese living in Japan.
Thank you for sharing the most exciting part of Japanese history.

I’ll provide one correction-Masako, Yoritomo’s wife is not a female Samurai, but a daughter of a local Samurai group and she came into a spotlight after Yoritomo’s death. The Hojo clan (Masako's family) established control over the Shogunate.

@elenakharlamova315 5 months ago

Absolutely breathtaking! Part 2 completely drew me in—the way you connect a single battle to the rise of the samurai legend is both scholarly and deeply cinematic. Thank you for bringing Japanese history to life with such clarity and tension. Can’t wait for more Japanese episodes!

@Stefano-t4x 5 months ago (edited)

Just a correction: Minamoto no Yoritomo didn’t kill his own dad Yoshitomo. It was actually Yoshitomo himself who was forced to execute his own dad Tameyoshi. Essentially because the father and son supported two opposing camps respectively in an imperial succession crisis, basically hedging their bets with both lots. Taira no Kiyomori also supported the losing camp but was let off easily which is the main source of grievance for the surviving Minamoto members.

@kingofcapp 3 months ago

101:50 sounds like the fever I had with COVID

@patcoghlan3852 5 months ago

Props to the geography focus as Japanese geography is not something that comes instinctive to those unfamiliar with its history, but I definitely see how it was important in this series

@Dogmeat98 5 months ago

Thanks for not using AI slop for your animations

@yurkdawg 12 days ago (edited)

Most people know that usually “history is written by the victors.” That’s why I love that The Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) is written from the perspective of the losing side (The Heike/Taira…)

@TomasMatic 4 months ago

@29:20 the red vs white banners kinda got that "War of the Roses" vibe don't it?

@rickrakauskas3287 1 month ago

The anime "Sword of the Stranger" illustrates this dark side perfectly. The Samurai are ordered to murder two royal children. Both under ten. The boys final words to the one with the sword is "you armed men are going to murder us, so stop dressing it up (as honourable) and just do it". Courage under fire. His (maybe 5-6 yo) sister's scream before the "chunk" is horrifying.

@LynetteTheRogue 6 days ago

8:02 Strikes me as very similar to the wild west where there wasn't a lot of difference between bandits and the sheriffs that maintained order

@LynetteTheRogue 6 days ago

Love that this uses human art! It's so beautifully done!

@jayjames7055 5 months ago

One cannot very effectively push brushes in my experience, particularly calligraphy brushes. 'Brush pullers' is probably the most accurate description. (32:40)

@YaniThaGeordie 4 months ago

I can't wait for Shogun season 2.

@mw_5955 5 months ago

I forgot to mention this last time, but the return to the old art style is really welcome.

And another episode so soon after another! Is it Christmas already?!