The Elusive Samurai | GameTrader.SG

What Is The Elusive Samurai?

Based on the manga by Yusei Matsui — the creator behind Assassination Classroom — The Elusive Samurai (逃げ上手の若君) follows Hojo Tokiyuki, the young heir to the Kamakura shogunate who survives the brutal downfall of his clan through one extraordinary, embarrassing talent: running away at superhuman speed. Set during the historical Kenmu Restoration in 14th-century Japan, the series transforms real political upheaval into something wildly funny and, quietly, a little moving.

Season 1 from CloverWorks aired in 2024 and built a strong following on Crunchyroll — particularly among fans who like their history served with exaggerated comedy faces and genuinely well-animated action. The whole first season remains on Crunchyroll if you need to catch up before 17 July.

Season 2 Trailer and Opening Theme

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 | Main Trailer — via Aniplex USA on YouTube

Aniplex dropped the main trailer at Anime Expo 2026 earlier this month, confirming the 17 July premiere alongside the opening theme: “Onigoto” (鬼ごと), performed by Japanese singer and actor Kento Nakajima. Nakajima, who has spoken about his lifelong love of history, expressed genuine enthusiasm for the role — and the track itself sounds like a fittingly propulsive way to open an episode about a boy whose survival strategy is very fast feet.

CloverWorks returns with the core production team from Season 1, and based on the trailer the animation has lost none of its expressive energy — expect more of those gleefully exaggerated comedy cuts alongside the show’s sharper dramatic moments. Season 2 continues Tokiyuki’s campaign to reclaim Kamakura, with the political stakes rising as he gathers allies across a fractured Japan.

Tokiyuki in a lively outdoor market scene from The Elusive Samurai

Image courtesy of Aniplex

How to Watch from Singapore

Crunchyroll carries The Elusive Samurai in Singapore, and Season 2 streams from 17 July — same day as the Japanese broadcast on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block (Fridays, 11:30 PM JST). Both subtitled and dubbed versions will be available. If you have been sleeping on this one, the 24-episode Season 1 run is an easy weekend binge to get ready in time.

The Elusive Samurai is one of the more distinct anime running right now — a period piece that neither romanticises nor bores you with history, created by someone who clearly knows how to make a reader (or viewer) care about a surprisingly unconventional protagonist. Singapore fans on Crunchyroll, 17 July is the date to save. Browse more upcoming anime in our Manga & Anime section.

The game of tag is back on. The Elusive Samurai Season 2 has a locked premiere date of 17 July 2026, with Crunchyroll confirmed as the streaming home outside Japan. The date was announced at Anime Expo 2026 alongside a brand-new special trailer — the clearest look yet at what Tokiyuki and his unlikely band of allies face next, and great news for Singapore fans with a Crunchyroll subscription.

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 official key visual poster — TV Anime Season 2 July 2026 — Image courtesy of The Elusive Samurai Committee / Aniplex

Tokiyuki’s Story, and Why You Should Be Watching

The Elusive Samurai (逃げ上手の若君 / Nigejozu no Wakagimi) comes from Yusei Matsui — the creator of Assassination Classroom — and was adapted by CloverWorks for its first season in 2024. The premise is deceptively simple: young Hojo Tokiyuki is the legitimate heir to the Kamakura shogunate, but after a coup wipes out his family in 1333, he has exactly zero conventional fighting ability to fall back on. His one supernatural gift is evasion — he is, as the title puts it, extraordinarily good at running away. His eccentric retainer Suwa Yorishige (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura) believes the boy is destined to one day rule Japan, and gathers a band of equally unusual warriors to keep him alive long enough to prove it.

What made Season 1 stand out was how deftly it balanced its comedic DNA with real historical stakes. This is a Shonen Jump adaptation that actually cares about its period setting — the 14th-century political upheaval forms a genuine backdrop rather than wallpaper. Season 2 picks up the resistance story and, judging from the new trailer, turns up the intensity considerably.

Watch the Season 2 Special Trailer

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 | Special Trailer — via Aniplex USA on YouTube

Tokiyuki Hojo close-up from The Elusive Samurai Season 2 special trailer — Still from Aniplex USA’s official trailer

Opening Theme: “Onigoto” by Kento Nakajima

The Season 2 opening theme is “Onigoto” (鬼ごと — literally, “a game of demons” or “a game of tag with demons”), performed by Japanese actor and singer Kento Nakajima. The track gets a preview in the special trailer, and it fits the series well: propulsive, with a theatrical edge that matches Tokiyuki’s chaotic, high-speed escapes through feudal Japan. Yusei Matsui’s stories have always had a knack for pairing kinetic action with music that adds emotional texture, and “Onigoto” looks set to continue that tradition.

Returning Cast and Crew

Director Yuta Yamazaki returns for Season 2 at CloverWorks, keeping the visual identity and comedic timing intact. The full core cast is back:

Tokiyuki Hojo — Asaki Yuikawa
Shizuku — Hinaki Yano
Kojirou — Mari Hino
Ayako — Sayumi Suzushiro
Genba Kazama — Aoi Yuki
Fubuki — Kikunosuke Toya
Suwa Yorishige — Yuichi Nakamura

How to Catch It in Singapore

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 streams on Crunchyroll from 17 July 2026 in select countries and territories worldwide, which includes Singapore. It lands in a packed Summer 2026 anime season alongside other high-profile returns, so if you haven’t yet finished Season 1, this weekend is the time to lock in. The full first season is already available on Crunchyroll.

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The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Premieres on Crunchyroll 17 July