Bright: Samurai Soul 2021

In 1868, at the renowned Edo Castle, a fierce battle unfolds as Izou engages with soldiers, fiercely defending Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa against the advancing forces of the New Government Army. Suddenly, the chaos halts, captivated by the stunning spectacle of a single Elf, named Bright, whose magical spell bathes the battlefield in a mesmerizing glow, leaving all in attendance awestruck.

As years pass, the narrative transitions to the city of Kyoto, illustrating the profound changes wrought by the Meiji Restoration, which dismantled the old regime. Izou, now a guard at a clandestine brothel, finds himself embroiled in a new set of challenges when his superior orders him to detain an unruly elf girl. This girl, defiant and spirited, demands her freedom from Izou, who resolutely denies her request, unaware of the light blue aura that subtly radiates from him, which she senses.

Venturing to the chamber of the High Courtesan Chihaya, Izou delivers a selection of items, including an intriguing English vocabulary book. Chihaya, grateful for the gesture, notices the scratches adorning Izou’s hands and inquires about their origin. With a nonchalant demeanor, Izou admits that he was recently inconvenienced by a “tomboy.” Fascinated by the elf girl’s rebellious spirit, the two conspire to meet her, even as she greets them with a venomous attitude. Undeterred, Chihaya, intrigued yet empathetic, requests that the elf girl, known as Sonya, becomes her personal attendant.

Later, in the confines of Chihaya’s chamber, Sonya is treated to some sustenance, revealing snippets of her origin that hint at her Russian roots. While Izou listens from a distance, an unexpected rain begins to fall, aggravating an unresolved wound over his right eye. In an alarming turn, two formidable warriors storm the brothel, leading to the brutal murder of Izou’s superior. Meanwhile, Chihaya summons Sonya, and in their conversation, Chihaya divulges her sorrowful title, “Chihaya the Forgetful,” a name earned due to her memory loss since the onset of the Restoration. Gently, she reveals to Sonya that she too is an Elf, and together they pore over a large map, envisioning lands of Elves beyond the seas, specifically a distant realm named Hakodate.

All at once, chaos erupts as a marauding army composed of Orcs, Goblins, and Dwarves descends upon the brothel, unleashing a wave of terror and slaughtering patrons and staff indiscriminately. In the midst of the pandemonium, Izou retrieves his trusted katana from storage, unleashing his inner warrior to combat the invaders. As fate would have it, the gang’s leader, alongside his Orc companion named Raiden, is amid the turmoil, promising freedom to Raiden in exchange for locating the Elf of interest. Propelled by purpose, Raiden reluctantly sets out to find the elusive Sonya.

In a tense moment, Chihaya conceals Sonya within her wardrobe as the man with ulterior motives bursts into her quarters. Izou, fiercely engaged in battle, glances at the leader only to be interrupted by Raiden. The two engage in a fierce confrontation until a rain of flaming arrows descends upon them. Chihaya abandons the man she’s with to hurry back to Sonya, who is now suffocating amidst the smog and smoke surrounding the devastated brothel. Just as the leader aims to capture Sonya, she stirs awake, involuntarily revealing her elf nature when she bites him in retaliation. This interaction escalates quickly, leading to a fierce commotion.

In a fit of rage, the leader injures Chihaya, plunging a weapon deep into her heart just moments after she regains her memories through the meaningful touch of her cherished hairpin. As Sonya glares in horror, Chihaya urges her to safeguard the hairpin and return it to Hakodate. Summoning her powers, Chihaya casts a spell reminiscent of the radiant light that once illuminated Edo Castle, bringing a momentary pause to the fray as even Raiden and Izou are transfixed by the brilliance.

The combat unfolds as Sonya succumbs to unconsciousness, and Izou rushes to engage Raiden anew, preserves Sonya, who is out cold. With Raiden’s assistance—brilliantly timed—, they manage to escape the crumbling remnants of the brothel. The following day, deep in the woods, Raiden finds himself caught, bound to a tree, while Izou pays homage to Chihaya with a makeshift grave. During their somber encounter, Sonya expresses her belief that Chihaya would rather journey to Hakodate than any celestial haven.

Turning to her hairpin as a token, Sonya offers Izou an opportunity, stating she wishes to employ him with Chihaya’s hairpin. In an unexpected twist of allegiance, Raiden, determined to protect Sonya, pledges his loyalty, aware that dangers lurk in the shadows, eager to ensnare Elf girls. To solidify his loyalty, Raiden performs a brutal act, breaking off his own fang, a symbol of his fidelity. Cheered on by the charming song of a Daurian Redstart overhead, the trio counters gloom with hope, ready to face the uncertainty ahead.

However, in Yokohama, news of the elf girl reaches the ears of a significant military figure, prompting a desperate search for Sonya. In their quest, Izou and Raiden reveal their solidifying bond through their shared misunderstandings and mistrust, juxtaposed against their varied backgrounds as Izou reflects on his previous failures and Raiden on his own outcast status among his kin.

Yet soon, they are ambushed by members of the brutal Inferni faction. In the ensuing chaos, Izou is gravely injured, which revives bitter memories of betrayal. Both Raiden and Izou find themselves on the brink of death under the relentless assault of their adversaries. Just as despair looms large, a kind-hearted centaur sage named Tsukuyomi rescues them from certain demise within his secluded cave, offering the two the chance to regroup and gear up for their next move.

While they orient themselves, the militaristic factions glance towards looming threats, discussing deadly wands, dark lords, and the potential of terrible magic. The intricate web of intrigue expands, especially concerning Sonya, who remains tragically lost but whose survival is hinted at through Tsukuyomi’s prophetic words.

As they gaze forward, resolute and united in the quest to locate Sonya, they stumble upon the town of Odawara. There, Izou encounters a twin who eerily resembles Chihaya, unraveling the threads of the past and establishing deep connections amid heart-wrenching revelations. A twist of fate sends Raiden barreling toward the truth about Sonya, piecing together fragmented memories and uncovering the broader crisis of Elf disappearances plaguing the region.

Racing against time, the duo traces Sonya to an Inferni estate, where Shadows linger, and Kōketsu, Izou’s former boss, emerges as a villainous adversary. The realization envelops Izou—he faces his worst fear, a trial of will and redemption as fellow champions like Anna rise from the ashes of despair to confront their enemy boldly.

With battles igniting profoundly on Inferni ships, sacrifices are made as fervent clashes reveal the treachery and chaotic energy around them. Izou’s world teeters on the brink of devastation, as beloved allies fall, but in the midst of the turmoil, Sonya’s latent powers come forth. She wields Chihaya’s wand, breaking through the chains of despair to create a magnificent light, vaporizing the sinister Kōketsu into oblivion.

Amid the wreckage of turmoil, as dawn approaches the horizon, Izou and Raiden, emboldened and transformed, witness Sonya’s ascent into their shared destiny. With poignant realizations and intimate bonds forged through fire and betrayal, they face the reality that they will carve their pathway into the world, each step ushering forth hope for a brighter tomorrow, free from the shadows of their pasts. In a profoundly touching moment, Izou tosses the wand into the ocean, rekindling the belief that humans and fantastical creatures alike possess the strength to navigate their own fates, echoing the timeless sentiment that everyone must learn to rise by their own accord.