Message is the 3rd OVA and the conclusion of the anime series, "Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers." The vast majority of English fans (generally referred to as �Ronin Warriors� fans) have yet to see Message. Perhaps less than half of these fans have actually seen it but only in raw Japanese. It is from the latter that we hear that Message sucks and is too confusing to understand. Perhaps compared to the action-filled two season TV episodes, OVA 1 Gaiden, and OVA 2 Kikoutei Densetsu... Message ranks pretty low. However if you were to really understand what was going on, you would realize how deep and impacting this OVA truly is. You don�t necessarily need a lot of fighting scenes to create a pretty decent plot.

If a person does not speak or understand Japanese, of course they�re going to have a very difficult time understanding Japanese dialogue. In the YST TV series you could tell what was going on by the physical gestures performed by the characters, yet they often spoke of important information that would fly over a person�s head if they don�t speak little to no Japanese. Message deals with a lot of conversation, mainly about the Samurai Troopers and Suzunagi�s feelings towards the overall fighting and the armors created by Kaosu. The flashback scenes of the TV series and Kikoutei Densetsu are shown throughout most of Message as each Samurai Trooper speaks his piece. Even when Suzunagi speaks, there are flashback scenes from the previous seasons. Why not use new animation for this? It is because these characters are reflecting their feelings about the past. A lot of action is taken without having to physically fight the enemy, Suzunagi.

Message offers the audience a look at the Samurai Troopers� personal feelings through their voices. The TV series, Gaiden, nor Kikoutei Densetsu offered this. While they are excellent seasons themselves, the conflicts all involve the armors. All personal feelings aside, they were to fight against the enemy using their armors. In Message, the Troopers are faced with their feelings and the sorrows of Suzunagi who tells them that they would be Samurai Troopers until they died. None of the other enemies in the past seasons offered this view of their fate. They were all more concerned about world domination and the like. Suzunagi was trying to use their roles against the Troopers rather than destroy them by brute force.

After Kikoutei Densetsu, the guys no longer wanted the responsibilities of saving the world. They wanted to be normal human beings. Ironically, I believe it is thanks to Suzunagi that the Troopers accepted their roles as guardians of the human world. The Samurai Troopers were also able to help Suzunagi see beyond her anger and to help purify her heart.

As far as the animation, I have yet to hear anybody complain about it. I personally enjoy the animation in Message. The Samurai Troopers look older and the colors fit the dark mood of this particular OAV. Granted the animation is not �bright� like Gaiden or Kikoutei Densetsu. However, Message spends its time teaching others about personal vendettas and the cause of the armors themselves.

When it comes to songs, �Tsukamaeteite� and �Hoshi no Rarabai� are simply wonderful. These are the only two vocal songs but are lengthy and worth listening to. The soundtrack to Message, �Hana,� features the background music and even a few pieces from the other OVAs. Mizuki Ken, one of the better known YST artists, fills the CD booklet with beautiful illustrations. Out of the four CDs that were released during the time of Message�s release, the soundtrack is an interesting pick.

I suspect that because Message�s ending credits shows Suzunagi�s short-lived childhood and her appearance through out the series, English fans assume that she is a �Mary Sue�. First of all, if I remember correctly, a Mary Sue is a beautiful and seemingly flawless character created by an author who is inserted into a fanfic of any given series. Suzunagi is NOT a Mary Sue. Sunrise, a Japanese animation company and the same people who brought to us Samurai Troopers created her; therefore she is not a "fan creation." Most importantly, she is a character who is far from flawless. Suzunagi died when she was only a child growing up in the Edo period. The Japanese government raided her family�s theater and burned it to the ground. They executed Suzunagi�s father while Suzunagi and her mother were burned to death. Believing that it was the armors that brought to her this misfortune, Suzunagi became a sort of supernatural spirit (more or less) and was the gathering point of hatred and evil. Using her hatred, she was able to create new armors that she would later use to capture the modern day Samurai Troopers.

She hated the Samurai Troopers because they were wearing the armors. She was unable to understand the true meaning behind the armors because she was swallowed within her grief and abomination. It was because of the Samurai Troopers, Byakuen, and Suzunagi�s mother was she finally able to have her heart purified and her soul rest in peace. Suzunagi�s child form symbolizes her lost childhood and her adult form is pretty much the result of her suffering through the armors� existence. All in all, Suzunagi is only a child yet one who has gone through so much agony, she comes off as being one of the most tragic characters in all of YST.

Now if you call all that flawless... Well then, that�s just you.

Message is the closing to the Samurai Troopers� journeys using the armors. After they receive their new armors, they begin a new legend where it is the Troopers themselves who make an impact upon history, not Kaosu�s armors. There are no more loose ends to be tied because all ties concerning the old armors and the Troopers have been severed for good. To say that Message is the weakest OVA, think again with an open mind. Of course it doesn�t have the non-stop action like the past series but Message still holds its own with the characters� roles and the bizarre but distressed villainess, Suzunagi. So come see how the Troopers mature at their best and make a difference in peoples� lives�go watch this OVA and unravel the messages being told by the heroes and villain themselves.