Sword Of The Stranger

Been a while since I've watched a good anime, but I think Sword Of The Stranger got everything right!

Production values are high. I mean everything here was done in not-your-average anime way. It has some really well done animation. You not only get a good sense of speed from the way the greatly drawn characters move but every time a collision takes place you can almost feel it. A good use of 3D models for some of the complex objects and backgrounds that didn't seem out of place but instead fit perfectly within the 2D world.

I liked the characters. I thought the kid, Katarou was cheeky but really interesting. The swordsman with no name (Nanashi) is your regular samurai hero but we are not told why he chose not to fight. It definitely has something to do with his past, but his friendship with Katarou drives him to defeat the bad guys, who are a bunch of pill-popping, mean foreigners. Of course we have the loyal dog Tobimaru who can really take a chunk off someone's neck!

The music... let me put it this way. I was listening to the credits soundtrack again and again as I wrote this. It just felt relaxing I think, and worked well to draw you into the film. Also the sound effects were done right. It helped to emphasize the force of what you see on screen.

The story in this case, wasn't too clear to me. I was able to follow it, but kinda hard with subs. But hey, who cares! They had to save the kid from being a sacrifice so thats enough reason to stab people.

9/10 - Maybe it's just because I've watched too much Naruto!