What’s more important: the destination, or the journey it takes to get there? If you put every ounce of your blood, sweat and tears towards achieving your goal, and still fail, was it all for nothing? Inversely, if you accomplish all of your goals without breaking a sweat, are you really accomplishing anything? Due to the fact that the outcome of nearly every shounen anime every made is never in any real question what so ever, this is not a theme we have ever seen explored in anime. At least, not until Katanagatari was released. This anime is perhaps the only show ever made that can justifiably be called a proper deconstruction of the modern shounen; it takes the aspects and clichés that you would ordinarily assume about a narrative and promptly beats you over the head with them. It examines the inner workings and conceptual concepts of the genre and makes you completely rethink the priorities of storytelling. As if that weren’t enough, it also proceeds to accomplish all of this without sacrificing an ounce of entertainment, comedy, action, wit, pacing, or essentially anything. This anim- …no… This MASTERPIECE deserves a hell of a lot more credit than it gets, even if it isn’t perfect. Presenting one of my all time favorites: Katanagatari.
Synopsis: Yasuri Shichika, the 7th successor of the Kyoto Ryu style sword art, lives on an isolated island with his older sister, Nanami; he has never had any other human contact. One day, the island is visited by a woman named Togame, who requests his aid in her quest to find and collect the twelve legendary swords forged by the master swordsmith Shikizaki Kiki. And thus, the “Sword Story” begins.
At first glance, Katanagatari’s storyline is nothing special. In fact, in may take you quite a few glances to realize that there is more to this simple “Sword Story” than you are made to initially think. Largely episodic in nature, each episode consists of Shichika and Togame locating and obtaining one of the 12 swords. Conveniently, there are 12 episodes in the show (each of them twice as long as a normal anime episode, doing wonders for the pacing of the anime). Now, that information alone might make you assume quite a few things. However, you’re going to want to take my advice: Don’t. Katanagatari teaches you relatively early on that you should not assume a single thing about it. It is NOT an average shounen. Episode 4, perhaps the most trolltastic anime episode ever aired, is more than enough to demonstrate this. This show doesn’t just avoid its genre’s traditional tropes, it laughs in the face of them. It completely dismantles what an average plot might consider to be important and demonstrates the things that are REALLY important when you are telling a story: Character development, motivations, pacing, engaging dialogue, and much more. It’s genius. Pure and utter genius. Katanagatari makes fun of or completely deconstructs an uncountable number of clichés, and yet it always does so with the most impeccable sense of execution and taste. Ah, but I’ll stop clumsily trying to discuss the show’s themes while attempting to avoid spoilers. Let’s get to the other aspects of the storyline:
Something you will initially notice about this anime is that is has a LOT of dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly a very fair share of action, but the majority of the screen time is spent showing the characters having conversations with one another. The reason that this is a good thing is because it’s VERY well written dialogue; sometimes hilarious, sometimes deep, but always witty and/or thoughtful. One of the best scripts I’ve ever seen. The emotional highs are high, the emotional lows are low, the comedic timing is flawless when applicable, and the show always seems to know just what to say. Katanagatari covers the entire range of the emotional spectrum; it will make you feel EVERY emotion. I can’t say the same thing for any other anime I’ve ever watched, or at least not to the same extent. The one and only complaint I can make about the storyline is that it gets a bit lax when fleshing out its plot developments toward the end, but none of it really matters in the end. Did I mention that this series has, quite possibly, the greatest final episode in anime history? Enough said.
If you want to know how to write good characters, look no further than Katanagarari’s incredibly memorable, masterfully written and downright lovable cast. Y’know how Cowboy Bebop became wildly popular because of its ability to introduce new characters every episode and still end the episode arc with them feeling fully fleshed out (among other things)? Well, Katanagatari does it even better. From compelling backstories to unique personalities to complex motivations, the side characters in this show are among the greatest and most interesting in the entire medium considering the circumstances. However, even without them, the character cast would be totally unforgettable thanks to the duo of Shichika and Togame; both of whom are some of my favorite characters of all time. Shichika, besides being likable, is one of the finest examples of character development I’ve ever seen. His thoughts and actions carry unfathomable thematic weight and his personality is unique as well as perfect for the tone of show. Did I mention that he is also a badass? Shichika is quite possibly my favorite anime character of all time; he was written so goddamn well that it’s inspiring. Togame is just as complex as Shichika, but her motives are shrouded in mystery. Really, before anything else, Togame should be lauded for being one of the most likeable characters ever conceived. She is laugh out loud hilarious, full of energy, absurdly adorable, and STILL manages to command the respect of the viewer and be legitimately multi-facetted. Really, I struggle to find the words to do this pair justice. Easily the highlight to an already incredible show, and I haven’t even mentioned that the character designs are astonishingly awesome; easily my all time favorite. What a stupendous job by the writers in this department. The characters stand out as the best part of an already amazing anime.
Some people really like the art style of Katanagatari while others dislike it, but I never understood how anyone could possible not think this show looks good. The bold colors and lines are pure eye candy, and I’ve already mentioned that the character designs are the most beautiful, diverse, and creative examples in the industry. The action scenes are animated wonderfully and even the dialogue scenes never seem to lack energy. I LOVED the animation for this show, even though some people disagree for whatever reason. There is much less debate about the music and voice-acting, however, which are both nearly flawless in execution. Katanagatari has maybe the best and most varied original score I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. From haunting and intense melodies with a traditional Japanese theme to the occasional hip-hop track that gives even the likes of Samurai Champloo a run for its money to everything in between, believe me when I say that this soundtrack has it all. The two OPs really aren’t anything special, but Katanagatari re-aired on television in 2013 with a brand new OP, and THAT one is fucking incredible. Probably the most underrated OP of all time, and one of my personal favorites. When it comes to presentation, I struggle to find a single thing to complain about.
I hate to end this review with a cliché (ironically), but I’m going to anyway: This anime will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you feel every emotion in between. It’s intelligent and has tons of depth while being simultaneously entertaining and filled to the brim with charm. If you don't watch Katanagatari, you are doing yourself a major disservice. I highly doubt that there will ever be another anime that manages to balance themes and entertainment as well as this series; it’s one of a kind. Not bad for a Sword Story.
