Aug 1, 2011
Katanagatari is a charming, if formulaic, adventure focusing on the relationship between Yasuri Shichika, a veritable country bumpkin, and Togame, a high-profile employee of the shogun and self-proclaimed "strategian" as they strive to collect twelve very powerful swords. Expectedly, Shichika and Togame contrast each other humorously, and this contrast is often what produces the witty, dry dialogue the show is known for. In many cases, their completely different origins move the plot forward or cause problems.
Each of the twelve episodes of Katanagatari features a different sword and the struggle for the protagonists to obtain it. Even though each episode is
...
around 50 minutes long, it would be going too far to say that they become boring. Rather, each episode goes a lot like the other episodes and any remotely attentive viewer will pick up on the formula quickly. However, the show is not episodic and the main story progresses interestingly. There are a lot of things to pay attention to, even if the main plot of any given episode is somewhat obvious.
Katanagatari's art is a mixed bag. The backgrounds are extremely detailed and consistently gorgeous. The characters tend to have exciting, if impractical, outfits. The cartoony bright colors of the characters and their pleasantly simple faces contrast nicely with the scenery. Here's the problem: the animation is frequently static and even lazy. This is less of a problem because much of the show revolves around the dialogue, but even so there is far too much panning of the background and many shots seem to have been chosen to protect the budget, rather than to enhance the scene. Fortunately, the dialogue and the quality of the voice-acting are good enough to distract even the most critical from many of the animation shortcuts.
Katanagatari's characters stand out from the crowd in regards to the generic ones found in most animes. Shichika's deadpanning and Togame's heckling go great together and sometimes it's difficult to tell if one of the characters was trying to be humorous. Their relationship progresses so interestingly that the show would be worth watching just to listen to them converse. Even characters that only appear for one episode or sit on the sidelines tend to be worth focusing on. Every character's motives are understandable and the viewer will even find themselves caring about the "bad guys" like the members of the Maniwa Ninja Corps.
Katanagatari is a great anime. It's a must-watch if you can get over the predictability from episode to episode and the static animation. The story is good throughout and has a lot of great themes. Even though you will predict a lot, a lot will take you by surprise. As an added incentive, the last episode is so great that it more than makes up for all of the show's flaws.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
