We start off with some mysterious burning down of a temple, and one of the main characters, Kotaru, runs off with the aid of a monk. Yes, he just leaves his burning home with his dog Tobimaru in tow. I’m already not liking this kid and we’re only 10 seconds into this film. Cut to Kotaru and his dog Tobimaru, doing what they must to survive! After running away in direction of a temple the monk had sent them to, we see them living off the land….sort of. They’ve taken residence at an abandoned temple, where they find a slacker swordsman who later saves them from their pursuers. Yes, that’s how I meet all my heroes, at a run down old temple. What do a little boy and his trusty but rabid dog need saving from? Foreigners! Some imperial chinese folk to be precise. Oh, and one stereotypical blonde with blue eyes who also happens to be a master swordsman, better than even the Chinese or Japanese who have been practicing swordsmanship for centuries. The mysterious swordsman, from here on out referred to as No Name, tangles with this mysterious foreigner several times, all ending in one climactic battle. I sort of wish the movie had ended then, instead of the gratuitous riding off into the distance scene….but I’m getting ahead of myself. Don’t you want to hear more about No Name, the vagabond swordsman who defeats extremely skilled Chinese and Japanese warriors, and also has red hair and a troubled past? Wait…this is starting to sound a lot like some other super popular anime….X?
To cut the story short (and I really should, my ass was hurting from how long I had to sit in that chair) the foreigners want drain Kotaru. No, not in that Michael Jackson way, they just want his youthful good looks! Kotaru holds the secret to eternal life…Could it be the mysterious green stone that was entrusted to him by the monk as he fled the crumbling castle? Burning questions like this one, and the origin of the mysterious swordsman who save Kotaru, remain largely unanswered throughout most of the film, only being revealed in the last half hour. Yes, that’s how long this movie felt. Visually, it was stunning, but the pacing of the plot and the actual action left a bit to be desired at times. The characters just didn’t convey that much. It felt as if though your Uncle John who doesn’t know how to tell you a story was telling you about the most important battle of the century. The visuals keep you entertained while the story stagnates, the characters don't grow hair, much less a personality.
8/10 from me.
