When I first heard of Sword of the Stranger about a year ago I'll admit I was skeptical. It seemed like every samurai anime cliche rolled into one. But I watched it the first time in absolute awe, and after four times I am compelled to write a review on this revolutionary anime.
Yes, that word was "revolutionary", and by this I am referring to the spectacular animation used in the movie. As aptly put on Anime News Network, it has "some of the most intricately staged, gorgeously animated fight sequences in anime history." Bones has raised the bar so high with Sword of the Stranger that just about every other anime fight scene you see will seem slow and uninteresting in comparison. Every swing of a sword, every step the fighters make is meticulously animated, all down to their heavy breathing and realistic gushes of blood as they cut down one enemy after another. Absolutely no shortcuts are taken, resulting in samurai that actually FIGHT, rather than reverting to cliches like two samurai simply walking past each other and one falling down in a gush of blood, cut down by a stroke too fast to see (or one that was too hard to animate). It's not just the fight scenes either. The condensation from a person's breathing, drops of blood on the snow and countless notches on a sword; these are just some examples of the detail that the animators have gone to. Bones has definitely given other studios a good lesson in animation with this movie.
The story itself is quite cliched I'll admit. A master swordsman that will not draw his sword, a foreign samurai who's only desire is to find a worthy opponent and the search for immortality. It's all been done before. The story does have some depth to it, but it's very easy to be swept up in all the fights and take no heed of the plot at all. However, it does require you to watch very closely to get all the intricacies of the storyline, some of which is presented in quite a subtle way. The web of interwoven motives and conflicts between the characters also adds an extra layer to the plot. Overall its not the deepest or best story ever told, but it is enjoyable.
The character development is the greatest force pushing the story along. From the nameless samurai Nanashi (or No-name in the English version), to the western "demon" Luo-Lang, the innocent victim Katarou and the feudal lord's general Shogen, each character has their own motives and reasons for fighting. Inevitable conflict ensues, culminating in possibly the most epic duel in animation history.
The soundtrack to the movie captures feudal Japan perfectly and adds a great atmosphere, making the final confrontation all the more epic. The voice actors also fit their characters very well. In particular the torment of Nanashi and the ruthlessness of Luo-Lang are excellently portrayed, proving once again that this is not the typical shallow-plot samurai anime.
Sword of the Stranger is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. With good character development, a somewhat cliched yet good, subtle storyline and utterly groundbreaking animation, the enjoyment level is quite simply off the scale. If you're looking for a anime movie that'll provide quality entertainment time and time again, look no further...just make sure you watch it in 1080p Blu-Ray on a giant HD TV with surround sound so you can fully appreciate it. Overall score: 8.6/10 (rounded to 9)
