Katanagatari (Anime)

In feudal Japan, a sword smith created 12 legendary swords which are rumoured, when all brought together, have enough power to give the user the strength to rule the world. A strategist to the Shogun Togame is on the hunt for the swords on behalf of the shogun. To help her, she enlists the help of the 7th head of the ancient Kyoutouryuu (Swordless Style) swordsman Yasuri Shichika - who's family and Togame have an old history and who agrees to fight for Togame because he has fallen in love with her. On their journey they will face master swordsmen, deadly ninjas and many other obstacles before they can find the 12 swords.

(1 Series, 12 Episodes, Finished)

Before I go into what makes the series so great, I have to tell you a bit about the series as a whole: each episode is worth 3 regular anime episodes and was released one episode every month for a whole year. This lead to a SERIOUSLY high level of build up, but it is absolutely worth it. It is also one of the most unique anime's in terms of art style and is as beautiful to watch as it is exciting.

The series itself is spectacular, jam packed with everything that great stories are made of. Sometimes the episodes get pretty slow: they are long episodes with a lot of moments of dialogue that make it feel like a novel or manga rather than an anime, but it is all crucial to pay attention to because what they're saying is an important part of both the back story and the characters development. And when the fight scenes come along, they are guaranteed to blow your minds. That beautiful art style is put to the extreme with dynamic and exciting fights mixing all kinds of combat and super powered attacks. One of the best things about those fights is the way Shichika is pitted against the users of the swords (he fights without swords but with the same powers, you'll have to see it to understand this point because it will take just too long to explain here). It leads to some unforgettable fights and each one is better than the last. There are plenty of highly enjoyable characters coming in all shapes and sizes throughout the series and always playing off the Togame and Shichika relationship. A fantastic series if you have time to enjoy every episode and a great story.

Rating - 

10/10