If I had to make a list of my favourite samurai-themed work, anime or not, “Sword of the Stranger” would make the top of my list; and I've seen quite a few, including the classic Rurouni Kenshin, Gintama taking the parody cake (I mean, the samurai theme really takes a backseat there...), Samurai Champloo as the fast-paced and weirdly unique-modern example, Intrigue in the Bakumatsu as the traditional and very underrated historical/supernatural combination... the list goes on.
If you ask me, Sword of the Stranger is right up there: underrated. It’s short, yes; it’s only a movie after all, right around an hour forty minutes; yet in this case, shorter means better.
Long review is long.
“Sword of the Stranger”’s premise isn’t all that new. Basically, there’s a boy being chased for an as of yet unknown reason; while on the run, he meets a stray samurai who grudgingly ends up travelling with him and protecting him. Yet for once, the not-all new premise doesn’t distract any, since the execution is nothing short of masterful.
As a result, “Sword of the Stranger” surprises with a pretty good plot. There’s history (no pre-knowledge required), there’s drama and friendship, there’s character development, there’s plenty of action, there’s moments of humour, and the overall mix of those genres is both balanced and definitely interesting. Another plus is that the plot is both complete and well fleshed-out; it’s the tale of two individual characters first and foremost, yet it shows the political intrigue and general violence of the time period well.
On the negative side, the story keeps an important piece of info secret for a bit too long and develops a little straight-forwardly after that. It’s a small flaw though, and it shouldn’t distract much, especially since the turn of events as is, with its twists and turns and everything in-between, always turns out believable and quite realistic--not clichéd (a trap that many anime of similar genres fall into), and not exaggerated though the setup would easily allow it to be.
It is, in short, an excellent piece of storytelling. The basic premise may not seem new, but it is executed masterfully, with a couple both intriguing and (mostly) surprising turns along the way. And where the plot is not completely flawless, the faults are minor and only really catch the eye on second or third watch, when you really start looking out for all the details.
Nevertheless, it’s the characters making the story shine for real. Character design is excellent; their personalities are both intriguing and believable; and the backstories are nothing short of amazing. Both the heroes and villains are well-developed; they’re very easy to get a feel for, and the variety is big enough that I think most viewers would be able to relate to someone in this movie. The villains are respectable, the heroes are flawed, and the large group of side-cast somewhat-somewhat-not-enemies simply following orders or mixing things up as they pursue personal goals only make things better.
Character development throughout the movie is rife, adding a deeper and quite absorbing background level to the story--finding a place to belong in life, and how it isn’t easy, but the journey of the two main characters is beautiful and all the more worthwhile. It helps that their backstories aren't just thrown onscreen in one big chunk, but rather uncovered gradually; it added to both my understanding of and relating to the characters, as well as to the general suspense.
Character development and progress, in this sense, definitely provide an emotional hook. Even better in this regard are the character dynamics though. They’re intricate at times, simple at others, constantly developing, and they make for quite a number of the most beautiful as well as the most funny scenes in this movie. Just as the characters themselves, their relations are definitely memorable, and some of the more interesting as well as more realistic dynamics I’ve seen in anime movies aside from Ghibli releases.
The dialogue works more than well. Not only is the character interaction natural in both funny and serious moments and doesn’t get exaggerated, but “Sword of the Stranger” takes script writing to a new level.
The dialogical script is both intelligent and flows well, however what stands out most notably is the use of Chinese in crucial moments (with Japanese subs in the original release, I got my hands on one torrent where these weren’t translated, but generally I think they should be <_<"). For the history imps; the time period “Sword of the Stranger” is set in was a period of pretty much on the one hand Japanese civil wars, on the other Japanese/Chinese political conflicts. (That only sketches it, but I really don’t want to make this review into a history lesson.) The use of both Chinese and Japanese for the dialogue really takes one back in time in this sense; and it only serves to emphasise the different clashing nationalities. (Kudos to the voice actors. I haven’t been able to spot a single Chinese name among the credits. xD)
Amusingly enough, for the Japanese-Chinese relation, “Sword of the Stranger” never really seems to take a stance; warlords of both Japan and China tend not to turn out all too well in the general plotline. History otaku, I was waiting for the movie to take a stance, but here we go--another diversion from the beaten tracks of the genre. ;)
Almost forgot the voice-acting; yet I don’t have any complaints in that regard either. The Japanese seiyuu do a brilliant job getting the characters in all their personality and with all their emotion across, and the English dub doesn’t fare worse from what I’ve heard (not better either, but that’d be a hard task; also, I might have to note that I did not watch the entire movie in English dubbed version, only two or three key scenes after I finished the Japanese audio version).
The animation is without a doubt excellent. BONES (the creating studio) tends to produce works with both creative and detailed visuals and animation, and “Sword of the Stranger” does not disappoint. The art is detailed, with realistic colouring and background scenery, and very good character design. The animation is dynamic and almost bug-free. Outstanding is the animation of the main character’s dog--I’ve yet to see an animal animated more realistically. There is no notable disjoint between static and dynamic parts, and fight choreography is more than eye-catching, following battles all the way as they unfold, instead of chopping them up (like angle after angle showing single moves, but never or rarely the entire picture).
It only helps that the soundtrack is made for ear-gasms. ^^ It is made up of mostly very traditional themes, following the general setup of this movie; it is timed well; and it always adds to the visuals one way or another.
If I were to complain at all about the art/music/animation sequence, my gripe would be two tiny things in the art; while the horse looks quite like the old wild variety supposedly did (though odd at first glance), saddle and bridle as they’re depicted in this movie can’t work; and if you look closely, the type of fundoshi Nanashi wears can’t exist, simply due to how those are tied...
...
(*sweat-drops at self for even noticing*)
Tiny flaws here or there aside, “Sword of the Stranger” is short, yet it definitely doesn’t disappoint. The story, where not all new, is done in a way defying all clichés of the genre, and twists and turns are always interesting. It may not be particularly mysterious or intrigant, but it’s more than entertaining, and if you care to dig a bit deeper, it delivers on more than one level. It’s a tale of history and historical conflicts, a tale of two characters (or rather three, but I don’t want to spoiler), a tale of coming to accept one’s past and finding a place to belong. The characters are intriguing and relatable; they’re the kind that tends to stick with you, and so well-conveyed that after the one hour forty minutes of this movie I felt like I knew more about them than I do about some main characters in series running for twelve whole episodes and longer. Character development is rife, and their dynamics and interaction are excellently done. The dialogue in this sense doesn’t disappoint, as do art and animation. Fight choreography is outstanding, and the music is riveting as well. And if that’s not enough, there’s the simple but very effective balance of action, drama, friendship, history, and humorous moments. From a movie, I don’t think I personally could have asked for that much more.
This movie is samurai all the way--but a samurai movie with masterful execution that manages to skirt around the clichés of its genre. Long story short, I’m a fan. If you like samurai and action, and you haven’t seen “Sword of the Stranger”, IMO you’re missing out on an excellent piece of work. Give it a try; I’m fairly sure you won’t be disappointed.
Cheers. :) (
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