![]() This journey is their chance to learn about one another and to grow as people. It's rare that two characters-particularly ones as different and distinct as them-can feel so comfortable together, making so much sense as a couple without a shadow of a doubt. But as good as they are, none stand out more than Shichika and Togame, and their adorable romance. And when it chooses to hit the more poignant or emotional notes, it hits them squarely.Įvery character is clear in my memory as I sit down to write this review, even though it's been hours since some were consigned to oblivion. The tropes they use, from the classic Legend of Zelda “hit the weak point” mentality to a growing love and infatuation between the two leads, are disguised just enough to avoid being trite, mostly as a result of the phenomenal writing at play. The show for the most part avoids recycling bosses and trite developments that only superficially enhance the characters. While Katanagatari packs few twists and certainly follows the style of miniature arcs for each fight, calling it a monster-of-the-week anime misses the way in which each “monster” helps Shichika and Togame grow as human beings rather than as fighters. Between the quirky designs and bright colors, the most obvious comparison to draw is with Bakemonogatari-unsurprising considering they both came from the mind of the eccentric Nisio Isin-and in similar form Katanagatari refuses to simply draw out the plot into a more straightforward monster-of-the-week style of progression. They are all well thought out, and not a single fight falls flat.īut for one of the first times in the long history of samurai period anime, Katanagatari is absolutely a dialogue-driven show, and in every 50 minute episode a whole 35-40 minutes is spent on developing the characters and building a rapport between them. ![]() However, the fights each have a very unique flavor, and the concept of what constitutes a supernatural legendary sword varies greatly. With this we are guaranteed one good fight for every episode, and the show absolutely delivers. The plot centrally revolves around a reclusive martial artist named Yasuri Shichika, who has spent his whole life training with his family on an isolated island, and a young government strategist named Togame, who seeks out Shichika to begin a quest hunting for twelve renowned swords said to have supernatural powers. Such designs work fantastically for a samurai show and the flashy sword duels it thrives on, and certainly Katanagatari has them in bulk. Few art styles have yet managed to display humans in such a gaudy, crisp way, and certainly picking the Katanagatari character out from an anime lineup is trivial. As the dialogue and events flow smoothly and fluidly, so does the art, brightening the mood while feeling natural, without glare or grunge. Other than that, the characters wear distinct and interesting clothes, from baggy black pants and red sleeves to a variety of animal suits. ![]() The most noticeable aspect of the character designs are the eyes, which only have a top outline and an iris colored to match the character’s hair, with the whites blending in with the regular skin tone. Immediately Katanagatari jumps from the screen with a vivid color palate and fantastic design. At the end of every episode, a narrator comes on to announce the drawing of the curtain on the story until the next month, a punctuation mark that makes each episode feel like a concrete and meaningful addition to the story, and yet we are always left ready for more. The show has a rhythm to it, as exposition about the past, plans for the future, and the conflict at hand all overlap and slowly build towards the final episode. Katanagatari is about a journey, one with a set destination and clear quantifiable progress in every episode. No, I'm much more a fan of the idea that all good things come to an end, because no journey can be enjoyable without a clear destination to give it purpose, to sustain the journey while keeping it focused. As such I'm loathe to using it as a jumping off point for a review, particularly because anime has a habit of setting up a faraway destination and then making absolutely no progress towards it, all for the sake of endlessly “enjoying” the journey. ![]() At some unknown point in time, the idea that a journey is more important than the destination became the single most overused trope in novels, speeches, reviews, movies, personal philosophies, and really everything else in life. ![]()
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