Sword of The Stranger: One of The Best Samurai Anime out there

Do you love action, great music, and amazing stories, then you are going to love this anime. Sword of The Stranger is an original anime that came out in 2007 but it went unnoticed while its release though with time it has gained a lot of fans following. The movie is produced by Bones Studios and is directed by Masahiro Andou who worked on the likes of Cowboy Bebop, the original Ghost in the shell, and Fullmetal Alchemist. 

Plot

Sword of The Stranger’s story follows a young boy named Kotaro who is being chased by Chinese foreigners for their shady purpose. On the run, he meets a Samurai with no name, who agrees to escort him to a monastery where he can be safe. The main story follows their journey and how they bond with each other. The story takes place in the Sengoku period of Japan, in the world of civil war, samurai, generals, and feudal lords.

It is a slow piece with a lot of character development. The character, motivation, and inner struggles of our leads are depicted beautifully, Not only our main characters but side characters have given proper attention too. From the foreigners who are loyal to their king and would do anything to capture the boy or the locals who are struggling with their regional conflicts or our main antagonist who is driven by the sole reason of finding a worthy opponent. Though the story is a little clichéd and somewhat predictable, the presentation is very well orchestrated. 

Action, Animation, and art

This is one of the departments where this anime shines and if you love action, then this movie is made for you. With the early display of violence and power by bad guys, the duels between different people, and a fifteen-minute climactic battle, everything is animated beautifully. The movement is smooth and the effects animation is great. The selection of weapons and fighting styles varies from character to character.

From swords, bow, and arrows to something unique like a whip are used in fights. Movement felt grounded and natural. Especially the final battle which comprises of all the different battle styles but still fit together well. The animation is not as great as something modern (still amazing) but if we take into account that it’s a 14 years old animation, it is something great.

Not only Sword of The Stranger’s animation is great but also the art style, which is strong, grounded, and less saturated, and suits the setting of feudal Japan.

Conclusion and overall score

Sword of the Stranger though not perfect and has its Shortcomings but is still an amazing watch, it’s slow, peaceful, and deeply moving. 

Overall score – 8/10

• Story – Average but good enough
• Action and Animation – Great, Best point of this movie