047 4 I watched this movie almost a year ago . Ever sense then I have been waiting for it to be released on Blu ray and DVD . The story is fairly decent , but the animation and action put this movie over the top . The action sequences are fast paced high impact and will make you want to watch them several times over just so you can catch all of it . The final battle in the movie is the best sword fight scene I have ever seen . I highly recommend this movie for sword fighting anime enthusiast .
019 4 the story line is good , but the sword fithing its incredible a must have for anime fans .
021 4 Thank you so much for the dvd , it's a truely great movie and it arrived in great condition !
027 4 good but it need a part two because it dont tell you much about the main characters
036 4 This was an awesome movie i loved it i was happy to buy this movie made me very happy .
039 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
It has been a while since I watched an anime this filling . Definitely worth purchasing to add to your movie collection . The fights in this movie make Samurai Champloo look dull . After being a little disappointed with The Skycrawlers this felt like a breath of fresh air . Good English dub too . If I had the TV / Blu-Ray player I bet this movie would be amazing in Blu-Ray . If you are a fan of animation you would be stupid to look this movie over .
A + +
040 4 It has been a while since I watched an anime this filling . Definitely worth purchasing to add to your movie collection . The fights in this movie make Samurai Champloo look dull . After being a little disappointed with The Skycrawlers this felt like a breath of fresh air . Good English dub too . If I had the TV / Blu-Ray player I bet this movie would be amazing in Blu-Ray . If you are a fan of animation you would be stupid to look this movie over .
A + +
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
THE ANIMATION IS FREAKING AWSOME ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! , FIGHT SCENES ARE PERFECT , LOTS OF BLOOD , ONE OF MY FAVOTITES OF ALL TIME , MY WIFE HATES ANIME BUT SHE LOOOVED THIS ONE ! !
045 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
THE ANIMATION IS FREAKING AWSOME ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! , FIGHT SCENES ARE PERFECT , LOTS OF BLOOD , ONE OF MY FAVOTITES OF ALL TIME , MY WIFE HATES ANIME BUT SHE LOOOVED THIS ONE ! !
This review has major spoilers for this movie . If you don't want to be spoiled don't read the review until after you have seen the movie .
Sword of the Stranger , which was conceived , written , produced , and animated by BONES (
Fullmetal Alchemist
, Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood ,
Cowboy Bebop : Knockin ' On Heaven's Door
, etc . ) , is largely an action anime that takes place during the period of the Ming Dynasty . It takes place in Japan itself but there is also a large Chinese influence on parts of the plot , complete with Mandarin being mixed with Japanese .
Directed by Masahiro Ando , Sword of the Stranger has garnered tons of praise in various anime communities and with professional movie critics . Does it live up to the hype ? Not in the slightest . Read on .
Story
- - - - -
There's a story ? Ok , ok . To be fair , this movie does have a story , albeit a rather inconsequential , uninteresting , and cliche-ridden one .
Sword of the Stranger starts with a young boy named Kotaro , his dog Tobimaru , and his master running away from a burning temple . Kotaro and Tobimaru get separated from Kotaro's master and are forced to fend for themselves .
The two of them end up in a small town and meet a mysterious stranger with a katana . The katana has a special knot on it to prevent this stranger from drawing the sword . After trading lots of cute jabs with the stranger , Kotaro and Tobimaru get attacked . Tobimaru gets poisoned and Kotaro is almost captured ( the reasons for this are unexplained at this point in the story ) .
Enter No Name , the mysterious stranger with a katana . He jumps into action to defend Kotaro and Tobimaru , all without drawing his sword . However , he still kills using other weapons . So while there's definitely symbolism to him not drawing his sword , he doesn't really adhere to what it eventually stands for . Unlike Balsa in
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
, who quite simply does not kill ( ever ) , No Name is more than willing to cut off limbs , heads , and cut people in half whenever the script tells him its time for more bloodshed .
Anyway , after yet MORE jabs with No Name , Kotaro demands that No Name work for him to help save his dog . After some reluctance , No Name agrees ( take note of this ! ) and they're off to a nearby town to get Tobimaru some help .
Inter-cut throughout all of this are numerous scenes of a Big Bad Unnamed Westerner ( tm ) , who is good with a sword , killing people , acting tough , and working toward some evil agenda for the Ming Dynasty in China . All he cares about is killing others and finally meeting a worthy opponent . He has absolutely no backstory at all and is never developed beyond loving violence . I'll let others fill in the gaps when it comes to who his worthy opponent is . . .
Apparently , the Japanese have allowed the Chinese to build some sort of tower on their land to create some sort of superhuman drug simply known as xian . This drug is shown to drastically increase response time , a user's ability to fight , severely decrease pain sensitivity , and makes people incredibly bloodthirsty ( naturally , whenever the script demands more blood ) . The downside is its users get addicted . The secret ingredient that makes this special drug work ? The blood of a child every one hundred years . The blood is fed into some sort of time device and a ritual is performed . Kotaro is the chosen sacrifice this time around . Why they can't simply get another kid is never explained . It just has to be Kotaro because he's the protagonist that No Name needs to save . Why ? Because the story says so !
In typical anime cliche fashion , both No Name and Kotaro have a Mysterious Past ( tm ) that doesn't get revealed until the climax of the movie . While patiently sitting through the confusing editing , unclear plot , and boring characterization , I was hoping that these backstories would at least hold up enough to justify all the senseless / random violence , Kotaro's constant bitching and whining , and No Name's almost non-existent dialog . Unfortunately , they do not .
Kotaro's story is simple : he was taken to China when he was really young . His parents both died . He was brought back to Japan and was raised in the temple that burned at the beginning of the movie . No Name's story is ripped right out of almost any samurai movie / JRPG you can think of . He was an exceptional soldier in some unnamed war at an undisclosed period of time in the past . For some reason , he needed to execute a mother and child in cold blood . So now he refuses to draw his sword . And he dyes his hair black ( it's normally red ) . That's it . Those are the backstories that were kept under wraps for most of the movie .
The movie more or less ends with an incredibly contrived battle at the Chinese tower , while a clock ticks down to the right moment for Kotaro to be killed . This battle is interspersed with numerous scenes of No Name and Tobimaru running around searching for Kotaro ( oh yeah , I forgot to mention he was captured earlier ) . They somehow manage to get led to the Chinese temple and No Name springs into action to save Kotaro . Yes , he finally draws his sword to save a kid , and thus allows him to atone for his previous murder .
After saving Kotaro and spilling lots of blood in the process , No Name and Big Bad Blond Westerner , duke it out in a long , draw out battle that exists simply because the movie needed a big battle between the two . At this point , Big Bad Blond Westerner and No Name are the only two survivors of this whole affair , not counting Kotaro and Tobimaru . The two fight and Big Bad Westerner is defeated , complete with a short scene of him violently coughing up and choking on his own blood . ( Thanks , I really needed to see and hear that . ) Kotaro , Tobimaru , and No Name ride off into the sunset ( seriously ) , having defeated the Big Bad Westerner . Roll credits .
I've already devoted far more time to the story section than this movie deserves but it really is as simplistic , contrived , and incoherent as I've described it . The characters are all underdeveloped , all of the villains are nothing more than mustache twirling , walking cliches , the protagonists are boring , and the editing makes following what little plot there is incredibly confusing . The story lacks emotion and depth , and there are so many large plot holes / unexplained story elements that you can probably fly the
Battlestar Galactica
through them . Just awful . You're better off beating yourself over the head with a baseball bat . I guarantee that would be more fun , and kill fewer brain cells than this movie .
Animation
- - - - - - - - -
One place where Sword of the Stranger really shines is in the animation . The movie was animated by BONES , and as usual , they don't disappoint . Animation is fluid and fast paced . The fight sequences are very well-animated .
And while the fights are clearly not done in a realistic manner like in
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
, which has some of the best martial arts choreography I've ever seen in an anime , they fit the movie well enough . Sadly , due to the lack of depth in the story , the fights aren't very fulfilling and are simply something to watch to help pass the time . Hopefully you don't mind blood spilling constantly though . This movie has tons of it .
The colors are dark and are generally vibrant , but overall I found them to be somewhat lacking . They do a decent enough job conveying the world and the characters , but like the story , they ultimately kind of fall flat .
That said , the character design is quite good . It isn't anything all that groundbreaking but the characters are all well-designed .
Music & Sound
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
( Note : I have not seen this movie in English . Only Japanese . And there's no way I'm going through it again to sample the English version . )
For the most part , the sound in this movie is quite good . The voice acting is also top notch . Even Kotaro , who is insanely annoying all the way through the movie , is generally well acted . Interestingly , many of the characters switch between Mandarin and Japanese at various points in the movie . This definitely adds some authenticity to the characters ' dealings with the Chinese . It isn't enough to save the movie but it's a good choice stylistically .
The sound effects are adequate but nothing to really write home about . Standard martial arts screaming , sword clashing , etc . If you like hearing people bleed to death while choking on their own blood ( Big Bad Westerner gets a special scene where all he does is cough up blood ) , then this movie definitely excels there . That really isn't my cup of tea though and the excessive blood gushing isn't even justified by a strong plot and characterization . It just exists .
The music is actually kind of tricky . If you take the music on its own , it's actually quite good . Much of it is very beautiful and relaxing . Lots of drumming too .
However , if you take this music and match it up with the action in the movie in the way that was done here , it just doesn't fit in most cases . It fits in some scenes ( some of the early action sequences ) but there are countless other scenes where people were killing each other left and right , all set to relaxing traditional Japanese music . It just didn't fit . At all .
Conclusion
- - - - - - - - - -
I'm having a really difficult time seeing why this movie is so loved . I really am . From start to finish it's nothing but one giant anime cliche . Yes , the animation is good and so is the voice acting , but the story is incredibly unoriginal and predictable , the characters are bland and undeveloped , and the action is excessively gory , uninteresting , predictable , and downright boring without a decent story to support it . The music is decent and actually quite beautiful , but it usually doesn't fit the action .
The bottom line : this movie is a contrived , incoherent mess of a production . It starts out with a lot of promise but falls short with everything but animation . Ignore the hype and ignore the raving critics . Good anime this is NOT . In fact , it was downright painful for me to watch it to the end . If you want a good story with great action that's set in a fantasy world mirroring feudal Japan with highly developed characters and beautiful animation , I strongly recommend checking out
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
instead . It's a much larger time investment but it's worth it . Or check out the
Rurouni Kenshin OVAs
. Or even the
Rurouni Kenshin
anime series . If you must see Sword of the Stranger , get a free NetFlix trial and see it that way . Don't pay for it .
001 4 I have always had a fondness for anime that explored the Bushido period ; noteworthy hits such as the anime series Basilisk and the anime film Ninja Scroll have garnered a powerful following . Most recently the almost Okamoto / Kobayashi inspired Shigurui Death Frenzy has left me in awe . Director Masahiro Ando with screenplay by Fumihiko Takayama has adapted a tale from the original story by Bones . SWORD OF THE STRANGER ( aka . Sutorenjia Muko Hadan ) is an animated film with fantastic action that uses the Sengoku period ( a period of warring states ) as its backdrop . It is a story of faith , ambition and survival .
The film was a nominee for Best animated Feature at the 81st Academy of film awards .
A young boy named Kotaro ( voiced by Yuri Chinen ) and his dog are wandering the lands of Japan ; fleeing the Ming forces led by Lord Bai-Luan . They come across a nameless Ronin ( Nanashi , voiced by Tomoya Nagase ) who is haunted by the memories of his past and who has vowed to keep his blade sheathed . Chinese mercenaries are dispatched to claim the small boy for a twisted ritual for immortality . Seeing the remnants of his past within the boy , the nameless samurai chooses to act as his protector but does he have the necessary skills to keep him from the clutches of the Ming and their blood thirsty , gold-haired swordsman named Luo-Lang ( Kouichi Yamadera ) ?
The film uses this chaotic period in feudal Japan ; the Sengoku period or the era of the Warring States is a period after the decline of the second shogun . The film ponders the question : What makes a man good or evil ? Is it the corruption of the amount of political power or the ambition to rise to such powers ? Is it the skill of swordsmanship or the manner he serves his Lord ? Sword of the Stranger does flesh out these questions in the spirit of its characters . Itadori is a general whose skills as a swordsman allowed him to rise above the ranks . He is ambitious and power hungry and he serves a corrupt feudal lord in the persona of Akaike ; who in turn is driven by greed and lust for more power . Bai-Luan is an aide to the Emperor and seeks immortality to prolong his dwindling life . Luo-Lang is a warrior who serves the Ming Emperor but he is flawed in a way that he is longing for a worthy opponent . He is loyal , but only as that loyalty serves him . The nameless swordsman is a man exhausted , he has killed and served his Lord in the past - - such actions have made his soul empty . He has tied a knot on his sword to keep him from drawing his blade , but his skills are good enough to fell highly trained opponents .
The film captures certain interpretations of the evils that men would do , for ambition , greed and loyalty . Kotaro represents the innocence and purity of youth , and as such he is the key to the Xian drug , believed to be the key to immortality . Kotaro's dog , Tobimaru also plays a significant role in the film , as he proves to be the catalyst for Nanashi and Kotaro's allegiance . The film has some touching and humorous moments , as we see the dog practice generosity and sacrifice . After all , if an animal can learn compassion , why can't us human beings ? The nameless swordsman's past in shown in the form of dreams and flashbacks . ( Also , there is a short film in the DVD's features that further develops his character )
It is easy to ignore the film's subtle meanings , as the film does have amazing action sequences that rival Ryuhei Kitamura's AZUMI . The action scenes contain a good amount of gore and loads of blood . But not too bloody that the film should be rated ` R ' . I loved the way Nanashi defends himself without even drawing his sword , it is a true testament to his skills which provokes Luo-Lang's obsession in facing him in single combat . The fights are long , stylish and brutally violent at times . Chinese Wuxia meets Japanese swordsmanship in the encounters . I liked the manner in which Luo-Lang and Nanashi were developed through their separate fights , it allows them to be further developed and allows for build-up in the inevitable final encounter . One flaw the film has is that Kotaro's past wasn't fully fleshed out and the reasons for him being special weren't really fully explored .
The action is well animated and the moves are fluid and soft . The set designs have that minor touch of CGI , and the backgrounds almost look very photo-realistic . The mood is cleverly expressed through its effects in the form of blowing wind , ominous snowfall and the darkening of clouds . The character designs may look simple and may not be as elaborate as other anime films of this kind , but it was still pretty good . The music track perfectly complements the film's mood and attitude ; I found the music quite rousing in its own right .
Sword of the Stranger is one good piece of animated feature . I am still rather impressed how the Japanese can keep adult themes in the form of animation , whereas here in the U.S . animation is often associated with kiddie-flicks . The film is full of very cool action , violence that pushes the PG - 13 envelope with a strong humanity that can let the film stand on its own . The viewer has to look beyond the action otherwise ; he may lose some of the subtle details and may make him think the plot is a little contrived . It may not approach the classic status of other acclaimed anime hits but it is entertaining enough to keep the experienced anime fan enthralled and to attract those unfamiliar with Japanimation .
Highly Recommended ! [ 4 - Stars ]
Video / Audio : 1.78 ratio anamorphic widescreen . Nice , clean transfer with some muted colors on some scenes . The 5.1 Japanese Language track is powerful and clear with excellent Subtitles . There is also the option of an English Language 5.1 track .
Extras : Pretty bare bones , there are trailers and commercials but the pilot film called Muko Hadan is worth a look . There are also character interviews .
002 4 This movie made a one day appearance at the theaters and thanks to a killer trailer I made a point of not missing it . Despite the movie being relatively new , there's a strange nostalgia I felt while watching it . For one , most or all of the art is hand drawn . On the big screen , the line quality is very noticeable , especially since the past decade most animation has been exempt from any line quality at all en lieu of 3D . So seeing the hand of the artist in motion was a feeling I had missed from the old days of watching Charlie Brown : - ) How I manage to put Charlie Brown and a Master Samurai in the same sentence . . . I don't know .
But anyway . . .
The other thing that grabbed me was that this movie actually spends time developing both story and its characters , and it does an incredible job at that . Granted , the plot itself is a bit cliche : The bad guys are after an immortality potion that requires a young boy , Kotaro , to be sacrificed in order for the potion to work . But the cliche is padded with a strong historical back drop that gives the story a surprising gritty realism . While so many movies chop away at a good story and evolving character elements , this one slows down just enough to make you actually care about the fate of the Nameless Samurai , Kotaro and even his dog .
The steady pacing was a good way to build up to an ending so loaded with tension that I could actually feel my muscles locked up . As the Nameless character does battle with his enemies , you can't help but to feel that he may be in way over his head . In a lot of way , the movie reminded me of Ninja Scroll : there are a host of foes that the Nameless Saurai must confront and you'll have your doubts about his skills being matched to each one . Such doubts are the hallmark of a gripping story .
003 4 I can't speak for the special features , since I haven't checked them out just yet .
PLOT ( no spoilers ) :
Pretty standard fare . A nameless swordsman must protect an innocent boy against the hostile battlefield of two warring factions . The main antagonist group consists of an elite bunch of highly-skilled Chinese warriors who feel no pain , at the head of which is a mysterious blonde swordsman ailing at his inability to find a worthy adversary . Lacking somewhat in the originality department , the story nonetheless draws you in by the sheer charisma of its characters . The characters themselves convey their archetypes well , without being overly obvious . The cliche factor is evident , but luckily it doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the film .
ANIMATION :
Though at times inconsistent ( read : some of the battle clips appear noticably choppy , while others are smooth as silk ) , this feature is still head and shoulders over many of its contemporary counterparts . The characters ' movements are believably natural , and their facial subtext succeeds in making you actually care about what they're thinking . At times , CGI is used for set pieces and background work , but it's so well-integrated that it complements without distracting , and is often unnoticable . Most memorable of all is the climactic battle between the swordsmen No-Name and Luo Lang : this is far and away the single most visually arresting swordfight I have ever seen in an animated feature . Ever . It invokes a tangible feeling of suspense and wonder , the choreography is brilliant , the scope is incredible , the pacing is thrilling , and their movements are positively GORGEOUS . It'll make the hairs on your neck stand up , mark my words .
SOUND :
I usually prefer subtitled anime over dubbed , as English voice-overs can be spotty , and often omit certain important nuances . However , Sword of the Stranger's English voice actors are all very talented , and they mesh perfectly with the setting and their respective characters . The sound effects are particularly well-done ; at the moment when No-Name strikes the killing blow against his first Chinese opponent , the explosive crack of wood beams shattering and the brutal gnashing of bone pound straight through to your core . It gives every action scene a very visceral and immersive feel .
BOTTOM LINE :
Sword of the Stranger simply must not be missed . It's certainly not the most original thing out there , but its tried-and-true story formula can be appreciated by most anyone , and the action is definitely top-tier material . This isn't a film you can watch only once .
004 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
This is a fantastic anime feature film . Beautiful , smooth , animation and excellent fight scenes . It has a compelling story and the english dubs are great . Highly recommend to people that like historically themed anime and everyone else .
005 4 This is a fantastic anime feature film . Beautiful , smooth , animation and excellent fight scenes . It has a compelling story and the english dubs are great . Highly recommend to people that like historically themed anime and everyone else .
006 4 Sword of the Stranger / B001W79MBI
We watch a lot of anime at our house , but Sword of the Stranger really does stand out in terms of artwork . The art is apparently all hand drawn ; the final effect is a look that is incredibly crisp , clear , and beautiful . Definitely a great deal of time and effort went into making a superb production - the voice acting is just as gorgeous as the art .
Although the story line is not particularly new or innovative ( a young boy of destiny must be protected by a jaded and master-less traveling warrior ) , Sword of the Stranger really encapsulates why this type of story is such a classic . Both the young boy and the traveling warrior are wonderfully characterized , and their developing relationship as the two come to depend on each other is beautiful to behold . Sword of the Stranger also scores points for being willing to depict pretty much everyone in a position of political power ( Chinese and Japanese alike ) as being equally corrupted by power - somehow , it's always refreshing to see movies that are willing to dump the usual good country vs . bad country makeup and just wash its hands of the political leaders of both sides .
If there is a downside to Sword of the Stranger , it may be that some of the introspective travel sequences seem a bit slow and drawn-out . Despite all the action , the movie somehow manages to retain an almost dreamy feel , making the movie seem longer than it actually is . I definitely recommend a viewing ( particularly on the Blu-Ray version , if you want to give your eyes a real feast ) , but you might not feel that the replay value of this superb movie is all that you might want .
~ Ana Mardoll
007 4 Well , as was enevitable some users have given this movie a poor rateing , it was at 5 starts for the longest time . One user said it was boring and he was too old for anime , and another gave an inpresively long review of the movie and why he didn't like it . Well for the guy who is too old for anime because he's 23 , perhaps you should not watch anime ? The other user said he found the movie to gory and action was too predictable , the story one giant cliche and the charcters were under developed and I can respect his opinion .
First lets get to the gory action . I love it . One thing that really impressed me was unlike other animes like samurai X , and the movie highlander search for vengance and countless others , instead of just seeing a downward sword slash , follwed by a charcter splitting in too or dying after a few seconds delay you actually get to SEE the sword play and a a few lenghty fights . The choreogrophy was amazing and the best i've seen in an anime and you can tell they put alot of work and thought into it , and yes its very bloody . But hey if u dont like blood you arent going to appreaciate this aspect of the movie .
The story , yes its is very cliche but you could say the same for ninja scroll ( an evil villain wants to take over the world and one man can stop him ) , and vampire hunter D ( girl gets catptured by evil vampire , half vampire hero saves her and falls in love with her ) . What really makes a story interesting is not so much the story itself but the CHARACTERS in the story . For me thats what makes movies like ninja scroll , vampire hunter D and Sword of the stranger really enjoyable . Not many people will enjoy a movie if they dont like the characters regardless of the plot . Which brings me to the next section
Characters . Well if you havent allready guessed it , I really liked the characters . Nameless , that kid ( forgot his name ) and tobby maru the dog . For me theyve all been developed , though subtley . Nameless is a skilled warrior with a haunted past , but he's genuinly a pretty nice guy , that kid ( i should probably have gooegled his name ) is sarcastic and acts tough but you can tell its just a mask , that really he is pretty damned scared . And lets not forget tobby maru , who has allot of personallity for a non person . Generous loyal and brave , he gives his fish to nameless upon meeting him .
Ok yeah we get it , you love this movie and are obviously a fanboy who cant take people critizing his favorite movies . Oh contrair mon ami , there were a few things i didnt like about the movie . For one the colors seemed pretty bland , mostly browns ( eww the color of doo doo ) and yes i admit it wasnt the most original story ever told ( why do all these animes villains have to aquire a child as the key to fulfilling thier evil plan ? ex : metropolis , Sin the movie nad lots more ) .
Any way the thing that really did it for me besides the jaw dropping animation and truely loveabe ( IMO ) characters ? The Ending , an epic sword battle follwed by what i thought was an extremly happy ending . Man i'm a sucker for happy endings . Well thats give it a shot , unless youre too old for anime that is ; )
008 4 I was given this movie to watch and I must say , I was quite pleased with everything about this movie . The hand drawn art work was beautifully done as well as the fleshed out characters .
It's some times hard to find good anime with a good story line that isn't just a bunch of random fight scenes thrown in to try and keep it interesting - this one had a story . The development between the two main characters follows along perfectly with the story . You can see each character come into their own .
The movie it self , very well done . I watched the Japanese version and the being I'm a animae snob and only watch them with subtitles , this one was done just right . The text didn't fly from the screen as soon as it was said and gave the viewer enough to read what was happening and watch what else was happening .
I'll purchase the one coming out this month and hope that it's the same style editing and subtitle style .
011 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
Let me start off by stating that this movie dialogue speaks in both Chinese and Japanese.You only hear this when they are fighting one another.English when dialog takes place among when they are talking among their own people.I thought that was hot personally but some might just opt for subtitles . The sounds and fight sequence are truly top notch and you really benefit from hearing this on Blu Ray ( DTS soundtrack ) The story should have match the tracks of this movie as well , as you have some quirky dialogue from the little boy that really slows the movie down.Once you get past this , the story once fully revealed is not bad . If you've ever watched Ninja Scroll ( Laser Disc ) than you will enjoy this
012 4 Let me start off by stating that this movie dialogue speaks in both Chinese and Japanese.You only hear this when they are fighting one another.English when dialog takes place among when they are talking among their own people.I thought that was hot personally but some might just opt for subtitles . The sounds and fight sequence are truly top notch and you really benefit from hearing this on Blu Ray ( DTS soundtrack ) The story should have match the tracks of this movie as well , as you have some quirky dialogue from the little boy that really slows the movie down.Once you get past this , the story once fully revealed is not bad . If you've ever watched Ninja Scroll ( Laser Disc ) than you will enjoy this
013 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
good movie especially in blu ray . i wouldnt compare this with any other animes but its not very original . the fight scenes . . . dope ! bloody squirts , bloody limbs , bloody mess . characters are cool , everyone gots their own fighting style . whats even cool is they speak chinese also . yeah , when the foreigners speak to the japanese its in chinese they dont understand each other they need an interperter , but the confusing part is when the foreigners speak to each other its in japanese ( gotta watch the movie to understand what im saying ) . i believe they did this so the japanese audience dont have to read subtitles . oh by the way i watch english subs . havent seen this movie in english so cant tell you how that goes . anyway great movie i only wish i watched this before ip man ( another great movie , if not awesome ! ) because i cant get enough of ip man , but if you got money check out ip man for blu ray and check this anime out too because it rocks .
014 4 good movie especially in blu ray . i wouldnt compare this with any other animes but its not very original . the fight scenes . . . dope ! bloody squirts , bloody limbs , bloody mess . characters are cool , everyone gots their own fighting style . whats even cool is they speak chinese also . yeah , when the foreigners speak to the japanese its in chinese they dont understand each other they need an interperter , but the confusing part is when the foreigners speak to each other its in japanese ( gotta watch the movie to understand what im saying ) . i believe they did this so the japanese audience dont have to read subtitles . oh by the way i watch english subs . havent seen this movie in english so cant tell you how that goes . anyway great movie i only wish i watched this before ip man ( another great movie , if not awesome ! ) because i cant get enough of ip man , but if you got money check out ip man for blu ray and check this anime out too because it rocks .
015 4 This story is set in the time when China dominated Japan . The Chinese emperor has his astronomer find a boy whose blood will be used to make an elixir which will make him immortal . The boy and his dog escape from a monastery . In his travels to another monastery , he meets a wandering , red-headed warrior , whom he hires to protect him on his journey .
The warrior has his own secrets and mysterious past . He and the boy's dog prove to be the boy's greatest allies and defenders .
The Chinese emperor has hired a mysterious blond warrior who is only looking for a good fight . I wondered if there was a connection between the two outsiders .
I bought this dvd because of the reviews on Amazon . It lived up to its reviews . I wonder if this was pilot for a show or intended to stand alone . It can go either way . It is a fast-paced story with lots a sword fighting , and just a bit of humor .
016 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
a company allows creators free reign to express themselves ! Regardless , this film does what no other recent hollyweird flick can do anymore . It allows the viewer to enjoy what they're seeing rather then trying to understand what blur did what to what . NO shaky cam when action starts and no dizzying pans apparently all the vogue in the states now . Just good old action and a great story to follow .
017 4 a company allows creators free reign to express themselves ! Regardless , this film does what no other recent hollyweird flick can do anymore . It allows the viewer to enjoy what they're seeing rather then trying to understand what blur did what to what . NO shaky cam when action starts and no dizzying pans apparently all the vogue in the states now . Just good old action and a great story to follow .
018 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
the story line is good , but the sword fithing its incredible a must have for anime fans .
020 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
Thank you so much for the dvd , it's a truely great movie and it arrived in great condition !
022 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
It's rare that any piece of Japanese animation has an additional language , and this is the first that I've seen where the additional language was Chinese . Apart from the beautiful animation , epic fight scenes , and fantastic voice acting , the narrative is wonderful . It helps to know that the Chinese characters are all Daoist , and that their actions are motivated by their meaning system . The interaction in between the two main characters is wonderful , and the constant banter between them is a highlight of the film .
Overall , one of the best animated films in my collection .
023 4 It's rare that any piece of Japanese animation has an additional language , and this is the first that I've seen where the additional language was Chinese . Apart from the beautiful animation , epic fight scenes , and fantastic voice acting , the narrative is wonderful . It helps to know that the Chinese characters are all Daoist , and that their actions are motivated by their meaning system . The interaction in between the two main characters is wonderful , and the constant banter between them is a highlight of the film .
Overall , one of the best animated films in my collection .
024 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
Well , this is a pretty good anime flick . . . not as good as Akira or Princess Mononoke , but still a good anime nonetheless . Some scenes can get a little longer than they need to be but isn't that the case with all anime movies ? : ) I give this a 4 out of 5 . If you are an anime fan you will enjoy this movie , but there is nothing new or mind-blowing .
025 4 Well , this is a pretty good anime flick . . . not as good as Akira or Princess Mononoke , but still a good anime nonetheless . Some scenes can get a little longer than they need to be but isn't that the case with all anime movies ? : ) I give this a 4 out of 5 . If you are an anime fan you will enjoy this movie , but there is nothing new or mind-blowing .
026 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger [ Blu-ray ] ( Blu-ray )
good but it need a part two because it dont tell you much about the main characters
028 4 Sword of a stranger is clearly one of the best anime movies out there . It visually stunning and exciting it keeps you on the edge of you seat .
029 4 There's not much I can add to the already great reviews . I will say that there is no sexual content . There is a brief nude scene but not much is shown . I'll also add that young children should not watch this only because there is a lot of blood , limbs cut off and one scene of torcher . But really this is an absolutly spectacular movie . It's well worth the money , good story line and for a change , the story does end quite decently , it doesn't just let you hang there wondering what the hell happened or will happen . Hope this very short review was helpful . For another sectacular anime series that's well done and worth seeing check out Samurai 7 .
Samurai 7 : Box Set ( Viridian Collection )
030 4 This review is from :
Sword of the Stranger ( DVD )
Sword of the stranger has a very real feel to it unlike many other Anime or rather ' toons ' out there - for starters the characters are likable and very believable whereas anime such as Ninja Scroll centered on the mythological demons , and creatures genre . The animation is raw ( meaning the background ) the character development is excellent , be that as it may I found the Designs a little off i.e . one of the samurai's arms were to long , and No-Name barely had any muscle tone you figure if one is a samurai and carries a sword everywhere he's going to look like he's at least halfway healthy ) but i will let that slide because that's the style Unique would be the word for this movie , it almost has a Disney-anime-lone wolf and cub hybrid feel to it ) and here's to hoping they make a sequel to this , or something like this in the future - I really did not know what to make of this movie at first but after watching for awhile i really started to get into the characters . Intense action ( gory at the beginning ) believable drama , awesome backdrops and the fight at the end has to be seen to be believed , not saying it is the best sword fight scene in all anime but it is up there . Easily the best Anime out this year no contest . Buy IT .
031 4 Sword of the stranger has a very real feel to it unlike many other Anime or rather ' toons ' out there - for starters the characters are likable and very believable whereas anime such as Ninja Scroll centered on the mythological demons , and creatures genre . The animation is raw ( meaning the background ) the character development is excellent , be that as it may I found the Designs a little off i.e . one of the samurai's arms were to long , and No-Name barely had any muscle tone you figure if one is a samurai and carries a sword everywhere he's going to look like he's at least halfway healthy ) but i will let that slide because that's the style Unique would be the word for this movie , it almost has a Disney-anime-lone wolf and cub hybrid feel to it ) and here's to hoping they make a sequel to this , or something like this in the future - I really did not know what to make of this movie at first but after watching for awhile i really started to get into the characters . Intense action ( gory at the beginning ) believable drama , awesome backdrops and the fight at the end has to be seen to be believed , not saying it is the best sword fight scene in all anime but it is up there . Easily the best Anime out this year no contest . Buy IT .
032 4 Sword of the Stranger has beautiful animation and is the best swordfight anime I've seen in the last few years . While the plot is familiar ( broody / silent warrior helps bratty orphan ) it's packed with a lot of action scenes that are very bloody ala Kill Bill .
Set during the Sengoku ( feudal warring states ) era in Japan , the story is about Kotarou , an orphan boy being hunted by Chinese Ming soldiers . He and his loyal ( and cute ) dog meets Nanashi a nameless wandering samurai . They travel together and eventually cross paths with Rarou , the strongest of the Ming warriors who is also looking for a worthy opponent to fight with .
The ' stranger ' in the story happens to be a foreigner . Nanashi the ronin is often haunted by nightmares of his past . He doesn't know his real name and only knows that he was the sole survivor of a shipwreck . He dyes his naturally red hair black to blend in . Rarou the Ming swordsman is also a westerner , he is big , blond and blue eyed . It is not explained how he ended up in China . Anyway , these two meet up in one of the best animated swordfight scenes in a long time .
It's interesting that the strongest swordsmen in this story happen to be outsiders - westerners . While both the Japanese and Chinese overlords are far from honorable . One weak spot is the lack of explanation to why Kotarou is specifically important to the Ming emperor's immortality ceremony .
So if you are a fan of Yoji Yamada & Kurosawa sword flicks and anime like Rurouni Kenshin ( identical to Nanashi , guilt-ridden red hair swordsman ) & Samurai Champloo you will enjoy this film .
034 4 That is , the best anime to be released on DVD in the US this year . I beloieve that it was actually released in 2007 .
Anyway , if you buy this then you are in for a real treat . It is the classic lone swordsman story , done exceedingly well . The artwork is top notch and the sword fighting is breathtaking . This film is in the same league as Ninja Scroll and Afro Samurai .
You can't go wrong buying this DVD .
035 4 I found this anime to be the first one actually worth buying in 2009 for America . The fight scenes were great and it had a interesting story and likable characters . It reminds me of animes such as Rurouni Kenshin or even Ninja Scroll but it has enough differences to make it not a clone . The animation is worth noting because its seemingly hand drawn as opposed to all computer work . This makes it less crisp , but more of classic feel . The ending fight is pretty spectacular and even the main villian in this flick is pretty hard to hate . The 2 great swordsman , while on different sides , seem to have respect for eachother . I bought this anime on a impulse while browsing Best Buy and I don't regret it one bit . This is one of the few animes that can mix killer fight scenes with an interesting story . . . There is even a superhuman subplot to give this a more sci-fi / fantasy feel at times . Sword of the Stranger has a my highest recommendation .
I'd say if you enjoy this anime then check out Moribito , which is currently being released in America as I write this and it shares a similar storyline and characters .
037 4 Sword of the Stranger is an action movie . The movie takes itself seriously . And despite this being the directors first movie , the attention to detail with the environment prevents it from feeling like a static world . The very limited amount of humor present helps to keep the mood right for the film , but could turn some away . The level of gore is high at times , but not so bad you can't look .
Like most action films , there is a story . And like most action films it isn't the most memorible story . However , the animation quality and the music are great . The Japanese voice actors do an excellent job . Some fan favorites from live-action were casted for major roles . And the young boy that did the voice for the youngest character is spot on . Despite the story not grabbing me like other movies recently , there is a point and there is some character development . The treatment of the Chinese forces present in the film is not in the best light ( as expected with Japan ) . But , interestingly the characteristics that the Japanese characters show are not any better .
Even though I have high praise for this movie , it simply doesn't have much more to offer on blu-ray than with DVD . The picture quality is not vastly improved . It doesn't look bad , it just doesn't look much better than on DVD . That is the only reason I have given this 4 / 5 stars and not 5 / 5 .
038 4 I am a firm believer of quality over quantity , so I am going to keep this short and sweet .
For starters . . . WOW ! What a movie , simply amazing , instant classic .
I am an avid anime viewer and I have been so for quite some time , so I have gone through a lot of anime , some that made me want to rip my hair out and some that have reminded me time and time again why I love anime so much . Although I like many different kinds of anime I tend to refrain from shonen-styled ( with the exception of Black Cat ) anime and go for more adult themed anime such as Paranoia Agent , Berserk , Gungrave , etc .
As mentioned in previous reviews the animation is top knotch . You have to see it for yourself , the detail put into this movie was incredible.It looks even more crisp and vibrant on blu ray . The scenery was simply breathtaking . Beautifully hand-drawn and NO CGI ! ! !
The story is one that mixes many elements . So perfectly balanced . It made me sad , it made me happy , it made me laugh , and altogether left me speechless . The action was fast paced and perfectly executed , not to mention bloody . Sudio bones is by far one of my favorite studios and they did not disappoint ! The music complemented the movie flawlessly . Between the beautiful animation and great music I must have experienced chills several times throughout .
I'd hate to say this , but many animes tend to disappoint as far as endings go . Well , this one doesn't , in fact the climax / ending is the best part . Such gripping action and so passionate .
All-in-all this is one of my favorite anime movies of all time . I recommend it to anime fans and even new-comers alike .
Buy it and enjoy ! A + + + + + + + 5 / 5
042 4 Well I think the story could have been adapted better.Character development could be better.The animation could nave been better.They could made it a bit darker or a more artistic approach .
The fight sequence is not bad but my favorite part of this movie is the voice acting of the actors , even though the Chinese parts sounded a bit strange to me .
I love how Nagase delivered his lines.He sounded so natural and believable.Sometimes I would let the movie on and just listen . Sounded as if he is really acting out his lines , I could tell he is not a seiyuu , it is very refreshing .
043 4 Sword of the Stranger is a FANTASTIC anime movie . The story is a little cliche ( it's sort of a Japanese vs . Chinese story , with the old Kenshin-style fallen samurai searching for redemption thrown in ) , but the story works with the artwork and action sequences and everything else as a whole to make something that seems more novel than the story alone would suggest .
The characters are all well-formed and well-acted , and seem much more substantial than the traditional Ninja Scroll-style villain . The little kid , Kotaro , and his dog could have been sickly sweet and too cute for their own good , but they are instead depicted realistically , so they don't derail the entire movie . The fallen samurai with no name is a bit of a Kenshin ripoff , but his interactions with Kotaro and the other characters seem genuine enough and his character arc seems complete and real , so it's forgivable . The main villain , the foreigner working for the Chinese , is suitably terrifying and believably monstrous .
The pacing of the story is just perfect , with an awesome swordplay demonstration by the foreign tough guy to start things off , little tastes of action here and there throughout the middle , and an explosive finale that literally leaves entire armies in piles of bloody chunks . The Chinese influence is definitely there , and if you've seen movies like Once Upon a Time in China or Iron Monkey , the finale especially will seem familiar . It looks and feels like a Hong Kong wuxia film cranked up to 11 .
For anyone who likes anime movies like Ninja Scroll or the Samurai X OVA , or Hong Kong wuxia films like Hero or House of Flying Daggers , I can't recommend Sword of the Stranger enough . I haven't seen an example of this genre that's this good in YEARS .
044 4 I only watched this because of Amazon reviews I found and felt compelled to watch it .
It is a great Anime movie and the story maybe simple but good .
here is my ratings in short
Story . . . . . . . 5 - star
Animation . . . 5 - star
Sound . . . . . . . 4 - star
Overall . . . . . 5 - star
048 4 NOTE : This review has major spoilers for this movie . If you don't want to be spoiled don't read the review until after you have seen the movie .
Sword of the Stranger , which was conceived , written , produced , and animated by BONES (
Fullmetal Alchemist
, Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood ,
Cowboy Bebop : Knockin ' On Heaven's Door
, etc . ) , is largely an action anime that takes place during the period of the Ming Dynasty . It takes place in Japan itself but there is also a large Chinese influence on parts of the plot , complete with Mandarin being mixed with Japanese .
Directed by Masahiro Ando , Sword of the Stranger has garnered tons of praise in various anime communities and with professional movie critics . Does it live up to the hype ? Not in the slightest . Read on .
Story
- - - - -
There's a story ? Ok , ok . To be fair , this movie does have a story , albeit a rather inconsequential , uninteresting , and cliche-ridden one .
Sword of the Stranger starts with a young boy named Kotaro , his dog Tobimaru , and his master running away from a burning temple . Kotaro and Tobimaru get separated from Kotaro's master and are forced to fend for themselves .
The two of them end up in a small town and meet a mysterious stranger with a katana . The katana has a special knot on it to prevent this stranger from drawing the sword . After trading lots of cute jabs with the stranger , Kotaro and Tobimaru get attacked . Tobimaru gets poisoned and Kotaro is almost captured ( the reasons for this are unexplained at this point in the story ) .
Enter No Name , the mysterious stranger with a katana . He jumps into action to defend Kotaro and Tobimaru , all without drawing his sword . However , he still kills using other weapons . So while there's definitely symbolism to him not drawing his sword , he doesn't really adhere to what it eventually stands for . Unlike Balsa in
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
, who quite simply does not kill ( ever ) , No Name is more than willing to cut off limbs , heads , and cut people in half whenever the script tells him its time for more bloodshed .
Anyway , after yet MORE jabs with No Name , Kotaro demands that No Name work for him to help save his dog . After some reluctance , No Name agrees ( take note of this ! ) and they're off to a nearby town to get Tobimaru some help .
Inter-cut throughout all of this are numerous scenes of a Big Bad Unnamed Westerner ( tm ) , who is good with a sword , killing people , acting tough , and working toward some evil agenda for the Ming Dynasty in China . All he cares about is killing others and finally meeting a worthy opponent . He has absolutely no backstory at all and is never developed beyond loving violence . I'll let others fill in the gaps when it comes to who his worthy opponent is . . .
Apparently , the Japanese have allowed the Chinese to build some sort of tower on their land to create some sort of superhuman drug simply known as xian . This drug is shown to drastically increase response time , a user's ability to fight , severely decrease pain sensitivity , and makes people incredibly bloodthirsty ( naturally , whenever the script demands more blood ) . The downside is its users get addicted . The secret ingredient that makes this special drug work ? The blood of a child every one hundred years . The blood is fed into some sort of time device and a ritual is performed . Kotaro is the chosen sacrifice this time around . Why they can't simply get another kid is never explained . It just has to be Kotaro because he's the protagonist that No Name needs to save . Why ? Because the story says so !
In typical anime cliche fashion , both No Name and Kotaro have a Mysterious Past ( tm ) that doesn't get revealed until the climax of the movie . While patiently sitting through the confusing editing , unclear plot , and boring characterization , I was hoping that these backstories would at least hold up enough to justify all the senseless / random violence , Kotaro's constant bitching and whining , and No Name's almost non-existent dialog . Unfortunately , they do not .
Kotaro's story is simple : he was taken to China when he was really young . His parents both died . He was brought back to Japan and was raised in the temple that burned at the beginning of the movie . No Name's story is ripped right out of almost any samurai movie / JRPG you can think of . He was an exceptional soldier in some unnamed war at an undisclosed period of time in the past . For some reason , he needed to execute a mother and child in cold blood . So now he refuses to draw his sword . And he dyes his hair black ( it's normally red ) . That's it . Those are the backstories that were kept under wraps for most of the movie .
The movie more or less ends with an incredibly contrived battle at the Chinese tower , while a clock ticks down to the right moment for Kotaro to be killed . This battle is interspersed with numerous scenes of No Name and Tobimaru running around searching for Kotaro ( oh yeah , I forgot to mention he was captured earlier ) . They somehow manage to get led to the Chinese temple and No Name springs into action to save Kotaro . Yes , he finally draws his sword to save a kid , and thus allows him to atone for his previous murder .
After saving Kotaro and spilling lots of blood in the process , No Name and Big Bad Blond Westerner , duke it out in a long , draw out battle that exists simply because the movie needed a big battle between the two . At this point , Big Bad Blond Westerner and No Name are the only two survivors of this whole affair , not counting Kotaro and Tobimaru . The two fight and Big Bad Westerner is defeated , complete with a short scene of him violently coughing up and choking on his own blood . ( Thanks , I really needed to see and hear that . ) Kotaro , Tobimaru , and No Name ride off into the sunset ( seriously ) , having defeated the Big Bad Westerner . Roll credits .
I've already devoted far more time to the story section than this movie deserves but it really is as simplistic , contrived , and incoherent as I've described it . The characters are all underdeveloped , all of the villains are nothing more than mustache twirling , walking cliches , the protagonists are boring , and the editing makes following what little plot there is incredibly confusing . The story lacks emotion and depth , and there are so many large plot holes / unexplained story elements that you can probably fly the
Battlestar Galactica
through them . Just awful . You're better off beating yourself over the head with a baseball bat . I guarantee that would be more fun , and kill fewer brain cells than this movie .
Animation
- - - - - - - - -
One place where Sword of the Stranger really shines is in the animation . The movie was animated by BONES , and as usual , they don't disappoint . Animation is fluid and fast paced . The fight sequences are very well-animated .
And while the fights are clearly not done in a realistic manner like in
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
, which has some of the best martial arts choreography I've ever seen in an anime , they fit the movie well enough . Sadly , due to the lack of depth in the story , the fights aren't very fulfilling and are simply something to watch to help pass the time . Hopefully you don't mind blood spilling constantly though . This movie has tons of it .
The colors are dark and are generally vibrant , but overall I found them to be somewhat lacking . They do a decent enough job conveying the world and the characters , but like the story , they ultimately kind of fall flat .
That said , the character design is quite good . It isn't anything all that groundbreaking but the characters are all well-designed .
Music & Sound
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
( Note : I have not seen this movie in English . Only Japanese . And there's no way I'm going through it again to sample the English version . )
For the most part , the sound in this movie is quite good . The voice acting is also top notch . Even Kotaro , who is insanely annoying all the way through the movie , is generally well acted . Interestingly , many of the characters switch between Mandarin and Japanese at various points in the movie . This definitely adds some authenticity to the characters ' dealings with the Chinese . It isn't enough to save the movie but it's a good choice stylistically .
The sound effects are adequate but nothing to really write home about . Standard martial arts screaming , sword clashing , etc . If you like hearing people bleed to death while choking on their own blood ( Big Bad Westerner gets a special scene where all he does is cough up blood ) , then this movie definitely excels there . That really isn't my cup of tea though and the excessive blood gushing isn't even justified by a strong plot and characterization . It just exists .
The music is actually kind of tricky . If you take the music on its own , it's actually quite good . Much of it is very beautiful and relaxing . Lots of drumming too .
However , if you take this music and match it up with the action in the movie in the way that was done here , it just doesn't fit in most cases . It fits in some scenes ( some of the early action sequences ) but there are countless other scenes where people were killing each other left and right , all set to relaxing traditional Japanese music . It just didn't fit . At all .
Conclusion
- - - - - - - - - -
I'm having a really difficult time seeing why this movie is so loved . I really am . From start to finish it's nothing but one giant anime cliche . Yes , the animation is good and so is the voice acting , but the story is incredibly unoriginal and predictable , the characters are bland and undeveloped , and the action is excessively gory , uninteresting , predictable , and downright boring without a decent story to support it . The music is decent and actually quite beautiful , but it usually doesn't fit the action .
The bottom line : this movie is a contrived , incoherent mess of a production . It starts out with a lot of promise but falls short with everything but animation . Ignore the hype and ignore the raving critics . Good anime this is NOT . In fact , it was downright painful for me to watch it to the end . If you want a good story with great action that's set in a fantasy world mirroring feudal Japan with highly developed characters and beautiful animation , I strongly recommend checking out
Moribito : Guardian of The Spirit
instead . It's a much larger time investment but it's worth it . Or check out the
Rurouni Kenshin OVAs
. Or even the
Rurouni Kenshin
anime series . If you must see Sword of the Stranger , get a free NetFlix trial and see it that way . Don't pay for it .
