Completed Series: Katanagatari

[catystorm]

Title: Katanagatari (刀語)
Episodes: 12
Year: 2010
Studio: WHITE FOX

Katanagatari is a story that was told slowly, over the course of a year. Unlike other anime series and seasons, this twelve-episode series was told a month at a time, one episode released at a time. Each episode clocked in at a whopping 50 minutes, though, so it was hardly a short story by any sense of the word.

This narrative follows Yasuri Shichika, the seventh head of the Kyoutoryuu school of swordfighting. The difference in his sword style though, is that it does not use swords. He is recruited by the strategician Togame to help locate and recover the twelve deviant swords of the swordsmith Shikikaze Kiki.

Each episode is devoted to a sword, the different styles of which are always unique. There is a much larger story here of course; about Shichika growing used to the outside world after having lived in exile his entire life due to his father's actions, never minding the machinations of shadowy characters just out of sight.

I have to say that the ending did not shock me as I saw it coming; but it's easy to miss the clues that are laid out. I did enjoy it, and I did particularly like the ending, I felt it fit the series very well. It's a very pretty series, the character designs and outfits certainly stand out, although it looks bright and colorful and childlike in nature it does not pull any punches when characters are killed. And there is a lot of death.

It's a slow build, a brightly colored yet melancholy tale set during the feudal era of Japan's development. Of course it appealed to me. I definitely recommend it for someone who is looking for something a little different in their anime.