# Katanagatari (2010)

> A brilliant strategist sends a sole swordsman to recover twelve legendary blades that can each defeat an army.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/42038

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, drama
- Network: Fuji TV
- Cast: Yukari Tamura, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Mai Nakahara, Chihiro Suzuki, Mitsuru Miyamoto, Hikaru Midorikawa, Haruka Tomatsu, Ryotaro Okiayu
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1945730/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: stylized, melancholic, contemplative, witty

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, valuing its stylized anime action and sharp dialogue-driven duels.

## Synopsis

Katanagatari (2010) is a Japanese animated miniseries produced by White Fox and based on a novel, aired on Fuji TV. Its protagonist is the sharp-witted strategist Togame, voiced by Yukari Tamura, who hires the swordsman Shichika Yasuri, voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya, to recover twelve legendary swords forged by the swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki. Each sword is powerful enough that a single wielder can defeat an army, so every episode pairs the pair with a new holder who has either gone rogue or kept the blade for himself. The show runs for twelve episodes and is built as a serialized quest in which each duel and conversation moves a larger scheme forward. Its fights are stylized and dialogue-heavy, with theatrical verbal sparring between the leads and sharp stylized violence. The look and tone mix an invented Edo-inspired Japan with mythic seriousness and a dry wit, giving the series a melancholic, contemplative mood. Fans of Samurai Champloo, Blade of the Immortal and Basilisk will find resonance in its blend of swordplay, historical styling and character-driven drama. The series is a seinen-leaning production that rewards close attention to its language and its duels.

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