zturner - 2014-11-22 04:48:53

Honestly, while watching the first episode, I was skeptical. I wasn't fond of Togame at first, but she grew on me. I was immediately in love with Shichika and then grew to love them both even more. As every character was introduced, I saw more and more of what I considered to be an amazing adventure full of excitement and character growth! 
I can't express enough how wonderful it is to see Shichika and Togame grow as people throughout the series. Not to mention that the relationship between the two of them is entirely satisfying. Oh, and let's not forget all the action packed "swordfights." It's definitely not boring by any means.

And what's more to love is that even if you're not a big fan of the art style, the animation is amazing and even better is the soundtrack. 

In the end, I feel like if something had you hooked enough to make you cry, it was really good. Please just watch it, wow.

fahey.icie - 2014-10-30 05:12:29

[Old review is old.]

Katanagatari is one of those anime that thinks it has enough content and entertainment to warrant fifty minutes per episode. But while other anime were pretty accurate in their judgements (Hellsing Ultimate, Fate/Zero, GTO), Katanagatari overestimates itself. If you’re already offended because I accused this show of claiming to be much smarter than it actually is, better clear out now because you won’t be liking the next few paragraphs.

Katanagatari follows a man named Sichika Yasuri, a well trained martial artist who possesses a unique style of sword fighting in which he himself is the blade. A mysterious woman named Togame appears before him asking for help in her quest to find the legendary last 12 swords crafted by the swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki. On their journey they encounter many opponents and uncover pasts in an attempt to prevent disaster for the future. 12 episodes for 12 swords is a pretty straightforward presentation. Each episode is a self-contained escapade in discovering whoever possesses the blade they want, planning how to obtain it, exposing a piece of the overall plot, eventually winding up at a built-up conclusion in the final episode. Simple format, so how do they screw it up?

The real problem is that fifty minutes per episode is way too much time to present the content that Katanagatari has to tell. Each episode feels stalled to death to show something that can easily be done in a normal twenty minute slot. Making the length worse is Katanagatari’s undying love for talking heads, something that shouldn’t be present in something that relies on the so-called unique visuals to tell the story. Everything in the plot is hand-fed to the viewers with constant straightforward dialogue about things that are going to happen later, not showing what’s happening in the moment or using effective foreshadowing like a competent scriptwriter ought to do. After half an hour of explaining the obvious to the audience, the climaxes go by in an extremely short amount of time and struggle to provide satisfying endings.

The way in which the content is presented is equally problematic. Each of the 12 swords come with a different kind of philosophy that the anime tried to flesh out and present to viewers, but exploring said teachings with extended talking heads, oddly long bits of fanservice, and pretty generic fights is an awfully lazy way to go about it. When they do talk about it in the time allotted away from the stale villains and failed visual combat, the scenes turn out stronger than the rest of the show’s offerings. However, when different types of swords, unique fighting styles, or conflicting viewpoints result in the same lightning fast impossible duels that people can find anywhere in the cesspool of shounen, it appears that the meat got completely shafted.

The leads are safely boring; lifeless takes on juvenile anime tropes in stylized clothing. In the least, their designs were fun and fit decently with what the story required of them, but after ten hours of sluggish development, they are nowhere near what I could consider “good”. Credit given that they did at least feel original, in their looks, voice acting, or much slower behaviors, and the fact that I genuinely didn’t mind traveling with them on the journey. Episodic characters, while skimping in the development they should normally have gotten in a show this length, were still done well enough in their overall stories. The only time I saw people being completely shafted was in the finale, where our protagonist battles opponent after opponent, each with cool designs and battle styles, but the show brushes right the fuck over them as quickly as possible. Even during and after said finale, the mains still feel like unchanged emotionless pawns dropped in a surrounding story. Overall a pretty ineffective bunch if you ask me.

One glance at the visuals can plainly recognize the main factor in the show’s special identity. The backgrounds are depicted and painted uniquely, and the designs and simplicity of the people give a fantastic charm to the world. Regardless, those aspects fade away as we find out that the script is thin as a leaf, and the show loses the flare that it starts off with. The animation itself was done by Whitefox, and while it definitely isn’t bad, I never thought it impressive or vastly different. Focus is given to those wonderful talking heads for the majority of the series, and the combat animation ends up being simplistic stereotypical shounen battle nonsense. Odd seeing how the show’s thematic focus happened to be on fighting styles and the philosophies behind swordplay. It’s unfortunate that the animation (from a completely capable studio) wasn’t able to build on those themes in the slightest, or push the stylized look to the fullest it could be. But we got what we got, which is pretty substandard when all’s said and done.

The soundtrack was able to split me up in regards to quality. On one hand, great atmospheric tracks with gorgeous vocals complemented the fantasy, but on the other hand, jarring hip-hop tracks stuck out sorely like an elephant at a mouse convention. Iwasaki Taku reuses his methods for Gurren Lagann and Soul Eater, pulling out the hip-hop during those pointless moments when the anime decides to diverge from the perfectly serious atmosphere in order to get in a few cheap comedic bits (some of which last for a grueling few minutes). The three bumpers don’t do anything for me either, but the vocal tracks alleviate some of the OST (though 22 is  really just a wannabe Making Of A Cyborg).

By the end of the series, I’m glad to say that a few good turns and twists kept my interest from completely faltering. During writing about the philosophy of the swords ends up being quite interesting to listen to. And though there were only a couple, I did enjoy some episodic plots and their respective characters. But throughout the anime and especially in the finale, all is lost to tedious repetition of meaningless fighting, shafted opportunities, and a script so drawn out that the good bits are surrounded in ooze of stalling dialogue, culminating in a climax and resolution that underwhelm more than they fulfill. Despite the praise people love to give it, I wouldn’t suggest this show before many others that effortlessly accomplish what Katanagatari so plainly can’t.

Katanagatari (2012):
4.2

raynor.dortha - 2014-07-22 09:27:09

You could pretty much summarize the whole plot of Katanagatari (sword story in English) by it's title. Because, it really is story about two people traveling around japan, collecting twelve magical swords. However, when you actually sit down and watch it, you will probably get more out of it than you had expected.

Story:

As I said before, it has a pretty simplistic story. The story follows the 2 main characters as they set out on a journey all around Japan to collect twelve swords. the main focus of each episode is a new sword for the two to collect. When they are not fighting to collect another sword, the characters are probably spending their time talking to each other. This might sound boring, but the dialogue is well written and even really funny at times. Depending on your taste, the fact that the episodes are 45 minutes long, and that a lot of that time is spent on conversations between the characters might be a turn off.

Art:

The art of Katanagatari is well... interesting to say the least. Its very colorful and eye catchy, this is mainly in part to keep the viewers attention while the characters talk themselves to death. However, corners are not cut when it comes to things like attention to detail and backgrounds. Some of the backgrounds in the show were even pretty darn beautiful. The fight scenes were also done very well, and the animation was fluid during them.

Sound:

While I don't specifically remember any "standout songs" in the OST, the music does fit the shows theme and era very well. It sets the mood of the show and does it's job when needed. The OP's and ED's were also very good. the voice acting was pretty average.

Characters:

Because the show has a big focus on dialogue, the characters that are talking have to be interesting, or else the show would just be boring. Luckily, the characters in Katanagatari are pretty darn interesting to say the least. The two main leads of the show are really neat characters. At 1st they seem like generic anime archetypes, however, they definitely have their own personalities quirks that set them apart from the crowd. Also, they go through quite a lot of character development throughout the show ( Sad that this is a bit of a rarity these days). Most of the side characters are not given enough screen time to fully flesh them out, however they each have their own unique personalities and motives.

Enjoyment:

My own personal enjoyment of this show is really high, between the witty dialogue and interesting characters, I found that there are almost never a boring moment in the show. However, I can definitely understand why some people would not enjoy this show as much as I did. If you are going into this just wanting a dumb action show (absolutely nothing wrong with that),you are probably going to be disappointed. Also, the sheer amount of time spend on talking, witty dialogue or not, could turn you away. However, if you are looking for something just a little bit different from the norm, then I think that this show has a lot to offer.

earl.thiel - 2014-01-19 02:06:47

Gather around for the long haul because once you start watching this series you won't be able to stop until each 45 minute episode is through. You are a lucky bastard for being able to marathon this instead of waiting for the monthly installments as it was airing. You're not intrigued yet? On with the review then.

Story

Katanagatari follows two characters in medieval Japan as they collect 12 mystical and powerful swords monster of the month style. Each episode you get a different sword and a different fight while you get glimpses into plot machinations in the background. The rest of each episode is largely filled by dialogue between the two main characters in the form of banter or strategic planning. Therefore this series lives and dies by how well the dialogue can keep your ears interested while your eyes soak in the pretty colors and animation. Speaking of animation....

Animation

Right off the bat you notice the unique animation style. It takes some getting used to but it grows on you as the use of geometric shapes and vibrant colors contribute to the upbeat tone of the series. Character models and backgrounds are cleanly animated and there is plenty of detail to take in. The fights are easy to watch and understand and shortcuts aren't noticeably taken, as you would expect from a monthly series.

Sound

Not that memorable, but I had nothing to complain about either. Solid music, good OP/ED.

Character

As discussed in the story section, this show lives and dies by dialogue. It wouldn't have been nearly as successful if the characters were not up to the task. If you look closely you will actually be able to witness character development from the two main characters which is regrettably rare in anime. The side characters are equally entertaining and full of life. My only complain is that the opponents that hold the swords are not fleshed out as well in some cases while others get more than enough attention. But hey, the story is about the swords, not the people that hold them.

Enjoyment/Overall

I looked forward to every episode and have rewatched this series. My enjoyment of it is very high and the payoff at the end is well worth it. I felt it was the perfect end to an exceptional series which is why I rank this in my top 10 series. A rich plot and excellent dialogue maintain the quality throughout the 12 episodes.

fkautzer - 2014-01-16 01:37:53

Katanagatari is written by the same author who created the Monogatari series. If you know the series then you would understand that the amount of talking is massive. Katanagatari is no different. When the action does pop up it is worth it! The finale is sure to bring your eyes open. If you can handle the amount of talking Bakemonogatari had then Katanagatari is very much worth the watch.

abigale.mante - 2013-12-19 12:09:28

Katanagatari is a 2010 show written by Nisio Ishin. The same author of Bakemonogatari and the whole Monogatari series. Of course these 2 shows have no relation to each other at all. It is generally a slow paced show at first but gradually became better and better as it progress. Katanagatari is another show with ridiculous amount of dialogue like Tatami Galaxy and the Monogatari series. Of course having ridiculous amount of dialogue don't mean anything bad or good. The whole purpose of doing such thing is to emphasise the whole meaning of what the characters trying to do and say. It may be overdoing it but it also serves the purpose of being artistic and stylish. Don't be turn off by the huge chunk of dialogue. Disliking a show because of how the characters talk is not a very good reason isn't it.

Katanagatari was set in the Edo era, where Katana is still the most popular weapon. This show is all about Katana (Japanese sword) just like the title suggest. It's about our two main characters, Shichika and Togame journey to collect all 12 legendary katana crafted by a legendary sword smith in the Sengoku Era. It's a 12 episodes anime, being 50 minutes long each episode, which means it's a little bit longer than a typical 24 episodes anime.

The general story here is quite predictable; you can pretty much predict what's going to happen at the end of each episode except the last one. Even though it's generally predictable, it is the little details that are very unpredictable. Such as the enemies, new characters and twists.

+ The positive:

1. Amazing final episode

2. Amazing ending

3. Improve overtime

4. Unpredictable little details

5. Unpredictable ending

6. Again, amazing ending

-/+ The neutral (based on opinions and perspectives):

1. Ridiculous amount of dialogue

2. Lack of action

- The negative:

1. Predictable overall plot

2. Slow pace

3. First half is quite weak

Katangatari was adapted by Whitefox. Of course it's the studio that made Steins;Gate! The very reason I watched this anime is because Whitefox animates it. The animation is very cartoonish especially with how the characters look like. It doesn't use much lighting and focuses more on the characters' movement above all else. It's also very colourful but the high contrast is another reason it looks less mature.

The show need more of this stuff

Uuhhmmm. The animation is good

+ The positive:

1. Colourful

2. Good Contrast

3. Smooth movements

4. Great action scenes

-/+ The neutral (based on opinions and perspectives):

1. Cartoonish

2. Character design, especially their eyes

- The negative:

1. Inconsistent animation

2. Lack of lighting

The soundtrack can be pretty weird sometimes. It has a very diverse and wide range of OST. The background music changes as specific character shows up. Overall it matches the wittiness of the show itself and emphasise the atmosphere. The first opening theme is good. However, the second opening is in a different league. The voice acting is normal, nothing special. Of course the best voice would be Shichika and Togame. Shichika's voice was bland at first but gradually more emotions are portrayed later. Every episode have different ending theme that's why it's always refreshing. Although the only ending theme I like is the first one.

+ The positive:

1. Unique OST

2. Original

3. Second opening theme

4. Multiple ending theme

- The negative:

1. Normal voice acting

The 2nd Opening

This show have all kind of different OST

New characters are introduced every episode. Each of them has very diverse personality from each other. All Katanagatari's characters are original with almost no resemblance to any other anime character. Shichika and Togame have one of the best chemistry in the whole show, it's also a fundamental element in the show. The characters development can be clearly seen as the show progress. The characters changed slowly and realistically till the end of the show, they are like completely different person but still having their signature traits. It's not like some show where the characters just suddenly changed their whole personnel after one event. Towards the end of the story I can assure you will feel the attachment towards our two main characters.

Shichika and Togame

+ The positive:

1. Great development

2. Great character chemistry

3. Original

4. Unique

- The negative:

1. Some characters are quickly forgotten

I personally did not enjoy the first half of the show. The second half was way more excited and more developments were happening. At first I was expecting a lot of fighting and action scenes but what I got are talking and talking and 5-10 minutes worth of fight scene every episode. The best thing about this show has to be the ending. I fully enjoyed the ending and consider it one of the best anime ending of all time. If it weren't for that ending I wouldn't have make this review.

Katanagatari is a great show with its interesting plot and great development. It may turn off some people because of the slow pace and the dialogue. On the other hand, by completing this show you can enjoy one of the best anime ending ever made.

If you like Katanagatari, watch the Monogatari series starting with Bakemonogatari

You can dislike this review or the show.

"However, by that point you'll be torn to pieces" - Yasuri Shichika

urban.yundt - 2013-08-23 02:35:58

SPOILER-FREE™

White Fox adapted this from the light novel Katanagatari, and although they have the same author and a similar name, it has no connection to the Monogatari series in style, substance or story. The two main characters romp through a mythologized version of feudal Japan, neatly divided into formulaic episodes, collecting swords and killing fucking everyone they see.

Katanagatari is by no means a terrible anime, but if you look at the way it is treated, you might think it’s an absolute masterpiece, or panders to the shounen crowd excessively. Neither is true. The world and action are so ridiculous and clichéd that you might be forgiven for thinking it is simply a parody. If Katanagatari deserves any praise (which indeed it does), it is for managing a certain level of uniqueness. However, uniqueness alone is not enough to carry a series.

STORY 4/10

This is a twelve episode anime about collecting twelve swords. As such, you may begin to notice a pattern that the anime follows. In case you can’t I can spell it out for you: find the sword, find the wielder of the sword, get ready to kill sword wielder, fight scene, kill sword wielder, take sword. Fortunately, Katanagatari is not so obtuse as to staunchly follow this formula for every episode, but it can get pretty tedious at times; sometimes the biggest surprise an episode will shock you with is how few people die.

That’s right, none of the characters have any qualms about killing even friendly characters, resulting in one of the highest body counts per episode I’ve seen in anime. Not that it is necessarily a bad thing, but Katanagatari just makes it annoying; out of a cast of dozens of characters, you can count on one hand those alive at the end. There is even a set of twelve characters who exist for no purpose other than dying violent deaths as soon as they’ve received their quota of characterization.

This “quota of characterization” brings me to another annoying habit of this show: a naruto-esqe need to explain every technique and move of every character. Announcing attacks beforehand already makes the action scenes a little silly, and very few characters indeed do not at least once give a lecture on their fighting style, magical moves or weapons, usually in the middle of a fight. This highlights the more prevalent flaw of excessive dialogue. For an “action” show there is not nearly enough action. A lot of this does contribute to the story and characters, but some of it makes me wonder if it wasn’t just to fill up their 50 minute time slot.

I feel that the ending deserves special attention. Jarring would be an understatement, a better description would be “feels like it’s from a different show.” All of the characters in the final episode have their personalities nearly reversed, and events transpire that makes the rest of the series relatively meaningless. It feels terribly contrived and without spoiling too much, it is a massive disappointment.

ANIMATION 3/10

The art in this show is unique. Opinions on the character designs will be very subjective; they are certainly atypical of anime. Over the course of the series they will likely grow on the viewers. Backgrounds are colorful and charming. The art really does not fit the story and setting but some will love it.

The real weakness of this show’s art is the animation. It starts out passable, but as it goes on you can almost see a counter on the screen as White Fox’s budget for this show drops. Fight scenes are the only part that gets any special attention as the show goes on, and even their quality drops over time. It starts out fairly pretty but increases in still frames, simple designs and reused animation become more obvious. If I did not know they spent a month on each episode I would say it looks rushed. Overall this extreme inconsistency leads to some parts looking quite attractive and others looking really awful.

SOUND 6/10

The music in Katanagatari is pretty lackluster, but often fits very well with the show. The music definitely contributes to the mood of scenes. The voice actors complement the show far worse. Tamura Yukari does a brilliant job as Togame. Unfortunately other characters generally deliver their lines with all the emotion of reading a string of numbers with a director over their shoulder shouting “sound angry for this scene!” The sound effects really shine.

CHARACTER 5/10

The characters are the point of Katanagatari. Whether you like the show are not, everyone will agree that the action, story and everything else are secondary to the character development. Unfortunately, this means the show puts incredible effort into one area that ultimately falls flat on its face. The only good thing I can say about the characters is they are not stereotypes.

The side characters are particularly unimpressive. They are incredibly shallow and most are killed off as soon as they receive just enough development to elicit an emotional reaction from the lowest common denominator. I also can't count the number of "Japan's strongest" that come out of the woodwork.

Togame, Shichika and their relationship are the real focus of the show. Throughout the show they slowly develop from a largely superficial relationship into one of real trust between partners. Finally, at nobody’s surprise, romantic love blossoms between the two. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding this make it unsatisfactory. And it happens during the final episode, which I have mentioned involves everyone acting tremendously out of character.

Although their interactions are very strong, Togame and Shichika themselves are rather weak characters. Shichika especially is quite the Gary Stu, with a lot of forced development. “Why does he fall for Togame in minutes?” Because he does. “Why does he suddenly get way stronger?” Because he does. “Why is he unable to use a sword?” Because it makes a convenient plot device. This sort of thing is constant.

One last problem that bugs me particularly is that Katanagatari succumbs to temptation and commits one of the cardinal sins of anime character development: “cHAIRacter development.” This is changing hair style, especially cutting a female’s hair short, to demonstrate character development. It is usually done when the character is so weak that a superficial change is required to show growth. It was completely unnecessary and just annoying.

ENJOYMENT 6/10

It isn’t hard to get caught up in Katanagatari. If you can overlook some flaws then there isn’t any reason you can’t enjoy watching it. The ending is lousy, but the ride to get there can be pretty fun at times.

CONCLUSION

The art and focus on characters make this show unique, but uneven animation, disappointing characters and the ending cause this show to fail at being what it wanted so desperately to be: special.

kertzmann.nathen - 2013-08-21 08:07:01

name.zboncak - 2013-07-07 21:43:04

Katanagatari is a series that aires one episode every month, which sounds pretty crappy but the episodes are one hour long, so in the end it evens out with most other shows. In my opinion, I'd rather one hour a month. Also, its episodic so I'd rather one episode than an arc. Anyway enough of my preference :PThe story is actually quite simple. Overly simple even. But that isn't a bad thing. Basically, the two main characters are out to collect 12 legendary swords. Conveniently enough, there are 12 episodes. So I'm sure you can put it together that it's about 1 sword an episode, and it's completely episodic. Normally I hate episodic things, but Katanagatari makes up for it in enjoyment. I've only seen half of it so far, so there is plenty of room for the story to blossom for sure. I'm certain it will, but so far it is quite basic, so don't expect plot twists or anything complicated to think about.The art is really unique. It doesn't follow many typical anime cliches, mainly the eyes. Also the character detail gives you a bit of a water colour feel to it, rather than anything detailed. At first I was really skeptical, but it grows on you and becomes very interesting and cool to watch. The fight scenes, few as they are, are really cool and done pretty well. Rather than just a still image of some sort of attack action, they are fully animated, although they are short. Art overall is one of the shows strong points.There are only two characters that you should really worry about. Shichika and Togame. I, personally, love Togame. She cracks me up and her voice is cute. Also seeing her standing next to Shichika (who is like 3 feet taller than her) always amuses me to see. Apparently Togame is supposed to be a genius strategist (according to her xD) but her plans aren't really THAT intelligent. Perhaps next to her partner, she could be considered bright. That brings us to the main character, Shichika. At first, I didn't really like him too much. He seemed to be a typical main character who isn't very bright and only proves his worth with fighting. But as the series went on, I realized that he knew more about what was going on and had a deeper thought process than I had first imagined, making him a very good main character. The chemistry between him and Togame is golden, and yoiu better get used to it because 90% of the series is the two of them talking. The series is very enjoyable, but not for the action. The fight scenes, as I said, are very short and far between. The best part of the show is the dialogue. Some may find it boring, but most of the show is just talking between the main characters. For example, they spent about 20 minutes talking about Shichika having a catch phrase (which is later referred to again in the episode and at that moment I knew this series would be great.) It's a lot of fun and even more, it comes out once a month so you tend to forget it exists and when it does come out it's a pleasant surprise :POverall this series is great so far and I can only seen good things ahead of it. Not perfect of course, but very enjoyable and can be kind of deep sometimes. The symbolism between Shichikia and Togame's sword is kind of genius and simple at the same time. The diaglogue between main characters is fantastic and really makes the series. So if you are looking for flashy action scenes and plot twists, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for something like spice and wolf, this is a good one to check outLooking forward to more episodes.

parker.derrick - 2013-04-25 22:18:23

When you take a glance at this anime, you're met by unconventional artwork off the bat, as it's the conventional that pretty much headlines anime these days, thus unusual is something some people may be attracted to or repelled by; if you're of the latter - reconcider.Story...Katanagatari is an action adventure anime that spans across a certian period of time whilst maintaining a fast pace.We are met with a streetwise, serious yet not-too-competent female who is soon joined on her quest by a fairly clueless male who has a lot to learn.The two form an unconventional relationship and set off on the female leads quest - encountering new friends and opponents along the way.Art...Quite creative - the character design isn't consistant; some characters are a lot more human looking then others, yet only slightly, which somehow works. The scenery is very pleasant; in brightness and in darkness, there is always plenty of detail within the strong colours which always stand out.Characters...Unusual characters in comparrison to many other anime characters, especially compared to those who are ususally appointed the 'lead' - we have a male who doesn't play butmonkey dispite being genuien 'clueless' and a strong willed female lead who isn't a high level tsundere or moe; these characters have something to say, as do the minors we encounter during the series.If you're familiar with this authors; 'monogatari series's, then you may recognise a some of the authors approach to wit threw the headlining characters, such as mocking anime cliche's.Enjoyment...I really enjoyed this. I have watched many upon many anime's and frankly, it can be hard to find something that really qualifies as different, yet this is one of those that could entertain an anime veteran - someone who has watched a lot of anime will pick up on the blatent use of cliche's that otherwise, may or may not annoy people, aswell as the regular breaking of conventions many anime's would avoid doing in order to keep the audience happy.Overall...A must see, especially for all of you who feel you have pretty much seen it all.