Shigurui

Be prepared, Shigurui: Death Frenzy is not for everyone. It's gruesomely violent, has very few redeemable or likeable characters, it's rapey, shockingly gory and has pretty much zero moments of humour.

I also kind of loved it.

The story takes place in the 1600's in a dojo where the sensei is training samurai in order to choose his eventual successor and the backstabbing, murder and betrayals going on in the background. That's the basic gist of it, i don't want to spoil anything.

Pretty much every character is a psychopath especially the sensei, the fight scenes are so stylish and brutal and the tone and atmosphere so thick with dread and tension that i do not blink when i watch this show.

The violence really is extreme with dismemberment, eyeballs being slashed with swords (and eaten), jaws being detached from faces and characters having teeth stuck in their fists after delivering particularly hard blows to their opponents.

It really isn't for sensitive viewers but if that sounds cool to you then....well it is pretty cool.

I enjoyed the soundtrack too which is mostly traditional Japanese instruments and dark ambient drones which make it feel really intense. It's like watching a horror movie.

I can definitely see some people hating it due to it's slow pace, relentlessly downbeat tone and extreme content (including sexual violence) but i think this is an underrated gem.

Shigurui is an anime that centers around the lives of the 2 foremost disciples of the Kogan style - a form of swordplay that allows the user to deliver lethal strikes from extraordinary distances and with blinding speed. One disciple is driven by his ambition to ascend through the social rungs despite his common birth; the other is driven by his blind devotion to his master and to preserving the legacy of the sword school. They have been dubbed the twin dragons of the Kogan, but only one can emerge as the successor to inherit the school and its fortune, and for this honor only the strongest will be chosen.

-Key aspects:

The swordplay depicted in Shigurui is markedly different from the variety you'll commonly see in anime (where people smack their swords together while performing gymnastics). The katana is a weapon designed to kill with a single stroke, and Shigurui adheres to this basic principle. This is a large part of what sets the action in this anime a cut above its peers. Shigurui features true swordplay in which every stroke has meaning, and where the first clash is often the last.

The art, visual effects, and soundtrack are all top notch. Every scene is crafted with painstaking care and it all sums up to an experience that is nothing short of a masterpiece.

It is important to note, however, that this is not a simple anime, so unless you're prepared to invest yourself in the narrative, and possess a certain degree of 'mental refinement' (for lack of a better term) Shigurui probably won't speak to you as deeply. The anime is also gore-heavy; it shows you exactly what happens when a swords comes into contact with flesh and it isn't pretty. This may be a deciding turnoff for you, and that's understandable. Some people have a stronger stomach than others.I would encourage you not to simply dismiss the content as gratuitous however.

-In closing: Ever since Shigurui I have been searching for an anime in the samurai genre that could provide me with an experience on par with death frenzy, and sadly nothing seems to come close. I can't even watch most anime anymore because they bore me in comparison to Shigurui. I truly believe that this is the pinnacle of production in an anime to date.

This is a 12 part Anime series. I watched the Blu-ray (english 5.1) and thought it was "translated well", without knowing the original language (which is also on the disc in 2.0). Atmosphere and presentation is where this series really shines. The voice acting is good and ambient sounds can be great at times. The artwork and sound design is impressive and can be almost hypnotic. The story may seem a bit convoluted and i actually watched the 1st part again after finishing the series, but much of it comes together in the end.

This is not your average Samurai-Anime, if you're looking for something action-packed like Ninja Scroll, you won't find it here. If you like the more arty touch and trippiness of Ghost in the Shell and thrive on atmosphere and just enjoying the animated art, then you're in the right place. There aren't huge battles or war-scenes, the Samurai are mostly dueling, building up tension with dialog and the great score before bursting into short but intense fights. There is some pretty graphic violence, so only recommendable to adults, especially with the slower, more atmospheric style of the series, which can be interpreted as "boring" by viewers with a short attention span.

If you are in need of another Samurai fix, but with more action, then check out Ninja Scroll (1993) + Basilisk (2005)

Shigurui: death frenzy captivated me from the first episode. It's a slow burner, but every second is tense. The score is blended it to every aspect of it and sets the mood for every scene. I found myself having to rewind many times to understand the scene that goes by quickly, but the show rewards you paying attention. It's beautifully crafted and makes you feel like you're in ancient Japan. I don't know how this show isn't rated higher, maybe because it isn't your mainstream action packed anime. It is a mature, graphic and bloody tale that quite literally moves to the beat of its own drum. Yet it never lacks in pacing. If ghost of tsushima and basilisk ninja scrolls had a lovechild it would be this. 10/10.

Absolute Masterpiece, I wish they made more Anime series like this. A little ambiguity in this series, but it makes up for the realism that it gives in the series. After watching this anime, even the "good" Anime doesn't feel worth watching. Shigurui and Ninja Scroll are one of the best Anime for me. Looking forward to Anime like this.