Studio Bones was founded in 1998 by former members of Studio Sunrise, and while Sunrise is still alive and well, Bones feels like it carries the former's creative spirit but for stories that don't all involve mecha. Among their first projects was the film version of Escaflowne and the Cowboy Bebop movie, but their first original film came in 2007, with Sword of the Stranger.
Anyone who has browsed YouTube looking for anime fight scenes to indulge in may very well have seen Sword of the Stranger and forgotten it. It's remembered most of all for its climactic final fight, a sword battle between the titular stranger Nanashi and Luo Lang, which several uploads of the fight regarded as one of the best in the history of anime. In a strange sense, this final fight which - in theory - spoils the film has also been the most effective advertisement for it in the years since its release and subsequent descent into obscurity. Those that remember it have not only committed its sights and sounds to memory, but have uncovered a greater love for the medium of animation through it. But is the film itself worth watching?
Intro To Sakuga
Since the final fight is the starting point for many people's journey to discovering this film, there's no harm in continuing that tradition and focusing on the rest of the film later. The final fight is over two minutes long, which might sound short if you don't factor in the larger machinations of the battle leading to this moment. But it isn't just two 2 and a half minutes long, it's a two-and-a-half-minute-long fight animated by just one man, Yutaka Nakamura. Nakamura is essentially a meme in the animation community at this point, having made some incredible work over his more than 30 years in the industry.
This fight demonstrates their skill at action choreography beautifully, and with the storyboards and direction of Masahiro Ando, the film's director, it's a match made in heaven. Viewers have been awestruck by this fight for years, and for many, it's an introduction to sakuga. Sakuga is the Japanese word for the act of creating animation, and it defines most of the production process behind all anime. In a communal sense, Sakuga is a very flexible term, being used to describe "good" animation, but also referring to the sakuga community, which celebrates individual animators.
Masahiro Ando, as a director, is often associated with his action more than anything else. He has directed anime that are not purely action-driven, such as Snow White with the Red Hair, but even in those shows, the limited action scenes are better than some fights in a lot of shone. When he works on anything, there's an expected quality of action that he brings to the table.
Most people think that the final fight is the best part, and while that may be true, to dismiss the rest of the film is a tragic mistake. However good that final fight is, it feels that much more satisfying as the cap-off to such a simple but endearing story. The passion that went into the final battle can be felt throughout.
Wolf and Cub
No matter where in the world movies are made, there is something about an adult playing bodyguard to a child on a cross-country journey that seldom gets old. Whether as a Western, a samurai film, or a fantasy epic, it's a tried and true template for balancing contrasting character types. An older, typically guarded protector slowly opens up and becomes more vulnerable in the presence of an innocent child. In Sword of the Stranger, a young boy named Kotarou is on the run from a group of warriors from China who wish to use him in a ritual to gain their leader's immortality. Kotarou and his loyal dog, Tobimaru, come upon Nanashi - or No Name - a ronin whose sword is tied shut. After an attempt is made on the boy's life, Nanashi agrees to escort him to safety.
From there, the story is fairly straightforward as they evade the local authorities who have been bribed by the cult that's chasing Kotarou. Among the cult members are skilled mercenaries, but one in particular, a foreigner that sticks out from the group, finds an interest in Nanashi. The chase continues until a bloody climax where Nanashi's resolve is tested. Stranger is an odd film to some because its simple story might come across as cliché and perhaps dull. The distractions from the A Plot certainly aren't Game of Thrones either, even though there are just enough plots in the film to constitute the faintest idea of comparison.
In addition to Nanashi and Kotarou's journey and the cult chasing them, there's a subplot about a general who isn't thrilled about the cult's presence. There's even a soldier who is in love with the princess of the province, but that thread and the princess herself, feel incredibly tacked on. There are two ways to look at the way this film balances its narrative. On one hand, despite the title implying a focus on Nanashi and Kotarou, there are quite a few major characters in the story whose own plots aren't explored extensively. On the other hand, Sword of the Stranger is a simple story that upon rewatch has more depth.
There are characters whose littlest actions and scenes speak volumes of their relationships with others, like Feng Wu's perhaps one-sided infatuation with Luo Lang. Additionally, there are tons of hints about the events before the film and Nanashi's past that aren't explicitly spelled out. Every rewatch comes with a new discovery about some detail that makes the expanse of the story feel more justified.
For a film from 2007, Sword of the Stranger still looks great, but it also looks fairly unique as far as samurai anime go. It's considerably darker, set in the Fall on the eve of Winter, whereas most shows or films set in the era would go for something brighter and more vibrant. The color choices might not be to everyone's taste, but the dark reds cut through the gray gorgeously. If the colors don't stick out, the character designs illustrated by Tsunenori Saito certainly will. Saito is an Animation Director and character designer who has been with Bones since the start. An array of his sketches from Stranger and other works can be found here. Finally, the music by Naoki Sato couldn't more perfectly carry an adventure story like this. Without it, it's hard to say that it would resonate quite so well.
Sword of the Stranger might not be the best film you've ever seen, but if you have never seen it and have been craving more animated films to watch, it will certainly be the best you've seen in a while. Its art design, its music, and its dedication to delivering pure action are what make it a classic worth being remembered.