The appeal and evaluation of "Katanagatari": Innovative story and character depth

"Katanagatari" - An animation that breaks new ground in historical fiction

"Katanagatari" is an animated work based on the novel by Nisio Isin, and was broadcast as a TV series in 2010. The original work was published by Kodansha BOX in 2007 as a "taiga novel", a challenging work that was released one volume per month for 12 consecutive months. This anime faithfully adapted the original work and succeeded in conveying the appeal of a new historical novel to viewers.

■Overview of the work

"Katanagatari" is a story about the search for the 12 "swords" that the legendary swordsmith Shikizaki Kiki forged over his lifetime. The main characters are Shichika Nagisa, a sword-less swordsman who inherited the sword-less swordsmanship of "Kyotouryu", and Togame, a handsome strategist. The two embark on an adventure to collect the 12 swords while traveling all over Japan.

■Broadcast information

"Katanagatari" was broadcast from January 26th to December 10th, 2010, with a total of 12 episodes broadcast once a month. The broadcasting stations were CX affiliates, BS Fuji, Mainichi Broadcasting System, and Animax, and the broadcasting times differed for each station. The specific broadcasting schedule is as follows.

• Fuji TV: January 25, 2010 to December 10, 2010 (Monday)
• Mainichi Broadcasting System: January 27, 2010 to December 15, 2010 (Wednesdays)
• BS Fuji: January 30, 2010 to December 25, 2010 (Saturday)
• Animax: April 11, 2010 to March 13, 2011 (Sunday)

Each episode is 60 minutes long, and includes a 50-minute main story, as well as an opening and ending theme. In 2013, the series was rebroadcast in the "Noitamina" slot, with some slight differences, such as the opening and ending theme being changed and the preview of the next episode being shown in the ending theme. The rebroadcast version has been shortened to about 47 minutes, and is currently (2023) available on various streaming sites.

■ Relationship between the original work and the anime

The original novel "Katanagatari" was written by Nishio Isin without any pre-written notes, and was published over 12 consecutive months, one volume per month. Each volume has a different "sword" theme, and is comprised of the following titles:

• Episode 1: The Ultimate Sword - Plane
• Episode 2: Zantou Namakura
• Episode 3: Sento Tsurugi
• Episode 4: Thin Sword and Needle
• Episode 5: Thief's Sword and Armor
• Episode 6: Twin Swords and Hammer
• Episode 7: The Evil Sword
• Episode 8: Bitou Kanzashi
• Episode 9: The King's Sword - Saw
• Episode 10: Seito Hakari
• Episode 11: The Poisonous Sword - Swastika
• Episode 12: Entou Juu (Flame Sword and Gun)

The anime version was made into a complete film with 12 episodes based on these original works. It was directed by Keitaro Motonaga, with series composition by Makoto Uezu and animation by WHITE FOX, and was produced as the second installment of the Nisio Isin anime project.

■ Story

The story of "Katanagatari" begins with a journey to find the 12 "swords" that the legendary swordsmith Shikizaki Kiki forged over his life. The swordless swordsman Naruhisa and the strategist Togame face various challenges to accomplish their mission of saving Japan by collecting the swords. Each episode depicts a battle between a different sword and its owner, and the growth and deepening bond between Naruhisa and Togame are highlights.

■ Characters

The characters in "Katanagatari" are all unique, with their own backgrounds and abilities. Below are the main characters:

File Shichika

The protagonist is the seventh head of the Kyotouryu school and inheritor of the non-katana sword-based swordsmanship "Kyotouryu". Having lived with his family on a deserted island since childhood, he is naive and lazy. Having been raised by his father as a sword rather than a human, he is careless about emotions and thoughts. He is 24 years old, six feet eight inches tall, and weighs twenty kan.

Reproach

He is the one who suggested "collecting swords" to Shichika, and is a strategist who holds the title of General Director of the Owari Shogunate's Directly Controlled Military Office. He has a sharp eye for observation and imagination, and while he usually has an arrogant attitude, he sometimes panics and behaves like a child. His age is unknown, he is 4'8" tall, and weighs 8 kan 3 kin.

Nanami Yasari

She is Nanaka's older sister, a beautiful and elegant woman. Despite her frail health, she is hardworking and reliable. Her personality is the polar opposite of Nanaka's.

Maniwa bat

He is one of the leaders of the Maniwa Ninja Corps and a ninja of the Beast Group known as the "Bat of the Underworld." He uses a ninjutsu technique that allows him to store anything inside his body, and has a distinctive laugh with a harsh, high-pitched voice.

Uneri Ginkaku

He is a master of Iaido and a ronin living in Shimogaku Castle, which stands in the Inaba Desert of the Tottori Domain. He is the owner of the "Kantou Don", a fearsome sword that can cut anything. He is 32 years old, 5'4"2" tall, and weighs 14 kan 2 jin.

Tsuruga camouflage

A woman who is the de facto head of Sanzu Shrine in Izumo. She has a bold, cheerful and lively personality, but she has a sad past. She is tall for a woman of this era.

Rust White Soldier

A handsome swordsman with genius swordsmanship that is said to cut even the sun. Rumored to be the strongest swordsman in Japan, he obtained the "Thin Sword Needle" from Togame, but became fascinated with the variant sword and disappeared.

Azekura Kanara

He is the captain of the Armor Pirates who control the port of Dakuon in Satsuma, and the owner of the "Zokutou: Yoroi". He is the most popular fighter in the gambling arena called Obon in Dakuon Port, but no one knows his real face, and he has sworn never to take off his "Zokutou: Yoroi" in public for the rest of his life.

Frozen Sky Snow

A girl from the Touzora clan who lives in the snowy Ezo mountain of Odoriko. She has a kind heart and helps Nanaka and Togame, but due to certain circumstances her village was wiped out and she now lives alone.

Biyorigo

A mysterious mechanical doll roams Edo's Lake Fuyou Lake. Because it attacks indiscriminately any human who comes within range, the lake has been designated a Class 1 disaster area.

Kiguchizanki (shameless shame)

He is the 12th head of the Shinno Issayaryu school, which has a dojo in Shogi Village, Dewa. He has a serious personality and is skilled not only in swordsmanship but also in shogi.

The reincarnation of the tree

A hermit who lives in the Hundred Execution Grounds in Mutsu, Oshu. His appearance changes depending on who he is facing, and he claims to be 300 years old.

Maniwa Phoenix

Nicknamed "God's Phoenix," he is the de facto leader of the Maniwa Ninja Corps. He has excellent intelligence and high combat ability.

Souda Emonzaemon

He is the mysterious masked Princess of Negation's confidant and trusted adviser.

■ Main robot items

In "Katanagatari," a group of ninjas called the Maniwa Ninja Corps, who specialize in assassinations, appears. Unlike ordinary ninjas, they do not act in groups but rather act individually, and are controlled by 12 leaders.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Katanagatari" are as follows:

• Episode 1: The Ultimate Sword and the Plane (2010/01/25)
• Episode 2/Zanto/Blunt (2010/02/08)
• Episode 3/Sento/Kama (2010/03/08)
• Episode 4 / Thin sword/needle (2010/04/16)
• Episode 5/Thief Sword/Armor (2010/05/21)
• Episode 6/Dual swords/hammer (2010/06/04)
• Episode 7/Evil Sword/Tsugi (2010/07/09)
• Episode 8/Mitoto (2010/08/13)
• Episode 9/King Sword/Saw (2010/09/10)
• Episode 10/Maikoto/Hari (2010/10/15)
• Episode 11/Poison Sword/Sword (2010/11/12)
• Episode 12: Flame Sword and Gun (2010/12/10)

■ Production staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Katanagatari." The main staff members are introduced below.

• Original work: "Katanagatari" by Nishio Isin (Kodansha BOX)
• Character design: Take
• Title calligraphy: Hiroshi Hirata
• Planning and production: Koichiro Natsume, Yoshio Irie, Hachiho Tomikawa, Shunji Inoue, Naohiro Oto
• Chief Producers: Hideo Katsumata, Osamu Yoshiba, Koji Yamamoto
• Producers: Hironori Toba, Masayuki Hariu, Noriko Ozaki
• Series Composition: Makoto Uezu
• Character design/chief animation director: Tsuyoshi Kawada
• Kyotouryu setting cooperation: Atsushi Itagaki
• Art director: Tadashi Kudo
• Color design: Akemi Teshima
• Special effects supervision: Kumiko Taniguchi
• Director of photography: Keisuke Nakamura
• Edited by: Tagumajun
• Sound effects: Toru Noguchi (Anime Sound Production)
• Sound Mixer: Nobutaka Hirooka
• Sound Editor: Kento Miyamoto
• Recording studio: HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
• Sound Production: Hiroki Uragari
• Sound production: HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
• Casting: Yuko Tsugane (81 Produce)
• Video editing: Sony PCL, Takagi Masaru, Kojima Yoshihiko, Mikami Yoko
• Programming: Ayako Mizuno (Fuji TV)
• Associate Producer: Tomohiro Fujita
• Publicity Producer: Yuma Takahashi
• Publicity cooperation: Toshiyuki Kanazawa
• Public Relations: Kyoko Tanaka (Fuji Television)
• Web production: Koji Uetsuji, Yuko Hagishima
• Assistant producers: Moe Sakai, Kumiko Kato
• Title design: Akira Saito (Veia)
• Planning cooperation: Atsuhiro Iwakami, Katsushi Ota, Kodansha BOX editorial department (Naoki Akimoto, Mariko Yajima, Yuki Shibayama), Haruya Ishiwata, Kozue Kanba, Hiroo Maruyama
• Production cooperation: Yoshimi Nakajima (Quoras), Shigeka Sato (Quoras)
• Production desk: Tsunaki Yoshikawa
• Sound Director: Yasunori Ebina
• Music: Taku Iwasaki
• Music producers: Yoshiyuki Ito, Katsumi Koike
• Music Production: Lantis, Fuji Pacific Music Publishing
• Animation producer: Gaku Iwasa
• Animation Production: WHITE FOX
• Director: Keitaro Motonaga
• Production: "Katanagatari" Production Committee (Aniplex, Kodansha, Fuji Television Network, Lantis, Movic)

■Cast

The cast of "Katanagatari" is also impressive, and the performances of the voice actors who play each character add excitement to the work. Below is an introduction to the main cast.

• Seven flowers of the file: Yoshimasa Hosoya
• Torture: Yukari Tamura
• Nanami Suzuri: Mai Nakahara
• Unren Ginkaku: Mitsuru Miyamoto
• Tsuruga Camouflage: Atsuko Yuya
• Rusty White Soldier: Hikaru Midorikawa
• Azura Hisashi: Koyama Takeshi
• Frozen Sky: Rina Hidaka
• Weather: Aya Endo
• The shyness of the shy: Shizuka Ito
• Princess of Denial: Haruka Tomatsu
• Uemon Sauda: Rikiya Koyama
• The Reincarnation of the Tree: Miyako Ito
• Maniwa Egret: Wataru Hatano
• Maniwa-eating shark: Tomohiro Tsuboi
• Maniwa Mantis: Makoto Yasumura
• Maniwa Chocho: Daisuke Sakaguchi
• Maniwa Honeybee: Yoshiro Miura
• Maniwa Phoenix: Ryotaro Okiayu
• Maniwa Mad Dog: Michiko Neya
• Maniwa Sea Turtle: Toshihiko Seki
• Maniwa River Otter: Shinji Kawada
• Maniwa Mandarin Ducks: Kaori Yamagata
• Maniwa Bird: Ryo Hirohashi
• Maniwa Bat: Chihiro Suzuki
• File six branches: Toru Okawa
• File: Emi Shinohara
• Nanaka (childhood): Kumai Motoko
• Hida Takahito: Tokuai Kawashima
• Shikizaki Chronicle: Mori Koichi
• File: Atsushi Abe
• Masatsuna Ienari: Yuzuru Fujimoto
• Hannyamaru: Shogo Matsui
• The Infamous Devil: Hirokazu Miyahara
• Tomoe Akira: Katsuro Miwako
• Waiting for Autumn: Kenji Takahashi
• Iga Kaiji: Hiroo Sasaki
• Maniwa Kaname: Takuya Eguchi
• Humor: Taira Kikumoto
• Haigaou: Yuuko Gibu
• Sumigaoka Black Mother: Kazuto Kokubun
• Plate factory: Saori Hayami
• Extra: Hayato Nakata
• Narration: Masako Ikeda

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Katanagatari" has been highly praised for its unique worldview, deep storyline, and unique characters. It has been supported by fans of the original novel as well as anime fans, who have praised the quality of the animation and the performances of the voice actors.

WHITE FOX, the animation production company, has been attracting attention for its high film quality, and has fully demonstrated its technical capabilities in "Katanagatari." The combination of director Keitaro Motonaga and series composer Makoto Uezu has brought out the best in the original work, providing viewers with a new world of historical fiction.

The voice actors who played each character also gave superb performances, especially Yoshimasa Hosoya, who played the main character, Shichika Suzuri, who realistically expressed Shichika's carelessness and laziness. Yukari Tamura, who played Togame, also skillfully portrayed the gap between her haughty attitude and childish behavior, leaving a strong impression on viewers.

"Katanagatari" is a work that has broken new ground in historical fiction, and has deeply moved and excited the audience. Through the journey of the swordless swordsman Shichika Suzuri and the strategist Togame, it conveys many messages to the audience, depicting the power of the sword and the strength of the human heart.

This work is highly recommended not only for fans of the original novel, but also for those who are interested in anime and historical novels. It is a must-see work, especially for those who want to enjoy deep stories and unique characters. Experience the charm of a new historical novel through "Katanagatari."