Product Description

Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 06/16/2009 Run time: 102 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3929 in DVD
• Brand: Bandai
• Released on: 2009-06-16
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.com
Masahiro Ando's Sword of the Stranger (2007) is a no-holds-barred samurai action film that happens to be animated. Accompanied by his faithful dog, Tobimaru, Kotaro is forced to flee when the troops of a feudal lord and their Chinese allies attack the temple where he's been living. Taking refuge in an abandoned shrine, Kotaro meets No Name, a sardonic but extremely able ronin. Kotaro needs a friend, as both Japanese and Chinese fighters are hunting him; They're planning to sacrifice the boy in an elaborate ritual and use his blood to prepare "Xian Medicine," an elixir that is supposed to guarantee the Emperor of China eternal life. Although Kotaro fusses and tries to bully No Name, a powerful bond forms between the designated victim and the warrior who bears the physical and psychological scars of his battles. Their bond proves stronger than the ties that bind lord to vassal and ally to ally. Like Kenshin Himura in Rurouni Kenshin, No Name has vowed not to use his sword in penance for the blood he shed as a warrior. But he breaks the knot that binds the blade to its sheath when he rescues Kotaro in a spectacular series of fight scenes. Voice actors Aidan Drummond (Kotaro) and Michael Adamthwaite (No Name) offer winning performances that match their Japanese counterparts, Yuri Chinen and Tomoya Nagase. Ando uses CG to give Sword of the Stranger a sense of epic scale without detracting from the drawn animation of the characters. Dynamically staged and animated, Sword of the Stranger will delight devotees of live-action samurai movies as well as anime fans. (Unrated, suitable for ages 14 and older: considerable violence, alcohol and drug use, minor toilet humor) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Animated Swordplay Action Bloody WELL-DONE!
I have always had a fondness for anime that explored the Bushido period; noteworthy hits such as the anime series "Basilisk" and the anime film "Ninja Scroll" have garnered a powerful following. Most recently the almost Okamoto/Kobayashi inspired "Shigurui Death Frenzy" has left me in awe. Director Masahiro Ando with screenplay by Fumihiko Takayama has adapted a tale from the original story by "Bones". "SWORD OF THE STRANGER" (aka. Sutorenjia Muko Hadan) is an animated film with fantastic action that uses the Sengoku period (a period of warring states) as its backdrop. It is a story of faith, ambition and survival.

The film was a nominee for Best animated Feature at the 81st Academy of film awards.

A young boy named Kotaro (voiced by Yuri Chinen) and his dog are wandering the lands of Japan; fleeing the Ming forces led by Lord Bai-Luan. They come across a nameless Ronin (Nanashi, voiced by Tomoya Nagase) who is haunted by the memories of his past and who has vowed to keep his blade sheathed. Chinese mercenaries are dispatched to claim the small boy for a twisted ritual for immortality. Seeing the remnants of his past within the boy, the nameless samurai chooses to act as his protector but does he have the necessary skills to keep him from the clutches of the Ming and their blood thirsty, gold-haired swordsman named Luo-Lang (Kouichi Yamadera)?

The film uses this chaotic period in feudal Japan; the Sengoku period or the era of the Warring States is a period after the decline of the second shogun. The film ponders the question: What makes a man good or evil? Is it the corruption of the amount of political power or the ambition to rise to such powers? Is it the skill of swordsmanship or the manner he serves his Lord? "Sword of the Stranger" does flesh out these questions in the spirit of its characters. Itadori is a general whose skills as a swordsman allowed him to rise above the ranks. He is ambitious and power hungry and he serves a corrupt feudal lord in the persona of Akaike; who in turn is driven by greed and lust for more power. Bai-Luan is an aide to the Emperor and seeks immortality to prolong his dwindling life. Luo-Lang is a warrior who serves the Ming Emperor but he is flawed in a way that he is longing for a worthy opponent. He is loyal, but only as that loyalty serves him. The nameless swordsman is a man exhausted, he has killed and served his Lord in the past--such actions have made his soul empty. He has tied a knot on his sword to keep him from drawing his blade, but his skills are good enough to fell highly trained opponents.

The film captures certain interpretations of the evils that men would do, for ambition, greed and loyalty. Kotaro represents the innocence and purity of youth, and as such he is the key to the Xian drug, believed to be the key to immortality. Kotaro's dog, Tobimaru also plays a significant role in the film, as he proves to be the catalyst for Nanashi and Kotaro's allegiance. The film has some touching and humorous moments, as we see the dog practice generosity and sacrifice. After all, if an animal can learn compassion, why can't us human beings? The nameless swordsman's past in shown in the form of dreams and flashbacks. (Also, there is a short film in the DVD's features that further develops his character)

It is easy to ignore the film's subtle meanings, as the film does have amazing action sequences that rival Ryuhei Kitamura's "AZUMI". The action scenes contain a good amount of gore and loads of blood. But not too bloody that the film should be rated `R'. I loved the way Nanashi defends himself without even drawing his sword, it is a true testament to his skills which provokes Luo-Lang's obsession in facing him in single combat. The fights are long, stylish and brutally violent at times. Chinese Wuxia meets Japanese swordsmanship in the encounters. I liked the manner in which Luo-Lang and Nanashi were developed through their separate fights, it allows them to be further developed and allows for build-up in the inevitable final encounter. One flaw the film has is that Kotaro's past wasn't fully fleshed out and the reasons for him being special weren't really fully explored.

The action is well animated and the moves are fluid and soft. The set designs have that minor touch of CGI, and the backgrounds almost look very photo-realistic. The mood is cleverly expressed through its effects in the form of blowing wind, ominous snowfall and the darkening of clouds. The character designs may look simple and may not be as elaborate as other anime films of this kind, but it was still pretty good. The music track perfectly complements the film's mood and attitude; I found the music quite rousing in its own right.

"Sword of the Stranger" is one good piece of animated feature. I am still rather impressed how the Japanese can keep adult themes in the form of animation, whereas here in the U.S. animation is often associated with "kiddie-flicks". The film is full of very cool action, violence that pushes the PG-13 envelope with a strong humanity that can let the film stand on its own. The viewer has to look beyond the action otherwise; he may lose some of the subtle details and may make him think the plot is a little contrived. It may not approach the classic status of other acclaimed anime hits but it is entertaining enough to keep the experienced anime fan enthralled and to attract those unfamiliar with Japanimation.

Highly Recommended! [4- Stars]

Video/Audio: 1.78 ratio anamorphic widescreen. Nice, clean transfer with some muted colors on some scenes. The 5.1 Japanese Language track is powerful and clear with excellent Subtitles. There is also the option of an English Language 5.1 track.
Extras: Pretty bare bones, there are trailers and commercials but the pilot film called "Muko Hadan" is worth a look. There are also character interviews.

An Explosive Ending
This movie made a one day appearance at the theaters and thanks to a killer trailer I made a point of not missing it. Despite the movie being relatively new, there's a strange nostalgia I felt while watching it. For one, most or all of the art is hand drawn. On the big screen, the line quality is very noticeable, especially since the past decade most animation has been exempt from any line quality at all en lieu of 3D. So seeing the hand of the artist in motion was a feeling I had missed from the old days of watching Charlie Brown :-) How I manage to put Charlie Brown and a Master Samurai in the same sentence...I don't know.

But anyway...

The other thing that grabbed me was that this movie actually spends time developing both story and its characters, and it does an incredible job at that. Granted, the plot itself is a bit cliche: The bad guys are after an immortality potion that requires a young boy, Kotaro, to be sacrificed in order for the potion to work. But the cliche is padded with a strong historical back drop that gives the story a surprising gritty realism. While so many movies chop away at a good story and evolving character elements, this one slows down just enough to make you actually care about the fate of the Nameless Samurai, Kotaro and even his dog.

The steady pacing was a good way to build up to an ending so loaded with tension that I could actually feel my muscles locked up. As the Nameless character does battle with his enemies, you can't help but to feel that he may be in way over his head. In a lot of way, the movie reminded me of "Ninja Scroll": there are a host of foes that the Nameless Saurai must confront and you'll have your doubts about his skills being matched to each one. Such doubts are the hallmark of a gripping story.

Anime at it's Best
I am a firm believer of quality over quantity, so I am going to keep this short and sweet.

For starters...WOW! What a movie,simply amazing,instant classic.

I am an avid anime viewer and I have been so for quite some time,so I have gone through a lot of anime, some that made me want to rip my hair out and some that have reminded me time and time again why I love anime so much. Although I like many different kinds of anime I tend to refrain from shonen-styled(with the exception of Black Cat)anime and go for more adult themed anime such as Paranoia Agent,Berserk,Gungrave,etc.

As mentioned in previous reviews the animation is top knotch. You have to see it for yourself, the detail put into this movie was incredible.It looks even more crisp and vibrant on blu ray. The scenery was simply breathtaking. Beautifully hand-drawn and NO CGI!!!

The story is one that mixes many elements. So perfectly balanced. It made me sad,it made me happy,it made me laugh, and altogether left me speechless. The action was fast paced and perfectly executed, not to mention bloody. Sudio bones is by far one of my favorite studios and they did not disappoint! The music complemented the movie flawlessly. Between the beautiful animation and great music I must have experienced chills several times throughout.

I'd hate to say this, but many animes tend to disappoint as far as endings go. Well, this one doesn't, in fact the climax/ending is the best part. Such gripping action and so passionate.

All-in-all this is one of my favorite anime movies of all time. I recommend it to anime fans and even new-comers alike.

Buy it and enjoy! A+++++++ 5/5