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| 9.5 / 10 best action movie for me yet. |
| Enjoyed it! Great story, great music, great action... GREAT MOVIE! |
AlastarNov 16, 2008 3:02 PM
| I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a particularly great film. The action scenes were nice (minus the first scene which had the camera shaking around so ferociously that I thought I was going to be in for a well animated film ruined by amateur directing), but outside of that there wasn't anything I'll actually remember it for. The soundtrack was good, but that track used during the final battle went from being awesome to annoying in a hurry, the entire plot progression was predictable with the story itself mattering so little that you could've changed any number of details and had the same result, and the characters, while not bad, also didn't have anything particularly endearing about them (although Tobimaru was a badass). So in the end I would say it was worth the watch, but I wouldn't care to watch it ever again. |
| Loved it, 10/10 without a doubt. One of the best movies I have ever seen in my opinion. The animation was godly, and they actually paid attention to where they placed the camera which is what I find really lacks in anime. The angles used throughout were amazing, especially in the last fight scene (which, by the way, couldn't have been better), and the shakey camera at the beginning worked extremely well. The plot was quite typical for a samurai movie, but enjoyable nethertheless. It took something we've seen before, but made it 100 times better. There weren't a whole load of characters, but there was as much as there needed to be, and the character development satisfied me. The music was absolutely amazing, and I have to disagree with Absolutely_Steve. The song played during the final fight scene was a perfect choice. It fit the atmosphere and moment perfectly, and went well with the other tracks before and after it. I really don't think Sword of the Stranger could have been any better, and I can't wait until it's released on DVD. I want to see it in the cinema more than ever, however. Hoping for a UK cinema release! |
ToukaFeb 8, 2009 3:05 PM
| Indeed the sword fight scenes were incredible, although occasionally some not so exciting parts would appear overall it was a great experience, I'm glad I watched it the music also was very fitting as was the animation for me it was a 9/10 a very well done movie. |
Faust721 said: Finally had time to watch this. Not a bad movie. I liked some of the fights and the music. Same here. Quite a bit from perfect though so it gets a 7 from me. |
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Westlo said: The last fight was the best sword fight I've seen in anime period. I agree, that fight was truly epic! I hope it gets nominated this year...10/10 |
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| If the story were better it would have gotten a 10 from me, because it shined in every other department, especially the direction and of course the animation. Indeed the best sword fights in anime, visually kinetic and almost exhausting to watch because the fight scenes are consistently creative and generally kick your arse each and every time. The whole immortal storyline was blandy bland, such a waste, as was nearly every other character featured in the story save for the kid and the Mr nameless. I really hate this predictable anime convention of having a side-story populated by boring people who not only are boring but are utterly pointless because they all die in the end, so it makes all of their actions moot, there's absolutely no consequences, no aftermath, no chain of reaction or character arc. Its just a wiped slate because the writers are too inept to handle tying up characters and plotlines in the climax and resolution; so infuriating to endure. |
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol |
| 10/10 for me. awesome sword fights. what can say? it was GREAT!!! |
p r o f i l e 👀 |
KholdStare88 said: That was actually one thing that I found really unique - most of the time you have a wildly different group of people, each of which can only be killed by the main character... but here the 'reds' were stronger than 4-5 people but would be taken down by anything larger. That was great and unexpectedly 'realistic' (in comparison to others of the genre)Most of the story was focused on these people in red but did not develop them. They're obviously powerful, but aside from the different weapons they use, they're the same people. I loved the ending |
| That was... not as good as I was led to believe. You have a ronin who is highly skilled, has a tragic past, and refuses to use his sword. You have a street-smart orphan who learns to ride a horse and use a sword from the ronin. You have a ridiculously intelligent dog who provides comic relief. You have an honorable enemy who is interested in nothing but finding a stronger enemy to test his skills. Seen it all a thousand times before. The whole thing felt like your average hollywood samurai movie, but the fight scenes were animated rather than live-action, and so not as awesome. The soundtrack was also very hollywood-esque, and not particularly memorable. The animation did provide some good eye-candy, but that's about the limit of the movie. It would have been better as a live-action film, but compared with other live-action films, it would have been mediocre and extremely cliche. |
| Saw it in the Movie theater.... I was Epic |
| Go Watch Sumomo momo Its epic. It has not gotten much attention... Episode 1 http://www.veoh.com/videos/v83597095dreGdW#comments  |
| ... *speechless* 10/10 |
| Personally I felt the plot, premise, and atmosphere were all very generic... but hey, it's a movie about ronins - everything concerning them nowadays screams of unoriginality. That's not necessarily a bad thing; however, especially since the movie presented these aspects in an enjoyable manner - without derailing from the meat of the film. The hectic and ridiculously gory (in a good way) action was absolutely enthralling; easily eclipsing every other factor the title had to offer. I literally got the biggest grin on my face whenever a flurry of stray limbs flung into the distance. The sequences were also very well animated and quite fluid, which is something most other anime tend to lag on (read: almost every shonen out there). I believe the movie did what it was intended to do: entertain the viewer. It certainly kept me interested. |
| People my differ, but this is my idea of a Samurai Action packed movie. The whole thing with great skilled warriors vs other great skilled warriors (That are portrayed as travellers) is just what gets me into it. I also love the whole Chinese & Japanese spark lol. You just gotta love the Chinese language in a Samurai fight. Especially those two girls at the ending fight xD. 9.5/10 for me. I'll round it up to 10! ~Abs |
| Spectacular i thought, no other action anime comes close. I enjoyed it from begining to the end, nothing else probably compares interms of pure realism, action and it had that great race against time feeling at the end. The final battle was over 30 minutes long!!! Which is exciting for someone like me no other movie ive seen has scenes of blood baths that long maybe outside of lord of the rings(a 3 hour movie) I thought that maybe the star cast was a bit to small Dog, kid and warrior they should have had atleast one female on the team to make it more complete. . .SPOILER . . . . Does the main samurai dude die at the end? |
| Great animation and fight scenes but the story is very poor and nothing new that you saw before. Good movie. 8/10 |
psygolFeb 8, 2009 2:12 PM
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| I really wish I hadn't had a prior commitment when this showed at a local theater. Now that I've seen it, there's no way I'd pass up an opportunity like that again. I thought this film was phenomenal. 9/10 |
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| Awesome movie. The OST was awesome and so is the action. The plot was cliche though. |
| 9/10. Excellent movie, top-notch animation, the slightly cliched plot is what keeps it from getting a 10/10 |
| Saw it via Anime North at a screening room. All I can say, it is incredibly amazing, animation, music,flow and characters. For so long I stopped caring about whether a story is predictable or cliche (since the reality is, once a niche is pulled off well, everyone wants to do it and it becomes a cliche and now everything is a motherfucking cliche lol, not to mention that humans in our realities aren't more 'niche' but that's just something else in its own matter). I think it's more important as to how to execute it, and this movie did it well and it's really more of the main characters that helped it. As for the side characters I like the sense of 'realism' that while they stood out in their own right (weapons and the fact that we see women kick ass and also some quick karma-ing, you should what scene i'm talking about). Oh and Tobimaru kicks ass~. 10/10, and since time itself is a douche, it'll probably randomize itself from 8 to 15 (yes)/10 XDDD. I'm definitely buying this~ |
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| my gosh, this movie was frickin' brilliant! The animation was so beautiful and don't even get me started on the music. Oh..well i'm going to anyway. Holy crap, throughout the entire movie I loved the music and it was like soooo totally epic. The action scenes were brilliant and did I mention how epic the music was? Characters were gorgeous, loved the plot, it was just brilliant. Hope Name less lives in the end. Those three make a grand grouplet. >': Bless them all. What a great feeling I got watching this movie. So satisfied... Oh but the one thing that did bother me was the mandarin dubbing. Mandarin's my home language so it just got me giggling every time they would speak mandarin. Maybe it was just me. But anyway it didn't take too many points away from the movie. Still brilliant, just wish they made the mandarin more cool sounding. Those dudes sorta deserved it with their red swishing capes. Even if they went were enemies, they were pretty damn cool. |
JasonbearJun 18, 2009 11:01 PM
"I've read so much manga that at times my mind works in comic panels and dramatically expressed chibis. I'm both ashamed and amused by this." |
KholdStare88 said: Wow, I'm going to be the unpopular guy here who thinks it was "okay." Pros: -Best sword fight ever probably, but just a bit unrealistic. -Excellent ending, and I mean the final scene. -Several key events are not predictable. -Good character interaction, especially with the dog. Cons: -Story...bad. The middle was too predictable and confusing, more than it should be. -The storyline is too cliché...random expert fighter meets young, helpless boy, who is somehow the key ingredient to something magical. -Too many people die. When you try to be unique, you don't have to go to the other extreme. -Music was inconsistent. For the first 2/3 of the movie, there was literally no background music. For the second 1/3, it played the same melody over and over again--a good melody, but the only melody. -Too many deus ex machina. Two people are having a fight then someone gets shot, okay. At the end, I don't like the "let's have a fair fight" thing; it kills the climax. There are many ways to initiate a good sword fight, and killing your own comrade isn't one of them. -Poor coordination. There were what, one sword fight? The plot makes Nanashi unable to draw his sword until the very end, but except from the beginning fight against the guy with the whip, every other fight is uneventful. The story was too drawn out without equal development of the characters, especially the people leading the attempted charge. Most of the story was focused on these people in red but did not develop them. They're obviously powerful, but aside from the different weapons they use, they're the same people. So basically, it is a story with several good moments and memorable moments, most of them with the dog, but the plot is disconnected and the story makes little sense. It was still somewhat enjoyable and the ending makes up for it. 6/10, "Good." My thoughts exactly. This movie was cool, but didn't go any further for me. I probably would have liked it much more if there were no story line (if you can't have a good one, don't have one at all?) and it was just the great fight scenes and stellar animation. |
| Ehh it was okay. Nothing really great about it. |
Deadpool135 said: Not quite sure why this is so highly overrated, very strange. Nothing notably remarkable except a few action scenes, and unfortunately there wasn't much action at all. I wouldn't say its highly overrated. This anime achieves exactly what it sets out to do; delivering a beautiful looking adrenaline-driven samurai action. For an anime movie, here was a decent amount of action, 4 major fights and 2 minor ones. Action anime's don't often have a decent combination of good action, animation and music. I think SotS does a very good job when it comes to that, and it really ends up delivering a satisfying experience for the 'target audience'. |
| "...our faces marked by toil, by deceptions, by success, by love; our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone – has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a flash – together with the youth, with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” - Joseph Conrad ('Youth') |
| I would've preferred more scenes (or all scenes?) with just Nanashi and the boy, for I thought their relationship was a good one and it was what pulled me in to begin with. Still, there's no doubt that the fight scenes were spectacular and the animation beautiful. The Chinese dialogue added a unique flare, though since I don't understand any Chinese I can only assume that it was accurate to the scenes and Japanese translation. Overall, this movie was very satisfying, and I plan to buy it when I get the chance. :) |
| yes I agree it doesnt deserve less then an 8. No matter how you look at it its not 'generic' as some ppl claim it to be. Tell me one more movie like this one, seriously. And please dont say 'ninja scroll'.. |
| "...our faces marked by toil, by deceptions, by success, by love; our weary eyes looking still, looking always, looking anxiously for something out of life, that while it is expected is already gone – has passed unseen, in a sigh, in a flash – together with the youth, with the strength, with the romance of illusions.” - Joseph Conrad ('Youth') |
| Fuck, that was amazing. I wasn't even expecting it to be so good. I gave it a 10. |
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| Yeah, the overall story has been done before but I think it was executed really well. The action scenes were great and I think the characters, despite little to no development, were well done. 8/10 |
| "Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job." - Geralt of Rivia |
| This movie was awesome :). |
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| the deus ex machina spoiled it a bit, by degrading an already bland plotline with bad storytelling... but it was epic... great fights, basic development that allowed me to connect with the characters yet leaving more time for moving the plot forward... i so wanted his hair to go red with blood at the end... or the friend and nameless to battle side by side or something =P but then again it would be too cliche xD... all in all i rated it 10/10... this probably will change to 9/10 after the adrenaline rush is over =) |
| The story and characters were quite good. It wasn't great and it was cliché. The animation and soundtrack is definitely were this movie shines! The animation is probably the most fluid I've ever seen from an anime. The fighting scenes were amazing, and the soundtrack backing it up.. Just awesome and epic! |
stAtic91Nov 27, 2009 3:14 PM
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| There's no such thing as a unique plot. EVERYTHING has been done before. If you think you've stumbled upon something that hasn't been done before, you just haven't seen enough. What's unique is the way you tell that story. This one was very well done. Plus, beautiful action scenes. That last battle. Mmmm, it was amazing. |
tarheel91 said: There's no such thing as a unique plot. EVERYTHING has been done before. If you think you've stumbled upon something that hasn't been done before, you just haven't seen enough. That's enough to make it unique. It's like taking your first bite of vanilla ice cream. It's not the only vanilla ice cream in the world, but it will always be your one and only first bite. |
Unsight said: tarheel91 said: There's no such thing as a unique plot. EVERYTHING has been done before. If you think you've stumbled upon something that hasn't been done before, you just haven't seen enough. That's enough to make it unique. It's like taking your first bite of vanilla ice cream. It's not the only vanilla ice cream in the world, but it will always be your one and only first bite. If you're talking about enjoyment, I get where you're saying, but if you're talking about attempting to look at a show more in terms of its merits (i.e. as objectively as possible), then that shouldn't really matter. Busou Renkin was a ton of fun for me when I first saw it, because it was one of the first anime I watched. I really enjoyed watching it, but I can recognize that it's not as AMAZING as I originally thought it was (it's really just an good shonen to be honest). My point is, if you're talking about how much you enjoyed a series, that's a valid point. However, if you're trying to decide how good something is, how unique the plot is isn't really relevant, because, in the end, it's not unique at all. |
tarheel91 said: Unsight said: That's enough to make it unique. It's like taking your first bite of vanilla ice cream. It's not the only vanilla ice cream in the world, but it will always be your one and only first bite. If you're talking about enjoyment, I get where you're saying, but if you're talking about attempting to look at a show more in terms of its merits (i.e. as objectively as possible), then that shouldn't really matter. Busou Renkin was a ton of fun for me when I first saw it, because it was one of the first anime I watched. I really enjoyed watching it, but I can recognize that it's not as AMAZING as I originally thought it was (it's really just an good shonen to be honest). My point is, if you're talking about how much you enjoyed a series, that's a valid point. However, if you're trying to decide how good something is, how unique the plot is isn't really relevant, because, in the end, it's not unique at all. lol. You didn't understand my analogy at all. |
Unsight said: tarheel91 said: Unsight said: That's enough to make it unique. It's like taking your first bite of vanilla ice cream. It's not the only vanilla ice cream in the world, but it will always be your one and only first bite. If you're talking about enjoyment, I get where you're saying, but if you're talking about attempting to look at a show more in terms of its merits (i.e. as objectively as possible), then that shouldn't really matter. Busou Renkin was a ton of fun for me when I first saw it, because it was one of the first anime I watched. I really enjoyed watching it, but I can recognize that it's not as AMAZING as I originally thought it was (it's really just an good shonen to be honest). My point is, if you're talking about how much you enjoyed a series, that's a valid point. However, if you're trying to decide how good something is, how unique the plot is isn't really relevant, because, in the end, it's not unique at all. lol. You didn't understand my analogy at all. You're saying that as long as you've never experienced something like it, it doesn't matter how unique it is. Thus, the first time you see a certain concept or plot presented, it can be very enjoyable. I was saying that while that's very true when talking about how enjoyable something is for a single person, it doesn't say much about the overall quality of the show. |
| Bones does it again!!!! It's funny, I bought this movie like 6 months ago, and attempted to watch it the day I bought it. But, I had worked hard that day and fallen asleep during. Then, after I had totally forgotten about it, I was browsing the "Top Anime" section, and saw that this is in the top 50. Surprised, I dug it out of my HUGE collection(@_@ I have a problem!!), and said, "I need to watch this". Well, here I am, I just finished it. And, all can say is wow!!! Bones does it again!!!! This has got to be the most visually amazing piece of animation ever, well Idk if I'd go that far lol. But, the animation is superb. The art/character designs are absolutely perfect. And, the fight scenes are insane. The last fight, as many others have stated, was probably the best sword fight scene ever, no seriously, ever!!! And, as far as everyone thinking the "Story is Generic", sorry but no, the plot is generic. The story is amazing!!! And, if you don't agree, go watch it again, then comeback to me. Yes, the plot is very generic. Rounin Samurai lost his bloodlust, b/c of an unforgivable act, saves kid who is the "key" to something. It's been done a billion times, but the stories, about the kid, the samurai, etc. was very original, and very brilliant. And, the one thing that nobody seems to understand. Is, this movie is this good, and it's an OVA. The story was written by Bones themselves. For a movie to be "anime only", and be this good, is unheard of. Bones really outdid themselves on this one. And, to all you "sub only" watchers, you should really give this dub a try. It's one of the best dubs I've ever seen, and the Chinese is still in Chinese. I love this movie...10/10...Urahara Out!! |
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| this how a battousai anime should be sorry samurai x i like sword of the stranger more |
| It was good..... fights were okay, but somehow a lil too much on the gory side. i like samurai champloo fights better (atleast a few of them)...ya and the music though good was too repetitive...but actually the reactions, the emotions were all just right.. |
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| The choreography is amazing, as is the score. Character design is nicely done as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will definitely watch it again some day. It was so entertaining and a nearly perfect samurai film for me. There is only one concern I have for the film, and that is the whole idea of fighting over a boy for immortality. I'm fine with the way they handled all the betrayal and conflict between countries and leaders, but I just wish the reason was a little more...realistic I guess. |
ShadowVari said: The choreography is amazing, as is the score. Character design is nicely done as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will definitely watch it again some day. It was so entertaining and a nearly perfect samurai film for me. There is only one concern I have for the film, and that is the whole idea of fighting over a boy for immortality. I'm fine with the way they handled all the betrayal and conflict between countries and leaders, but I just wish the reason was a little more...realistic I guess. i agree.. the reason was way too stupid... but then again there have been a few crazy rulers in the world! |
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theanimefan said: Yeah so I guess you could argue that it was mocking how some leaders abuse their power, but I don't think it was intentionalShadowVari said: The choreography is amazing, as is the score. Character design is nicely done as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will definitely watch it again some day. It was so entertaining and a nearly perfect samurai film for me. There is only one concern I have for the film, and that is the whole idea of fighting over a boy for immortality. I'm fine with the way they handled all the betrayal and conflict between countries and leaders, but I just wish the reason was a little more...realistic I guess. i agree.. the reason was way too stupid... but then again there have been a few crazy rulers in the world! |
| Beware Spoilers in the following entry Well, I bloody well loved this movie, and I've watched an assload of anime and read an equally large amount of manga (i'm not even updating on this site anymore because it would take me at least 3 hours just to catch up). The art and animation was glorious, and the fact that virtually every little thing that happened throughout the movie came to be useful later was new to me; this was a really well thought out script. They turned what many would think is a generic plot into a well woven and solid movie. For example, did you know that some Chinese emperors thought that imbibing Mercury would make them immortal? The movie used that kind of logic as a plot device absolutely perfectly. It made some of the Ming greedy, some loyal, and the one who doesn't take the drug is the one who believes that no one is on earth forever. Yeah, a kid meets an expert swordsman. Happened before? Yes. Did the relationship between the characters ever evolve so humanly as it did in this movie? Perhaps. Would there have been a movie if they hadn't met? Well, no because without characters there is no movie. Without conflict, there is no plot. Without challenge, there is no interest... So how can anyone complain about the movie's initial setup just because they've seen a similar one before? Because it seems simple to them? I believe it's because they don't see the brilliance in this simplicity. They would have everyone re-invent the wheel for their pleasure, wihtout ever seeing that it is by building on existing foundations that one achieves progress. This movie's writers may not have re-invented the wheel, but here's what they did; they made the most gorgeous, intricate without being pretentious, wheel I have ever seen. As a few others have mentioned, the story doesn't matter as much as the way it is told. I rate this movie 9.95 out of 10. It loses 0.05 for the 2 times blood instantly vanishes from a blade that was jammed into someone a moment earlier. |
BlindeyeseeMar 8, 2010 8:38 PM
| Secretly wishing that there's a kind, cute Misaki-chan out there for me, too. Preferably close by. And did I mention cute? |
| Story itself quite entertaining. The very last battle is a masterpiece. Brilliant. Loved the score too. Overall: 8/10. |
| I loved this movie, animation and music are a masterpiece. Maybe I'm not a big fan of swords fight animes but these fights were ones of the best which I have EVER seen. deserved 10/10 |
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