I originally watched Katanagatari back in mid-2017 as a teenager, and I remember really enjoying it back then. A little over 3 years later and I've revisited it once again with a friend--and while my tastes in media have changed somewhat, this show still holds up wonderfully and I still adore it just as much as I did back then!
Considering each episode is about 50 minutes long and super wordy with the dialogue, it may be difficult to marathon Katanagatari--especially if you have a shorter attention span. If you don't mind that, though, then I'm fairly certain you'll love it.
STORY - 7. The overall plot
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is rather basic; it's been called a fetch quest by many, and I'd be inclined to agree. It might seem a bit uninteresting on the surface at first, but it's surprisingly entertaining, and it just gets darker and more complex over time. I do think, though, that the exposition for said story is poured on a *bit* too heavily in some aspects--there's points in the series where it feels like it's just going on, and on, and on, and for some it could even be an information overload. (It was for me.) Katanagatari suffers from telling the viewer too much and over-explaining things, rather than just showing them. So, if you're looking for constant action, this may not be the anime for you. Normally, this issue would turn me off from even finishing the show--but because the plot and characters were interesting enough, it kept me roped in, and I'm glad I stayed for the ride.
As a side-note: This anime is also a bit over-the-top and over-dramatic in some ways, but I've heard that this is typical of shounen animes. (I'm likely just not used to it) You'll have people announcing their special attacks *in the middle of doing said attack*, for instance. It's weird, but it's not too egregious--sometimes it's even kinda cool. It's also *really, really bloody*, and has some pretty dark rated-R themes; if you can't handle that, I'd advise staying away.
ART - 8. The art style for Katanagatari is really unique compared to other animes I've seen, and that drew me in when I first watched it. It's bright and colorful, and in one episode in particular the style grows bolder and that's where it really shines. There's also pretty clean animation sequences in some parts. On the contrary, there's also moments where the animation quality just drops significantly--luckily, this doesn't make up a majority of the show. The character designs are all super unique and visually interesting, and that's part of what makes this show really memorable to me.
SOUND - 8. The OST is one of the biggest highlights of this show, for sure. Some of the tracks are super chilling and exciting, and fit *really well* with the scenes they're played in. Similarly to the art style, the music has a unique sound to it that makes it feel fresh and interesting. The opening and ending themes are good, but I think the first OP is arguably the best of them all. As for the voice acting; there's some great performances in this show, especially by Togame and Shichika, the leads.
CHARACTER - 7. The characterization here is good, but there's some issues I noticed with it that I can't ignore. While the main leads have lots of depth and go through good character development, much of the supporting cast doesn't really get that chance. There's also the issue of just having *way* too many characters, and then immediately killing off some characters after introducing them--it feels unnecessary, and I think it could've been trimmed down a bit more. Some of the characters also feel a bit *too* overpowered compared to others, but everyone in this anime seems to be immensely skilled in some way, so it's hard to determine what you'd consider "OP" here. Other than that, though, I think they did well with both the designs and personalities of the main cast.
ENJOYMENT - 8. I'm gonna say right now--the first 3 episodes of this anime are a bit of a slog to get through. I feel as if the overall quality/production value of those episodes in particular are just significantly lower than the rest of the show. I actually had a hard time getting through them when I rewatched, as did my friend. But after that beginning phase was over and the halfway point was reach, the show got immensely better in terms of enjoyment. It held my attention the best in the latter half, and I think the last episode is hands-down the best. (Despite how bad it hurts...)
OVERALL - 8. While there are a few glaring issues with Katanagatari, I think that overall, it's a great experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested!
TL;DR:
GOOD POINTS: Colorful and stylish, unique character designs, interesting protagonists, nice soundtrack, lots of attention to detail, has some moving emotional scenes.
BAD POINTS: Over-explains things, super dialogue-heavy, can get a bit too edgy at times, too big of a cast, some animation issues here and there.
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Jun 15, 2020
Katanagatari
(Anime)
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I originally watched Katanagatari back in mid-2017 as a teenager, and I remember really enjoying it back then. A little over 3 years later and I've revisited it once again with a friend--and while my tastes in media have changed somewhat, this show still holds up wonderfully and I still adore it just as much as I did back then!
Considering each episode is about 50 minutes long and super wordy with the dialogue, it may be difficult to marathon Katanagatari--especially if you have a shorter attention span. If you don't mind that, though, then I'm fairly certain you'll love it. STORY - 7. The overall plot ... 
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