Blade of the Immortal

Probably an additional 13 episodes were planned. The story ends abruptly without resolution, but is pretty good as far as it goes.

The action is good (not great). The hero is particularly interesting because all of his opponents seem to be noticeably better than him in combat. With minor exceptions, the young girl who is the companion of the hero is treated (by the writer) in a respectful manner and the show is only mildly adult as a result. The villains are "fleshed out" better than is the case with most anime - they have motivation, occasionally insane but usually rational and believable.

The action is occasionally interrupted with long-winded philosophizing from the villains and, occasionally, from the hero.