Shigurui: Death Frenzy

Shigurui: death frenzy captivated me from the first episode. It's a slow burner, but every second is tense. The score is blended it to every aspect of it and sets the mood for every scene. I found myself having to rewind many times to understand the scene that goes by quickly, but the show rewards you paying attention. It's beautifully crafted and makes you feel like you're in ancient Japan. I don't know how this show isn't rated higher, maybe because it isn't your mainstream action packed anime. It is a mature, graphic and bloody tale that quite literally moves to the beat of its own drum. Yet it never lacks in pacing. If ghost of tsushima and basilisk ninja scrolls had a lovechild it would be this. 10/10.

When i've seen shigurui 1 episode, i was hooked. If you wont, then don't bother to watch whole thing - its not for you. This anime is really hard to follow, the story is jumping to past and present and in between... So you really have to concentrate on what is going on or even read out in the internet parts you don't get, ...but in the end it's totally worth it. This is one of best experience the anime can give you, and after watching anime 3 times or so and not knowing how this will end, I've read the manga and it's GREAT. And now I can't wait for the next chapter or the season 2 of anime... This anime is not for kids, nor for women, it's for people who admire Japanese culture and samurai.. Here you wont see stupid pop culture junk, like women samurais, or fast hitting katana to katana, as if that is the way of sword fighting. Katana is one-strike blade and that's how it is done here in shigurui. The story is slow but very deep. It's about concentration and will power. It's about overcoming obstacles and defending honor. Truly The best Manga and Anime ever, if you wont "get it" , that would be sad. And I just hate people writing bad reviews about this masterpiece, because they don't get it, because they enjoy watching stupid stupid childish pointless animes suitable only for children. There are only 2 superior animes really worth watching: Shigurui and Death Note. That is it.

Absolute Masterpiece, I wish they made more Anime series like this. A little ambiguity in this series, but it makes up for the realism that it gives in the series. After watching this anime, even the "good" Anime doesn't feel worth watching. Shigurui and Ninja Scroll are one of the best Anime for me. Looking forward to Anime like this.

Shigurui is an anime that centers around the lives of the 2 foremost disciples of the Kogan style - a form of swordplay that allows the user to deliver lethal strikes from extraordinary distances and with blinding speed. One disciple is driven by his ambition to ascend through the social rungs despite his common birth; the other is driven by his blind devotion to his master and to preserving the legacy of the sword school. They have been dubbed the twin dragons of the Kogan, but only one can emerge as the successor to inherit the school and its fortune, and for this honor only the strongest will be chosen.

-Key aspects:

The swordplay depicted in Shigurui is markedly different from the variety you'll commonly see in anime (where people smack their swords together while performing gymnastics). The katana is a weapon designed to kill with a single stroke, and Shigurui adheres to this basic principle. This is a large part of what sets the action in this anime a cut above its peers. Shigurui features true swordplay in which every stroke has meaning, and where the first clash is often the last.

The art, visual effects, and soundtrack are all top notch. Every scene is crafted with painstaking care and it all sums up to an experience that is nothing short of a masterpiece.

It is important to note, however, that this is not a simple anime, so unless you're prepared to invest yourself in the narrative, and possess a certain degree of 'mental refinement' (for lack of a better term) Shigurui probably won't speak to you as deeply. The anime is also gore-heavy; it shows you exactly what happens when a swords comes into contact with flesh and it isn't pretty. This may be a deciding turnoff for you, and that's understandable. Some people have a stronger stomach than others.I would encourage you not to simply dismiss the content as gratuitous however.

-In closing: Ever since Shigurui I have been searching for an anime in the samurai genre that could provide me with an experience on par with death frenzy, and sadly nothing seems to come close. I can't even watch most anime anymore because they bore me in comparison to Shigurui. I truly believe that this is the pinnacle of production in an anime to date.

This is a 12 part Anime series. I watched the Blu-ray (english 5.1) and thought it was "translated well", without knowing the original language (which is also on the disc in 2.0). Atmosphere and presentation is where this series really shines. The voice acting is good and ambient sounds can be great at times. The artwork and sound design is impressive and can be almost hypnotic. The story may seem a bit convoluted and i actually watched the 1st part again after finishing the series, but much of it comes together in the end.

This is not your average Samurai-Anime, if you're looking for something action-packed like Ninja Scroll, you won't find it here. If you like the more arty touch and trippiness of Ghost in the Shell and thrive on atmosphere and just enjoying the animated art, then you're in the right place. There aren't huge battles or war-scenes, the Samurai are mostly dueling, building up tension with dialog and the great score before bursting into short but intense fights. There is some pretty graphic violence, so only recommendable to adults, especially with the slower, more atmospheric style of the series, which can be interpreted as "boring" by viewers with a short attention span.

If you are in need of another Samurai fix, but with more action, then check out Ninja Scroll (1993) + Basilisk (2005)