One of my all time favorites.

I'll tell you why so serious

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Chinese agents come to Japan hunting a boy. They are well prepared, have a lot of money and seem to be indomitable in battle, especially one of them, who is a blue eyed blonde. The boy is clueless, rude and his only companion and friend is a dog. When they meet a mysterious samurai, he reluctantly agrees to help them escape pursuit.Well drawn, cool action scenes reminiscent of Ninja Scroll, credible characters, doing things for reasons that one can believe, rather than the classic "I will protect something, hear me roar!", and an interesting story with roots in a real event.It lasts for one hour forty minutes and I warmly recommend it. It has some issues at the end when some of the characters are just ridiculously overpowered, but overall it was really cool.

Note that I am very rigorous on my ratings: films with 7/10 are excellent films. I reserve higher scores for truly outstanding films.Overall, this is a well constructed and executed action thriller that will please fans of animated action films. It is more entertaining than most Hollywood action films and will also please fans of animation as it is very detailed and pleasing to the eye. Overall a very good effort but this is not a work of art and shouldn't be treated as such. Therefore, don't watch it expecting a timeless work of art, but instead watch it expecting a very good action movie, which it is. It deliver high octane action in a consistent way.

For a long time, feature film anime had been lacking when it came to top-notch production. I found this title not expecting much but from the very beginning it had me. Everything that was great about the ninja/samurai animations in the 90's re-emerged onto this film and I think its safe to say that the choreography far excelled that of its predecessors. The story as vague as it may have been did enough to keep my interest ,but in the end it was the fight scenes that kept me compliant to watch further. Not often do you find a final battle to be so intense pushing the boundaries of fluid animation that your eyes are glued to every moment of the fight. I really can't say enough about this film. At a time where many anime have become primarily viewed in a TV series format, Sword of the Stranger was a breath of fresh air and nostalgic return to what I loved so much about anime feature films. For any fan of Ninja Scroll,Dagger of Kamui, Samurai X, and other great anime classics, this one is for you trust me.

This is, without doubt, one of the greatest animated movies I have ever seen. The animation is superb, the fights are choreographed perfectly and the story is second-to-none. However, to fully appreciate the story's meaning, you need to understand the philosophical context of the film. The following review is a brief summary of the philosophical content and persuasions that went into this movie.First, this story is - as the title of this review suggests - a praise of Western Civilization. Throughout the story, we, the viewers, are bombarded with cultural comparisons between two main ethnic groups: Westerners (i.e., represented by the two Western characters, Lord Rarou and Nanashi) and Easterners (represented collectively by the Chinese and Japanese lords/warriors). The two main characters - Lord Rarou and Nanashi - represent two aspects of Western Civilization: Individualism and Traditional (Western) Morality. On the other hand, the Japanese and Chinese represent two aspects of Eastern Civilization (which are antithetical to the two aforementioned Western precepts): Collectivism and Immorality.The first Westerner - Lord Rarou - represents the first aspect of Western Civilization: Individualism. Lord Rarou is a Westerner (presumably raised in China) who is a member of the Chinese warrior class and, as such, owes his complete allegiance to the (Chinese) Ming Dynasty. All the Chinese in this movie are shown as subservient to the singular will of the Ming Emperor. Furthermore, all the Chinese are vassals of the Emperor, unable to disobey his will and moral authority. However, Lord Rarou is unlike his Chinese counterparts in that he is only concerned with finding someone who can match his skill is swordsmanship. He repeatedly shows his disdain for Chinese practices (e.g., taking opium to ease pain) and for the emperor in general. Whereas the rest of the Chinese warriors are dependent upon the will and whims of the nobility, Rarou chooses to follow his own beliefs and proclivities. As you watch this film, compare Lord Rarou's character to that of his Chinese counterparts.The second Westerner (and the main protagonist) - Nanashi - represents the second Western philosophical precept: Traditional Morality. Whereas Nanashi's Japanese counterparts are only concerned with baser pleasures (e.g., power, lust, wealth, etc.), Nanashi willingly risks his life for the sake of a boy named Kotaro, whom he befriended on his journey through the Akaike province. Compare Nanashi's noble character with that of the rest of the Japanese. Whereas the latter group seeks only petty, ephemeral conquests, the former strives to do what is right and just.Again, this movie should be viewed in the context of comparing the two aforementioned cultural groups. Only then will one enjoy (and understand) the story's meanings.