Shigurui: Death Frenzy
Ok before I get into this review you guys need to know that this is an intensely violent anime. When viewers usually see an anime with sword branding characters it is hard to take the deadly weapon like a sword seriously. Most anime characters get slashed and spill pints of blood and on the next show, they are fine. Don't dare think that when you stream this show on Netflix, or buy the Blu ray. This show takes the sword seriously. Characters are introduced with smashed faces, missing jaws, and horrific dismemberment that they have to live with. Lastly, viewers that scoff at the cartoony nature of hand drawn animation and want to see something realistic , Shigurui: Death Frenzy is not at all for :
Cast and Crew
This series is directed by Hiroshi Hamazaki , the director of some known shows including Ninja Scroll, and Vampire Hunter D. Unfortunately it is difficult to find the American voice acting cast names. If I do get there names I promise to update this post. Let us move on to the story.
The Story
Shigurui is the story of the Samurai. This story takes place around 1627 during the days of Japanese Fiefdoms and Lordship. The show opens introducing the tyrant Lord as a man pleads with him to stop allowing samurai to Duel without real swords. The Lord shows no emotion other than an erotic desire to see blood spilled. The tyrant arranged the duel and the combatants enter the stage. Immediately, the spectators are upset by what they see.
The combatants are...not normal. One of the men has one arm, the other is a blind cripple. Immediately the spectators are sickened and see this show as an insult to the samurai culture until the men take up their fighting stances. The stances silence the crowd quickly. The two curious fighters show that they are not only worthy, but can slay any one of these spectators in combat. This fact is not expressed through words but through the fearful stares that fill the arena as the two men draw swords.
After the tense introduction, the viewer is brought back to the time when the two men were able bodied warriors and takes the viewers through their life stories to explain why and how these men suffered their injuries that they will inevitably conquer. The introduction is a testament to how powerful and tense filled the battle of stares between two warriors is. As you can see, the story is frighteningly dramatic and engrossing.
Presentation
While the story is the best part of this anime series, the presentation is where it suffers. The English voice acting is superb. There are no over the top voice actors and the delivery is emotional and believable. On the other hand there is a mixture of CGI rendered parts of the environment that just stand out. There are beautiful CGI effects as well like water, blood, and back grounds, but some textures pop out too much when you look at them. There are also scenes that are very convoluted and hard to pick up on the story even for the contemporary anime viewer. These scenes are often projections of character's minds. They sometimes happen in the middle of the scene when a samurai sees himself dying if they make the wrong decision. The only problem with this is sometimes viewers have to remind themselves that they are seeing a thought and not something that is really happening on the show. These moments were a bit confusing but do not take away from the piece of art that Shigurui is .
Rating
So we have a show with a breathtaking and dramatic story that takes the romance and dance out of swordplay and provides a raw, graphic, and realistic look at the world of the samurai. While some viewers would love to see the jumping and flipping and clashing of swords I have to say that there is something awe inspiring about a display like this. There is a long pause between each strike and you have the same powerful tense feeling that someone is going to die even when characters take up wooden swords. The show has a way of showing the gravity of death that is unrivaled. No Real film can show a man's face cut in two without the usage of CGI but when these beautifully animated and detailed characters experience such trauma, you flinch in your seat . This show is very violent and extremely graphic but I would have to say that other than some confusing sequences that may require a second viewing, Shigurui: Death Frenzy is a
Satisfying, Delicacy
Not for everybody
but satisfying if you give it a taste
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