Keiji has always bothered me.  I see him as the weak link in the chain.  He runs around all over the place, but never really succeeds in anything he does.  Sure, he got the leaders to unite against Nobunaga, but I think they would have done it without him.  He also seems to walk one-step behind absolutely everything in the series.  This week they give him his own episode.  Either my memory is foggy, or he seriously bucked up between seasons.  Since this is my post, I’m going to go with the latter, because it makes me feel better.

Man, even the foot soldiers can't be bothered with Keiji!

Before we get to Keiji, though, I’ve got to talk about Kenshin’s brilliant power play.  If Toshie takes his town, he’ll simply take Toshie’s town.  Fair trade, right?  Kenshin makes him choose between power and family.  Toshie is a good man, not a massive tool, so he takes his ball and goes home.  He walks headlong into perhaps the most obvious trap in the world.  Who needs to drop an army on someone’s town when you can surround him right where you want him?

I can’t believe Toshie never anticipated this.  You just threatened the God of War as his enemy!  You can’t expect to walk away completely unscathed!  While I commend him for knowing he had to walk away before, now I’m going to call him an idiot for not surrendering.  You might lose your “honor,” but Kenshin obviously planned this attack and his forces far outnumber you.  Even if you win, you still lose!  Actually, I find it quite delicious that this mimics a smaller version of what happened to Masamune.

You've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?"

Keiji tried to warn his uncle to walk away beforehand, but he got the cold shoulder in return.  Nephew is not happy with you at all, sir.  He drops in and challenges Toshie to a duel.  I have to say, I have never seen so little blood in a deadly fight since I watched Noir.  I can believe it with Keiji, because he’s supposed to walk the path of peace through communication.  Maybe he dulled his blade on purpose, who knows?  But Toshie?  You nailed him dead to rights with your trident and didn’t even pierce the armor.  Maybe this newfangled plot armor is a little too good.

Kenshin knows he has proved his point and magnanimously lets his enemy leave.  He also makes a little observation.  They fight for a common cause, but their methods oppose each other.  Keiji wants to talk, while Toshie wants to fight.  They can’t realistically coexist.  Years ago, the pair forged a bond of blood.  I find it fitting that their bond washes away in the pouring rain.  It’s like the heavens are crying with them.

I'm pretty sure once you beat up your old man, you're done.

Yukimura continues his journey, when he decides to make camp in a town.  Here, he sees what Hideyoshi’s methods have brought on the people.  The men have all left, transcripted into the army and destined to fight until they die.  Only the women and children remain.  Yukimura can’t ignore it, he’s too good at heart.  I wonder, if Toshie saw this scene, could he continue to stand by his master?

In Keiji’s brief flashback before he goes bankai all up in Toshie’s face, he remembers Hideyoshi standing over a dead woman’s body.  He’s smiling.  Whether this is Hideyoshi or Keiji’s love doesn’t really matter, even though I’m interested in the answer.  The point is, he has sacrificed everything in the name of power, in order to enforce “peace.”  Is this really a world worth fighting for?

By the way, you guys forgot to exorcise Nobunaga's castle.

Oh yeah, and Masamune still lives.  He still talks with gratuitous English.  He still wants Hideyoshi’s head on a silver platter, now more than ever.  He has an opportunity to claim it, but he will lose in spectacular fashion.  If he won, we probably wouldn’t have a show anymore.  Don’t worry though, he won’t stay down for long.  He never does.

I am sick and tired of your incessant bullshit, Hideyoshi!

You never fully appreciate what you had until you have lost it.  You don’t appreciate your financial security until you can no longer pay the bills.  You don’t realize the value of youth until you have become old and gray.  In Masamune’s case, he has lost a valuable ally and a trusted friend.  It sends the world crashing down around him.  Enough with the sorry stuff.  Let’s see what happened and in what position the great One Eyed Dragon has found himself.

Oh get ON with it, Rak!

What is up with villains and other people trying to tell the hero what his odds for success are?  It rarely if ever matters to them.  I remember watching Star Trek as a kid.  Spock would always come up with some ridiculous odds, like one in a septillion, and Kirk would just shrug it off and succeed.  As a more recent anime example, Kamina taught us to kick reason to the curb and go beyond the impossible!

Actually, we have a startling parallel with the latter case.  In this scenario, Kojuurou is simply outmaneuvered and outgunned.  He has to split his attention between protecting the hostages and himself.  Not just that, though, but he also has to restrain himself from unleashing his full power.  All of the hero characters have amazing attacks, which can decimate an entire area.  If he used one, he could injure or kill the hostages.  I half expected someone to use their Big Damn Heroes moment of the season to come rescue him, as happens so often in these series.  It simply wasn’t meant to be.  Shigeharu’s plan to capture Kojuurou succeeds.

Mission failed! Try again from your last save?

While we’re on the subject of Shigeharu, this guy is a more feminine version of Ivy from Soul Calibur.  I suppose it tells you a lot about my opinion of her character, but that’s neither here nor there.  The key feature here is the ridiculous lolhax whip sword.  From a distance, he looks like your normal, everyday warrior of the Sengoku Basara universe.  Then suddenly, BAM, you get hit from fifty feet away by a rapidly expanding sword.  What kind of an attack is that?  Where do all those sword segments come from, anyway?  Does he have his own personal hyperspace arsenal or something?

I do like the relationship Shigeharu and Hideyoshi share.  In the first season, Nobunaga had his generals, but he treated them as a means to an end.  They treated him largely in kind.  By comparison, these two “villains” have a respectful relationship.  Shigeharu wants his master to succeed more than anything, to the point of his exhaustion.  Hideyoshi looks out for the commander-in-chief of his forces and trusts his tactical opinion.  It also gives a sense that they aren’t evil, they simply have different ideals.  I like anime using this concept as it makes for far more interesting conflict.

There's at least 20 times as much blade as should be here.

Poor Masamune, your inexperience is showing.  Losing Kojuurou might have crippled him for now, but I think it will ultimately make him better.  As of right now, he relied on him far too much for advice.  Masamune prefers the balls to the wall, head-on collision style of attack.  It makes for entertaining fights, but very poor strategy.  By the time he engages his real opponent in combat, his troops have had enough.  They cannot fight anymore, even for their enigmatic leader.

Fortunately, he has more than enough hot blood to make up for his weakened troops.  Making him angry achieves the same effect as stirring a hornet’s nest.  Whatever comes out will beat the tar out of you, so all you can do is to run like hell.  Shigeharu obviously did not consider the power of sheer, murderous rage.  Even with the power of GAR on his side, I have doubts Masamune can truly win this fight.  Even if he repels the attackers, his lands remain open to attack.  His status as the main character offers him strong plot armor, but he still needs to learn quickly to protect his soldiers and other subjects.

Guys? Hey guys! I wouldn't do that if I were... oh never mind.

I will go on the record as saying I like the Dynasty Warriors series.  Yes, it’s repetitive button mashing, but there’s just something about seeing entire armies decimated by a few choice warriors.  Thus, when I heard about the second season of Sengoku Basara, I quickly watched the first to prepare myself.  If you liked the hot-blooded, over-the-top action and light political maneuvering of 2009’s campaign against Oda Nobunaga, then you’re ready for this new challenger to appear.

ITSA SHOW TIME!

As the episode starts, very little has changed in the world of Sengoku Basara.  Shingen and Kenshin are still attempting to bury each other while their armies fight in the background.  Masamune still revolves his plans around decimating all his opponents in one big brawl with a liberal sprinkling of gratuitous English.  Yukimura still has a rivalry with the One Eyed Dragon. Keiji is still running around spouting messages of the apocalypse.  Wait, if he has a warning, that means a new general is approaching, right?  Yes, and it is none other than one Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a truly imperious man who appears to be about 15 feet tall.  He can reflect a hail of arrows and split the heavens with a single punch.  He has come to take control of Japan.

Your puny arrows do not scare me!

Before we go any further, perhaps you’d like to know a little about the real Hideyoshi.  He succeded his lord, Oda Nobunaga, and continued his campaign to control Japan.  He actually succeeded in this, ending the Sengoku period and unifying the nation.  Even Masamune pledged allegiance to him.  During his reign, he solidified the peasant and samurai classes, giving Japan some much needed stability.  He also improved the culture of Japan, especially so by spreading the tea ceremony.  Unfortunately, his successors died, and he named his nephew to succeed him.  He and another powerful general, Maeda Toshiie, died within one year of each other.  Tokugawa Ieyasu used the power vacuum in a bid to seize control, and succeeded.

But does this matter world of Sengoku Basara?  No, especially because Ieyasu died in the middle of last season.  However, it does give you some flavor for why Hideyoshi is such a big deal.  Now we just have to see how the generals will align themselves to stop him.  Or will they?

OH SH-

Enough with the history lesson.  Our three main generals are none too pleased with Hideyoshi’s appearance, especially Masamune who sees him trying to take his role of Official Plan Derailer.  They like even less his enormous strength and excellent maneuvering which leaves them at a sore disadvantage.  Fortunately, Kojuurou sends an order to retreat before they commit to a losing battle.  Hideyoshi could pursue, and probably crush them, but he has already sent a clear message.  He has arrived, he is here to stay, and they had better watch their backs.

This is especially true because he has masterfully manipulated his appearance.  First, he has spies in all three of the general’s camps.  It becomes very hard to strategize when you never quite know when information will leak without your knowledge.  Second, he has used the informants to surround their armies.  If they wait, he can besiege and easily crush them.  They have to move now to prevent the noose from tightening any further.  Masamune will spend his time regaining control of his territory, while Yukimura slips through the enemy lines to gain allies.  They will need all the help they can get, especially because Kojuurou finds himself ambushed by Hideyoshi’s supporting general, Shigeharu Takenaka.

Fortunately, Shingen's punches apparantly heal wounds!

*sigh* So, I think everyone and their mother has criticized Rainbow at some point for acting a bit lax in the storytelling department.  It looks like today is my turn to jump on the bandwagon.  Episode 4 explores Sakuragi, his past, and his current motivation to protect the boys in his cell.  Unfortunately, the way they present it, it falls flat on its face.

Uh... thanks for the visual aide, guys.

We get a flashback in the second half of the episode.  Sakuragi’s father goes off to war.  When the war ends, he doesn’t return.  Eight years later, he finally shows up at the house, and it turns out the Russians had held him for the past eight years in a Siberian internment camp.  The experience changed him completely.  He’s become a drunkard, abusive, and lost his motivation for living.  Sakuragi decides to stay out of the house more often to avoid him, but runs across his father in the pouring rain one night.  They quarrel, and son essentially tells father to go to hell.  The father actually complies, and the experience leaves Sakuragi emotionally scarred.

So, what’s the problem?  Well, it generates no sympathy for Sakuragi’s father.  His son correctly surmises he suffers from survivor’s guilt, but this is something we’re told matter-of-factly, rather than shown.  Think about how much more impact this flashback could have had if we had even a glimpse into the father’s life.

Imagine the life of a middle-aged soldier having to fight in the Second World War while missing the family he holds dear.  Imagine his reaction as his superiors hand him report after report of his children dying on the battlefield, likely without him ever having the chance to say goodbye.  Imagine the despair he feels as the Russians corner him.  Imagine the trip to Siberia, in an overloaded train car, as he realizes he may never see the wife and child he loves dearly ever again.  Imagine him slowly breaking under the strain of the harsh and unforgiving environment in his “new home.”  Imagine the disillusionment he feels when they finally release him eight years later.

All the events, culminating in this one emotional outburst.

Yet, we get none of this.  Survivor’s guilt and its ilk can make for powerful storytelling, but you actually have to work with it correctly.  You never feel immediate sympathy for a character who shows up on the doorstep in a psychologically defeated state.  We need an emotional attachment to the character involved.  This means we also have to experience the events that lead to the gradual breakdown.  I know everything that happened, I just told you all of it, but Rainbow didn’t show it to me itself.  All we see is the result: a man who has broken in several ways and then takes his own life.  It presents us with fact instead of emotion.  I feel no sympathy.

When Sakuragi says his motivation is to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again, I feel nothing as well.  Yes, it is fact, and the conclusion derives from the premise, but that’s all it does.  I don’t think it helps any when the whole fire scene is needlessly overwritten and dramatized.  The amount of time they spend in the blaze, the Inspector beating up Uncovered, debris pinning Bro down, it’s all meant to pull at the heart-strings.  They simply do too much with it though, thus it feels overdone.  Perhaps I’m harsh in my assessment.  However, presenting a dark drama doesn’t give you a free card from criticism.  You also must have the writing to back it up.  I’ve read a few comments on MAL that say the manga picks up at this point.  I certainly hope it does.

With creepy doctor on the watch, it at least looks interesting.

Trust is something many of us give with great reluctance.  We have to know a person for some time before we feel like we can open up to them.  However, trust is a double-edged sword.  When we reveal these aspects of our lives, we open ourselves to attack.  It’s so easy to betray someone.  It is fitting that this episode, entitled Distrust, revolves around a person who cannot trust anyone.  His name?  Baremoto.

I don't need you! I don't need anybody!

After the events of the last episode, Joe wants to become a singer.  I think this is a career choice right up his alley.  You can tell he is more prone to emotional outbursts than the rest of his companions in the cell, but it isn’t necessarily bad.  You must put emotion into your singing to make it real.  A person who sings about something he doesn’t believe in himself comes off as fake.  In addition, Joe wants his fame to catch his sister’s attention.  However, I think he can do more.  A popular singer can become a strong voice for social change.  He already has a wealth of experience to draw from in his song writing from both positive and negative experiences.  He can use music to convey the problems facing the young, the abandoned, and the impoverished.  Perhaps this is a bit big and idealistic, but sometimes all it takes is one person in the right place to start a change.

Well, I believe in your dream, Joe!

Baremoto trusts no one and believes only in himself.  This stems from his childhood, where he saw vile men taking advantage of his mother.  In one way, he is correct in his appraisal.  Truly terrible people exist in this world who are capable of equally terrible actions.  You wouldn’t want to be mixed up with someone of that nature.  At the same time, Baremoto misses the point of his mother’s sacrifice.  She derives no pride from living a life of prostitution.  However, you have a strange sense of admiration for his mother, who literally did everything she could to ensure her son’s safety and survival.  If she believed only in herself as Baremoto does, he would have died long ago.  In addition, you can draw a striking parallel between his mother and himself.  He knows the cigarettes are his and he knows he started the fire.  Baremoto essentially sells himself to Ishihara to escape punishment in a form of mental prostitution.

He's seeing exactly what you think, and it'd scar you too.

I think you can define Inspector Ishihara as a control freak with a superiority complex.  He craves power and he gets it by holding control over the kids in the detention facility.  You can see where a guy like Bro would pose a problem.  When Ishihara beats him, Bro simply looks at him with defiance in his eyes.  It is a silent look saying, “You can batter me, but you can never break my spirit.”  It drives him straight into a rage.  His terrible traits make us hate him as a character, perhaps even think of him as a monster.  Yet, just like the boys, I wonder how he got this way.  No one is simply born this way, so what happened in his youth to make him flip out when he loses control?  It runs counter-intuitive to a series about character who have to deal with someone like him, but I hope they resolve it just the same.

You dare challenge the all-powerful Inspector Ishihara!?

Finally, we have Bro.  He acts like a big brother now, but if Ishihara’s words are true, he killed his parents.  It surprised me to see them put this plot into motion so early.  Whatever the circumstances of the crime, we can see Bro wants to become a better person.  He’s acted as a pillar of strength to the boys, to the extent that Mario still believes in him despite the claims.  When Bro runs into the fire, it really drives home his character.  Generally, a person running into a fire embarks on a suicide mission.  So many things can go wrong.  You can receive heavy burns, suffocate, or even the building itself might crush you with its quickly diminishing structural integrity.  He knows it and volunteers to sacrifice himself anyway, even if his inmates hate him and even if they already died.  I really don’t care what he did in the past right now, I look at him as a hero.  Next week, we’ll see if his heroics bear any fruit.

He ran into the fire...

Last month on Katanagatari, Shichika and Togame retrieved Zantou Namakura from the tragic villain Ginkaku.  The next sword on the list is Sentou Tsurugi, or the thousand swords.  The weapon has fallen into the hands of Meisai Tsuruga, the matriarch of a shrine and yet another foe with a tragic history.  What are you going to do now Shichika?

Apparently, he's going to get punched in the face.

The episode starts with our heroic duo climbing the thousand steps outside of the shrine.  Shichika ends up carrying Togame up to the top, where Tsuruga greets them.  The two women retire to discuss the terms of their visit.  Tsuruga lays out the challenge: Togame must identify the original Tsurugi, while Shichika must defeat her in combat.  A shrine maiden attempts to kill the strategian, but Tsuruga blocks her and sends all the girls away.  The leader calls Shichika in to tell him about the purpose of the temple.  It serves as a refuge for broken women who have nowhere else to go.  Despite hearing the story, he stays determined to defeat her in combat.  Maniwa Kuizame shows up to claim the sword, but Tsuruga dispatches him with ease.  Togame believes she has found the original Tsurugi, and the battle begins.  Tsuruga lures Shichika into a trap, and then explains her past in detail.  Shichika “escapes,” and the two face off for a final rush between his martial arts and the true Tsurugi.  He emerges triumphant upon slaying her in a single blow.

I'm convinced the Maniwani exist solely for comic relief.

The shrine maidens set the framework for this episode.  Many of the girls suffered severe abuse at the hands of men.  The psychological damage is so extensive that they cower in fear of Shichika, even though he would do them no harm.  They all came to the temple looking for a sanctuary, both for their broken minds and from the crimes they committed.  While their assailants may have raped or abused them, in the eyes of the law, they are guilty of murder.  As a result, they also have to keep their faces covered so no one can recognize them.  Their circumstances force them to live in isolation for the rest of their lives.  Tsuruga puts their welfare ahead of her own life.  Thus, Togame offers aid from the Shogunate to take care of the temple and pardon the women for their crimes.

All he did was pick up a bundle of wood.

Tsuruga is quite an interesting character.  She lost her father to the rebellion.  To gain power and influence, she used the skills he gave her to kill hundreds of people.  Then, she found salvation, but only by treading upon the bodies of her comrades and an innocent priest.  Finally, she has helped all the girls at the shrine to repair their damaged minds, but they will have to pay with their souls.  Everything she set out to do has reached fruition, but she did it by paving the road of her life in blood.  To her, the ends do not justify the means.  At this point, she doesn’t feel she has the power to break the cycle, or no longer thinks she’s fit to try.  Following Shichika out of her trap seems like a tactical blunder, but she herself says she thought she would probably die.  Like Ginkaku before her, Tsuruga ultimately wants death, and she knows that Shichika is fully willing to grant her wish.

If this sounds familiar, it came up last episode as well.

On that note, Tsuruga also mentions a belief in fate several times.  Let’s look at the events in the series through that lens.  When Togame’s father died in the rebellion, it set into motion events that would cause her to resent the empire.  Since Shichika is the only heir to the anti-sword style, fate dictated that the two would meet.  Their search means that so long as they live, they will eventually meet every person who bears one of the twelve swords.  Tsuruga believes fate decided that her multi-sword style would bring her in contact with the Tsurugi that perfectly compliments her.  This means that her path would have to cross Shichika’s at some indeterminate point.  The ensuing battle would finally allow her to feel death’s embrace.  When you look at it in this manner, Tsuruga’s death broke her cycle, but served to prolong Shichika’s.

Finally free...

Finally, we need to look at Shichika’s character development.  You probably have trouble sympathizing with him given the way the writers have constructed his character.  When Tsuruga questions him on why he fights, he states that he does it because Togame wishes it.  It evokes thoughts of a soldier that carries out his duty with no regard for the task’s morality.  That idea is firmly rooted in reality.  Many times, we kill our enemies because they tried to kill us without taking a moment to think about why they tried to kill us.  Even when he’s given the opportunity to learn Tsuruga’s motivations, he ignores it.  This leads Tsuruga to accuse him of ignoring it simply because he doesn’t want to think for himself.  She is absolutely right, and he even admits it.  Think about it.  Tsuruga and Ginkaku are not truly evil characters.  At worst, they are simply misguided.  Their only real crime was standing in the way of Shichika’s, or rather, Togame’s goal.  He never questions if the ends justify the means.  I have to wonder if a real fight for his life would get him to start examining his actions, and it seems that Sabi will put him through hell next month.  I’m looking forward to it.

Hopefully, you'll have to think for yourself sooner rather than later.

Last week on Katanagatari, the show acquainted us with our main characters, Shichika and Togame.  They didn’t have long to talk though, as Koumori from the Maniwa Corps attacked.  Shichika defeated him and retrieved the first sword, Zettou Kanna.  This week, they pursue Zantou Namakuma and the ronin that wields it.

It's good you have a strong grip, Togame.

The episode begins with the couple making landfall in Kyoto.  We already knew Shichika had problems telling people apart, and with so many people around, it’s a bit disorienting for him.  This leads to an “identification exercise” that seems more to bring the two physically close than to serve any real use.  He also questions the necessity of buying new clothes to replace his practical peasant garb.  The two encounter some bandits on the way out-of-town, and the martial artist handily disarms them.  Togame stops him from finishing them.  Unfortunately, it’s rude to kill everyone with a sword that crosses your path, even if they are a nuisance.

Where were you when they tried to KILL you!?

As Togame describes the sword’s owner, Uneri Ginkaku, the perspective shifts to his castle.  Shirasagi Maniwa has come to claim the sword, and his peculiar quirk is talking backwards.  You can imagine how difficult this might be to understand.  Fortunately, Ginkaku cuts him down in all of 90 seconds.  Togame continues to narrate the desert condition of the ronin’s domain.  Neither really understands why an accomplished swordsman like himself would be the sole resident in such an arid place.

Ninjas are a nuisance, even in death.

Their conversation turns to the bizarre with Togame lodging complaints about Shichika’s lack of personality and catch phrase.  She isn’t breaking the fourth wall, simply leaning on it quite hard.  Since she’s recording everything that happens on their journey, the discussion is based on the premise of exciting writing.  Of course, the guy really has no interest in all this extraneous stuff, and decides to just accept whatever phrase she spits out next.  You wouldn’t think this country bumpkin would have already mastered believable sarcasm, but there you have it.

...that you believe a single word I just said.

The pair reach the castle and literally trip over the body of Shirasagi.  They decide the event is lucky, because that means the sword is still here and reveals the ronin’s skill level.  In addition, a dead person can’t speak, so Togame won’t have to write dialogue for him.  They explore the castle and find Ginkaku’s room.  The strategian attempts to negotiate, and almost gets herself killed.  Shichika saves her at the last-minute as the two show their respective skills.  Today’s battle will come down to the no-sword style against the quick draw style.  The protagonists make a temporary retreat to strategize.

You might also "chill out," "max," or "relax all cool."

Shichika remarks that his style of attack and that he allowed them to leave means that Ginkaku must stay in the room to reach his optimal skill level.  Despite a rather clever plot to force the swordsman to leave, the pair decide to face him head to head.  Shichika asks that Togame stay behind him this time, so he can protect her.

Personally, I approve of this plan.

On the other side, Ginkaku reminisces about his current lot in life.  He’s thought about abandoning the territory, but could never commit to it.  All that he has left to protect is his castle and the sword by his side, which he resolved to defend until his last breath.

But what happens when there's nothing left..?

I will not spoil the final battle for you.  Suffice to say it has action, insight, and surprisingly, humor.  That’s kind of the series’ defining mark at this time.  The characters talk a lot, but the banter is witty and gives us a good look into the characters and the world around them.  Togame has loud, big ideas, while Shichika prefers a more subdued, practical approach.  Their polar opposite dynamic means that you’ll probably find yourself more interested as the dialogue progresses.  Additionally, the series immediately introduces the concept of the tragic villain.  Ginkaku really isn’t a bad guy, his motivations just ran counter to theirs and weren’t entirely clear.  However, in a way, the pair finally granted his wish by liberating him from his burden, and his brief last words are powerful.  You have to wonder why the antagonists to come made the choices they did to reach this point.  Next month they will target Sentou Tsurugi, and the preview animation promises much more action.  If you haven’t already done so, pick this series up now, I really think it will be one of the best by the end of the year.

And woe to humanity if they should ever succeed...

We’ve almost reached the end of the Winter season launches with the airing of Katanagatari.  However, this is a nonstandard series.  The plan is to be a sweeping epic series that is aired as one 45-minute episode every month for the rest of the year.  I don’t have a lot of time before shipping out for Ohayocon, so let’s jump right into this.

Going out in the middle of a blaze is pretty cool though.

The anime starts on an isolated island where our protagonist Shichika and his sister Nanami live.  They came to this island with their father when the empire banished him.  Shichika has inherited the no sword style, called Kyotouryuu, from his father, who died a year before our story.  Togame, the shogun’s “strategian,” has come to this island to seek out the head of the Kyotouryuu style, which means her aim is to recruit Shichika.

She's fallen for him.

Togame lays out most of the plot for us.  An infamous swordsmith by the name of Shikizaki Kiki made a series of 1000 swords.  Of these, the last 12 are especially dangerous, and have special properties.  The shogun sent ninjas and swordsmen to retrieve the weapons, but to no avail, as once obtained the hires disappeared.  She needs Shichika to aid her in her task, since he’s the only person in the world with the skills necessary who wouldn’t be swayed by love or honor.  She also wants him to love her.

You've got to believe in the heart of the cards... I mean... the power of love!

An assassin, Koumori, interrupts their conversation with a hail of kunai.  Our hero gives chase and the two stop at the beach.  It turns out this guy has the first legendary sword, which he keeps in an… unorthodox place.  The Zettou Kanna’s special ability is its extreme durability, rendering it mostly unbreakable.  After a lot of talking and a small amount of combat, the assassin escapes with Togame.

Dude breaks swords and doesn't afraid of anything.

Koumori takes on Togame’s appearance using his ninja skill, and goes to kill Shichika.  Unfortunately for him, our hero has quick reflexes and immediately lashes out when surprised.  Koumori reveals the strategian’s true intentions to  try to convert the martial artist.  It turns out she’s actually the daughter of the rebel leader, and Shichika’s father killed her father.  However, hearing that she decided to turn to her enemy for help actually moves the young man to commit to aiding her.  He dispatches Koumori, takes the sword, and the two then set off on their quest.

Stop hitting yourself!

This first episode serves as a prologue, and because it must set the stage for the rest of the plot, there is an incredible amount of dialogue.  Shichika lampshades this halfway through when he asks if ALL mainlanders talk this much.  However, the plot is interesting, and hopefully we’ll get more action in later episodes.  Shichika plays the role of the rather quiet, dumb protagonist, while Togame serves as the plot force and comic relief.  Foremost, the art style alone makes this series worth watching in my opinion.  The colors are vibrant and appealing and the art direction is a lot more fluid then what you might be used to.  It reminds me of Kaiba.  I am extremely interested in seeing more, unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a month for the next episode.

See you next time, feudal cowboy.