The Beauty of the kill
Firstly, I must note that Shigurui is NOT for kids. There is nudity, though not in excess, and there is quite a bit of gore. With that out of the way, I must say that I personally consider Shigurui to be the best anime that I have ever seen. The visual rendition is quite unique and very intense at times. The music is mystifying and captivating, often entailing sporadic drumming and dark humming with a pleasant touch of the biju. Some say Shigurui is too slow paced, but they miss the point. This anime is not about mindless sword swinging,it's about people who dedicate their lives to mastering their arts to the point of obsession. The show showcases true swordplay and battles are often decided with one swing of the blade.
Now the major problem people site in the series is the cliffhanger ending. It stems from the fact that the series only adapts the first part of the manga (the anime was done before the manga was completed) and chooses to include a scene from the final part...
It says 'complete' but it was never finished
This anime is a prime good example of making a good manga into good anime.
[Good]
The visuals - They are really nice.
Storyline is very good - It's more common to have good or great visuals, especially for Japanese anime. Visuals are usually just icing. Having a great storyline is another thing that is rare. The underlying themes, metaphors, and criticism of feudal Japan is very good. (Unfortunately you won't be able to fully appreciate it until you read the full story through the comic books.) Unlike other anime, there is no corniness or segments that are randomly thrown in to cater to socially awkward adolescents. It is just solid and brutal: violence with purpose.
[Bad]
The visuals - It tries to stay true to the manga, which is just too violent for my tastes. Even though I don't like it, I don't think it would be the same if you removed it. I feel that it's meant to be uncomfortable.
Not 'complete' - This anime...
Beautiful but flawed ultraviolent samurai drama, not for the mainstream
I'm reviewing this because I thought people might like to know what the show is like!
Shigurui is an historical samurai drama, but it's not exactly comfort TV. The style is extremely arty, especially during the first few episodes - many many shots of dead cicadas, etc. The pace is also extremely slow, and the ending won't make much sense unless you paid attention to one particular line from the narrator in the middle of the series. You should also take care not to be confused by the flashback near the beginning (it might be more accurate to say the show starts with a flashforward).
At the same time, this show is extremely violent and depraved. Apart from various people having their guts spilled and many different body parts chopped off, there are sex scenes, including a senile old man trying to seduce his daughter, and, laughably, one instance of autofellatio. There is a serious point to the shock value, which is that the absolute obedience demanded of dojo...
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