Katanagatari

[Archangel]

Number 1

Just recently in One Piece they did the exact same thing, animated a character that should only have 1 arm with 2

[Xelbair]

I think he can somehow restore limbs - it would seems stupid to remove arm to forge small truce - it would be way more effective to attack them with every head of Maniwani corps at once.

[Archangel]

I think he can somehow restore limbs - it would seems stupid to remove arm to forge small truce - it would be way more effective to attack them with every head of Maniwani corps at once.

It also seems stupid to kill one of your own when you're already down to 5 members but that didn't stop him did it?

[Ryllharu]

Not to mention that even with one arm, he is still more than capable of killing a half-dozen people in an instant. Either he was lying when he told Togame he couldn't win against them before, or his power requires specific circumstances that were not fulfilled at that time.

[Xelbair]

I think he lied back then - he could kill them in instant, - Shichika might survive his initial strike but Togame is sure to be killed. I think they rather want to: lure Hitei out(and Emonzaemon) or just use them as additional hands to gather swords(less work for them). He killed another head of the Maniwani - that was weird - but head of Penguin squad can compensate for his death.

[fireheart]

On the Togame calling out to Shichika during the fight I didn't really see anything wrong with it. As other said Togame got a pretty good grasp of what the doll is capable of and even if Shichika studied it all, it doesn't mean that he can make his body remember all that in just one night. So just saw it as something she could see more easily because she was a bystander and could see all of it instead of just what's infront of Shichika. Basically just easier for her to see it's other 2 hands raised for an attack, while Shichika might have moved in on instinct and might have forgotten about the fact that there were 4 arms.

[Kraco]

Previewless release:

Episode 9 - Mazui

"Don't watch the preview (not in this ep) unless you want MASSIVE spoilers.​" -Tokyotosho comment

[Buffalobiian]

TSUNDERE OVERLOAD!!

Togame had some awesome facial animations this episode - that hair works wonders.

[Kraco]

Togame's jealousy was sweet to watch. The relationship between those two is so ambiguous most of the time that an episode like this that underlined the fact they feel more than a sword and a master was both needed and nice. No matter how much of a strategician and schemer Togame is, she's still somehow so naive and innocent that the kiss must have been genuine and not manipulation at all.

I'm happy the opponent in this episode didn't die. The fight was objectively speaking underwhelming and thus Zanki dying would have meant nothing. But considering everything else that happened, she staying alive felt more wholesome, especially since she handed over the sword willingly after losing.

[Ryllharu]

The highlights for me were Kiguchi's early misunderstandings paralleled with Togame's. Kiguchi wandered in on them in what appeared as an "embrace" with Togame's legs wrapping around Shichika, which she later admitted set off her own heart on a diversion toward more carnal desires rather than perfection of her harmless sword style. This worked nicely with Togame's hallucinations of very classic shoujo style romantic interludes between Shichika and Higuchi and her futile attempts to either catch a glance of him or seduce him at the dojo.

Togame's freakouts were funny, but all in all this episode was somewhat lacking in substance (or perhaps more appropriately, depth) compared to previous episodes. I liked that Shichika brought up Meisai more than once, this episode was largely the antithesis of that one. That one full of substance beyond the interactions of Shichika and Togame, and this one focusing deeply on it for a comedy focus.

I should also note that the gun "swords" were as devastating as I suspected they would be. After all, in a world dominated by swords, who would expect such a thing to even exist? Facing those will be a climactic fight. There was no skill, no honor in how he slayed her. It was cold, ruthless, and sterile.

[shinta|hikari]

I also loved the sheer frequency of the misunderstandings on Togame's part. It was quite a parody of the usual shounen misunderstanding scene. I love how Katanagatari does satire without making fun of itself too much.

[Archangel]

Katanagatari takes a different approach with its moe but does it splendidly in its own way

I'm not opposed to an episode like this so close to the climax, i have a feeling we'll have plenty of drama with the finale already

[Kraco]

Your heart is where your home is:

Episode 10 - Mazui





- - - - - - - - --




The episodes have been getting a bit different towards the end and this one certainly makes no exception. The opponent this time was more interested in teaching lessons than fighting (as expected from a holy man). While that's not altogether different from last month, I suppose there's still the difference that rather than fighting at all, he made them fight themselves. A somewhat psychological episode.

Still, looking at in retrospect, I'm not yet sure how much it mattered. Togame will become more straightforward with her feelings? Shichika is so thick I'm not sure this pushed him much to any direction - in the end he had been fighting for Togame's sake from the beginning so that was hardly a great discovery. Also, like he said himself, any connection between his line and Shikizaki Kiki is of limited practical importance unless it somehow ends up affecting the sword collecting itself.

[Archangel]

I think you're underestimating the value of this episode Kraco

Character development aside, Princess Hime is the descendant of Shikizaki Kiki and Shichika is the final and by that logic the most perfect of the deviant blades. Now, if anyone would know how to defeat him or at least be aware of some inherent weakness it would be his creator's ancestor wouldn't you agree? Not to mention that the princess is now suspicious about Togame's ancestry which would put her in quite some trouble should it become public

Also, I'm very curious to see what manner of poison resides within Shichika seeing as he's one of the accursed blades

Touhou seems to have succumbed to the poison, though i wouldn't leave the possibility of a trap laying in wait either.

I fucking love this show, can't believe it's almost been a year since it started.

[Kraco]

It's not like Shichika would have been unbeatable until now. He has lost fights and won some only by following Togame's schemes. So, figuring out his weaknesses is not any groundbreaking thing.

I'm not really underestimating the meaningfulness of the ep. Just the value of some of the details in it. I'm also happy it seemed to bring Shichika and Togame even closer together and Togame possibly reached a bit more peaceful mindset by coming to terms with one part of her past. Shichika's mentality has been going all over the place towards the end of the series and I'm not sure how much impact this episode had on that. I guess the next fights will reveal that.

[Archangel]

That's not what i'm talking about, i mean an inherent weakness within the Kyotouryuu that could be used against him. Remember Jade Empire?

Also i think anyone might argue that the meaningfulness of an episode should be judged by the value of its details, so aren't you contradicting yourself a bit?

I've learned not to expect much out of character development in Katanagatari. It's consistently there, but it's so obvious that it sort of loses its value. Thankfully character interactions more than make up for it as far as I'm concerned.

[Buffalobiian]

So according to Mr. Sage, Kyotōryuu is more complete than those revolvers.

It'll be interesting to see him defeat all of those swords later, if that is to happen. Countless times we've heard practitioners seeking to let the sword become part of their body - I'll look forward to how the opposite would work out to being the perfect blade.

[Ryllharu]

I thought the part with Hitei was out of place. I was under the impression that she already knew who Togame really was. Other people seemed to early on. There were frequent musing about why she would be working for what should be her enemies. I took it as just another of Hitei's backwards insults. Hitei uses that style of speaking all the time. She asks questions that both she and the person she's talking to know the answer to, like taunting them with the fact that she already knows all about whatever the subject is, that she has all their secrets. I guess the only difference is that she ordered Enmonzaemon to go find out. Her motives are always in question in my opinion.

As for her being a descendant of Shikizaki Kiki, it puts an even bigger question on her motives. Is she still seeking them for power, or is she seeking them to get back what she feels is rightfully hers just to possess them? Does she know some secret about collecting them all, or does she know the individual weakness of each? Are they tools, or trophies? Is she ashamed of the legacy they create and want to destroy them or seal them forever?

However, I don't think that secret bloodline will help her in some way against Shichika and Togame. A sword doesn't change. The one Konayuki has can only be wielded by Konayuki (or Nanami, but she's dead). It's just too heavy. But a fighting style can change. Shichika has developed a technique that no one else has in the history of the style. He uses them in a different way, it is loaded with imperfections. He is a living, breathing sword that changes, shifts, and most importantly, evolves.

His Kyotoryuu is likely vastly different from the one Shikizaki Kiki helped create. He's been through things and faced more powerful swords than anyone else in his style's history. Most importantly, he is not a sword using itself like the Biyorigou, his father, or Nanami. He is wielded by Togame. That's the conclusion Higaki attempted to teach him. Her schemes and directions are how she uses him. She thinks and moves, he just cuts and parries.

That's what I took out the, "people who die are killed," conversation. Shichika has killed no small number of people. Did they really all need to die? Kiguchi Zanki still has not died. In fact, he learned more from her after defeating her. Shichika still believes he has "lost" to her. And as a swordsman, he has. As a sword, he has not. He kills because Togame wills it, he is her sword. As long as he keeps that in mind, he retains his edge, and fights not as a sword with weaknesses, but as a sword used by one of the most clever people in Japan. Shichika felt guilty about killing Meisai and Nanami. He feels upset about losing to Konayuki and Zanki. But if Togame wills it, he doesn't need to get all mixed up and confused about it, he is her blade. In her hands, he needs to protect her, and kill for her.

Kind of a cold conclusion to get out of it, but that was my take. I'd love to see what others got out of that particular conversation with Higaki Rinne.

[Kraco]

That's what I took out the, "people who die are killed," conversation.

I didn't much appreciate that conversation. Why talk to the sword about it in the first place if the conclusion is that he's a sword that kills or refrains from killing according to the wielder's will? But maybe I just got oversensitive the moment I thought I discerned pacifism. I just viewed the whole thing as a continuation to Shichika's growth as a human. Maybe the holy man deduced that was Shichika's greatest adversary (in his nature) and tried to make him confront it. He hasn't actually fought much of anybody ever since Nanami so we don't know how quick he's to kill anymore, how much he judges the opponents' lives worth. It's clear enough he's not just a sword anymore.

[David75]

So Shichika still has things to do with Kiguchi Zanki...

I can't say I like those self fighting eps, as they are a rather widespread plot idea used in many shows/stories be they anime/tv shows/movies from the US, Japan, France and probably other countries.

Let's see how everything unfolds.