Completed
“One-armed Fujiki and blind Irako, disciples of Japan's greatest swordsman, duel to the death in a deadly Edo tournament.”
Shigurui: Death Frenzy
シグルイ
7.35
2,792 rank · 134,226 viewers · 997 favorites
Action
Drama
Suspense
Adult Cast
Gore
Historical
Martial Arts
Psychological
Samurai
Seinen
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
One-armed Fujiki and blind Irako, disciples of Japan's greatest swordsman, duel to the death in a deadly Edo tournament.
At the beginning of the Edo Era, when people enjoyed a time of peace, Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga holds a fighting tournament. In the past, matches were fought with wooden swords. This time, real swords will be used. One-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and blind Irako Seigen will fight each other in this match. Both are disciples of Iwamoto Kogan, who is known as Japan's greatest swordsman. Each of them are determined to prove himself the successor of Iwamoto's school. However, there can only be one champion. So begins a story of intertwining fates, conflict, and strange destinies. (Source: ANN)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 48 sampled reviews
7.0
/10
What 48 viewers settled on.
77%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7.5
mode 9
σ 2.27
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.27 · split reception
The polarity gap
5.3 pts
Recommenders 8.5 · others 3.2
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 1.98
Running avg · Mar 2008 → Mar 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 10 “Shigurui hooks you immediately with its dark yet amusing vibe and stands as perhaps the most realistic and honorable samurai show out there, with the grotesqueness being absolutely—okay,...”
- 10 “At the risk of fanboying, this is one of the few if not the only series's I've ever encountered that manages to not idealize feudal era Japan. It truly reflects the stoic and jarring world of honor...”
- 7 “This anime was exquisitely drawn and edited, some of the most graphic violence I've ever seen, and the characters and everything were awesome- but the ending was awful. Keeping in mind you see the...”
Verbosity
Short · 40%
Medium · 31%
Long · 29%
Watch Order & Related
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Cast
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 12 × 23′ eps × min
- Total runtime 4h 36m all episodes
- Aired Jul 2007 – Oct 2007 Summer 2007
- Source Tv media type
- Rated R+ Mild Nudity
- Ref. BS-2030 catalog
Produced by
- WOWOW Producer
- Akita Shoten Producer
- Artist Management Office Producer
- Geneon Entertainment Producer
Licensed by
- Funimation Licensor