Review of Katanagatari

There's a tradition in Tibetan Buddhism called The Sand Mandala. Tibetan monks create intricate large-scale mandalas out of colored sand which often take days to complete. These large pieces of art often portray deities and complex geometrical patterns. After the piece is complete, the monks take part in a ceremony in which they wipe away the sand and destroy the mandala. Then, the sand is collected in a jar and sent out into the river, to be released back into nature, showing the impermanence of the world. I see this as a symbol for how one can't be too attached to anything, and how thingsin our lives come and go, and that's okay.

Katanagatari reminds me of this tradition.

The series is something unlike anything I've seen. I've seen my fair share of anime, but Katanagatari showed me something I wasn't expecting. Everything from it's structure to it's pacing defies the traditional TV trope of the "Fetch Quest" narrative. A seemingly simple story: a curious and strategic girl searches for a right hand man on her quest for the twelve Deviant Blades across Japan, and we see their relationship grow with each episode.

The series is fairly episodic, with the team getting another one of the swords at the end of each episode, and the pacing of the story is something to be admired. Admittedly, episodes can be a bit dialogue heavy, but it never felt rushed or dragged on for too long, which is an impressive feat for episodes that are 50 minutes long. They keep it packed with enough diverse content to keep the story engaging and episodes don't seem repetitive.

One of the most interesting elements of the show, however, is the art. Character designs are simple yet imaginative, and colors are bright, bold, yet also subtle. The stylized scenery is always detailed and nothing 'looked boring'. I'm a huge fan of the style of this animation. Yet another unconventional strength of the show.

Characters feature a lot of depth, and the romantic interest between the traditional 'brain and brawn' team kept it from being plain. I had almost even wanted them to introduce a third member of their two-man team, but realized that their relationship is a focal point of the series, and a third character would throw off the balance of their unique dynamic. Throughout the show I was always enjoying their interactions which kept an otherwise somewhat serious action/martial arts anime pretty light hearted. Side characters introduced along the way were also interesting with their backstories, but there definitely ended up being too many characters to keep track of.

[Warning: LIGHT spoilers, mainly vague references]

The ending, however, is where I draw the connection to the Sand Mandala tradition. The highly controversial last episode first made me confused, angry, then upset, then content. The plot twists became overwhelming, but I had forgotten what show I was watching: Katanagatari isn't your traditional anime, and things weren't meant to last forever. This series isn't going to cater to the casual viewer, it's going to stay dedicated to its craft, and there's no way that there would be a predictable, one dimensional ending.

[/LIGHT spoilers and vague references]

In general, Katanagatari showcased a lot of subtle elements that recent anime simple don't have. An unconventional show for the unconventional viewer. Plenty of action, clever dialogue, and great art. Great timeline and pacing. Katanagatari is a gem of its genre and is certainly worth the watch!

Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10 (rounded to 9)