Anime Title: Sword of the Stranger Review Background: I was recommended this movie as part of a secret santa project for 2023https://www.taiikupodcast.com/2023/10/02/animesecretsanta2023callforparticipants/. I did not read the plot summary reviews or scores ahead of watching this. While I have seen a number of shows by Studio Bones well known for their action and Shonen series such as My Hero Academic Blood Blockage Battlefront Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood I have not heard of this movie before the recommendation. For the review I only watched the English Dub on Crunchyroll. Composite Rating 6.5/10 Plot/Story 2/10 Animation/Design 9/10 Characters 7/10 Audio/Soundtrack 5/10 Synopsis: An unnamed warrior we never learn much about his past meets a boy who is on the run and they face off against an evil Chinese group. The Chinese group was on a mission from the emperor to find the everlasting life elixir. They are running up against the deadline and believe the boy is the final key to completing their mission. Plot/Story 2/10: Animation/Design 9/10 Its hard to find fault with the animation/visuals from this movie. There were a series of well choreographed fights featuring different groups settings and weapons. Everything from the first hut fight to the final show down were beautifully animated. The horses looked great a difficult feat if you have seen anime with horses. The sword lance arrows and knives looked great. The characters moved fluidly when they were walking running jumping and of course fighting. The natural environment and manmade structured both looked gorgeous mountains snow houses towers etc. I was surprised to see how a movie from 2007 still looked so stunning 16 years later review written in 2023. Characters 7/10 I fell in love with the dog sidekick Tobimaru and felt its whimpering in certain scenes. Otherwise I did not personally connect with the main boy Kotaru or the warrior. The English dub cast sounded pretty good. For some reason in the English dub version I watched they didnt dubbing over the Chinese dialogue which was strange. Not sure how the Japanese version dealt with those parts whether they had subtitles or not. There were a few warriors with seemingly cool attacks but they were all eventually killed off as well. The only character development appeared to be how the two main characters got to know each other and develop certain level of trust there were some small touching moments such as teaching the boy to ride a horse. Audio/Soundtrack 5/10 Overall the music and themes were quite repetitive. I did not feel moved when the music played during the more emotional scenes. Review Conclusion: In conclusion I would not recommend this movie to someone looking for a compelling story or strong cast. However if you want to see Bones showcase some great action you will probably enjoy this movie. I may try rewatching with the Japanese version but I dont think it will dramatically change my score or opinion.