Sword Gai: The Animation

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Sword Possession

First Aired: Winter 2018, 12 episodes

Summary: Throughout eternity humans have shared a bond with weapons, being drawn to them as long as history can remember. Within the span of eternity, some weapons have come to possess a life. Under certain circumstances the weapons are able to merge with their user, becoming one. With that in mind, a woman dies under mysterious circumstances in the forest, leaving behind a brand-new baby boy. The swordsmith Amon finds the boy and takes him in. Fast forward ten years and the boy named Gai has become Amon’s apprentice. Gai loses an arm in an unfortunate smelting accident and Amon decides to use the demonic sword “Shiryuu” to fashion an artificial arm for him. It’s obvious there are going to be consequences for such careless blacksmithing.

Sword Gai plays on the “powerful character” trope in a lot of ways by means of sword possession. The story is ambitious, perhaps too much so given the short 12-episode run. The characters are fine, the animation is fine, and the sound is fine. In the end I don’t have much to say about Sword Gai because it felt average in most ways. The ideas were promising but didn’t deliver like I hoped. I was six episodes in and felt like nothing had really happened in the series up to that point. I continued on, and it was fine, just not my favorite.

You might enjoy this if: You are into powerful characters going toe-to-toe with each other with sword possession being involved.

You might not like it if: You are a purist when it comes to swordplay, demanding it be set in a classic medieval or samurai setting.

Similar Series: Ajin, Akame ga Kill, Charlotte, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Parasyte, The Seven Deadly Sins

Note to the Viewer: I have good news if you can’t get enough Sword Gai. Netflix has picked the series up for another season, set to air this summer!

Sword Gai the Animation Trailer

Fragglepuss.com