Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Bensonas
Right, ill cut to the chase, this show isn't good at all. Its trying really hard to depict a brutal time in Japans history and trying way to hard. This anime has a lot of horrible scenes. So if you are a little sensitive to extreme violence or sexual assault, some of which is at the same time then for a start this isn't for you. Equally, if you like shows with great animation and great story telling coupled with great character development, this show also isn't for you.
Ill start with the only positive and to be fair, its still not great. The music is minimal here and attempts to provide tension and a sense of foreboding. Instead you just get bored of hearing it. It may be hindered by the fact that what is accompanying the music is mindnumbingly uninteresting, but still, its gets really b…
Read at the sourceJoby05
Summary: The art in this anime is fantastic... it is one of the few I'd recommend watching in 1080p instead of a lower quality. That said, everything else about this anime is pretty bad. The story is extremely confusing (told in flash backs and flash forwards), most of the characters look very similar, tons of plot points are dropped or not nearly as relevant as the amount of screen time they were given, almost all of the characters were awful people and had little development, and the story STOPS IN THE MIDDLE. IF you're not interested in intense violence and gore with flashy animations or samurai and the Edo time period, I suggest just skipping right on by this one. In fact, do yourself a favor and watch Basilisk if you're looking for that kind of thing, since it is basically this story…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
Overview:
Shigurui or "Death Frenzy" is a...controversial anime. This anime has a LOT of gore, a LOT of nudity and sexual violence, and doesn't exactly tackle its gloomy subject matter with artistic subtlety. Basically, imagine combining the 1990s OVA Ninja Scroll with elements of Rurouni Kenshin, Berserk, and some exploitation movie that the Cinema Snob would review! THAT is exactly what Shigurui feels like to watch! Despite all of this...I actually enjoyed this series. This is definitely not a series for everyone, but it has some positive elements that are truly worthy of praise.
Story:
The story starts in the year 1629 with a large kendo tournament using real swords and matches to the death. This tournament is being held by the brutal tyrant Tadanaga Tokugawa, who is the younger bro…
Read at the sourceBenduski
I was recommended to watch Shigurui, knowing that i like the Edo and Sengoku era i was obviously going to watch it but till i ended the other ones that i have listed but i was told that this was accurate on the dark side of the samurais and how despicable they were and how mature the art and story was, and i was convinced to watch this anime before the other ones.
Story
Story is really mature, it's confusing at the beginning because there are a lot of flashbacks and you don't realise those are flashbacks at the moment but later when you are tying the pieces together you get whtat's happening, may be boring for some people to see that the story advances slowly, but it has something addictive and keeps you watching the next episode, don't expect a happy story, is dark, in the first minutes…
Read at the sourceNotenSMSK
Shigurui as an anime is simply a serious anime. It lacks the humor and the character development of majority of animes - they protagonist with the sense of justice or past that pushes him into a direction or the antagonist that considers destruction of all for his own purposes. If one considers true human nature with all its complexity it is hard to establish an antagonist. Before going further, I will state - and justify later - that Shigurui is underrated.
An anime should be considered for what it intended to show or depict. Shigurui is not meant to be a fast paced action with Samurai's jumping around and showing off flashy moves. Neither is it a display of a person's will to fight on and move forward by overcoming challenges. To first give an impression I will say that the anime refers…
Read at the sourcemahoganycow
Among the numerous things a review is supposed to accomplish, there's this: Give the reader a sense of what to expect from the content that's under examination in order to help them determine whether or not they should dedicate their valuable time to checking it out. To that end, I'll try to steer some poor souls away from trouble immediately by saying that Shigurui contains a massive amount of exceedingly gruesome gore as well as all manner of violent sexual predations, and in many cases those two things appear onscreen simultaneously. If you have a strong aversion to the stomach-turning, you can probably just continue on your merry way, because this show is two cuts above grotesque. That being said, I don't believe that art is under any obligation to be shiny and happy, and content of a…
Read at the sourceserj_tankian
Shigurui will grab you with its dark yet amusing vibe from the very beginning. There were times where i got just a little bored, but as a whole the anime is excellent. This anime is probably as realistic as it gets, it is most honorable for a samurai show. The grotesqueness is absolutely 100% enjoyable. Okay i lied, 95% for sure though. Anyhow if your dad is getting tired of the old cowboy movies put this on for him.
Read at the sourceJazz007
ok.... so the Tokugawa (Edo) Period, in a nutshell, was more-or-less peace from 1600 to 1867. this story takes place during that time period. the drama of deceit and betrayal run deep in this plot. this show is not typical by any means. if you are not Japanese or do not understand Japanese historical culture, you may want to do some research into the culture. this show is very true to Japanese theater from music to character's actions. this is NOT a Naruto or a Bleach type show; DO NOT EXPECT IT OR COMPARE THIS TO THOSE TYPE OF ANIME!!! they do not compare to what this show has to offer to the viewer.
Read at the sourceYuvie
I've heard a lot of bad things about this anime, admittedly, the violence might be seen as a little shocking but it's nothing to get over-sensitive about. Besides, although the hyper-violent side of the series is what seems to get the most feedback, the story itself outweighs the brutal aspects of the series to a point where the violence really didn't interest me. I thoroughly enjoyed this short little series and didn't expect to after the first episode. But, from then on, the story slowly weaved it's way in and had me hooked. I'm a fan of a proper, serious samurai movie and this was done as a samurai series should be. It reminded me of a Kurosawa samurai movie. Very slow-paced and I think it worked well that way. Very strange at times but also thought provoking if you're into the psyche o…
Read at the sourceJustJuice
Shigurui (Death Frenzy): Reviewed
Author: Takayuki Yamaguchi
Anime Director: Hirotsugu Hamakzaki
Original Run: July 19, 2007 – October 12, 2008.
Genre: Chanbara
Episodes: 12
Plot:
It’s often said that “The way of the samurai is found in death”, Shigurui is tale set in the early 1600 hundreds that beautifully foretells the ideology of a samurai’s life through renowned artistic violence. The premise of the show is centered around a duel between two master swordsmen, Gennosuke Fujiki a one-armed swordsman, and Seigen Irako a blind swordsman with an almost crippled foot. Through foreshadowing story telling the series gives birth to a magnificent plot. The plot then, guides the path for the young master swordsmen, Gennosuke Fujiki and Seigen Irako with a display of sensational visuals and an…
Read at the sourceKoolag1
The only redeeming features is how stunning the art work is everything else is an affront to the genre, the story odes not make sense there like gaps in the information you are given about characters so have no real basis for how the story got to the point it started at.
So Shiguri is a show that looks cool but is just not, I'm sure this show will have a following but they are way better things in the genre to watch than this.
Read at the sourcemilhouse
Very gory samurai anime that some may call pretentious and overly arty but I think it's an excellent show in so many ways. The story line is simple, easy to follow and classic: pitting two swordsmen against one another and telling their story by jumping in and out of a chronological order.
The art is well done and some of the sword-fighting scenes are superb not because they are flashy but because they pack a whole lot of tension. It's like being coiled up like a spring and unleashing at the sound of a drum-beat. Lethally cool.
Each character had a specific style or look, which was excellent. Particularly Seigen Irako and Gennosuke Fujiki, both of which have distinct/unique fighting stances or skills.
The series ends in a cliff-hanger and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I was e…
Read at the sourceStarstriker6666
Simply, the first thing to consider is that this anime is composed largely of some of the most graphic scenes of violence in the industry. It also is fairly free in its portrayal of sex and thus I would instantly dismiss it if you do not care for these things. In watching Shigurui, they cannot be avoided.
If this does not concern you then you will certainly appreciate the art, the degree of artistry and realism in the violence alone justifies a high rating, entrails feature heavily. Otherwise the anime is generally graphically pleasing, the general Edo period scenery is well presented the characters are very well drawn and this makes it all the more disturbing when they near-inevitably breathe their last. Fans of period drama will appreciate this one without a doubt.
The story is not so…
Read at the sourceRedward
Blood, boobs, and bad asses. Shigurui is one manly animu, no question. Unfortunately, it is also historically accurate. I say unfortunately because while it is refreshing to see a samurai series take the-path-less traveled (no quiet, morally driven heroes here), its still an unpleasant ride that insists on showing the uglier side of things.
The first episode of the story is set in the early 1600's during the Tokugawa years. One of Tokugawas crazy brothers decides hes going to hold a tournament, but the competitors will be using real swords instead of wooden ones. This is misleading. There is no tournament and you don't even get to see the climax between the two main (in name only) characters. Instead, we're brought back in time to tell the story between the two main characters.
Fujiki Ge…
Read at the sourceRiskyBusiness
Before the main body of my review, there are two things to note:
1. This review represents the opinion of someone with very little knowledge of Japanese history and who didn't read up about it before watching the series. It's not like I actively try not to have a sense of the context, it's just that I believe that I shouldn't have to know all about the historical background of something before I watch an anime about it, as it's essentially fiction and should really be good enough to keep me entertained without that. So this review represents my opinion of this anime as a piece of entertainment in its own right. If you did read up on Japanese history before watching this, fair enough, I'm not having a go at you, it's just not something I do.
2. People keep going on about how realistic thi…
Read at the sourceGuUguk
Do not drop this anime, endure a few episodes! (Assuming that you are aware that this one has maybe too much gore/blood/violence!).
This anime has one of the greatest plots I have ever seen (and not just anime), every scene is there for a reason and a part of the complete picture. So, from my! point of view Shigurui is underrated.
Why?
Let me tell you how I started to watch this one; I wanted to watch something with samurais in it and started to watch Shigurui as a coincidence. The first episode was just awful, I did not liked it at all; too much blood, too much violence(I even covered my eyes with my hands instinctively at some scenes). So at first it was just an anime that was tried to be made interesting using lots of unneccessary disturbing scenes, so I nearly dropped it but still th…
Read at the sourceagphoenix
The first thing that struck me was the opening to Shigurui. Immediately, the colourful and stylistic scenes and art was inviting. Unfortunately, it was followed by rather bland, mid-toned artwork. Although there were redeeming factors in the actual visuals, like detailed environments and facial expressions, the overall feel lacked any invitation. Nothing immediately caught the eye other than the constant snowfall!
The second thing that impressed me immediately was the sound. The background music was very refreshing, and more importantly true to the era depicted in the setting. But again, it failed to hold its own became it became extremely monotonous by the end of the first episode. It was almost like a very good loop was played throughout the series. This caused many awkward moments where…
Read at the sourceRanivus
Popular to contrary belief, Japan's Tokugawa (or Edo) period, wasn't all about fancy clothes and fairy tales at all. It was a time when honor and loyalty ruled in a man's world. Where women were treated as mere objects and held rather little to no power. And being formal with your enemies was as common as wielding a blade. This story basically follows the trials and tribulations of two warring clans rife with sex, lies, and deceit.
Don't get me wrong, Shigurui isn't a complete historically accurate show, but it's damn close. Starting off with the music, its very reminiscent of something you would hear straight out of a Japanese stage opera and sets the mood and pace perfectly for this show. If you turned off your monitor you swear you were watching a Japanese play unfold before your v…
Read at the sourcebjtdevera
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE WATCHING THIS ANIME:
1. It's a very serious anime. No jokes, all business.
2. There is brief full-frontal female nudity in almost every episode. Sex scenes are brief, and are presented much like a slideshow of dim, still images.
STRENGTHS:
1. Production value is obviously very high.
2. Story is solid as long as you watch the entire series within a relatively short span of time. If you leave too much time between episodes, the story will be harder to follow.
3. If you're in the mood for an intense, violent, and gory samurai anime, this is definitely the one for you.
WHAT KEPT IT FROM GETTING A HIGHER SCORE:
I would have given it an 8 if it had a little bit of lightheartedness. A hint of humor would have made the characters more likeable. It would have made the…
Read at the sourceShadowLone
At first glance this anime is much like any other samuria based anime. But as soon as the first episode you are thrown into a chaotic world where you literally have no clue what’s happening and why it happened. That perhaps being the strongest point of this anime, the story is amazingly well done, that it always keep you interested. Like some invisible grip over you, it keep you coming back for more and more. However I will say this, this anime is not for weak hearted people and definitely not for anyone under 18 years old. It contains a very mature theme. Bloods, severed limbs, wild emotions, sex and everything else you can think of, you will see it in this short 12 episodes series. The story line is also somewhat hard to understand at first, but I promise you that if you watch this…
Read at the source