It's the Sengoku period in Japan, and Kotaro is an orphaned young boy living in the countryside with his pet Shiba Inu dog, constantly on the run from violent pursuers. One day while sheltering in a disused temple, Kotaro meets Nanashi, a wandering swordsman who is actually a ronin: a Samurai without a current master. Nanashi quickly comes to dislike Kotaro (and, frankly, with some justification) but then they're attacked and pup Tobimaru needs medical attention, so Nanashi then reluctantly takes Kotaro and Tobimaru with him on his travels. En route, Kotaro turns out to be a prophesied child requiring training to fulfill his destiny.
This anime Samurai road movie was almost nominated for the 2008 Best Animated Feature Oscar; keyword: almost. Personally, though, I wouldn't have even submitted it for consideration. Its animation is faultless but its narrative is one hackneyed cliche after another, with bland dialogue and numerous ignored chances for humour. Plus, I found Kotaro really quite annoying. He goes from rude and bossy to overly cute and vibrant, and that contrasting change also imbalances his character arc quite jarringly. I understand the idea of making young protagonists work for our affection but here that bridge was just a bit too far to cross.
Naoki Sato's music score is actually genuinely beautiful, and with the animation it forms a rather and crisp and fresh pastry. But the filling - the narrative - was one I found so derivative and predictable, it resulted in a very insipid pie for me. I'm afraid I think Sword of the Stranger is in dire need of sharpening. 5/10.
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