Art of Sword of the Stranger
/Sword of the Stranger is a 2007 Japanese animated jidaigeki-chanbara adventure film produced by Bones and released by Shochiku. It depicts Kotaro, a young orphan hunted by Ming swordsmen, who receives unexpected protection from Nanashi, a troubled ronin.
The film was directed by Masahiro Andō and written by Fumihiko Takayama, with animation direction by Megumi Endô, and character design by Atsushi Morikawa. The orchestral score was composed by Naoki Satō. The pictures on this page are a collection of artworks created for this movie.
THE STORY
A young boy named Kotaro escapes unknown pursuers with his dog Tobimaru and is directed by the monk Shouan to seek help from Master Zekkai at the Mangaku Temple in the Akaike Province. Meanwhile, a group of Ming Chinese warriors under the command of the elderly master Bai-Luan is being escorted by soldiers of Lord Akaike who has agreed to allow the Ming to build a large altar on his land in exchange for gold. The group is ambushed by bandits, but they are slaughtered by the Ming's expert Western swordsman, Luo-Lang.
While sheltering in an abandoned temple, Kotaro encounters Nanashi, a wandering swordsman, but they are found by a search party of two Ming warriors with Akaike soldiers. A Ming warrior attacks the duo, and Nanashi kills him, but Tobimaru is wounded by a poisonous dagger. Kotaro hires Nanashi as a bodyguard and he takes Tobimaru to a doctor where the dog is treated. Meanwhile, Akaike soldiers capture the second Ming, Tu-Si, who is tortured to divulge the purpose of the altar. Tu-Si reveals that they are on a mission from the Ming Emperor to create an elixir of immortality known as the Xian Medicine. The essential ingredient is the blood of a prophesied child, the boy Kotaro, who can only be sacrificed at a certain time of the year. Lord Akaike then changes his plans to capture Kotaro and hold him for a high ransom.
Meanwhile, Nanashi reveals a few details about his past to Kotaro; that he fought for different masters but knows nothing of his origins except that he is a shipwreck survivor with red hair, and dyes it black to enable him to blend in with the Japanese population. Nanashi leaves Kotaro in the care of Shoaun and the monks at the Mangaku Temples, however the monks turn Kotaro over to the Ming to save their own lives. When the Akaike arrive and attempt to take the boy, Nanashi realizes that something is wrong and returns. The Ming warriors have already left with Kotaro so Tobimaru leads Nanashi as the dog tracks Kotaro and his captors…
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