Watched: Katanagatari
It’s been a couple of days, and I still don’t know what to make of this. It’s the sort of show that feels like it’s more about the journey than the ending, which seems deliberately crafted to defy tropes first, and provide an emotional payoff second. (I say this; I suspect my relative unfamiliarity with anime might get in the way a little, as Arden reportedly bawled her eyes out on several occasions throughout.)
There are so many high points, though, and the sort of delicate interplay between humour and drama that I haven’t really seen so far in the form. Togame and Shichika are characters that enjoy lavish detail, and the show uses its longer-than-usual running time to paint their histories and motivations in microscopic detail.
I’ll probably watch this again at some point, and I suspect I might enjoy it more the second time around - there’s the constant sense that I might be missing something small when I watch something like this, and having the freedom to explore and pick up on minor details is an act I think this show might reward. For now, though, it’s probably the most solid anime I’ve seen so far.