Fight! Spirit of the Sword

A Parent's Guide to Anime
Rated: PG

Parental Guidance Advised

Reviewed by Erin:

I am reviewing the Engligh dialogue video released by Anime Works. The quality of the dubbing is all right, but not the greatest.

Yonosuke Hikura is an ordinary high school student who has inherited the role of protecting the harmony between Earth and Heaven. He does this with the help of the magical sword Chitentai, and a woman called Tsukinojo Inbe. She is a Protector sent from the high Priests of Earth, and she aids Yonosuke Hikura in battling demons. Once Yonosuke has won a battle with a demon, he sends them back to the Earth World from which they have escaped.

Meanwhile, add into the plot the point that Yonosuke does not know about Tsukinojo's brother, Yukinojo. Yukinojo and a faithful follower Arare are plotting to take Chintentai for themselves, as well as the role of the Protector. Through the power of the sword, they wish to disrupt the gateway between Heaven and Earth and cause chaos in both worlds. It's a kind of fantasy/adventure genre blend.

So apparently, according to the back of the tape cover at least, that is the 'gist' of the story. However, after watching this video several times, all I can do is scratch my head and ask "What the heck is happening again?" There is very little coherence in this video. The story line does not flow, and the dialogue phrases are choppy and jumpy, leaving one confused about what point in time the story is at. One has a very hard time identifying the key characters in the story, and who, (if there are any!) they are. There is almost no depth to the characters.There is a lot of jumping back and forward into memories and present time, but the transitions are so sudden and unannounced, I didn't actually realise the sequence was in the past! I almost wonder if this video has been editted (it does not say so on the cover), because it just does not make very much sense at all. To anyone interested in this video, I would very strongly suggest buying a sub-titled version, because perhaps it may reflect more coherance in the story line.

Film wise, the animation was of an okay quality. The music is all right, blending into the background very well. (The music is a typical mix consisting of orchastra strings) There is no swearing in this video, and there is a added bonus interview of the Japanese voice cast for Fight! Spirit of the Sword. There is no sex, no nudity, no profanity, and the only fighting done is against a demon, which has no blood or anything gory. It's harmless stuff. There is a scene of sword sparring/fencing at the beginning, but both kids are all covered in protective clothing and gear, and nothing extremely violent or even aggressive happens.

If anything, this video does show a little bit about the Japanese life style, from the home and house designs, to a young man responcibilities, and his school life.

Overall though, if I have to stress anything at all from my viewing experience, if you are interested in buying this dubbed version of Spirit of the Sword, rent it first! :)

Parent's Guide Rating:

yellow (parental guidance advised)

There is really nothing harmful at all in this video. It's pretty neutral.