Hige vs. Otaku

WOWOW are rapidly becoming synonymous with anime that exemplifies something distinct, mature and unconventional. Often we decide to watch a new show based on the production company behind it (GAINAX, BONES and so on) but I now find myself watching anime originally broadcast on the WOWOW channel simply because I know it will be worth the time. Ergo Proxy, Komonozune and now Shigurui – they all represent anime specifically aimed at adults, and not in the sleazy contrived sense. Whether it relates to depth or style, or a complicated mess of both, you can rely on them to show interesting, left field, intelligent stuff that doesn’t pander to the sweaty moe/fan-service addicted masses. WOWOW basically embody why I watch anime and why I think it to be more than ‘just cartoons’. Call it self-deceiving glorification if you want. Personally I think we just know better.

A consistent element of WOWOW anime is its lofty production values and unique visual style. Kemonozume, moreso than later-stages Ergo Proxy (ahem), demonstrated this perfectly, and Shigurui continues the trend with its intense visual presentation. I’m transfixed by every single frame of this show – so much so than I have a bitch of a headache by the end of each episode. I’ve mentioned that atmosphere is basically what Shigurui is about (without being as shallow as that suggests) and episode two doesn’t let any of the standards drop.

The plot structure seems to be less sophisticated for this episode, but only because we’re fixed in a specific time now rather than the gradual retroactive business of the first. Expanding on the flashback of the final scenes of episode one, the focus is now of Irako’s admittance to the Koganryu dojo and the various trials he faces. Personally I’m relieved he didn’t continue to be the unbeatable lady-faced badass portrayed in the first episode. Allowing us to witness Fujiki’ defeat at Irako’s hands seven years before went a long to strengthening the tension of their ‘present day’ showdown in episode one, but it would’ve been tiresome if Irako systematically pwned the entire school (and somewhat undermining to the ten remaining instalments, I think).

I was happy to see it was the guy with the big fuck-off sword who put him in his place, too. Ushimata represents the kind of force I wish more fictional tellings of feudal Japanese swordplay would recognise. Too often it’s the wiry, nimble little bastards who are celebrated as the geniuses of their skill, and when they face massively built (usually stupid) representations of power they dispatch them with obscene ease. And in the shut-off microcosm of 17th century Japan it’s perfectly believable; speed and technique trumps power when all you’ve got is a sword and a kimono. Take these master sword fighters out of the strict decorum of their society, where honour and etiquette are crucial to their success, then someone built like a stone-brick shithouse would completely ruin them.

Maybe this is my Hun-like European ancestry rearing its deeply-browed head, but every time I see some agile little gimp eviscerate an physically intimidating opponent all I can do is imagine is what would happen if there weren’t any swords involved and it was just bare fists and no rules. Somewhat ruining the whole ‘suspension of disbelief’ aspect of anime watching, I know, but still. I’m two-thirds Irish. All we ever want to do is beat the shite out of each other.

And while episode two of Shigurui doesn’t quite give us the satisfaction of a thorough face-pounding ruck, it doesn’t pander to the standard tropes either. Excellent, entertaining stuff. Give me an anime that has a character who openly pisses himself and retains all the foreboding presence of his build-up and you give me success. Bring on episode three.

Trying to place Shigurui is hard. Initially, almost subconsciously, you want to bandy about Lone Wolf and Cub because they’re set in similar eras, use swordplay and dojo politics as their main theme and have such an intense atmosphere. But really I think it’s a lack of experience that encourages such comparisons. You can’t really refute Lone Wolf and Cub‘s historical chops, and Dark Horse’s releases honour such by providing us with comprehensive liner notes, but I wouldn’t claim to know diddly off the back of that, or even from the few Kurosawa films I’ve seen. So, let’s bank on my ignorant philistine ways and consider Shigurui on its own merits.

Direction-wise it presents us with something quite unique for an anime. The production values for this first episode are undeniably high, but the amount of actual movement is nominal. This doesn’t seem like a compensation technique, however, because each movement is expertly considered and perfectly compliments its visual intensity. I wanted to write about how different it seems from Kurosawa’s films, with so many invasive headshots and a general sense of claustrophobia controlling every scene – that it seems distinctly anime in its approach – but Shigurui has more in common with its live-action contemporaries than it does with other anime. Each scene is a set piece and any sign of movement is a signal, a direction for the audience with a distinct sense of meaning and purpose. Anime strides for capturing realistic movement so much so that it becomes inherently unrealistic; humans don’t move in the way anime illustrates human movement. Shigurui, with its intense restraint, captures the natural stasis of these kind of feudal sword fights. Every step and motion is perfectly considered by its combatant and even the slightest misjudgement could mean the difference between victory and defeat. It’s almost unbearably rigid and fantastically absorbing; Shigurui is a treat for the eyes and the nerves.

In terms of plot and characterisation Shigurui demonstrates a similar kind of reservation but still manages to insinuate enough for it to be interesting. It’s obvious from this first episode that the show is more concerned with presentation than heavy, verbose character development, but its skill is in how it makes us distinctly aware of character moments when they happen. Whenever a character makes a comment about another, because of its scarcity amongst the overriding aesthetic intensity, it becomes completely loaded with meaning and history. Equally, the plot has a similar subtle maturity and sophistication. It tells the events in a backwards fashion: we open with the seppuku of the eccentric lord responsible (we assume) for most of the woes of the main cast and gradually the plot works back to the first encounter of the protagonists Fujiki and Irako. Each time skip contributes to the broader picture while fleshing out the characters and their motivations. It presents us with a very sophisticated form of writing. Granted, story and character to take a moderate back-seat to Shigurui’s spectacular visual flare, but not so much so for them to be weak or shallow.

Overall this first episode impressed me in quite a grand fashion. There’s lots of macho posturing and wanky animation techniques (you see the under-the-skin musculature of the fighters as they macho-posture, for instance), but they’re all employed legitimately and with a maturity you rarely find in anime. I hope Shigurui maintains this level of detail and polish throughout its run because it contributes so much to its personality and distinctness. It’s doable considering the restrained use of over-actuated movement in its animation (even in this first look at us aren’t we flashy episode). Time will tell, I guess. I’m definitely sticking around to find out.

Edit: Corrected the two moment/movement confusions. God I hate finding typos like that so long after it’s been posted. *slams head against nearest hard thing*