刀語
Katanagatari
Yasuri Shichika, seventh successor of the Kyotouryuu (bladeless) sword art, lives on an isolated island with his older sister, Nanami. One day Shichika is visited by a woman named Togame, who requests his aid in her quest to find and collect the final twelve swords forged by the legendary master swordsmith, Shikizaki Kiki. Shichika and Togame begin their odyssey by leaving the island he called home for over 20 years. They will face twelve individuals who possess and protect Shikizaki's legendary swords. Join Shichika and Togame on an exciting, epic adventure that defies reality as they discover the true potential of the Kyoutoryuu sword style! (Source: NIS America)
Names
| Original | 刀語 (han) |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Katanagatari |
| English | Katanagatari |
| Chinese | 刀语 (simplified · via bangumi) |
| Also known as | Sword Story |
Facts
| Format | TV series · 12 ep · 50 min · 10h total |
|---|---|
| Aired | 2010-01-26 → 2010-12-11 (Winter 2010) |
| Status | FINISHED |
| Studio | WHITE FOX |
| Source | Light novel |
| Origin | Japan (Anime) |
| Genres | ActionAdventureRomance |
| Themes | SwordplayMartial ArtsHistoricalSamuraiTravelPhilosophyGoreMale ProtagonistNinjaFemale ProtagonistMetaEpisodicTsundereComing of Age |
Reception
| Community score | 8.24 / 10 |
|---|---|
| Bayesian score | 8.22 / 10 |
| Composite | 69.0 |
| On lists | 133,866 |
| Favourited | 4,749 (3.5%) |
| Completion | 75.1% |
| Drop rate | 5.2% |
| In backlog | 46.5% |
| Score spread σ | 1.47 |
Score distribution
Where it places
| Cohort | Value | Tier | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast season | Winter 2010 | S | 2 of 47 |
| Year | 2010 | S | 5 of 253 |
| Studio | WHITE FOX | B | 10 of 39 |
| Era | Early 2010s | S | 40 of 1,627 |
| Source material | Light novel | A | 50 of 927 |
| Season (all years) | Winter | A | 74 of 1,557 |
| Genre | Romance | A | 80 of 1,687 |
| Genre | Adventure | A | 81 of 1,534 |
| Genre | Action | A | 142 of 2,765 |
| Length | Single-cour | A | 147 of 2,668 |
| Format | TV series | A | 215 of 3,322 |
| Origin | Japan | A | 293 of 7,157 |
Key staff
| Director | Keitarou Motonaga, Tadashi Kudou |
|---|---|
| Series composition | Makoto Uezu |
| Character design | Take, Tsuyoshi Kawada |
| Original creator | NISIOISIN, Take |
AniList id 6594 · MAL id 6594 · Bangumi 3471 · record updated 2026-08-27