Anime Reviews (2020s): Reincarnated as a Sword: Complete Collection (Season 1) (2022)

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Exciting, action-packed and a wonderful ride from beginning to season’s end, “Reincarnated as a Sword” is worthy of five stars! Recommended!

Click here to purchase “Reincarnated as a Sword: Season 1” on Blu-ray

TITLE: Reincarnated as a Sword: Complete Collection (Season 1)

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: August 22, 2023

Original Creator: Tanaka Yuu

Original Character Design: LLO

Director: Ishihara Shinji

Series Composition: Nagano Takahiro

Script: Nagano Takahiro

Music by Takanashi Yasuharu

Character Design: Saito Atsuko

Art Director: Sato Masahiro

Anime Production: C2C

Featuring the following voice talent:

Cole Feuchter as Jean du Vix

Melissa Molano as Fran

Ty Mahany as Teacher

Antonio Lasanta as Klimt

Cyrus Rodas as Donadrond

John Swasey as Garrus

Kelly Manison as System Announcer

Molly Searcy as Nell

Patricia Duran as Amanda

When you’re killed in one reality and wake up as a sentient sword in a world where magic is real, what else can you do with your steely new existence except become an adventurer? Even though his shiny new form can levitate itself around, our slicing implement without a name also craves a wielder: a mighty warrior with whom to partner, explore and slay monsters. Instead, he gets Fran, a young cat girl, former slave, and trouble magnet who names him Teacher. It’s as odd a pairing as they come, and whether they’ll be sharp enough to make the cut in the realm of high adventure will be anyone’s guess in REINCARNATED AS A SWORD!

It seems that “reincarnated” themed anime series are becoming quite popular and when I heard there was a “Reincarnated as a Sword” anime series (real title “Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita”), I figured I had to give this one a try.

Based on the original Japanese light novel series by Tanaka Yuu and illustrator LLO, it’s interesting to see how this popular web novel that was featured on the website “Shosetsuka ni Naro” back in 2015, has taken off.

Published as a light novel by Micro Magazine, then a manga adaptation published by Gentosha, the anime series adaptation by C2C would air on television from October to December 2022.

And the first season of the series generated a lot of buzz, ensuring a second season.

For those who missed it, you can also catch on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

The basis of this series is a person who died in a car accident and he is reincarnated in another world as a sword. He has no recollection of his name, but he remembers his past life and he can levitate and attack and as he starts out taking out low level monsters, he eventually increases his HP and skill level and becomes a powerful sword.

Having successfully beat monsters from various regions, he finds himself taking on another region but he loses his powers and thus is stuck in the ground.

Meanwhile, a catgirl slave named Fran and other slaves are being driven to their location but a monster comes out and nearly kills everyone.

Fran dreams of becoming a hero and escaping life as a slave. But with her life in jeopardy due to the monster, who is killing everything in sight, the sword calls out to Fran and that he will grant her his power if she becomes his master.

And sure enough, Fran wields the sword and with his power that he can give to Fran, they defeat the monster.

And thus begins the adventures of the former cat slave Fran and her sword, which she names “Teacher” as they go on to enhance their abilities, become stronger but also helping others along the way.

But what happens when they arrive in an area where goblins and monsters are unleashed on the people in the area. Are Fran and Teacher strong enough to defeat them?

For the most part, I have to say that “I loved this anime series!”. Granted, I love JRPG’s and the ability to level up my characters and gain new skills, but to see the storyline of a character seen as an underdog but yet so powerful thanks to her sword, it’s an amazing duo and you can’t help but root for Fran and Teacher.

And just to see these epic battles in play was a major plus! If anything, the final cliffhanger for season one leaves you wanting more for season two!

As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality is fantastic in HD! And both lossless soundtracks, were very well done! Although I noticed that there is less an attempt to bring the English dub soundtrack to 5.1 these days, nor are there many special features but the clean opening and ending theme included on Blu-ray anymore, it’s still a Blu-ray worth recommending!

Among the many anime series that I’ve watched and was released on Blu-ray in 2023, for story alone, I have to put “Reincarnated as a Sword” right up there as one of the best of 2023.

Exciting, action-packed and a wonderful ride from beginning to season’s end, “Reincarnated as a Sword” is worthy of five stars! Recommended!

Click here to purchase “Reincarnated as a Sword: Season 1” on Blu-ray