Sword of the Stranger

『ストレンヂア 無皇刃譚』
Sutorenjia Mukohadan

Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Directed by Masahiro Ando and animated by studio Bones, Sword of the Stranger is a fresh telling of a wandering swordsman tale. In it, a warrior from a strange land is caught in a struggle against a team of assassins after he agrees to protect a boy and his dog. To save them, he must not only battle dangerous mercenaries, but must also come to terms with his past. The film concludes with a dauntingly choreographed battle that’s one of the most praised fight scenes in animation history.

Dir. Masahiro Ando, 2007, 102 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Tomoya Nagase, Yuri Chinen.

LeSean Thomas on Sword of the Stranger
“There isn’t enough said about this film. It’s one of the greatest samurai films ever made,” LeSean says of Sword of the Stranger. “Sword of the Stranger was Yutaka Nakamura’s big coming out party. Watching this film was the first time I recognized the work of “Yutapon,” the film’s Action Animation Supervisor. That final fight scene, man, that’s when Yutaka Nakamura was born! With it, he started to make a name for himself.” Looking further at Sword of the Stranger, LeSean has tremendous praise for director and “icon” Masahiro Ando, a veteran whose work also includes Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell and Jin-Roh. Ando provided storyboards for LeSean’s Yasuke, including Yasuke and Kurosaka’s fight, one of LeSean’s favorite fights of the series: “Working with Masahiro Ando was a dream come true for me.” 

About LeSean Thomas
South Bronx-born LeSean Thomas is among the distinguished few Black Americans making their mark in the TV anime industry and is currently the only Black American to successfully create, produce and direct original TV anime series in Japan. LeSean’s most recent triumph is the critically acclaimed and NAACP Image Award-nominated Netflix series Yasuke. 

Part of Foreign Exchange: Anime Inspirations & Visionaries with LeSean Thomas

Admission to this film also includes free entry to the Japan Society Gallery’s Acky Bright: Studio Infinity, Japanese pop culture illustrator Acky Bright’s first solo gallery exhibition in NYC.

Image: © BONES / STRANGERS 2007.

Co-organized with the Japan Foundation, New York and the Imagination Project Inc.

Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Anime NYC and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumaran, and Film Circle members.

Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program.