Sword of the Stranger is a samurai action movie, just as I like it: bloody, dark, and well-animated. I am definitely considering adding it to my DVD collection, although given my current financial state of affairs (and that I don't own Samurai Champloo yet either), I should probably hold off on the frivolous purchase.Anyway, so, the movie.
Other reviews on the 'net have pointed out that there is nothing much original to this movie, and I would probably agree with that assessment. Nanashi seems to be a colder, bloodier version of Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin--i.e., he has a bloody past, killed one too many people, and refuses to kill now on principle. Except Nanashi is cooler because he isn't annoyingly cheery and actually unleashes the beast at the end, rewarding the audience with an incredibly awesome action sequence. So I guess Nanashi is a blend of Kenshin from the Samurai X OVAs and Kenshin from Ruruoni Kenshin. He combines the best parts, really. I would have liked to have seen more of the character's back story, but... oh well.
The other series that this movie reminds me of is Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. Namely: Young child needs protection from an awful fate, and fate steps in by pairing the child up with an amazingly talented warrior. The two become close as they journey together. Talented warrior protects child with everything s/he's got. The end. 
So in a way, I've seen it all before.
But I don't mind at all. The movie is still wildly entertaining, with some of the finest action sequences I have seen in anime--better than Samurai Champloo, I would say. That last fight sequence was simply breathtaking. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Bloody, well-animated, and awesome.
Plus, the movie did add a twist of its own. The bad guys were Chinese Ming as well as traitorous Japanese retainers. That was pretty cool.
Overall, an entertaining samurai flick. Even though it borrows heavily from other fare, it is worth watching just for the great action scenes.
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