History Anime / KatsugekiToukenRanbu

** The second episode, however, has Konnosuke reveal that there is something called the Time Restraining Force that prevents small alterations from changing history drastically enough to affect things long term, so it's partially averted (The fire from the first episode spread further and killed more people than it was supposed to, but the town will still be rebuilt and little will have changed 100 years from then). Even so, he cautions that small deviations like that can be taken advantage of by the Time Retrograde Army to [[DelayedRippleEffect cause bigger problems]], so it's still something to be avoided where possible. [[spoiler:This is what the Retrograde Army tried to do in episodes 4 and 5, to near disastrous results.]]

** The second episode, however, has Konnosuke reveal that there is something called the Time Restraining Force that prevents small alterations from changing history drastically enough to affect things long term, so it's partially averted (The fire from the first episode spread further and killed more people than it was supposed to, but the town will still be rebuilt and little will have changed 100 years from then). Even so, he cautions that small deviations like that can be taken advantage of by the Time Retrograde Army to [[DelayedRippleEffect cause bigger problems]], so it's still something to be avoided where possible.

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:Horikawa spends three years among the Shinsengumi as one of Hijikata's subordinates, all for an attempt to get Izuminokami a chance to be with his master in his final battle. And then come the final episode, Izuminokami himself convinces him and Hijikata to take the sword back to Tetsunosuke, making Horikawa's entire journey meaningless.]]

* BadassGrandpa: Mikazuki Munechika, the oldest sword in the Citadel and one of the strongest.

As of September 23, 2017, ufotable announced the series [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-23/katsugeki-touken-ranbu-anime-launches-film-project/.121779 will receive a film adaptation and is currently in process]] after the anime's conclusion.

Aniplex of America announced an English dub ([[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-03-30/aniplex-usa-announces-katsugeki-touken-ranbu-blu-ray-set-english-dub-cast/.129707 more info here]]).

* PopularHistory: Subverted initially, but played straight nearing the end. While some of the targets the Touken Danshi have to protect are indeed historical figures, and they do run into a couple occasionally, some of their missions involve protecting areas that have nothing to do with them, such as making sure a castle town doesn't burn down all the way or helping rescue survivors of a trade ship that had no previous record of exploding. The last leg goes straight into this territory as it's all about [[spoiler: making sure the Battle of Hakodate doesn't get overturned by the Retrograde Army or Horikawa]].

** In "Iron Law", Horikawa gives Izuminokami two options to choose from: Either join him to prevent their former master's demise together or end his life before he can proceed with his plan to change history. Izuminokami chooses the latter. He hesitates at first, but prepares to strike him down. [[spoiler:However, he couldn't bring himself to do it in "Battle of Hakodate".]]

** TheLancer: Mutsunokami. Along with being one of the more important members of the team, he's the most [[TheHeart openly emphatic]] and challenges the others to open up about themselves. He and Izuminokami frequently trade words and fight together.

** TheChick: Horikawa is Izuminokami's closest ally and self-promoted assistant, and watches out for his captain's well-being along with challenging him. Like Mutsunokami, he wears his emotions on his sleeve, and also tries to look out for other people's feelings or solve what he considers to be major emotional problems.

* {{Wormhole}}: Both the Revisionists and the Saniwa's faction use these to travel through time.

** In one of the opening scenes is similar to the second ending of another Ufotable anime adaption show, ''[[VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria Tales of Zestiria the X]]'' where six main characters walking together to prepare for battle against the Revisionists.
** The ending animation is a mixture of the first and second ending of Ufotable's ''Fate'' adaptations, ''LightNovel/FateZero'' and ''Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks''.
*** The first half shows the six main character's past with there former masters as swords. This is similar to the first ending of ''Fate/Zero''.

** The second episode, however, has Konnosuke reveal that there is something called the Time Restraining Force that prevents small alterations from changing history drastically enough to affect things long term, so it's partially averted (The fire from the first episode spread further and killed more people than it was supposed to, but the town will still be rebuilt and little will have changed in a 100 years from then). Even so, he cautions that small deviations like that can be taken advantage of by the Time Retrograde Army to [[DelayedRippleEffect cause bigger problems]], so it's still something to be avoided where possible.

** This is explored further in Episode 6 through Izuminokami suffering a HeroicBSOD after the outcome of the mission in episode 5, leading him to wonder whether it really ''can'' be considered "protecting history" when so many innocent people died. When he tries to ask Mikazuki for his opinion on it, he doesn't answer other than to say he can see why the saniwa chose him to be Unit 2's captain. Episode 8 then shows that Unit 1 has faced a similar dilemma in the past and have accepted the fact that they can't save everyone, so they do what they can to help the people who lost loved ones due to the Time Retrograde Army's actions before returning to the citadel.

** In the manga version of "The Citadel", Tsurumaru and Yagen are in the process of getting healed instead of Horikawa since he was critical wounded from the last battle. In the same chapter, the Saniwa has to heal Tonbokiri, Izuminokami and Horikawa.

As of September 23, 2016, ufotable announced the series [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-23/katsugeki-touken-ranbu-anime-launches-film-project/.121779 will receive a film adaptation and is currently in process]] after the anime's conclusion.

Aniplex of America announced an english dub [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-03-30/aniplex-usa-announces-katsugeki-touken-ranbu-blu-ray-set-english-dub-cast/.129707 more info here]]

As of September 23, 2016, ufotable announced the series [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-09-23/katsugeki-touken-ranbu-anime-launches-film-project/.121779 will receive a film adaptation and is currently in process]] after the anime's conclusion.

* [[AloofDarkHairedGirl Aloof Dark Haired Boy]]: Yagen acts as this to the Second Squadron.

* BreatherEpisode: The episode " Citadel " was this for the series after the events that occurred in Episode 5. It also acts as a transitional episode, so that the story could shift focus over to the first unit's mission that would begin in episode 7.

* ConspicuousCGI: It's noticeable in the anime, where most of the background and Retrogade forces are made using 3D rendering.

** TheSixthRanger: Tsurumaru, who joins in episode 4. The Saniwa counts under this as well, providing additional support by summoning allies.

** TheSixthRanger: Honebami, who is new to being in a unit and recently added to their team.

* PopularHistory: Subverted initially, but played straight nearing the end. While some of the targets the Touken Danshi have to protect are indeed historical figures, and they do run into a couple occasionally, some of their missions involve protecting areas that have nothing to do with them, such as making sure a castle town doesn't burn down all the way or helping rescue survivors of a trade ship that had no previous record of exploding. The last leg goes straight into this territory as it's all about [[spoiler: making sure the Battle of Hakodate doesn't get overturned by the Retrograde Army or Horikawa.]]

-->'''Mikazuki''': "It’s not, ''' 'Can we defeat them,' ''' but, ''' 'We’re going to defeat them.' ''' That’s what the First Unit came here to do. And you are a member of this First Unit."

** In chapter 10, Tsurumaru and Yagen are in the process of getting healed instead of Horikawa since he was critical wounded from the last battle. In the same chapter, the Saniwa has to heal Tonbokiri, Izuminokami and Horikawa.

* GenerationXerox: From what we can see of Izuminokami's memories of Hijikata, the relationship between him and Ichimura Tetsunosuke was almost exactly like the one between Izuminokami and Horikawa.[[spoiler:Horikawa later exploits this when he takes Tetsunosuke's place as Hijikata's advisor to get to Izuminokami's sword.]]

** The First Unit also seem to be the end result of the CharacterDevelopment that Mutsunokami, Izuminokami, and Horikawa are about to undergo. They've already accepted that innocents will be caught in the crossfire of protecting important historical events (and thereby slightly changing history), so they only do what they can to help the survivors before going to the next mission, while the Second Unit is still somewhat debating on whether their actions were just.

* DoubleMeaning: "I'm going to be acting as Sakamoto Ryoma's protective sword tonight!" exclaims Mutsunokami, who is the literal personification of Ryoma's favorite sword and his protector in this particular mission. And then gains another level when Ryoma hands Mutsunokami ''himself'' to finish off an Enemy Tantou.

* HoldTheLine: Because the Retrograde Forces are aiming for a certain ship and an enemy Ootachi is still at large, Tonbokiri and Horikawa are forced to hold it hack while Izuminokami and Mutsunokami go ahead.

* PragmaticAdaptation: In the manga version, Horikawa is the one that saves the little girl from the burning building instead of Izuminokami. This fits in with their personalities during the event, as Horikawa was clearly disturbed by the idea of letting people die during the mission while Izuminokami was more concerned with completing it.

* PopularHistory: Subverted initially, but played straight nearing the end. While some of the targets the Touken Danshi have to protect are indeed historical figures, and they do run into a couple occasionally, some of their missions involve protecting areas that have nothing to do with them, such as making sure a castle town doesn't burn down all the way or helping rescue survivors of a trade ship explosion. The last leg goes straight into this territory as it's all about [[spoiler: making sure the Battle of Hakodate doesn't get overturned by the Retrograde Army or Horikawa.]]

** While Yagen goes to meet up with Mutsunokami and Tonbokiri after the steamship explodes, Izuminokami and Horikawa go after two suspicious rounins who appears to be responsible for placing a bomb on the steamship in the manga version of "Master's Order".

* AndTheAdventureContinues: The anime ends with Second Squad assigned to another mission, landing in their next time period and resolving to keep protecting history.