YMMV / Katanagatari

• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Kyotouryuu (a sword fighting style that doesn't use swords) sounds silly until you remember that a certain big name in martial arts created a fighting style that incorporated fencing tactics.
• Angst? What Angst?:
  • Much of the series is prevalent on the idea that the since this is feudal Japan after the Sengoku Period, violence is something to be taken in strides for the most part. Episode 6 cements this idea when Kawauso is told that he may have to die in order to cement an agreement for his clan. His response? "I've done a lot of things for my clan. But I've never died before."
  • Also Princess Hitei, who is remarkably unfazed by the death of the only two people she cares about and what she assumes to be her own impending demise.
• Awesome Music:
  • The soundtrack is composed by Taku Iwasaki after all, so it's bound to be brilliant. However the main battle theme, "Bahasa Palus", is particularly awesome.
  • "Togame" is also touchingly beautiful (and will have you in tears by the end of the anime).
• Anti-Climax Boss: Zigzagged with Hakuhei Sabi. He is portrayed during the first three episodes of the series as the strongest swordsman of all Japan and as a very competent fighter. Then, in the preview of the 3rd episode, we see a bit of his battle with Shichika, who looks really awesome. Then, in that very episode, the battle happens off-screen and the entire episode is centered in the fight of the Maniwa Insect Squad against Nanami. The only thing we get from that combat (in words of Shichika and Togame after the battle) is that the fight was indeed really incredible. So, Sabi ends being a great opponent for the main characters... but not for the audience.
• Broken Base: Episode 4 is notorious for pissing off large numbers of the fandom. The preview after episode 3 promises the series' first real fight sequence—a cataclysmic battle between Shichika and Hakuhei, the greatest swordsman in Japan and the holder of a beautiful sword with a glass blade. Even the setting, Ganryu Island, is the legendary ground for the duel between Musashi and Kojiro. They even show clips of crazy feats like Hakuei splitting the ocean with his sword and offhandedly cutting an entire shark in half to save Togame, and Hakuhei and Shichika's blade locks causing explosions! The actual episode is almost entirely about the strange and terrifying combat abilities of Nanami, while the last few minutes of the episode are of Togame and Shichika discussing the already won battle with Hakuhei over lunch.
• Cry for the Devil: A number of Deviant Blade wielders and Maniwa Corps members have redeeming qualities or backstories that make you genuinely sympathize with them when they die.
• Dancing Bear: The light novels and the anime were mostly known for the release schedule of one volume/ episode per month, which was a breakneck speed for a light novel series while also super slow for an animation series. Beside that, while the series is visually distinct enough, its story quality is quite far from NisiOisiN's best works.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Hakuhei Sabi is popular in the fandom due how memorable (for all the wrong reasons) his fight against Shichika was.
  • Maniwa Pengin is liked too due his design and personality.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Togame's Clingy Jealous Girl antics in episode 9 become less funny in light of episode 12's reveal. They show that she really has fallen in love with Shichika — one of the people she has sworn to kill.
  • The conversation they had in the blizzard.
• Memetic Loser: Togame is known for being cartoonishly weak. She gets blown over by gusts of wind and has stated that she could easily be overpowered and killed by a rabbit. She herself stated that defeating her would be easier than tearing a paper screen. Because of all this, the versus communities like to make fun of her.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • Cheerio!!! ^note Togame's catchphrase when she is angry and punches Shichika's chest. Is later revealed that the word is in truth "Chesto" and that Togame pronounced it wrong all along. Due the simple, yet catchy use of the word, the fandom often uses it as some short of battle cry. Also, Togame is sometimes depicting eating actual "Cheerios" in fanarts or edited images.
  • Is not uncommon either refering ironically to the battle against Hakuhei Sabi as "the greatest battle of all anime" due the infamous trolling of the 4th episode.
• Moe: Konayuki. I'm Taking Her Home with Me!
• Moral Event Horizon: Emonzaemon crosses it hard with his cold blooded murder of Pengin, who is roughly ten years old.
  • Nanami crosses it when viewing one of the Akutou Bita shrine guardians as a weed to be crushed, showing how little she values life.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • Nanami after episode 6. It is shown that she may be the one who wiped out the whole Itezora clan, and most definitely wiped out the whole Shireizan.
  • Episode 7 confirms the above and adds the conquest of the Seiryouin Goken. And a little scene in which one of the dying guardians of Akutou Bita grabs Nanami's ankle. When she looks at him she doesn't see a person, she just sees a weed that she proceeds to stomp on repeatedly.
  • When Emonzaemon murders Pengin. He put the gun in his mouth... *shudder*
• Vanilla Protagonist: Lampshaded by Togame who compared Shichika to the Maniwa corps.
• Viewer Gender Confusion: Rinne was once a human, originally a man, now appears in different forms dependent upon the viewer. The form we see is a half-naked little girl, complete with a strange, cute giggle.
  • Maniwa Pengin, thanks to his high-pitched voice and Shrinking Violet tendencies.
• The Woobie: Poor Konayuki, only a child and Last of Their Kind, thankfully, she's one of the few characters remaining alive after the ordeal.

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