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is a 2007 Japanese anime film directed by Masahiro Andō and produced by animation studio Bones. The film follows Kotaro, a young boy who is hunted by a group of swordsmen from Ming Dynasty China for mysterious reasons. Among the group is a fearsome Western fighter named Luo-Lang, whose only desire is to find a worthy opponent. Kotaro and his dog meet "Nanashi", a nameless ronin who is haunted by memories of his past which have led him to avoid drawing his sword ever again. When the Ming clash with a Sengoku-era feudal lord, a proud general, and monks torn between faith and survival, the reason behind the Ming group's pursuit tests the bond between Kotaro and Nanashi. ==Plot== Set during the Sengoku-era in Japan, a young boy named Kotarou flees from mysterious pursuers with his dog, Tobimaru, and a monk, Shouan. Shouan tells the boy to seek help from Zekkai at the Mangaku temple in Akaike, handing him a gem in case he needs money. With that, Kotarou takes off as the temple he was staying at burns to the ground. Shortly after, in the province of Akaike, a group of Ming foreigners under the command of the elderly Lord Byakuran are escorted by Akaike liaisons through a mountain passage. They are ambushed by bandits, but are slaughtered by the Ming's expert swordsman, Rarou. Kotarou and Tobimaru make their way across the land, briefly hiding out in a rundown temple in the mountains. In the temple, they run into Nanashi, a wandering swordsman whose sword is bound to its sheath. As Kotarou cooks a meal, smoke from his damp firewood alerts his pursuers, who turn out to be a Ming foreigner with Akaike soldiers. Nanashi, unintentionally gets involved and in the ensuing fight, is able to kill the men, but Tobimaru is struck by a venomous dagger. Nanashi starts to wander off again but Kotarou offers his gem, worth 10 Ryō for Nanashi to save Tobimaru's life and take them to their destination. The trio is able to find an apothecary who is able to help Tobimaru recover, but it gives them a couple days in town to waste. During this time Rarou and Nanashi have their first encounter; Rarou begins to pick a fight, but is interrupted by the news that the men that Nanashi killed earlier, have been found dead. The Ming find the Akaike suspicious, as one of their men, Doshi, had gone to investigate the death and has gone missing. The Lord Akaike, who is housing the Ming, is helping them build a large altar inside an old fortress in exchange for large amounts of gold, is revealed to have been the one that kidnapped the missing Ming. Doshi doesn't respond to torture at first, but after a time of withdrawal from a medicine that the Ming use, he enters a pained frenzy and tells the Akaike their reason for being there: The Ming are on a mission for the Emperor of China to find a prophesied child, Kotarou, whose blood can be drained only at a certain time in order to create an elixir of immortality. Lord Akaike changes plans to capture the child first and hold him for a high ransom. It is also revealed that the head monk of the temple entered into a deal under duress with the Ming to hand over the boy when he arrives. Kotarou's friend Shouan also agreed to the deal for the sake of the temple, despite having originally saved Kotarou. When Kotarou is delivered to the temple, both parties attempt to take him. Lord Akaike's treachery is discovered and the Ming take him prisoner. Nanashi attempts to save Kotarou from being taken by the Ming, but is too late, so they begin to run to the altar. At the same time, Itadori is given command of Akaike forces by the Akaike princess and leads them to attack the Ming and rescue Lord Akaike. When they arrive at the fortress however, Itadori has Akaike killed with an arrow and takes over control of the troops as their new lord. The troops, now under the leadership of Itadori, begin an assault and storm the fortress. Gradually, they push the Ming warriors back but take many losses, killing a few of them before Itadori challenges Rarou to a duel, but ends in Itadori's death by a gunshot from Byakuran. Meanwhile, Nanashi and Tobimaru attempt to rescue Kotarou, but are temporarily stopped when a wooden tower crashes onto Nanashi. While unconscious under the rubble, Nanashi has a flashback of his past, where he is involved in the execution of royal children when he was a soldier under the command of Itadori invading an opposing lord's kingdom. Shortly after, he recovers and finally draws his weapon, tearing the binding of his sword and killing two of the Ming while making his way to Kotarou. After Nanashi successfully interrupts the ritual, Byakuran orders the remaining Ming to capture the child so that they may sacrifice him the next time that the ritual can take place. Nanashi kills two of the Ming fighters without his sword and wins the admiration of Rarou, prompting Rarou to cut down Byakuran before he can kill Nanashi with his musket. Rarou and Nanashi have a final fight, resulting in Rarou dead and Nanashi badly wounded. The movie ends with Kotarou riding away with the injured Nanashi with plans for a fresh start in a new country. Whether Nanashi survives or succumbs to his injuries are left in ambiguity. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sword of the Stranger」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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