OK, so there are these demon swords scattered throughout the world, and if you possess one, it possesses you. You become a Chrysalis, which makes you a pretty strong warrior. But eventually you will turn into a killing demon called a Busoma. So naturally, no one wants to touch one of those demon weapons, right? Well, if you believe that last one, then you haven’t been watching anime.

Sword Gai actually has a character named Gai. But it is not until the last few episodes of season one that you learn he is the main character. No season two yet, but it is coming. Anyway, Gai is an apprentice sword maker who has one of those demon swords as an arm. That sounds kind of stupid, doesn’t it? But take my word for it. It does work. Leaving behind the girl who loves him and befriended by a Chrysalis named Ichijo, Gai faces a dim future eventually becoming a Busoma himself. But we are not quite there yet.

There are several other Chrusalises and Busoma, and that is the weak point of Sword Gai. In twelve episodes there are just too many stories to keep up with. There is not enough time to really get into all the characters’ personalities, let alone their underdeveloped stories.

But season one does end well, leaving me eager to check out season two. I get the impression that now that all the players are on the board, season two will get more interesting.

I was disappointed by the number of shortcuts taken by the animators. The characters are well designed, but at time seem lifeless. If it is action you want, the fight scenes are pretty good.

So Sword Gai has it’s weaknesses, but it still got my attention. It is worth giving it a chance, especially with the promise of a good season two.

There is blood and a bit of profanity, so not for anyone just out of kindergarten. The series is on Netflix streaming.