Review of Samurai: Spirit of the Sword (1999)
A young man is suddenly left as master of the family dōjō. All except one student leave because they do not trust him, but he is friends with various women who help straighten out a plot to topple the Tokugawa government by means of a magical blade.
Edo-period bishōjo and epic fantasy action. Based on a video game, presumably of the non-haram harem variety, it’s one of the better totally stereotypical series I’ve seen, and it’s short. It’s got many of the contemporary emblems of Japanese animation—cute unrealistic girls, ninjas, sword fights, spectacular magic—if you really want to do that. The original title, Kaitouranma, is a figure of speech said to have been the origin of the title Ranma ½ (1989).