I am quite irritated by this trope of Japanese sword is better than Western sword which many, many anime series love to perpetuate. Latest of this is the underwhelming fantasy anime series based on light novels by Isau Miura which is now animated by Mangalobe; Sacred Blacksmith. There is even a scene where the katana cuts thru an axe (!) where the heroine's heirloom longsword broke against it earlier.
Sacred Blacksmith, a new sucky anime series by Mangalobe (Samurai Champloo, Michiko no Hatchin) touting the virtues of katana sword over blunt, European styled longsword. Which is not true. Look below for why I said so:
See? The European longsword might need little more force but it cuts thru the tamesghiri (straw mats) just as effectively as the katana. So the whole fact of "katana is superior than Western longsword" is utter BS. What is more ironic that the katana is often a secondary weapon of real samurai during the civil wars, they prefer to use bow, spears or later on, arquebus to fight in battlefield.
Here is the CONCLUSIVE evidence of the fact, katana versus longsword side by side against the same target:
There? I rest my case now. Oh, Sacred Blacksmith manga is more entertaining than the anime to be honest.
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