Anyone who has taken a Japanese history course has heard of Nobunaga Oda, one of the three "Great Unifiers" who helped unite feudal Japan under one rule. He conquered such large areas of Japan so ruthlessly and in such a short amount of time, in fact, that rumors began that he had some supernatural assistance.
YOTODEN takes this rumored aspect of one of the most notorious figures of Japan's most turbulent historical period and makes it the center of its story. Nobunaga himself is something more than human, and he has a horde of shadow demons at his beck and call. In one scene, he turns a small sparrow to dust with just a demonic stare. This man, with such a fine control over the evil power at his command, is a far cry from the portraits we are shown in Japanese history classes. However, certain historical elements are integrated into the video as well. Nobunaga despised Buddhism and wanted it extinguished in Japan (for political reasons); in the video, his destruction of some harmless jizo (Buddhist figures) reflects this historical fact, although his motives are much more sinister.
The story begins when one of Nobunaga's hordes destroys a village that is home to a girl named Ayame. As her brother sends her off with the sacred family sword, she looks back to see her brother viciously killed. Taking the masculine name Ayanosuke, she disguises herself and vows revenge on the warlord Nobunaga who destroyed her entire family. On her journey, she is accosted by a band of thieves, whom she handily dispatches. In doing so, she meets Sakon, a handsome samurai with a katana much like her own weapon. Together they begin to discover the legend of the three holy weapons, and the last hope of stopping Nobunaga from conquering all of Japan.
Although YOTODEN is an older title, it still shines as one of the best examples of the historical fiction genre. The animation is superb and vivid, as evidenced by the sunlight gleaming off of Ayame's blade and the leaves stirring in the trees. The fights are well-animated and beautifully played out, especially those against Nobunaga's monstrous minions. The final battle between Ayanosuke and Jinnai, one of Nobunaga's generals, is dramatic, breathtaking, and surprising.
The music helps to add to the atmosphere of the show. Hano Seiji has done an excellent job of creating music that both serves to underscore the action of the film and simultaneously set it in the appropriate historical era.
The story unfolds slower perhaps than in some more recent anime, but this allows room for character development. The first episode ends with the funeral for a minor but very important character, Kikyo. Her death makes Ayanosuke's desire for vengeance on Nobunaga even stronger. As the funeral ends, the three shadow warriors depart on their journey to end Nobunaga's rule.
YOTODEN is one of those rare shows that is better than the sum of its parts. While the art, music, and story are all very good, the synergism that arises from the skillful integration of all its elements makes YOTODEN an engrossing video that should appeal to most anime fans.
CPM has wisely chosen to release the three volume OVA series first, rather than the movie (which is edited from the OVAs and removes much of the character development in favor of squeezing everything into ninety minutes). For a complex , intelligent, and entertaining historical period anime, YOTODEN remains difficult to beat.

YOTODEN ｩJVC English Subtitled Version ｩ1997 Central Park Media Corporation, USMC 1625 $24.95 41 minutes