The highest quality tamahagane can cost up to 50 times more than ordinary steel made using modern methods ... properties is what made the katana the samurai's most durable and prized weapon.

From Drifters and Brave 10 to Samurai Champloo and Gintama, there's no shortage of exciting samurai anime to be enjoyed.

Specifically, it borrows heavily from the works of Akira Kurosawa—the director who practically invented the modern image of the samurai on screen. From its cinematography to its storytelling ...