So I’ve been reading the one manga that seems to be memed on a lot, Kagurabachi. While it’s not super-special, I think about its premise and also the fascination with Japanese katanas.

For those who don’t know, Kagurabachi is a revenge story about a young man driven by revenge against a group of sorcerers who murdered his father, who happens to be a famous swordsmith. This story takes place in modern times, so there’s a mix of urban environments combined with fantasy swordplay elements.

While reading this manga, I thought about my own obsession with wielding a katana. Before I got into anime and manga, I watched Highlander: The Series as a kid to early teen. I loved the idea of immortal people fighting with swords in some mystical competition to be the last one left. And seeing the fights happen in late 20th century urban alleys, sulfur plants, parking lots, and abandoned factories was something that fascinated me as a kid. To this day, it still does.

I think that modern fantasy appeal led greatly to me following series like BLEACH and Noragami with a lot of passion. Both had spiritual heroes fighting with katanas in the modern world.

So why does this matter? The thing about katanas (and swords in general) is that they are relics from a past that we want to connect to. When you think about objects these days, most of them are made to be disposable or won’t last for a very long. Katanas aren’t like that for the most part. I do think people who love swords look to them because of the rich history behind them and also to find peace from the deluge of constant information that continues to overwhelm each and every one of us.

Of course, the fascination with swords does have its problems. Those stories you hear in anime and manga about how certain swords are tainted with blood are sometimes true. People with horrible beliefs used swords to do terrible things. Even if they are magical in a way that makes someone feel like they’re destined for great things, swords are still weapons that hurt.

But yet people like me wouldn’t mind practicing how to use a katana. I want to feel connected to a group of people in the past that I will never know. I want to have the strength to help the people I know now. My mind isn’t exactly calm and wielding a katana would make me feel like I be calm for once. Learning swordplay would satisfy my need for autonomy, competence and relatedness.

I know a good number of anime fans buy katanas at pop culture conventions and I wonder what is it about them that they like besides how nice they look. Does having a katana in your hand make you feel like you could be the hero of your own story? Does having a katana make you feel better than someone who has a European sword?

Yet I do know that despite their violent history and over-glorification, katanas are part of martial arts. Martial arts are supposed to promote peace, self-improvement, and your relationship with all elements of the outside world. Despite there being a community of katana lovers, there’s not many who take to heart what it truly means to wield one and that it’s not all about them.

In my honest opinion, we’re all double-edged swords and definitely need our blades to be tempered better.