Reincarnated as a Sword

転生したら剣でした (Tensei shitara Ken deshita)

7.5(169,682)

MAL Score

Ranked #2243

Popularity #822

Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Isekai
Reincarnation

Episodes: 12
Duration: 23 min per ep
Aired: Oct 5, 2022 to Dec 21, 2022
Status: Finished Airing

Synopsis

A sword with no name opens its eyes in a fantasy world, reborn from a past life as a human. Able to move on its own through telekinesis, it wanders in search of purpose, gathering skills and power along the way. In a monster-infested forest, it encounters a young girl being hunted by a beast; when she takes the sword in hand, the danger is swiftly turned back.

The girl, Fran, claims the blade and christens it “Shishou,” forming a pact as wielder and weapon. Together they choose the life of adventurers, even as Fran faces prejudice for belonging to the Black Cat Tribe, a Beastkin people burdened with a poor reputation and a history of never evolving into a stronger form. Determined to succeed where none have before and fulfill her parents’ dream, Fran pushes forward—with Shishou vowing to stay by her side until she reaches that goal.

Otaku Consensus

Reincarnated as a Sword earns its above-average isekai reputation through Shinji Ishihira’s brisk direction, C2C’s clean action cuts, and a core duo whose found-family chemistry gives the RPG grind more warmth than the title suggests. Critics and fans converge on the same verdict: the series is highly watchable and gets stronger after a weaker opening stretch, but its 12-episode run favors fights, comedy, and setup over deep drama or major character development.

Why You Should Watch

Watch Reincarnated as a Sword if you want isekai progression fantasy with swordplay first and bureaucracy, romance, or kingdom-building kept in the background. Its appeal is the compact loop: skill acquisition, adventurer-rank tests, dungeon pressure, and a protective found-family dynamic that turns RPG mechanics into emotional fuel. It scratches the same itch as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime’s steady power growth and BOFURI’s skill-stacking curiosity, but with more blade-on-monster impact and a tighter 12-episode runway. C2C gives the clashes enough motion to sell the fantasy violence, while the comedy and food bits keep the tone from collapsing into misery. If you dislike isekai that spend half a season explaining geopolitics, this is a leaner, more action-forward pick.

Key Characters

S
Shishou
Fans tend to respond to Shishou less as a gimmick weapon and more as a talkative mentor-parent figure whose skill-grinding gives the show its game-like momentum.
F
Fran
Fran stands out as a rare female lead in modern isekai action whose nekomimi identity is tied to social prejudice and combat ambition rather than just mascot appeal.

What Makes It Stand Out

1
Studio C2C handled the animation, and outside reviews specifically singled out the detailed fantasy artwork and fight-sequence animation as the show’s main draw.
2
The anime’s 12-episode structure keeps the first season compact, which helps the action pacing but also explains a common complaint: the larger story has only begun by the finale.
3
AniList’s highest-weighted tags are Swordplay at 93%, Nekomimi at 92%, and Reincarnation at 90%, accurately reflecting that the series sells itself more on combat identity and character texture than on political worldbuilding.
4
The tonal mix is sharper than the title implies: AniList tags include Found Family at 85%, Food at 60%, Slavery at 57%, and Gore at 56%, so the show moves between cozy bonding, RPG comfort, and harsher fantasy violence.
5
Fan commentary often notes that the first arc is the weakest stretch and that the series gains confidence as the adventuring framework opens up.

Fun Facts & Trivia

Fun fact 1: Reincarnated as a Sword aired as a finished 12-episode TV anime from October 5, 2022 to December 21, 2022, placing it in the Fall 2022 season.
Fun fact 2: The anime adapts Yuu Tanaka’s original story with Ruroo credited for the original character designs, while Atsuko Saitou translated those designs for animation.
Fun fact 3: Masahiro Satou served in both art director and art design roles, with Kouki Nagayoshi credited on art board work, which lines up with reviews praising the show’s evocative fantasy backgrounds.
Fun fact 4: Its reception is unusually consistent across major databases: 7.49 on MyAnimeList from 169,682 votes, 74/100 on AniList with 3,015 favourites, and 7.3/10 on IMDb.
Fun fact 5: The production staff includes director Shinji Ishihira, assistant director Kazunobu Shimizu, series composer Takahiro Nagano, and prop designer Ryousuke Kuwahara.