Genji is the cyborg-ninja in Overwatch and the younger brother of Hanzo from the Shimada Clan. His prominent attributes are his nimble locomotion when cutting his opponents using his iconic sword and shurikens. And now, modern smiths from Man at Arms have managed to bring Genji's trademark weapons into being. Take a look at Genji's sword and shurikens in real life.
Genji's Shurikens
Genji's main weapon were cut-off from sheath metal which were then layered together (same with the sword), heat treated and grinded into shape. The forging of the shurikens were purely automated with the use of modern technology in which the finished product can be seen in the last part of the video. Now, let's move on to the most romanticized weapon of Genji.
Genji's Sword
Genji's Dragonblade was intricately made to provide the cyborg theme of the hero. The idea behind it is to use the traditional Japanese sword smithing method and incorporate it with modern technology to provide the iconic cyborg sword that we all love. Basically, the method entails drilling a small pipe into the modern tool steel to create a central section in which mild steel will then be inserted through mechanical press. According to the smith at Man at Arms, the process is used way back in era where swordsmithing was at its pinnacle in Japan. The method provides the highest grade of swords for the military and thus, using the same method is practically the ideal way of making Genji's katana.
Since Genji's katana glows with luminescence, the smiths from Man at Arms incorporated LED lighting to provide the perfect cyborg-theme of the sword. They made two sections (outward and inner) section in order to insert and fit the LED lights across the entire blade. They also had an artist to provide an impeccable congruent design of the katana in order to finally animate Genji's Dragonblade. You can check the entirety of the process and the finish product in the video down below.
What do you think of Genji's real -life Dragonblade? Did Man at Arms successfully animate the katana? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
