There is a brief, non-explicit scene where a young, (ambiguously) married couple make love. They are both laying in front of a fireplace wrapped in a blanket, and she is sitting in his lap as he removes her yukata, though nothing is seen except for her shoulders and lower legs. There is no sound. The whole scene is only about 20 seconds long due to the editing, and is handled tastefully, in a way that is emotional and romantic, yet with a degree of desolation.

In one scene, there are a series of quick cuts between a woman clutching her stomach and splashes of blood against a black background, implying that she is on her period.

A man asks another how a woman tasted.

Most of the violence happens in the first and fourth episodes, with episode two still having plenty but episode three having none at all.

Contains numerous scenes of graphic and gory violence involving sword duels and assassinations.

One scene depicts the massacre of unarmed civilians.

Characters are stabbed, impaled, mutilated, and beaten onscreen, with fairly bloody results.

Mild profanity such as "damn", "hell" and "bastard"; the frequency of swearing depends on the language track.

Many characters smoke and drink sake.

Much of the series is very emotional and saddening in addition to being more intense than the main series. The final episode in particular is extremely heartbreaking and emotional.

The inhumanity of the violence is very intense, and many of the assassinations can be very disturbing (particularly the opening one).

A character attempts suicide by biting her tongue.

The final battle is intense and emotional.