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Blade of the Immortal (US) #4
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 4: On Silent Wings
Manji is one of the most skilled samurai in all of feudal Japan. He is also immortal, condemned to a life of combat until he spills the blood of a thousand evil men. But along with eternal life comes the need to make an eternal living, and so manji works as a bodyguard for Rin, who seeks to personally avenge her father's murder at the hands of one of Japan's deadliest swordsmen, Anotsu Kagehisa. But with Manji's instruction and her own burning thirst for retribution, can Rin ever stand against such a powerful and ruthless adversary? And in her quest to kill Anotsu, does she risk becoming more like him?
168 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 1995
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
484 books254 followersHiroaki Samura ( 沙村広明) is a Japanese cartoonist and illustrator. He is best known for writing and illustrating the manga Blade of the Immortal (1993-2012). Among his other manga series Die Wergelder (2011-2018) and Wave, Listen to Me!, the latter serialised since 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 7, 2019
4.5 Stars
November 19, 2021
This is the first part of a 2 issue arc, but it's also a book of 2 parts. Rin wanders out in the woods where they are staying and accidentally finds Anotsu training. Their exchanges is meant to reshape how we see them both and will change the tone of the story. It's a tense calm and it's well written.
In the second half Rin saves the son of Araya, the man who killed her mother, from mutilation at the hands of a local man of some import. The boy brings her home to meet his father whom she has a long conversation with. She's trying to find the balance within herself after the confrontation with Anotsu.
I liked the writing in this a lot as it added a layer of complexity to the "revenge for it's own sake" portion of this story. The art remains compelling and vivid. Enjoying this series a lot still.
In the second half Rin saves the son of Araya, the man who killed her mother, from mutilation at the hands of a local man of some import. The boy brings her home to meet his father whom she has a long conversation with. She's trying to find the balance within herself after the confrontation with Anotsu.
I liked the writing in this a lot as it added a layer of complexity to the "revenge for it's own sake" portion of this story. The art remains compelling and vivid. Enjoying this series a lot still.
August 9, 2007
The first half is a meeting between Rin and Anotsu, essentially the most innocent and vile people in all of Blade of the Immortal, is so tense that every writer and filmmaker should feel envious for the drama that simple drawings elicits. Hiroaki Samura gets more out of one picture of Rin hiding behind a tree than most writers could get out of a paragraph of anxiety. Their dialogue is as sharp and provocative as anything in the entire series, exploring the morality behind Rin's mission of vengeance. Though it hardly ends their conflict, it isn't glib or purely expository; it's philosophical and drives several deep questions of motivation and perverse goodness into the plot.
The second story is a much more generic Manji-saves-the-girl-in-peril tale, which is entertaining, if a large dramatic drop from the quality of the first story. Blade of the Immortal has a penchant for tangential stories along its main plot that may infuriate some readers, as each volume has two stories, so every tangent takes up half of your book. However, the overarching way morality and its own world are built through these tangents makes them essential, along with the "what will happen next?"-fun of them.
The second story is a much more generic Manji-saves-the-girl-in-peril tale, which is entertaining, if a large dramatic drop from the quality of the first story. Blade of the Immortal has a penchant for tangential stories along its main plot that may infuriate some readers, as each volume has two stories, so every tangent takes up half of your book. However, the overarching way morality and its own world are built through these tangents makes them essential, along with the "what will happen next?"-fun of them.
October 30, 2015
Where the series until this point was a bit inconsistent (though absolutely necessary to establish character background and motivations), it's here, with this arc that Samura's flashes of brilliance coalesce into a masterful whole.
The story gets its first chance to move away from its central, establishing conceit (he can't die until he's repayed his karmic debt, she wants revenge for her parents' murders), leaves its hack-n'-slash emphasis, and starts to explore the deeper implications of Rin and Manji's journey.
The storytelling throughout the entire "On Silent Wings" arc (part I and part II) is fantastic. The art consistent and imbued with the perfect amount of drama, movement, and emotional subtlety. The pacing and handling of the action sequences is downright cinematic.
The balance found here is the reason this series isn't just good, but award winning.
The story gets its first chance to move away from its central, establishing conceit (he can't die until he's repayed his karmic debt, she wants revenge for her parents' murders), leaves its hack-n'-slash emphasis, and starts to explore the deeper implications of Rin and Manji's journey.
The storytelling throughout the entire "On Silent Wings" arc (part I and part II) is fantastic. The art consistent and imbued with the perfect amount of drama, movement, and emotional subtlety. The pacing and handling of the action sequences is downright cinematic.
The balance found here is the reason this series isn't just good, but award winning.
October 18, 2024
Great artwork once again with our duo going forward on their mission to kill everyone in this dojo that had Rin's parents killed. The nicest moment here is Rin's confrontation with the killer which will not be the last time we see him for sure and he drops some philosophical knowledge on Rin (and us) which makes you think, we have to see things from a third perspective when there is wrong and right between two sides.
We also get some nice action scenes and we can clearly see that Manji's not the best there is and he can be beaten and killed, and that was actually very nice and well made. Great story and beautifully made action scenes once again.
We also get some nice action scenes and we can clearly see that Manji's not the best there is and he can be beaten and killed, and that was actually very nice and well made. Great story and beautifully made action scenes once again.
December 29, 2018
Anotsu (if that’s how you spell his name) is such a great antagonist.
September 23, 2016
4 stars
October 23, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.
Manji is a ruthless ronin stricken with the curse of immortality. To undo his curse, he must take the lives of a thousand sinners. He's a wandering sword for hire that kills without mercy and hunts down evil warriors all over feudal Japan. He wanders and kills without purpose for quite some time, but his long journey to end his own life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a compassionate young girl named Rin who is seeking revenge for her parents after they were murdered by members of a brutal new sword school called the Itto-ryu. Manji accepts the role of Rin's guardian and their drastically different ideals and personalities begin to change each other in ways neither of them could've foreseen as they clash with one merciless sinner after another.
The story cycles between several groups of samurai warriors each with their own moral codes and objectives. Other than Manji and Rin, there is Anotsu Kagehisa; the leader of the Itto-ryu and his band of rogues that openly defy old traditions as they seek to revolutionize the way of the samurai through force. Hyakurin and her partner Giichi who work as government cutthroats under a faction called the Mugai-ryu along with a serial killer named Shira, and so on. There are also hundreds of assassins, criminal gangs and shady individuals that wish to learn the secrets of Manji's immortality for their own nefarious purposes. With so many vicious people on the loose, it's no surprise that this ends up being one of the most brutal and bloody samurai tales ever told.
Blade of the Immortal makes ultra-violence look like a poetic art form. Blood and limbs fly like scarlet paint. Blades cut through flesh and bone like knives through butter. The use of clever battle poses and finishing techniques against the backdrop of hyper-stylized Edo period art makes for some museum-worthy battle and death scenes.
Despite how glamorized violence and bloodshed is throughout the series, it does not shy away from exploring the aftermath of said violence and how it impacts the psychological state of the characters. A sweet girl like Rin seeks revenge against Anotsu of the Itto-ryu for leading an assault that resulted in the murder of her family and slowly grows accustomed to the constant brutality that the path of revenge leads to. Anotsu himself isn't the one-dimensional evil monster that Rin believes him to be as he is driven by a sense of revenge himself; his revolution against outdated traditions begins only because people he loved were hurt, killed and outcasted by the harsh rules and teachings of the old sword schools. Even those who live through vicarious swindling and assassination such as Hyakurin and her partner Giichi have very traumatic upbringings and take no joy in their work.
We see how violence warps these characters into killing machines and then we see how the violence they inflict on others leads to more tragedy and bloodshed. Whether it be physical, mental or sexual, the violence throughout the series never goes unexplored or unpunished. It somehow manages to be brutally elegant and mature at the same time, the bloody battles are fantastic and the effects it has on the characters is even more so.
What seems to be a cliche samurai revenge story subtly transforms into an exploration of the psychological effects that violence has on many different types of individuals. Some are defined by it, some are bound to it, some love it while others allow themselves to grow from it or be destroyed by it. Violence and revenge are never fully justified nor condemned. It's presented from a very neutral and realistic point of view, allowing you to see it from every angle possible and judge for yourself whether it can be justified or not.
The story is simple, but the webs of conflict between many groups of complex and dangerous characters is where it truly shines. Strong development, elegant violence, moral ambiguity and an unusually modern punk tone in the dialogue and mannerisms of the characters offers a unique way of exploring a feudal-era drama that defies the expectations of a traditional revenge story.
***
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Manji is a ruthless ronin stricken with the curse of immortality. To undo his curse, he must take the lives of a thousand sinners. He's a wandering sword for hire that kills without mercy and hunts down evil warriors all over feudal Japan. He wanders and kills without purpose for quite some time, but his long journey to end his own life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a compassionate young girl named Rin who is seeking revenge for her parents after they were murdered by members of a brutal new sword school called the Itto-ryu. Manji accepts the role of Rin's guardian and their drastically different ideals and personalities begin to change each other in ways neither of them could've foreseen as they clash with one merciless sinner after another.
The story cycles between several groups of samurai warriors each with their own moral codes and objectives. Other than Manji and Rin, there is Anotsu Kagehisa; the leader of the Itto-ryu and his band of rogues that openly defy old traditions as they seek to revolutionize the way of the samurai through force. Hyakurin and her partner Giichi who work as government cutthroats under a faction called the Mugai-ryu along with a serial killer named Shira, and so on. There are also hundreds of assassins, criminal gangs and shady individuals that wish to learn the secrets of Manji's immortality for their own nefarious purposes. With so many vicious people on the loose, it's no surprise that this ends up being one of the most brutal and bloody samurai tales ever told.
Blade of the Immortal makes ultra-violence look like a poetic art form. Blood and limbs fly like scarlet paint. Blades cut through flesh and bone like knives through butter. The use of clever battle poses and finishing techniques against the backdrop of hyper-stylized Edo period art makes for some museum-worthy battle and death scenes.
Despite how glamorized violence and bloodshed is throughout the series, it does not shy away from exploring the aftermath of said violence and how it impacts the psychological state of the characters. A sweet girl like Rin seeks revenge against Anotsu of the Itto-ryu for leading an assault that resulted in the murder of her family and slowly grows accustomed to the constant brutality that the path of revenge leads to. Anotsu himself isn't the one-dimensional evil monster that Rin believes him to be as he is driven by a sense of revenge himself; his revolution against outdated traditions begins only because people he loved were hurt, killed and outcasted by the harsh rules and teachings of the old sword schools. Even those who live through vicarious swindling and assassination such as Hyakurin and her partner Giichi have very traumatic upbringings and take no joy in their work.
We see how violence warps these characters into killing machines and then we see how the violence they inflict on others leads to more tragedy and bloodshed. Whether it be physical, mental or sexual, the violence throughout the series never goes unexplored or unpunished. It somehow manages to be brutally elegant and mature at the same time, the bloody battles are fantastic and the effects it has on the characters is even more so.
What seems to be a cliche samurai revenge story subtly transforms into an exploration of the psychological effects that violence has on many different types of individuals. Some are defined by it, some are bound to it, some love it while others allow themselves to grow from it or be destroyed by it. Violence and revenge are never fully justified nor condemned. It's presented from a very neutral and realistic point of view, allowing you to see it from every angle possible and judge for yourself whether it can be justified or not.
The story is simple, but the webs of conflict between many groups of complex and dangerous characters is where it truly shines. Strong development, elegant violence, moral ambiguity and an unusually modern punk tone in the dialogue and mannerisms of the characters offers a unique way of exploring a feudal-era drama that defies the expectations of a traditional revenge story.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
May 7, 2022
(Zero spoiler review of the deluxe edition collecting this volume) 4.5/5
If you happened to have read my review of BOTI Deluxe 1, then you would know how much I adore this series. I have a very tenuous relationship with manga, with the quality of the writing and frequent lackadaisical artistic storytelling being a particular sticking point to me. I had bought a few manga series sight unseen, only to be disappointed or outright enraged at just how average they were. I had the first two BOTI deluxe books on my shelf before reading this, so needless to say, if this was a pile of garbage, I would have been officially done with manga. Thankfully, BOTI is a breathe of fresh air, and ticks pretty much every box of mine when it comes to the medium that had up to this point, going seriously unticked.
Gorgeous art, strong storytelling, a continuous narrative, well fleshed out, likeable characters, unique situations and use of plot devices, this book does it all and more. Some of the plot lines and characters Samura has given us here are surprisingly deep and meaningful. On more than one occasion, I stopped and reflected on the very deep and meaningful narratives. Appreciating just how rare it was for mature themes to be tackled in such a competent way. Sadly, these themes are sorely lacking in the graphic novel medium.
One of the greatest thing a storyteller can do, is to put their characters in situations where the reader thinks that something significant and impactful will happen, regardless of the outcome. Issue after issue in your average superhero comic, you know that the heroes will inevitably escape unharmed, and all will be as it was before at the end of the book. While these stories have their merits, the fact that you know the main protagonists are in no real danger steals so much of the narrative impetus away, and never invests you as much as it would if you were reading about a world where seemingly anything can happen. The best moments you may have as a reader are when you truly don't know what will happen next. BOTI did that too me on many occasions, and whilst I think I preferred the first collection a tad more than this one, it was still an amazing read, and one that I am desperate to read more of. This makes Berserk look amateurish by comparison.
4.5/5
OmniBen.
If you happened to have read my review of BOTI Deluxe 1, then you would know how much I adore this series. I have a very tenuous relationship with manga, with the quality of the writing and frequent lackadaisical artistic storytelling being a particular sticking point to me. I had bought a few manga series sight unseen, only to be disappointed or outright enraged at just how average they were. I had the first two BOTI deluxe books on my shelf before reading this, so needless to say, if this was a pile of garbage, I would have been officially done with manga. Thankfully, BOTI is a breathe of fresh air, and ticks pretty much every box of mine when it comes to the medium that had up to this point, going seriously unticked.
Gorgeous art, strong storytelling, a continuous narrative, well fleshed out, likeable characters, unique situations and use of plot devices, this book does it all and more. Some of the plot lines and characters Samura has given us here are surprisingly deep and meaningful. On more than one occasion, I stopped and reflected on the very deep and meaningful narratives. Appreciating just how rare it was for mature themes to be tackled in such a competent way. Sadly, these themes are sorely lacking in the graphic novel medium.
One of the greatest thing a storyteller can do, is to put their characters in situations where the reader thinks that something significant and impactful will happen, regardless of the outcome. Issue after issue in your average superhero comic, you know that the heroes will inevitably escape unharmed, and all will be as it was before at the end of the book. While these stories have their merits, the fact that you know the main protagonists are in no real danger steals so much of the narrative impetus away, and never invests you as much as it would if you were reading about a world where seemingly anything can happen. The best moments you may have as a reader are when you truly don't know what will happen next. BOTI did that too me on many occasions, and whilst I think I preferred the first collection a tad more than this one, it was still an amazing read, and one that I am desperate to read more of. This makes Berserk look amateurish by comparison.
4.5/5
OmniBen.
June 29, 2017
Funnily enough, even though this volume is devoid of action (there are two 'fights', but one is super one-sided, and the other ends before it begins), I really only have one major complaint: Rin.
To preface my complaint, I want to say that later volumes may very well change my mind about Rin as a character. However, as it stands at volume four, Rin's weakness/helplessness is only half as infuriating as her indecision to proceed with her revenge plot. In book one, we learn that both her parents were murderer before her eyes, and she later spends two years training up just to seek revenge on those responsible. Throughout the first four volumes, however, Rin constantly goes back and forth as to whether she wants to proceed with her revenge plot. Maybe it has less to do with Rin as a character, but more to do with the way the writer has failed to express the internal conflict. It's just not very clear what Rin has in mind most of the time. She's a passive character that kind of reminds me of Sansa. Even when she is actively pursuing a goal, you never quite know what she is trying to do — and not in the mysterious way, either. More clueless and naive, really.
Other than that, I don't have major complaints. Volume 4 seems like yet another here's-another-bad-guy-to-fight plot. Let's hope subsequent volumes move away from this conceit.
To preface my complaint, I want to say that later volumes may very well change my mind about Rin as a character. However, as it stands at volume four, Rin's weakness/helplessness is only half as infuriating as her indecision to proceed with her revenge plot. In book one, we learn that both her parents were murderer before her eyes, and she later spends two years training up just to seek revenge on those responsible. Throughout the first four volumes, however, Rin constantly goes back and forth as to whether she wants to proceed with her revenge plot. Maybe it has less to do with Rin as a character, but more to do with the way the writer has failed to express the internal conflict. It's just not very clear what Rin has in mind most of the time. She's a passive character that kind of reminds me of Sansa. Even when she is actively pursuing a goal, you never quite know what she is trying to do — and not in the mysterious way, either. More clueless and naive, really.
Other than that, I don't have major complaints. Volume 4 seems like yet another here's-another-bad-guy-to-fight plot. Let's hope subsequent volumes move away from this conceit.
June 17, 2017
These books are too short!! And they take too little time to read! I wish I'd gotten omnibus volumes for the rest of the series, because these individual volumes aren't going to be enough to satisfy.
Another very strong volume. Much more subtle this time -- no killing in this volume! Instead, a lot of philosophising on the nature of revenge and whether one loses their own soul on the journey. There's a wonderful exchange between Anotsu and Rin when she realises she's becoming like him. -- And then that whole segment in the end when she takes the opposite path. A lot of foreshadowing as to how this series could end, the two paths available to Rin.
I'm also noticing the commentary on class more this time. Rin, born into the high samurai classes, sympathising with Anotsu's distain for what the samurai have become. The way they exploit and abuse their power on children, women, the common folks. Blade makes us question whether Rin and her father's legacy are on the righteous side; whether Anotsu and the other Itto-ryu are so purely wrong. And what costs will they bear as they all blur that line?
Another very strong volume. Much more subtle this time -- no killing in this volume! Instead, a lot of philosophising on the nature of revenge and whether one loses their own soul on the journey. There's a wonderful exchange between Anotsu and Rin when she realises she's becoming like him. -- And then that whole segment in the end when she takes the opposite path. A lot of foreshadowing as to how this series could end, the two paths available to Rin.
I'm also noticing the commentary on class more this time. Rin, born into the high samurai classes, sympathising with Anotsu's distain for what the samurai have become. The way they exploit and abuse their power on children, women, the common folks. Blade makes us question whether Rin and her father's legacy are on the righteous side; whether Anotsu and the other Itto-ryu are so purely wrong. And what costs will they bear as they all blur that line?
October 12, 2020
The first half contains the first major turn in the story as we get to see the main villain from the story explain his side of things while having one of thr protagonists completely at his mercy. And, yes, he monologues, but he doesn't monologue an evil plan or talk about what a genius he is. His monologue explains why he's done the things that the protagonists think of as Terrible. And, they still are pretty terrible. But, like Magneto in better X-Men stories, you can tell that he thinks he's doing the right thing. And it's not too much of a stretch to things from his perspective.
The second half deals with the reprecussions of the first half and how it causes the characters to evolve.
If you like a long form story where, instead of repeating the same scenarios in slightly different fashion, the characters actually adapt to a changing environment, confront their shortcomings, and grow, then this is the manga story for you.
The second half deals with the reprecussions of the first half and how it causes the characters to evolve.
If you like a long form story where, instead of repeating the same scenarios in slightly different fashion, the characters actually adapt to a changing environment, confront their shortcomings, and grow, then this is the manga story for you.
April 24, 2021
14. Silent Wings (1/7) Manji and Rin wonder around the city fair. He meets Kawakami Araya, a member of Itto-ryu, with his little boy Renzo.
15. Silent Wings (2/7) Intense chapter. Rin meets Renzo and they get into trouble.
16. Silent Wings (3/7) Rin meets Araya, who does not recognize her. She remembers the night her parents were killed.
Great chapter.
17. Silent Wings (4/7) She confronts Araya. Does a man change with time?
18. Silent Wings (5/7) Manji enters the scene and begins fighting with Araya. The fight scenes are a chore to read with all yhe little pencil lines.
19. Final showdown between them. What about Araya's boy, Renzo?
The best album so far, the dialogue was good but the fight scenes at the end bore me...
15. Silent Wings (2/7) Intense chapter. Rin meets Renzo and they get into trouble.
16. Silent Wings (3/7) Rin meets Araya, who does not recognize her. She remembers the night her parents were killed.
Great chapter.
17. Silent Wings (4/7) She confronts Araya. Does a man change with time?
18. Silent Wings (5/7) Manji enters the scene and begins fighting with Araya. The fight scenes are a chore to read with all yhe little pencil lines.
19. Final showdown between them. What about Araya's boy, Renzo?
The best album so far, the dialogue was good but the fight scenes at the end bore me...
February 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this volume. The storyline and dialogue felt more fluid than prior volumes.
Anotsu is an interesting character - he is a character that you can understand his point of view, just not the way he is going about achieving it. Rin is annoying however and acts younger than she is/her experiences would indicate. Hopefully she shows some character development (we do get a glimmer of it at the end of the volume).
The story feels like it’s settled in and gets going in this volume.
Anotsu is an interesting character - he is a character that you can understand his point of view, just not the way he is going about achieving it. Rin is annoying however and acts younger than she is/her experiences would indicate. Hopefully she shows some character development (we do get a glimmer of it at the end of the volume).
The story feels like it’s settled in and gets going in this volume.
December 11, 2017
Good volume.
February 29, 2020
7.5/10
July 27, 2021
as mulheres são bem parecidas, confesso que estou confusa kkkkk
September 21, 2021
Manji has to be one of my favorite characters in my graphic novels to date. He gives me slightly peppier Levi from Attack on Titan vibes.
March 15, 2023
the big anotsu monologue contained within is really where this series starts cooking with gas. delicious stuff.
September 12, 2023
Great art.
December 2, 2024
See review for vol (On Silent Wings Pt. II)
December 15, 2024
Nope! I'm out! This series just isn't for me anymore. Too slow, too much talking and I can't relate to the characters. Vagabond was far better!
December 20, 2024
Discovered hoopla has all of these at my library… I’m about to breeze through!!😤
Loving this series so far even though some of these characters drive me insane ! Beautiful art!
Loving this series so far even though some of these characters drive me insane ! Beautiful art!
June 14, 2025
“Or can’t you do anything without drawing a sword?”
November 8, 2012
Rin and Kagehisa finally meet face to face for the first time in this volume, and it makes for one hell of an encounter. I'd kind of compare it to the diner scene between De Niro and Pacino in Heat, to a certain degree - in terms of tension, and in terms of how the two characters really end up talking about why they do what they do, and how that makes them similar and different.
January 13, 2017
I'm not sure how I feel about the development of Rin's character. Yes, she is growing maturity and forethought, but as the story is concerned, I'm not sure where the author is going with this. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
Either way. I'll be reading on.
Either way. I'll be reading on.
May 15, 2011
This volume keeps the pace of the story going. Rin's mental anguish from her conversation with an enemy adds another layer to her quest for revenge.
June 28, 2013
Oh, these are so enjoyable.
Here's what I'm wondering. All the food they eat is so sparse. How did kenshi manage to subsist on such meager rations?
Here's what I'm wondering. All the food they eat is so sparse. How did kenshi manage to subsist on such meager rations?
April 13, 2015
amazging plot
May 11, 2016
Thought this volume of Blade of the Immortal was good. Love the art, and the storyline wasn't that bad either. Looking forward to reading the next volume in the series soon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews