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Blade of the Immortal (US) #30
Blade of the Immortal Volume 30: Vigilance
The penultimate volume in the long-running series! A sleepy port town becomes the scene of slaughter and frantic, final battles, as disgraced Edo officer Habaki faces the man he's vowed to take down--the rascally Anotsu. While Manga and Rin are forced to battle Habaki's most tenacious Rokki-dan thug, the enigmatic Makie has to fend off several Edo Castle henchmen at once! Blade's grotesque, vicious final battle rages on! Blade of the Immortal has won many awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards
216 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
7 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
484 books252 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 12, 2020
Rating: 10.00/ 10.00 | 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
March 2, 2016
There was no one in my room as I read this volume, and yet midway through I still turned to my left and told an empty chair, "I can't believe he just did that."
If you've been following my reviews of this series, you probably noticed they got dramatically shorter. It's hard to report on a series that hinges on so many twists and character deaths - reporting on George R.R. Martin books is cake by comparison. At this point it's a spoiler to say that the immortal character is still alive - and the only thing more ridiculous than that is saying he might not be anymore at the end of this book.
It's harder not doing a spoiler-heavy review because Samura has outdone himself. There are strokes of fight choreography here that you can tell he's waited the entire series to drop on us. The darkest parts of the series come back, not in tragic flashbacks, but subtle references to how people survived, or thought up the nearly impossible things they're doing.
I continue to love that Manji isn't the world's greatest swordsman. Here both he and other characters remark that he's been outclassed in encounter after encounter, such that despite his curse of eternal life, he is on the verge of being put down. He hasn't learned a legendary sword art, or pulled out his inner trauma to overcome the odds. Instead he's all tenacity, and that isn't enough. He isn't the main character of every other manga. As this volume switches between points of view, you can easily question if he and Rin are even the main characters anymore.
If you've been following my reviews of this series, you probably noticed they got dramatically shorter. It's hard to report on a series that hinges on so many twists and character deaths - reporting on George R.R. Martin books is cake by comparison. At this point it's a spoiler to say that the immortal character is still alive - and the only thing more ridiculous than that is saying he might not be anymore at the end of this book.
It's harder not doing a spoiler-heavy review because Samura has outdone himself. There are strokes of fight choreography here that you can tell he's waited the entire series to drop on us. The darkest parts of the series come back, not in tragic flashbacks, but subtle references to how people survived, or thought up the nearly impossible things they're doing.
I continue to love that Manji isn't the world's greatest swordsman. Here both he and other characters remark that he's been outclassed in encounter after encounter, such that despite his curse of eternal life, he is on the verge of being put down. He hasn't learned a legendary sword art, or pulled out his inner trauma to overcome the odds. Instead he's all tenacity, and that isn't enough. He isn't the main character of every other manga. As this volume switches between points of view, you can easily question if he and Rin are even the main characters anymore.
June 18, 2025
Final Fight. Blood. Guts. Everything ends.
The artwork is almost as if it's in an animation sequence. Amazing Samura!
The artwork is almost as if it's in an animation sequence. Amazing Samura!
February 6, 2019
The cast has been pared down to the main few and soon even that group will be smaller. We're heading into the final stretch, and things aren't going to end pretty. This is another volume that's mostly violent battles, but the difference is the readers are really invested in these characters because this is the core group. I hate to see it end but I'm looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up.
January 21, 2025
I have no words. By far, the best volume of the series. The fight scenes were absolutely god tier. So much action. Samura, you truly are a genius. I waited 10 years for you to finish this, and it took me 25 years to finish reading it.
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...
November 3, 2023
(Zero spoiler review for the deluxe edition collecting this volume) 3.75/5
Oh my, I am heartbroken, just not in the way that I wanted. This was quite possibly the greatest series I've ever read, and now that it's over for me, I don't know if I'll ever be able to read it again. It's still pretty raw right now. I need to sit and reflect. Despite the remorse and the anguish I'm feeling right now, and the veiled ambiguity of this review, please read this series. Even if this wasn't the ending I had hoped for, it really is something very special. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
Oh my, I am heartbroken, just not in the way that I wanted. This was quite possibly the greatest series I've ever read, and now that it's over for me, I don't know if I'll ever be able to read it again. It's still pretty raw right now. I need to sit and reflect. Despite the remorse and the anguish I'm feeling right now, and the veiled ambiguity of this review, please read this series. Even if this wasn't the ending I had hoped for, it really is something very special. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
June 25, 2017
Fuck. Three different battles simultaneously; three different battle styles. Really engaging volume. Can't believe this is the end. What happens when you like everyone that remains alive at this point?
January 15, 2021
The penultimate volume of Blade Of The Immortal concludes most of the secondary storylines by flipping back and forth between battles between primary and secondary characters until only the primaries remain.
There are no plot or character surprises but it feels somewhat satisfying.
There are no plot or character surprises but it feels somewhat satisfying.
January 2, 2018
Good volume.
August 10, 2018
Ok manga....Overall story💩1/10 But on the plus side pretty decent samurai/Feudal japan type manga with lots of Explicit Violence(Heads,ears and other body parts flying all over the place)👌😅💀👂👃💕💕
March 14, 2019
The fight scenes in this are amazing. Wow.
September 17, 2018
[REVIEW FOR THE SERIES...]
Blade of the Immortal (Vol. 1-31)
Blade of the Immortal (Japanese: 無限の住人 Hepburn: Mugen no Jūnin, lit. "The Inhabitant of Infinity") is a Japanese seinen manga series by Hiroaki Samura. The series is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the samurai Manji, cursed with eternal life, who now has to kill 1000 evil men in order to regain his mortality. The series ran from 1993 to 2012, and has garnered itself quite a fan following and now has several animated and movie adaptions.
The Blade of the Immortal series is perhaps one of my top favorite manga series of all time and I’ve read a lot of manga in my life. I’m still not completely sure what it is about this series that worked for me; all I know is it did. The truth is it is a very dark, violent, historical manga with elements of fantasy and mysticism. Much of it involves very gritty and gory sword fighting scenes and super fascinating cast of characters, heroes, villains and all shades in between. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, if you manage push past the first few chapters, which can be very confusing honestly. Once you get into the meat of it though, it becomes enthralling, disturbing and even emotional. And the art...well it’s exquisite and only improves as you continue through the volumes... Check it.
WOW. Epic no? So this is Manji, our cursed yet extremely skilled samurai hero (anti-hero?) who is on a quest to kill 1000 evil men in oder to relieve himself of this curse and die peacefully. So it all starts when he is the cause of the death of 100 good samurai, due to his criminal actions, and is cursed to immortality, (by means of "sacred bloodworms" (血仙蟲 kessen-chū) that allow him to survive nearly every injury and even reattach dismembered limbs, by a 800-year-old nun. After a tragic turn of events he then vows to make amends for his sins that will allow his curse to be ended. This dark endeavor for redemption causes him much sorrow and suffering, but Manji always manages to persevere. His life only gets more complicated, however, when he meets Rin.
Manji later crosses paths with a young girl, named Asano Rin, and promises to help her avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by the mysterious and evil Anotsu Kagehisa. Anotsu killed Rin's father and his entire dōjō, making them a family of outcasts. Anotsu's quest is to gather other outcasts and form an extremely powerful new dojo, the Ittō-ryū (a school teaching any technique that wins, no matter how exotic or underhanded), and has started taking over and destroying other dojos, and threatens to defy the honorable system of the samurai realm.
Manji and Rin team up together to hunt down the savage Anotsu, which leads them on a perilous adventure, down a simultaneous path of revenge and redemption. I love the platonic dynamic between Manji and Rin. This series is a wonderfully thought out read, amazing illustrated and filled to the brim with action, excitement, mystery, and suspense and of course, a load of violent sword fighting scenes. There are a series of other interesting characters that I will not go into in this review, but suffice it to say, Blade of the Immortal is a read to remember. I highly recommend this to seinen manga fans, but not to the squeamish or faint of heart. This is a very graphic series.
[OFFICIAL RATING: 4.8 STARS]
January 15, 2015
Whew... I just put this book down after a heart-clenching final page cliff-hanger! Two favorite characters about to go head-to-head!
The bulk of this volume is taken up by the three fights that started in the previous volume. Readers will really need to pay attention, though - there was an unexpected element in one of the battles that I had to backtrack to see when it even began. And as always, take the time to appreciate Hiroaki Samura's amazing artwork in the fight scenes! There are a few of his two-page spreads that he's known for which always manage to take my breath away.
One final volume will be coming out in a few more months, and this long-time Blade of the Immortal reader can't wait!
The bulk of this volume is taken up by the three fights that started in the previous volume. Readers will really need to pay attention, though - there was an unexpected element in one of the battles that I had to backtrack to see when it even began. And as always, take the time to appreciate Hiroaki Samura's amazing artwork in the fight scenes! There are a few of his two-page spreads that he's known for which always manage to take my breath away.
One final volume will be coming out in a few more months, and this long-time Blade of the Immortal reader can't wait!
February 15, 2016
One last shining example of why I loved Blade of the Immortal, before it got bogged down with all the sadistic crap. Gorgeous gorgeous fight scenes, Manji and Rin taking care of each other. If the whole series had stayed closer to the content of this volume, I'd certainly keep it all - but my collection is going on ebay now that I'm done. 31 was a "meh" conclusion but I loved 30.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews