Blade of the Immortal Volume 7

Blade of the Immortal (US) #7

by Hiroaki Samura

It is said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but couldn't he just be another enemy? Rin and her bodyguard, the immortal swordsman Manji, need to know the answer when they visit the headquarters of the mysterious Akagi assassins - led by the beautiful and deadly Hyakurin - who are out for vengeance against the Itto-Ryu, the rogue swordschool of Anotsu Kagehisa, the man responsible for the murder of Rin's parents. Can Rin and Manji hold to their own course once they've agreed to join forces with the misfit band of killers? Collecting the eight-issue story arc. "Samura's art is the icing which makes this...confection of violence and irreverence rather enticing." - The Comics Journal

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Historical, Seinen, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Hiroaki 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.

Reviews

[shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite volumes. Probably because of the Anotsu in drag conspiracy.

[Adam M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Heart of Darkness story has Manji and Rin joining forces with the Mugai-Ryu assassins to try and take down Anotsu. They have a spy inside the Itto-Ryu, but there leader Hyakurin plays very coy with them in terms of what she's willing to share about who they really are and who pays them. Master Abayama is called in to lead the Itto-Ryu while Anotsu is traveling and this is where the chess match unfolds between the two groups. Does the spy have good information or are they compromised? How much deception does Anotsu have prepared and what is just bad luck? -If you thought Shira was bad before, you'll despise him after this. He is deplorable in this book and while there is some grotesque violence in earlier volumes, it's in poor taste at the end of this book - especially towards a woman in a way the story doesn't warrant. There is the threat of rape, but it doesn't make it that far. I would have rated this story (which is unfolding in really interesting ways) higher, but everything that Shira did was really off-putting near the end.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't wipe your friends on the couch.
And if you swear revenge, you might find yourself allied with people who are in it with slightly different motives.
Also, the whole strategy and deception is fun.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ouch!

That hurt.

Samura pushes the series into a deeper and darker direction, with some of its most intense, brutal fights so far. This volume stands out by introducing Shira, a truly sadistic character whose actions add a disturbing edge, making readers question the line between heroes and villains. Shira’s brutal approach shifts the tone, adding layers to the moral landscape that make you rethink what “good” and “evil” really mean in this world.

The story thickens with complex alliances, and the action is relentless and gripping. Samura’s art is especially stunning here, capturing both dynamic swordplay and dark atmosphere, elevating each intense moment and making this volume a must-read for fans of deep, action-driven storytelling​.

"If you seek to be stronger than others.. you may have to lose what you value above all else."

Beyond the extreme violence, such as severed limbs and decapitations, this volume delves into even darker territory with truly disturbing scenes. If you were expecting conventional samurai sword fighting, this is where the intensity skyrockets, especially with Shira’s relentless commitment to evil. The graphic depictions of violence and the unsettling themes, including scenes of murder and rape, contribute to a deeply unsettling atmosphere that amplifies the stakes in this brutal narrative.

I was caught off guard by how quickly the plot became this intense this fast.

Recommended of course.

[Natalia Adamashvili · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh damn that torture-rape scene

[John Wiswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume takes us through the “Heart of Darkness” story, the plot to assassinate Itto-Ryu’s leader Anotsu. It quickly fleshes out the conspirators, particularly Hyaku-Rin and Shira, planting some very interesting seeds for later volumes, as well as forcing us to come to some harsh realizations about them. The “Heart of Darkness” story plays on the doubts of the readers, using the tameness and slowness of recent volumes to help add suspense and make us question how far this can go – but be warned, it goes very far. The violence in one chapter is too much for my taste, as a character tortures his captives. It’s brilliantly paced and Blade of the Immortal has never had so many interesting characters in action all at once like this before, but even in black and white a couple of the things these people do will turn some stomachs. Mind you, this is not just about the glorification of violence; much of this is done to illustrate that morality is often sacrificed in the pursuit of strength or power. The mixture of quality storytelling and shock value sure got me – I meant to read the first chapter, but went through the whole thing in one night.

[CountZeroOr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having the members of the Mugai-Ryu be just as bad, if not worse, than some of the members of the Ittou-ryuu does make for an interesting way of setting up shades of grey in the story, particularly due to how utterly reprehensible some of the members if the Ittou-Ryuu have been in previous volumes in the series.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first volume where espionage creeps into the narrative, and it's a blast. Who is betraying whom? What are the Itto Ryu up to? What happens when our protagonists faces start showing up on wanted posters?

This would even make a good starting point if someone wasn't interested in reading the whole series. But, as a part of the ongoing story, it's an absolute blast.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

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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[OmniBen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review for the deluxe edition collecting this volume) 4.75/5
What an honour to be the first to write a review for this seminal and amazing series. I've previously expressed my mixed feelings with manga, and how despite a significant number of positives, I just keep finding far too many personal inadequacies within the overall industry to really fall in love with it. That said, if more manga was like Blade of the Immortal, then I would be man crushing on this shit so hard, it would be squeezing out the sides. Blade of the Immortal is one of the best things I have ever read, period! Not just in comics, but ever. I can't get enough. God knows how I waited a few months to find this volume at a decent price. I should have just bought it the second it came out at whatever ludicrous price this volume has been selling for since release. I devoured it with a ferocity that few other stories ever evoke, despite knowing that the sooner I finish it, the sooner it would be over. Praise be to Jebus I have volume four sitting a few feet away, and will be cracking it open as soon as I am done writing this.
Picking out individual points to highlight here seems an exercise in futility, as there really isn't anything I don't like about this. The characters continue to grow and expand, forming into pivotal figures within my mind like few have before. Samura's ability to make the fights, which are thankfully not over done or methodical (as becomes all too frequent in bog standard superhero fare). But rather, each is wholly unique and special to the story at the time. One criticism might be that occasionally it can be a little hard to discern every detail of his fight scene art, although that is a minor quibble in what is an amazing book. The final arc of this collection, which focused on Rin (probably my favourite character) had be so entranced, and was so well executed, that I read about 100 pages more than I intended to, and finished the book despite being dreadfully tired. I just couldn't put it down.
In short, even if you are a paid up member of the manga sceptics society like I am, you absolutely need to read this book. And preferably in this exquisite deluxe format, which is easily one of the prettiest looking books I own. I can't foresee any circumstance in which you would be anything but very glad you did. If Dark Horse doesn't finish out this series in this format, heads are gonna roll. 4.75/5


OmniBen.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this volume of Blade of the Immortal, Manji and Rin align themselves with a hodgepodge collection of swordsmen with the same objective of killing Anotsu. However, as we have suspected in the last volume, not all of them are on the 'right side' — insofar as the story goes. Shira, in particular, is a sadistic maniac that enjoys torture, and this volume mainly deals with the repercussion of that discovery.

I really enjoyed this one, especially with the subplot involving the decoy. I wasn't really expecting Anotsu to be disguised as a woman just to cross the checkpoint by any means, but it was still exciting to read three separate groups of allies follow three decoys to find out which of them is the real Anotsu. Hyakurin, too, is a character that is growing on me. So far, when it comes to female characters, you either have the incredibly capable assassins that are defined by their swordsmanship, or characters like Rin — weak, vulnerable characters trying to survive in this harsh world. Hyakurin, on the other hand, seems to be a mix of both. She is an incredibly capable character that can more than handle herself, but the story hints at a dark past that, I wish, will be revealed later in the story. She also seems to be the most 'playful' character in the story, which is a breath of fresh air. And she is playful without coming across as annoying, too, unlike many manga characters out there.

[Jason Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picked up right off the heels of the previous volume and stayed incredibly strong. I think Rin's character development was well done here, especially in regard to her stance on Shira. The series stays incredibly violent, but also remains informative through the fiction, referencing numerous historical aspects of Japan.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very violent but very good volume. The scene at the end was hard to read but it showed what an absolute psychopathic piece of shit Shiro is. In a world that has a lot of vile characters, he is the worse.

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was a bit too gory for me. And one of the things I dislike is having women pay for the mistakes of the men in their lives.

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good volume.

[KJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this particular one is the pukingest and i always forget JUST HOW BAD it gets

[Drizztl · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Ebony "Interstellar Introvert" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anotsu in drag would have been great😂😊!

[RobLovesBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prison Arc finally ends.

[Jin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets very dark.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate that guy.

[Phil Blonde]

manga

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this seventh volume of Hiroaki Samura's somewhat unorthodox samurai manga with fantastical elements and dialogue which mixes old style with anachronistic slang, Rin and Manji are found with the mysterious group of Mugai-ryū assassins, who like themselves have an interest in Kagehisa Anotsu and his Ittō-ryū sword school (as seen already in the preceding volumes). But while the woman warrior Hyakurin impresses Rin, the ruthless Shira, with whom they are paired in a joint mission to apprehend Anotsu, may prove reason for the two not to join the Mugai-ryū more permanently.

Samura continues to develop his narrative and the various characters' relations to one another, and I will certainly be reading more of this series.

[Berit]

Hyakurin and Co.'s first in-depth appearance (first intro was Vol. 6)

[Ice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely gory. Not be read before bedtime.

[beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 4 out of 5]

[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]

[Tom Bell]

So slow...but so dark and worth the wait.