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Blade of the Immortal Omnibus #2
Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 2
Rin continues her quest across feudal Japan to avenge the murder of her parents, joined by Manji--her seemingly immortal protector. The eccentric, bloodthirsty Itto-ryu sword school tries to carve a path to Edo castle, led by the hated Anotsu as they obliterate all rival schools along the way. What they don't know, though, is that the deadly Mugai-ryu has formed--with the sole purpose of destroying Anotsu's clan! This epic manga series won Japan's Media Arts Award, several British Eagle Awards, and an Eisner Award, among other international accolades. Relentless and shocking, Blade takes Edo-era samurai action and combines it with modernist street idioms to create a style and mood like no other work of graphic fiction.
"Samura's work will thrill you, engage you, and even horrify you like no other artist working in film or print today." --Geof Darrow (Shaolin Cowboy, Hard Boiled)
"Samura's work will thrill you, engage you, and even horrify you like no other artist working in film or print today." --Geof Darrow (Shaolin Cowboy, Hard Boiled)
536 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 1997
10 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
484 books250 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 30 reviews
July 31, 2023
4.5** this is shaping up to be really interesting
December 25, 2021
Shocked, stunned and screaming HELL YAH was how I left this book.
Something that heavily captivates me about this series is the beautifully unique art and intensively creative scenes, set pieces, fights, characters, weapons, motivations and back stories. The fights in the first were bomb, the ones in this one were utterly nuclear.
I will warn readers that this one does have a downtime chapter right at the start so fans of the intense right into the action sense of the first omnibus may be a bit disappointed. I was personally becoming concerned that this was all they were going to do for the rest of the series. I should slap that Gethyn.
Keep reading friends! and
P.S Damn that Chain Sickle Noose is the coolest weapon I've ever seen.
Something that heavily captivates me about this series is the beautifully unique art and intensively creative scenes, set pieces, fights, characters, weapons, motivations and back stories. The fights in the first were bomb, the ones in this one were utterly nuclear.
I will warn readers that this one does have a downtime chapter right at the start so fans of the intense right into the action sense of the first omnibus may be a bit disappointed. I was personally becoming concerned that this was all they were going to do for the rest of the series. I should slap that Gethyn.
Keep reading friends! and
P.S Damn that Chain Sickle Noose is the coolest weapon I've ever seen.
July 4, 2022
Good story, good action, some characters got me confuse from time to time because they are looking a bit too much alike and I’m bad with names. But a nice manga/comic series that I will continue to read.
January 16, 2019
I'm starting to get a better feel for this series. It was a little different than manga I'd read before, so the first volume was a little jarring, but now I'm getting used to the author's style. The quest for revenge continues with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure. Predictable this series is not.
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...
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September 11, 2025
Bist du das personifizierte Böse oder hast du doch einen guten Kern?
Zum Inhalt (Booklet):
Meister der zwölf Klingen, Mörder von hundert Menschen, Bewohner der Unendlichkeit... Manji ist ein herrenloser Samurai, ein Ronin. Mit Unsterblichkeit gesegnet ... oder eher verflucht? Heilige Blutwürmer, die Kessenchu, halten ihn am Leben, egal, wie schwer er auch verletzt ist.
Nachdem Manji herausfindet, dass er für seinen Fürsten Shigenobu Horii in blindem Kadavergehorsam Mordaufträge an Unschuldigen ausgeführt hat, beschließt er, seinen Herren dafür büßen zu lassen. Damit verstößt er gegen den Ehrenkodex der Samurai (für seinen Herrn zu sterben) und wird zum gejagten Vogelfreien. Um wieder sterblich zu werden und um Buße zu tun, schwört er schließlich tausend schlechte Menschen zu richten ...
Cover:
Das Cover gefällt mir recht gut. Hier sieht man eine Zeichnung des Protagonisten Manji, wie er mit dem Schwert auf jemanden zu zielen scheint. Das ist eine schöne Hommage an den Inhalt des Mangas und absolut passend.
Eigener Eindruck:
Auf seiner Reise trifft Manji in einer Kneipe den Krieger Eiku, welcher genauso ist wie er selbst, unsterblich. Auch er will den bösen Anotsu töten. Während eines Kampfes muss Manji jedoch bald feststellen, dass seine Macht Wunden zu heilen scheinbar nicht mehr in ihm weilt, denn die Verletzungen die er sich zuzieht schließen sich nicht mehr. Sollte der Fluch etwa nicht mehr aktiv sein?
Außerdem trifft Manji in einer Gasse auf die Kriegerin Maki welche Anotsu verpflichtet ist und versucht ihr Leben besser zu leben als ihre Mutter es getan hat. Doch scheinbar ist sie für Manji keine Gegnerin, denn verschont sie, was jedoch für die weitere Reise von Manji nicht unbedeutend bleibt.
Der zweite Teil rund um den Ronin Manji, welcher durch einen Fluch an die Unsterblichkeit gebunden ist, zeigt wieder eine völlig neue Seite an dem Krieger auf und bietet auch wieder eine Menge Hintergrundgeschichten um die Wesenszüge der Charaktere besser zu verstehen. Dabei besticht die Geschichte nicht nur mit einer sehr detaillierten und durchdachten Storyline, sondern auch mit richtig tollen Zeichnungen die den Manga zu einem absoluten Leckerbissen machen. Blutig bahnt sich Manji wieder einmal seinen Weg durch die recht historischen Straßen Japans und scheint dabei manchmal weder Freund noch Feind zu kennen. Freunde von blutigen Szenen und vor allem auch Kampfszenen werden hier ihre Freude haben. Für mich war das dann an der einen oder anderen Stelle doch ein bisschen heftig, aber im Großen und Ganzen muss ich sagen, dass der Manga einfach überzeugt und Spaß macht. Es ist eben ein Klassiker den man nicht verpassen sollte.
Fazit:
Eine interessante und recht actiongeladene Fortsetzung. Von mir gibt es für Freunde von Hintergrundgeschichten und Kämpfen eine absolute Leseempfehlung.
Idee: 5/5
Charaktere: 4/5
Logik: 4/5
Spannung: 4/5
Emotionen: 4/5
Gesamt: 4/5
Daten:
Format: 208 pages, Paperback
Published: August 31, 2002 by Egmont
ISBN: 9783898855860 (ISBN10: 3898855864)
ASIN: 3898855864
Language: German
Zum Inhalt (Booklet):
Meister der zwölf Klingen, Mörder von hundert Menschen, Bewohner der Unendlichkeit... Manji ist ein herrenloser Samurai, ein Ronin. Mit Unsterblichkeit gesegnet ... oder eher verflucht? Heilige Blutwürmer, die Kessenchu, halten ihn am Leben, egal, wie schwer er auch verletzt ist.
Nachdem Manji herausfindet, dass er für seinen Fürsten Shigenobu Horii in blindem Kadavergehorsam Mordaufträge an Unschuldigen ausgeführt hat, beschließt er, seinen Herren dafür büßen zu lassen. Damit verstößt er gegen den Ehrenkodex der Samurai (für seinen Herrn zu sterben) und wird zum gejagten Vogelfreien. Um wieder sterblich zu werden und um Buße zu tun, schwört er schließlich tausend schlechte Menschen zu richten ...
Cover:
Das Cover gefällt mir recht gut. Hier sieht man eine Zeichnung des Protagonisten Manji, wie er mit dem Schwert auf jemanden zu zielen scheint. Das ist eine schöne Hommage an den Inhalt des Mangas und absolut passend.
Eigener Eindruck:
Auf seiner Reise trifft Manji in einer Kneipe den Krieger Eiku, welcher genauso ist wie er selbst, unsterblich. Auch er will den bösen Anotsu töten. Während eines Kampfes muss Manji jedoch bald feststellen, dass seine Macht Wunden zu heilen scheinbar nicht mehr in ihm weilt, denn die Verletzungen die er sich zuzieht schließen sich nicht mehr. Sollte der Fluch etwa nicht mehr aktiv sein?
Außerdem trifft Manji in einer Gasse auf die Kriegerin Maki welche Anotsu verpflichtet ist und versucht ihr Leben besser zu leben als ihre Mutter es getan hat. Doch scheinbar ist sie für Manji keine Gegnerin, denn verschont sie, was jedoch für die weitere Reise von Manji nicht unbedeutend bleibt.
Der zweite Teil rund um den Ronin Manji, welcher durch einen Fluch an die Unsterblichkeit gebunden ist, zeigt wieder eine völlig neue Seite an dem Krieger auf und bietet auch wieder eine Menge Hintergrundgeschichten um die Wesenszüge der Charaktere besser zu verstehen. Dabei besticht die Geschichte nicht nur mit einer sehr detaillierten und durchdachten Storyline, sondern auch mit richtig tollen Zeichnungen die den Manga zu einem absoluten Leckerbissen machen. Blutig bahnt sich Manji wieder einmal seinen Weg durch die recht historischen Straßen Japans und scheint dabei manchmal weder Freund noch Feind zu kennen. Freunde von blutigen Szenen und vor allem auch Kampfszenen werden hier ihre Freude haben. Für mich war das dann an der einen oder anderen Stelle doch ein bisschen heftig, aber im Großen und Ganzen muss ich sagen, dass der Manga einfach überzeugt und Spaß macht. Es ist eben ein Klassiker den man nicht verpassen sollte.
Fazit:
Eine interessante und recht actiongeladene Fortsetzung. Von mir gibt es für Freunde von Hintergrundgeschichten und Kämpfen eine absolute Leseempfehlung.
Idee: 5/5
Charaktere: 4/5
Logik: 4/5
Spannung: 4/5
Emotionen: 4/5
Gesamt: 4/5
Daten:
Format: 208 pages, Paperback
Published: August 31, 2002 by Egmont
ISBN: 9783898855860 (ISBN10: 3898855864)
ASIN: 3898855864
Language: German
December 15, 2020
This series is spectacular. Every time I read more, I fall deeper in love with it. The art, characters, action, and stellar writing style all lead to a beautiful if brutal storyline. There is no shortage of wild fight scenes with characters both new and old, and I can only hope to see more of them over the course of the series.
Manji and Rin's relationship continues to evolve, and I hope to see more of it as they become comrades in arms. Rin is at the forefront of this development as she learns how harrowing the path to revenge can be. She has some truly memorable moments with fierce villains, yet her heart remains stout despite what she sees as weakness.
Manji's character also went through some refreshing emotional beats thanks to his time with Rin, and though he remains fairly mysterious to me. What I really loved was actually all of the side characters, even the villains. Nothing is simple and once they have time in the spotlight, no one is dull or grey. This is a diverse and challenging cast, and I love seeing them in action!
Two books in and I am absolutely hooked. Everything from the illustration and action scenes to the themes and characters and storyline is expertly done. I cannot recommend this series enough!
Manji and Rin's relationship continues to evolve, and I hope to see more of it as they become comrades in arms. Rin is at the forefront of this development as she learns how harrowing the path to revenge can be. She has some truly memorable moments with fierce villains, yet her heart remains stout despite what she sees as weakness.
Manji's character also went through some refreshing emotional beats thanks to his time with Rin, and though he remains fairly mysterious to me. What I really loved was actually all of the side characters, even the villains. Nothing is simple and once they have time in the spotlight, no one is dull or grey. This is a diverse and challenging cast, and I love seeing them in action!
Two books in and I am absolutely hooked. Everything from the illustration and action scenes to the themes and characters and storyline is expertly done. I cannot recommend this series enough!
February 27, 2021
Another superb entry in the series that finds Manji and Rin continuing to hunt down the samurai clan that murdered Rin's parents. However, things get more complicated when they discover some of these samurai are not as evil as believed. Samura keeps the drama going as Manji and Rin finds some real dilemma's in their revenge mission, as some of their targets have families who would be affected by their deaths. His art is equally gritty and excellent, with some great action scenes. A true classic in the manga genre.
November 4, 2025
The first volume was so solid, but the follow-up hits just as hard...maybe in some fights harder! This is the type of journey you truly have no idea when it will end, but the story, characters, and art are top notch...so why wish for an end? Just keep living and reading in the moment. It is hard not to love so many of the cast...even if you are hoping they perish! Manji and Ren...what a combo of characters the likes are rarely seen in any form of storytelling!
October 30, 2017
This is one of the best manga's I read. It is very successful mesh of excellent art, fantasy and samurai revenge story ... you need to read it to believe it. Characters are all extremely fleshed out and story is amazing. I can only congrats to DarkHorse for creating these omnibus gems for us that missed collecting original editions.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes graphic novels.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes graphic novels.
March 19, 2024
3.5 ✨I was following the story more did jump around unsure who some of the characters were in the scenes or where it fit in the storyline. I do not like the dog killer I guess I am much the type of person who is against him and his beliefs on food and people and the type of person who is here for the poor animals as they deserve happiness too.
July 12, 2019
Even better than the first one. As the story continues, we start to question who is right and who is wrong. Love how our very own protagonist starts to question the method of this life.
Gruesome and dark. A much darker version of Kenshin.
Content warning: murder, rape, butchering of animals
Gruesome and dark. A much darker version of Kenshin.
Content warning: murder, rape, butchering of animals
March 1, 2018
AWESOME HAVE TO GET 3!!!
June 14, 2018
This is rough. It’s raw. It’s real. It doesn’t soften the fact that killing someone means acquiring the hate from the family and friends of the one you killed. When you kill, other people suffer.
October 20, 2019
the story is definitely getting better and better, and the art remains outstanding.
October 12, 2020
RIP dog.
July 22, 2021
3 stars *may change
this is the first time i have been genuinely confused as to whether or not the female characters in a book are well-written. i cant tell.
this is the first time i have been genuinely confused as to whether or not the female characters in a book are well-written. i cant tell.
April 18, 2023
Manji. Manji. Manji. Manji. Manji!
May 19, 2024
Rin meets Kathi’s and has doubts, vs the mask maker, a new group challenges the Itto Ryu. This is finding its rhythm.
May 24, 2024
This is a good volume. Lots of good little stories that are part of the bigger story. Sometimes I don't know who is who but I forge ahead. Really shocked and saddened about the dog at the end.
July 21, 2025
Better than the first omnibus. The art is beautiful and as we come to know these characters and new characters it’s getting pretty decent. Couple of gruesome depressing moments in this one.
August 8, 2017
Whole lot of fridging, but the series is no less potent.
January 10, 2020
Loving this more than I loved Berserk!
July 26, 2020
This second entry was quite good but i liked the first omnibus more. The quest of the main characters goes on and if you liked the first book you'll definitely like this second one for sure.
i'm eager to read the next omnibus collection.
i'm eager to read the next omnibus collection.
February 12, 2018
This second omnibus collection collects volume four, On Silent Wings, volume five, On Silent Wings II, and volume six, Dark Shadows, Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal, a somewhat unorthodox samurai manga with fantastical elements and dialogue which mixes old style with anachronistic slang. Consequently it picks up where I left off my previous reading with
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 3: Dreamsong
.
Rin encounters Kagehisa Anotsu, who lets her live despite her attempt to kill him; and then she (and Manji) runs into Kawakami Araya (another of her father's killers). Meanwhile, Anotsu tries to handle the politics of Japan in relation to his Ittō-ryū sword school.
Like in the first three volumes, Samura keeps developing his narrative and the various characters' relations to one another. I will certainly be reading more of this series.
Rin encounters Kagehisa Anotsu, who lets her live despite her attempt to kill him; and then she (and Manji) runs into Kawakami Araya (another of her father's killers). Meanwhile, Anotsu tries to handle the politics of Japan in relation to his Ittō-ryū sword school.
Like in the first three volumes, Samura keeps developing his narrative and the various characters' relations to one another. I will certainly be reading more of this series.
August 25, 2017
An Incredible Epic Continues
If it's possible to improve upon perfection, the second entry in Dark Horse's re-issue of "Blade of the Immortal" does exactly that. The artwork is on point and since it's black and white, serves as one more visual reminder of the stark contrasts between some of the characters and themes. While the art is a signature element, the real strength to this manga is the writing. Somehow, it gets even better as the story goes on. Not only do Rin and Manji continue to grow and change, but we learn more about Anotsu, as well as other members of the Itto-ryu and the fledgling Mugai-ryu.
Another reviewer called the work 'sublime', and there is no refuting that description.
This collection contains the volumes "On Silent Wings 1 & 2" and "Dark Shadows."
If it's possible to improve upon perfection, the second entry in Dark Horse's re-issue of "Blade of the Immortal" does exactly that. The artwork is on point and since it's black and white, serves as one more visual reminder of the stark contrasts between some of the characters and themes. While the art is a signature element, the real strength to this manga is the writing. Somehow, it gets even better as the story goes on. Not only do Rin and Manji continue to grow and change, but we learn more about Anotsu, as well as other members of the Itto-ryu and the fledgling Mugai-ryu.
Another reviewer called the work 'sublime', and there is no refuting that description.
This collection contains the volumes "On Silent Wings 1 & 2" and "Dark Shadows."
February 15, 2020
A simple enough story, which moves along at a crawl. Beautiful art supports this tale of revenge, with an interesting gambit of villains as the primary protagonist seeks the head of the sword school that killed her father. Simply a stepping stone in this very very long epic, which currently has ten omnibus volumes and counting . . . this reader is still waiting for the grandness of the story to capture him in the same way as others, who hold this manga in very high regard.
May 17, 2019
[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]
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews