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Blade of the Immortal Omnibus #6
Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 6
Blade of the Immortal has won numerous awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards.
With Hiroaki Samura's titanic tale hitting its midpoint, Rin begins to discover her skills as a warrior and strategist, as she makes new allies and resolves to find the missing Manji. Her immortal swordsman is imprisoned and being tortured in an underground stronghold beneath Edo Castle, however, and cruel doctors hope to find the secret behind his mystical powers. Rin teams up with the enigmatic Doa to not only free Manji but expose the hideous medical experiments
With Hiroaki Samura's titanic tale hitting its midpoint, Rin begins to discover her skills as a warrior and strategist, as she makes new allies and resolves to find the missing Manji. Her immortal swordsman is imprisoned and being tortured in an underground stronghold beneath Edo Castle, however, and cruel doctors hope to find the secret behind his mystical powers. Rin teams up with the enigmatic Doa to not only free Manji but expose the hideous medical experiments
832 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2006
5 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
476 books246 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 19, 2024
The overly long arc of Manji being torn apart and used for body parts can not end soon enough.
I appreciate the author trying something new. Giving the sense of never ending which also makes the long and drawn out volume of Manji being ripped apart piece by piece and put on to new bodies and the test failing help get into the mind of Manji himself. But FUCK does it feel like it moves SO slow. This is easily the weakest part of the volume for me.
Luckily Rin gets a upgrade this volume. Having her almost be the star of helping a giant named Isaku and Doa who is this little nimble badass murderer. They trying to survive, have the best fight scene in the volume, and a brutal ending that gives me some hope we're getting the fuck out of this arc of Manji torture soon.
Still good but one of the weaker volumes.
I appreciate the author trying something new. Giving the sense of never ending which also makes the long and drawn out volume of Manji being ripped apart piece by piece and put on to new bodies and the test failing help get into the mind of Manji himself. But FUCK does it feel like it moves SO slow. This is easily the weakest part of the volume for me.
Luckily Rin gets a upgrade this volume. Having her almost be the star of helping a giant named Isaku and Doa who is this little nimble badass murderer. They trying to survive, have the best fight scene in the volume, and a brutal ending that gives me some hope we're getting the fuck out of this arc of Manji torture soon.
Still good but one of the weaker volumes.
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...
January 31, 2019
This was a long volume and throughout most of it Manji is captured and being experimented on, so this wasn't my favorite volume. However, there are some interesting flashbacks and we get some nice character development. There's still some action as well but to me it felt like this one dragged.
August 10, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
Sadly I've gotta say, I'm a smidgey bit disappointed with this one. It didn't help that volume 5 was pretty much god tier. It didn't help it that I've literally been creaming my jeans about this series since the moment I cracked open volume 1. Surprisingly, it didn't even help it we got four volumes instead of the usual three here, bargain though it was. This will be the first volume I don't give five stars to (although volume 4 only just scraped it from memory). This will be the first volume I don't include in my favourites list. This will be the first volume I am not looking forward to rereading. So why is that?
Well, basically, the central plot running through this 'four' volume collection was interesting, although drastically outstayed its welcome, and its still not even resolved. We got some new characters, so that some of the previous main characters can retire to the background to prevent over exposure and boredom setting in (and to have them around for the narratives ultimate conclusion). The commensurate characters we are given are less interesting versions of other characters we have seen at various points. Some of which were fine, although they suffered from the plot being dragged out longer than it should have.
Blade of the immortal has been at its strongest when it goes balls to the wall with its very beautiful, very idiosyncratic historic Japanese-ness. When the story and the art come together to make something that can be little short of breathtaking. There was little if any of that throughout this entire arc, with the narrative, the execution, and the art being the closest thing to 'generic manga' that Samura has offered me, and I wasn't terribly impressed with it. It had occasional highlights, but they were more than drowned out by 800 or so workmanlike pages of nuts and bolts, not terribly amazing manga. But again, this book has so exceeded my expectations up to this point, that good is nowhere near good enough anymore.
Don't let my new found disappointment stop you from starting this exceptional series. It's still an absolute must read. Hopefully this is just a temporary blip on what has been a near flawless record thus far. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
Sadly I've gotta say, I'm a smidgey bit disappointed with this one. It didn't help that volume 5 was pretty much god tier. It didn't help it that I've literally been creaming my jeans about this series since the moment I cracked open volume 1. Surprisingly, it didn't even help it we got four volumes instead of the usual three here, bargain though it was. This will be the first volume I don't give five stars to (although volume 4 only just scraped it from memory). This will be the first volume I don't include in my favourites list. This will be the first volume I am not looking forward to rereading. So why is that?
Well, basically, the central plot running through this 'four' volume collection was interesting, although drastically outstayed its welcome, and its still not even resolved. We got some new characters, so that some of the previous main characters can retire to the background to prevent over exposure and boredom setting in (and to have them around for the narratives ultimate conclusion). The commensurate characters we are given are less interesting versions of other characters we have seen at various points. Some of which were fine, although they suffered from the plot being dragged out longer than it should have.
Blade of the immortal has been at its strongest when it goes balls to the wall with its very beautiful, very idiosyncratic historic Japanese-ness. When the story and the art come together to make something that can be little short of breathtaking. There was little if any of that throughout this entire arc, with the narrative, the execution, and the art being the closest thing to 'generic manga' that Samura has offered me, and I wasn't terribly impressed with it. It had occasional highlights, but they were more than drowned out by 800 or so workmanlike pages of nuts and bolts, not terribly amazing manga. But again, this book has so exceeded my expectations up to this point, that good is nowhere near good enough anymore.
Don't let my new found disappointment stop you from starting this exceptional series. It's still an absolute must read. Hopefully this is just a temporary blip on what has been a near flawless record thus far. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
July 30, 2021
jesus fuck that was the most intense 800 pages of my life. somewhere in the middle i could feel myself dying a little inside
July 26, 2019
Left me wanting to read more. Next book ordered.
Interesting watching the characters change over time as driving motivations change based on their experiences. What started as a revenge story is morphing into something else, what exactly remains unclear but the trip is certainly interesting.
Interesting watching the characters change over time as driving motivations change based on their experiences. What started as a revenge story is morphing into something else, what exactly remains unclear but the trip is certainly interesting.
April 3, 2023
The experiments start to get extreme. Storming the citadel. Some more great artwork.
November 13, 2023
This is very quickly becoming the best manga series I have ever read in my life. I wasn't going to leave a review on this one because I wanted to wait until I finished the series and give my full thoughts, but I'll just go ahead and mention some things.
If you read manga and like things like Berserk and Vinland Saga this manga is FOR YOU. Berserk was my favorite until I read this. The character are so complex and multi-faceted. I never know what they're going to do next. In this volume in particular the TENSION was so palpable. I was panicking the entire book. My man is LOCKED UP and they're torturing him...Rin what are we gonna do about that queen cuz we need to do SOMETHING,
This manga is gruesome. It's complex. It's funny. It's literally everything to me and then some. READ THIS!
If you read manga and like things like Berserk and Vinland Saga this manga is FOR YOU. Berserk was my favorite until I read this. The character are so complex and multi-faceted. I never know what they're going to do next. In this volume in particular the TENSION was so palpable. I was panicking the entire book. My man is LOCKED UP and they're torturing him...Rin what are we gonna do about that queen cuz we need to do SOMETHING,
This manga is gruesome. It's complex. It's funny. It's literally everything to me and then some. READ THIS!
February 16, 2023
Talk about a slow, painful burn! This volume deals with Manji's capture at the end of last omni, and the long, arduous torture and experimentation he must undergo under Edo castle. Rin desperately searches for him with new and unlikely allies, and we get some serious heart to heart between Giichi & Hyakurin. Definitely a slower volume than what we expect, even if there's still plenty of gore and violence...just in a more....anatomic way. A small point taken off for not wrapping it up in this vol, but maybe I underestimate the length of the prison arc, it bleeds over till next time.
August 12, 2020
Volume 16: 3 stars, Doa is an intriguing new character who seems a little...off. I’m excited to see more women! I have to say, studying the origins of Manji’s power would be much more interesting than watching some idiots fail about trying to transfer his abilities
Volume 17: 4 stars, This was an up-swing! Burando’s descent was fascinating to watch and the reunion with Giichi felt exciting. I enjoy the comic relief in Doa, but like most of the characters, I’ll like her more when I get some backstory.
Volume 18: 3.5 stars, Burando’s crazed work makes for one of the most interesting character arcs thus far. However, Doa and Ron’s chemistry has a slow start and doesn’t make for enough engagement in their bland storyline. Just when we get some interesting information about Isaku, he disappears!
Volume 19: 4.5 stars. Boy was this last bit exciting! Finally getting closer to the reunion of our two main characters! Doa and Ron’s voyage into the tunnels was a blessed change of pace.
Volume 17: 4 stars, This was an up-swing! Burando’s descent was fascinating to watch and the reunion with Giichi felt exciting. I enjoy the comic relief in Doa, but like most of the characters, I’ll like her more when I get some backstory.
Volume 18: 3.5 stars, Burando’s crazed work makes for one of the most interesting character arcs thus far. However, Doa and Ron’s chemistry has a slow start and doesn’t make for enough engagement in their bland storyline. Just when we get some interesting information about Isaku, he disappears!
Volume 19: 4.5 stars. Boy was this last bit exciting! Finally getting closer to the reunion of our two main characters! Doa and Ron’s voyage into the tunnels was a blessed change of pace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2019
Omnibus Volume 6 combines the original collections 16 through 19, containing the story arcs "Shortcut," "On The Perfection Of Anatomy," The Sparrow Net," and "Badger Hole." The tale of Manji and Rin, having been expanded to include various members of the Itto-Ryu and Mugai-Ryu, hits its midpoint with these stories. At last, we're beginning to see the effect that our principle characters are having on the world; not only how they are changing it (directly, indirectly or otherwise), but how it is changing them (physically, spiritually, ethically). Fantastic.
It is difficult to overstate how fascinating and thought-provoking is the material presented in "On The Perfection Of Anatomy." Equal parts disturbing, surreal, and statement, it is just one more example of Samura's incredible storytelling ability.
It is difficult to overstate how fascinating and thought-provoking is the material presented in "On The Perfection Of Anatomy." Equal parts disturbing, surreal, and statement, it is just one more example of Samura's incredible storytelling ability.
December 19, 2020
More from this fantastic, bloody series with action, mayhem, new characters, and samurai adventures!
This collection still focused on Manji and Rin, though there were plenty of side plots involving side characters and villains. Each were given impressive levels of character development, especially new characters like Doa, who is a beast on the battlefield!
Manji’s arc slowed a little, though Rin truly is coming into her own. Her compassion and determination truly shine here, and I was pleased to see her become the heartened warrior I knew her to be.
This omnibus has some truly grisly moments and some twisted antagonists. There were unexpected scenes and character arcs, and each fight scene became wilder than the last. This collection is heavy, but completely worthwhile. I am thrilled to see how our heroes overcome their next trial!
This collection still focused on Manji and Rin, though there were plenty of side plots involving side characters and villains. Each were given impressive levels of character development, especially new characters like Doa, who is a beast on the battlefield!
Manji’s arc slowed a little, though Rin truly is coming into her own. Her compassion and determination truly shine here, and I was pleased to see her become the heartened warrior I knew her to be.
This omnibus has some truly grisly moments and some twisted antagonists. There were unexpected scenes and character arcs, and each fight scene became wilder than the last. This collection is heavy, but completely worthwhile. I am thrilled to see how our heroes overcome their next trial!
June 25, 2025
There are some complaints from other reviewers about the slow pace of this volume I understand to a degree, but overall I really enjoyed it. It is slow when it comes to Manji, and I could probably agree that the prison experimenting gets a little too much time. However, by taking Manji more or less out of the picture, this omnibus spends a lot time with Rin, and we get to watch her character develop by leaps and bounds. She becomes a bit of a caretaker, seeming more reflective and forgiving, and clearly showcases a better understanding of strategy.
November 15, 2025
You want to know the biggest problem with Omnibus volume 6? That it followed volume 5! It may even have been a 4-star book, but the drop off is too grand. Is it bad? Absolutely not...but this still has a lot of winning moments. I feel no one makes me wiggle over torture the way Blade of the Immortal does...NO ONE! Tough to take, but man is Hiroaki Samura delivering. I felt that what happens in this volume is something I have been waiting to happen since volume one. It is exactly where my mind went when the series started.
May 29, 2020
This was interesting. I liked the plot full of medically themed experiments. Especially since the ethics of the process is non-existent here. It reminds me a bit of the stories I've heard about the camp doctor nicknamed Angel of Death and his experiments on Jewish twins during WW2. Very brutal, without any kind of anaesthesia and such things.
June 16, 2019
This was a big-ass book. A lot is happening to my favourite man but he's invincible so he'll survive. There better be more badass Manji next omnibus (if I can actually buy it at some point. C'mon Darkhorse, don't let me down)
February 22, 2022
Here, I found Samura's epic to be a bit on the slow side. While I still enjoyed it, I did feel it meandered a bit with the premise of these four volumes.
It did indeed pick up at the end! Can't wait to dive into omnibus 7!
It did indeed pick up at the end! Can't wait to dive into omnibus 7!
May 14, 2020
There is so much action in this one! It is a real page turner. Excited to begin Omnibus VII.
December 12, 2022
Badger Hole: The prison "procedures" arc goes on far too long.
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 - 21 of 21 reviews