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Blade of the Immortal Omnibus #3
Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Volume 3
Over 650 pages of samurai battles, bloodshed, and bitter rivalries!
A young survivor's seemingly immortal protector, Manji, is helping her destroy the eccentric, bloodthirsty Itto-ryu sword school that ambushed and killed her parents. While Manji has his hands full with a trio of devious assassins, Rin decides to make her way across Edo to search for the murderous Itto-ryu leader Anotsu Kagehisa on her own! Will Manji find her before Anotsu does? This volume also features the debut of the mysterious Mugai-ryu warriors, who will become major players in this revenge epic from a modern manga master!
Collects Blade of the Immortal volumes 7 to 9 in the original 7x10 serialized format, in a faux-leather hardcover treatment, and with a bookmark ribbon.
A young survivor's seemingly immortal protector, Manji, is helping her destroy the eccentric, bloodthirsty Itto-ryu sword school that ambushed and killed her parents. While Manji has his hands full with a trio of devious assassins, Rin decides to make her way across Edo to search for the murderous Itto-ryu leader Anotsu Kagehisa on her own! Will Manji find her before Anotsu does? This volume also features the debut of the mysterious Mugai-ryu warriors, who will become major players in this revenge epic from a modern manga master!
Collects Blade of the Immortal volumes 7 to 9 in the original 7x10 serialized format, in a faux-leather hardcover treatment, and with a bookmark ribbon.
664 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 1999
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245 people want to read
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
485 books248 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 39 reviews
September 7, 2023
This is one of the weaker volumes.
There's some great fights here, some gory as hell deaths, and a vicious torture scene that made my skin crawl. However, the storytelling was a bit too confusing at points, the overall story feels like it's stalling a bit, and the art can be hard to tell what's happening at SOME points. Overall still a 3.5 out of 5.
There's some great fights here, some gory as hell deaths, and a vicious torture scene that made my skin crawl. However, the storytelling was a bit too confusing at points, the overall story feels like it's stalling a bit, and the art can be hard to tell what's happening at SOME points. Overall still a 3.5 out of 5.
February 27, 2021
Mans out here eating ass and having blast
January 18, 2019
The more of this series I read the more I like it. The style took some getting used to, and I still find some of the battle scene confusing, but overall this is a really good series. The quest to avenge Rin's parents continues and the action comes hard and fast (and bloody!) I'm curious to see where things go because there are many volumes left and the story is moving along pretty quickly. Great stuff!
July 22, 2021
4 stars *may change
this is one of those instances where instead of a “hero” a story simply has protagonists
this is one of those instances where instead of a “hero” a story simply has protagonists
September 5, 2023
Probably my second favorite manga series of all time. Only right behind Berserk.
March 5, 2025
Finished reading by candle light around 6 AM this morning since our power is out 🕯️(just like our grandparents did)
August 8, 2024
Limb-slicingly good! (Better than good, though. Amazing.)
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]
January 16, 2019
The story is really picking up at this point. I am enjoying this series tremendously. The only reason I gave it three stars is because the art started to get a little sloppy in this one. Maybe Mr. Samura was getting tired or having to push himself for a deadline, not sure.
January 29, 2022
Another great vol of the series, I think it only gets better. Manji and Rin realize there is a devil they are working with, Rin decides to fly solo and play a part, and Manji gets into one of the most brutal fights I've ever read.
March 7, 2023
One of the best bluffs that I've ever seen. Some really brutal combat and cruelty. Artwork is still top notch.
March 6, 2025
The fight at the end was incredible, it was like manji and guts from berserk were fighting the way that guy refused to die
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2022
4 1/2 stars.
December 14, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 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.
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.
November 17, 2017
Samura really starts getting into the meat and bones here of this bloody and grisly revenge epic, showing the personal and physical toll on both of his protagonists when they part company as well as expanding the plot outwards to a wider scale. It's astonishing here to see one sword battle take place over one hundred pages at least, where our protagonist, who we know is immortal, makes us worry and wonder about how immortal he may actually be with the amount of physical damage inflicted here, some of which is self inflicted. Then for the author/artist to follow this sequence with one just as lengthy but set in one room involving an entirely dialogue based interrogation which matches the previous sequence in pacing and tension shows just how much this series is exciting to discover and read after all these years it was first published. Can't wait to get stuck into volume 4 now.
November 7, 2017
The pacing slows a bit in this volume (various approaches to Kaga, etc) and the art, while still distinct, isn’t quite as sharp. Illustrations and story are still signature Samura, but there are entire chapters that have a noticeably ‘filler’ kind of feel.
Even with that temporary adjustment to pace and softening of imagery, it would be a mistake to assume the tale itself is slow or unclear. The plot develops well, characters are made even more compelling and we are reminded of how utterly daunting a task lay before Rin and Manji. Omnibus 4 cannot come quickly enough.
Even with that temporary adjustment to pace and softening of imagery, it would be a mistake to assume the tale itself is slow or unclear. The plot develops well, characters are made even more compelling and we are reminded of how utterly daunting a task lay before Rin and Manji. Omnibus 4 cannot come quickly enough.
December 24, 2017
I am starting to enjoy reading Blade of the Immortal and the third omnibus volume reveals more of the story as some thing of an epic drama samurai tale of revenge. Looking forward now to the next volume
August 12, 2019
It just gets better and better every volume. Helps that you really care for the characters now. This one seems extra gory and violent.
5/5 🌟
5/5 🌟
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...
December 16, 2020
This collection of samurai and rogues are back in another bloody, thrilling adventure! Given the events of the last book, this one starts off in an amazing place. This cast of characters is swept up into two different and wild adventures. The diverging story paths paved the way to powerful character development and allowed for some truly memorable moments.
This book was by far one of the bloodiest and saw certain characters go through a truly harrowing time. Manji and his devotion to Rin became clearer and clearer. Rin's determination to carve her own path to find revenge took her to some intense places. Her life is challenging but I can't help to admire her drive. Of course, my favourite side character is Hyakurin, who clearly has no problem throwing down and and fighting fiercely.
The battles in this collection were absolutely wild and fit the art style perfectly. Each plot point and piece of dialogue is expertly crafted to suit the truly memorable characters. Even ones who appear briefly, i.e.: some assassins that Manji face, are incredibly memorable. Each book I read of this series raises the stakes and gets better with each page. I truly can't wait to see where it goes next!
This book was by far one of the bloodiest and saw certain characters go through a truly harrowing time. Manji and his devotion to Rin became clearer and clearer. Rin's determination to carve her own path to find revenge took her to some intense places. Her life is challenging but I can't help to admire her drive. Of course, my favourite side character is Hyakurin, who clearly has no problem throwing down and and fighting fiercely.
The battles in this collection were absolutely wild and fit the art style perfectly. Each plot point and piece of dialogue is expertly crafted to suit the truly memorable characters. Even ones who appear briefly, i.e.: some assassins that Manji face, are incredibly memorable. Each book I read of this series raises the stakes and gets better with each page. I truly can't wait to see where it goes next!
December 16, 2020
TW: Rape, torture, extreme violence
While I enjoy the writing, story, and the art, the unecessarily graphic and disgusting violence toward women in this book is starting to wear me out. There's not a ton, but there's been at least one scene in each of the omnibus volumes that is absolutely beyond horrifying, and it's always happening to a woman. These books are pretty graphic in general for both the men and the women, but what happens to the women is generally more vile and sadistic. And the casual way some characters discuss raping women for fun is a fucking vomit fest. I get the world is dark and terrible and a lot of these characters are despicable people, but jesus.
I'll give it one more omnibus, but if the next one has the same type of content, I don't know if I'll continue. It's a real shame, as the writing in this series is some of the best I've read so far in manga.
While I enjoy the writing, story, and the art, the unecessarily graphic and disgusting violence toward women in this book is starting to wear me out. There's not a ton, but there's been at least one scene in each of the omnibus volumes that is absolutely beyond horrifying, and it's always happening to a woman. These books are pretty graphic in general for both the men and the women, but what happens to the women is generally more vile and sadistic. And the casual way some characters discuss raping women for fun is a fucking vomit fest. I get the world is dark and terrible and a lot of these characters are despicable people, but jesus.
I'll give it one more omnibus, but if the next one has the same type of content, I don't know if I'll continue. It's a real shame, as the writing in this series is some of the best I've read so far in manga.
November 5, 2025
I'm a fan of this series. I am a fan of manga and anime. I am a fan of American comic books. When I say the fight scene within the pages of this book is one of the greatest I have ever seen...in any format! It was that good! There is a scene I really hate in this volume as well, but the other parts made it so good I could not deny the glory of giving this book 5 stars! So much happens within the 600 plus pages of this Omnibus. It is so good I recommend owning this one even if you don't end up owning the others! (I can only speak for the first three as this is my first time reading thru in years as I collected the TPB's many years ago.) The art... simply beautiful. The story....mesmerizing and this volume in particular had you at the edge of your seat for way more pages than I could count.
February 16, 2023
Blade of the immortal is really cool. You got badass characters, great action, and beautiful art, but it's just not enough to cut it for me. The plot just hasn't hooked me, and it's not that it's poorly written it just seems a little formulaic and the volume hasn't picked up yet. It's a series that I wished I started at a younger age when things like good action could make a series for me. I don't plan on dropping it as I do find enjoyment and there have been other series that took a while for me to get into but have become beloved ei Claymore and Vinland Saga. I did really love the final bit with Rin going across the border and getting interrogated. Very tense and really kept me wanting more, hoping to see more of that in the next volumes!
May 30, 2021
Another epic entry in the "Blade of the Immortal" series that finds Manji and Rin separated when she decides to set out on her own to get revenge against the Itto-ryu clan that murdered her family, all awhile a mysterious new group of warriors enters the fray. Samurai crafts another gritty and realistic samurai epic, despite the supernatural angle of Manji being immortal, and doesn't hold back from the brutality of violence and revenge. His art is equally great, with fantastic action and set pieces depicting the brutal samurai tell. One of the best samurai mangas ever.
April 22, 2024
This omnibus really lost its direction and momentum of the first two. I’m guessing when you have a hit story in manga, and you are ordered to go on longer with the story than anticipated, you add stuff that isn’t really substance to the original plot. So you get a sub par mid level sub plot like this volume.
April 7, 2024
Grim dark, triggers galore, enjoying line wolf with apprentice type themes.. delighted to see some character growth in Rin yet still annoyed she is only 16 and has been thru such trauma. Want to read the next omnibus
November 6, 2019
this keeps getting better and better
January 16, 2020
4.5 Stars
January 19, 2020
My favorite so far! The art continues to be incredible, the story thrilling, and the characters enthralling. Enjoying every page!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews