Blade of the Immortal

I have heard a lot about how great this manga is, and as a lover of samurai stories, I thought this would quickly become a new favorite of mine. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I found the art was incredibly inconsistent, ranging from very good to just plain awful, sometimes within the same chapter. The story didn't feel very meaningful, in the sense that I never grew to care about anything that was going on, and the characters felt flat. When a character would grow, it was predictable. I try to give every story at least 100 chapters, and that is what I did here. After chapter 100, I dropped it and was disappointed. I'll give it another try in a year or so and see if my opinion changes, but to summarize what it is now, the story felt shallow and the art was pretty bad.

I went in backwards having first seen (and ultimately loving) the 2019 anime adaptation of BOTI before deciding to read the source material. It was an incredible experience going through this story a second time. And surprisingly it felt fresh experiencing it again. I attribute this to the flexibility/advantage in being able to tell the story over hundreds of chapters compared to a few 20+ minute animated episodes. I was able to experience many scenes that weren't adapted in the anime, and therefor was able to get more story details during this second go-around.

What caught me by surprise in experiencing this story again is how attached I became towards many of the villains. I was rooting for the Itto-ryu at points which was fucking bizarre given the shit they were pulling throughout the story. I even started to feel pity for Habaki which was also fucking weird. Samura did an incredible job creating a strong cast of memorable characters and putting them in situations where it was possible to dislike them at one point but then like them in another.

This manga has it all. Beautiful art. Memorable story and characters. Great action. And, a very satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend it.

“I just want you to know one thing...I may be the one facing them. I may be the one cutting them down. The one who stands on their graves. But you will be the one that kills them.”

There are a great many stories that revolve around the concept of revenge. A great many writers have written a great many tales about revenge, each expressing their own sentiments towards the topic. Some glorify it, others ridicule it as a fool’s quest and others tell a more sympathetic story. Blade of the Immortal however simply tells it how it is, at no point is the author ever forcing his beliefs onto the story. The writer prefers to allow the reader to reflect on the story themselves and come to their own conclusions. An engaging, exhilarating yet quietly contemplative quest for vengeance, Blade of the Immortal is one of the greatest seinen manga ever created. Allow me to explain to you why I believe this is the case...

The story of Blade of the Immortal centres around the young Rin Asano’s journey to avenge the death of her parents at the hands of a sword school whose influence is growing within Japan: the Itto-ryu. Unable to deny her own powerlessness in the face of her powerful foe she seeks out the skills of a swordsman who has been cursed with immortality. A man known as Manji. He has his own aims and beliefs that make him more than just a simple bodyguard. Throughout the series we watch as Manji acts as a sort of mentor to Rin and we also watch as the relationship between the two changes and develops.

The premise is quite simple, chances are you can think up some series with similar plots, and the mention of immortality may seem a little silly to some but you shouldn’t write this series of just because of that. The story is an amazing journey for both characters and readers; it’s a grim tale of blood, violence and complex yet savage emotions, a story filled with political intrigue and numerous rival factions all gunning at one another. The premise may be basic but it is simply a backdrop for a deep, emotive, memorable and epic quest.

The only criticism I have with the story is that the pacing was a little bad. Initially the story didn’t really grab me and I took a little break from reading. In my opinion the story doesn’t really get into its stride until around about chapter 30, but once the story gets going it is a nonstop rollercoaster of pure awesomeness. Similarly at later parts of the story I feel that certain events were dragged on for a little longer than I would have liked, but this is a very small criticism it must be said.

The thing that really makes the story of Blade of the Immortal so captivating is without a doubt the characters. The cast of Blade of the Immortal is simply amazing. I would go as far as to say that this series has the best cast of characters I have ever come across. Over the course of the series the two main characters, Manji and Rin, go through a tremendous amount of development but that’s only to be expected really. While the development of the two main characters is exquisite, it is the side characters that really make this series extraordinary. With most series you can consider yourself fortunate if even a single character receives a good amount of development but in this series there are about are around 5 or 6 characters that receive just as much development and characterisation as you would expect of a main character. Ironically, on a personal level I was more interested in some of the side characters and their struggles than I was in the main characters (and the two main characters are really amazing). This is really a testament to how well written the characters in this series are.

All of the significant characters in this series receive a great deal of development and with this there is no clear divide between which characters are the ‘good guys’ and which are the ‘bad guys’. They all have their own circumstances, ideals, determination and reasons for fighting and because the author shares the limelight equally between all of the significant players there is truly no telling who will come out on top and during some of the fight sequences it becomes near impossible to determine whether a particular character may win or lose which really makes things genuinely tense.

Personally, I always like to see those badass female characters who know how to hold their own as in anime especially female characters are more often than not just waifu bait. So I just wanted to give this series props for having some of the most awesome female characters I have ever seen in Makie and Hyakurin, that being said I did feel that Rin sometimes came across as being a typical damsel in distress but this was really only in the earlier parts of the story.

This amazing story and these spectacular characters are all presented to us in Hiroaki Samura's fantastic artwork. It is a little difficult for me not to start gushing over his artwork because subjectively speaking this series has the best artwork that I have ever seen. I have always had a preference for old school art as opposed to the more moe art style that is prevalent in modern anime and well Blade of the Immortal is just about the least moe thing you will ever find so it gets a big thumbs up from me.

The artwork is just so perfectly styled and this series has the most well drawn action sequences you will see in any manga. Seriously, the fights in this series are absolutely brutal - blood and limbs are seen flying all over the place. There are so many great fights in this series and the flow of action in the panels makes it easy to follow the action, the fights are ridiculously intense and will have you on the edge of your seat. The scenery art in this series is also worth mentioning. The backgrounds are quite well detailed on the whole and the traditional Japanese landscapes that you will see over the course of the journey are all captured perfectly.

With all this being said, I cannot say that the art style will be to everyone’s taste. If you dislike sketchy artwork and prefer clean drawings then you may not like it. I really like it because it matches my personal preferences but that doesn’t mean everyone will think it’s as great as I do.

Also, as I have already alluded to, this series contains a lot of gore so if that is not your thing then this may not be a series for you. This series really doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to violence but unlike similarly violent manga series, such as Gantz and Akame ga Kill just to name two, this series never gave me the impression that there was just violence for the sake of it or that it was being used for shock value. While this series is very visceral I don’t think that it ever became excessive.

In my opinion this series is the pinnacle of the seinen genre. It is dark and it is brutal but it remains human. With a well constructed and deceptively complex plot, one of the most well fleshed out cast of characters you are likely to find and artwork to die for I cannot recommend this series highly enough to anyone who enjoys seinen manga. Although, if you are looking for or are expecting a story that is actually focused on samurai culture then I would point you in the direction of Lone Wolf and Cub instead. Blade of the Immortal is more focused on telling its own story than it is about what life was like in this time period and the way of the samurai and the all that sort of stuff.

Anyways, I hope you found this review helpful. Any and all feedback is welcomed (unless you are going to criticise me that is).

Disclaimer: this is my favorite manga. Whatever words I’m about to write down will not do it justice.

I like revenge stories. The best thing about them - the good ones, at least - is their deceptive nature; a simple premise that rewards the attentive reader with a whole lot more than the surface level satisfaction of a cool action set piece. Whether it delves into the age-old ‘good or evil?’ narrative angle, the exploration of individual hypocrisy, or anything in between, it is a topic brimming with thematic richness.

Written and illustrated by Hiroaki Samura, this particular revenge story follows Manji, a seemingly immortal swordsman who is tasked with the mission of aiding Rin Asano in her quest to get revenge on an up-and-coming sword school responsible for the death of her parents.

Manji and Rin act as the emotional core of the series, and seeing their relationship evolve during the course of the adventure is an absolute joy. Definitely one of the most rewarding character dynamics I’ve seen in a story like this. It is also through their actions that the reader is exposed to most of the story’s key topics. Is there a correct way to atone, or is atonement by itself the correct path? Should a murderer cry murder, or quiet down and live with their ghosts? Is there a moral high ground between two people equally plagued by grief, when one’s grief is a direct consequence of the other’s? Whatever questions it may pose, there are no clear attempts at glorifying or demeaning the subject; Samura wisely chooses to let the reader find their own answers, and the story is all the better for it.

Naturally, Manji and Rin do not carry the story by themselves. As a whole, the cast of characters is of superb quality - possibly the best cast I’ve seen in the medium. It’s especially interesting to spend so much time on the antagonist side(s) of the narrative, to the point where they're very much on par with the protagonists in terms of characterization and development. Upon re-read, I noticed that large stretches of the manga would often go by without an appearance by the titular character - and yet, I was always engaged. Blade of the Immortal is at its best when alternating between different sides of the conflict, and fleshing out different ideas coming from different characters. This allows any one side to have its time in the spotlight, and avoids reader fatigue. And when characters you’d never thought would meet do so, it’s always a moment to treasure - and usually a highlight of the series. Clear stand-outs in my book are Anotsu Kagehisa, Magatsu Taito, Otono-Tachibana Makie and Habaki Kagimura, to name a few.

Now, make no mistake. This is still an action manga. And fortunately, the quality of the action scenes is on par with that of the character work. Trying my best not to gush about this aspect of the series, I’ll say that depicting flow and designing choreography are Hiroaki Samura’s greatest strengths when illustrating action. As a result, most - if not all - fight scenes in Blade of the Immortal are depicted in such a way that they legitimately feel animated. Add to that the sheer variety and creativity in both fighting styles and weapons of choice, and we’re left with a story that seamlessly merges tense political intrigue with over-the-top battle sequences without feeling tonally disjointed. Plus, this is usually where the title of the manga comes into play, as Manji’s immortality adds an entirely new layer to every fight he takes part in. Said immortality is no gimmick, though - it is properly explored during the story, both in and out of combat.

Even so, the one thing that elevates the action scenes - and, really, the entire manga - to masterpiece status is Samura’s artwork. It’s a very unique, sketchy style of drawing that shines brightest during scenes that are heavy in motion. This art style is what allows the battles to flow so well, and also what makes them easy to follow without forgoing detail. Yet it also lays the foundation for the atmosphere during the quieter moments, with beautiful scenery and detailed backgrounds that do a wonderful job at immersing the reader into this fictional version of late 18th-century Japan.

It’s not a perfect ride, though. For all its merits, I think Blade of the Immortal struggles to find stable footing during its initial chapters. Samura chooses to approach the beginning of the story in a more ‘episodic’ fashion, and a few pacing issues can be found as a result. While definitely great, the first 20-or-so chapters aren’t a reflection of what Blade of the Immortal achieves at its greatest heights.

This does mean, however, that there are no noticeable drops in quality once the narrative gets going - quite the opposite. Because the final arc of Blade of the Immortal is, without a doubt, the single best manga arc I’ve ever read. Not only does it raise the bar for the series’ masterful action sequences, but it serves as the perfect culmination of the story’s theming. Calling it a climax would be selling it short.

All of it is capped off by a finale that, while lacking the emotional gut punch I would’ve wanted, I can only describe as bittersweet in the best way possible.

And do you know what else is lacking? The end of this supposed ‘review’ - they’re more rambling thoughts than anything, anyway. Not quite sure how to end those, so I’ll say this: earlier, I bluffed about one thing. This isn’t my favorite manga. It’s my favorite story. And for better or worse, I’m not sure I’ll ever read anything quite as good.

Blade of the Immortal was an interesting series that I decided to pick up after surfing though the Samurai category of the website. This manga heavily entertained me with the journey of Manji and Rin as they set out to accomplish the goal of taking down Anotsu as requested to accomplish vengeance on Rin’s behalf. This introduction of new characters had me continuously caring for them, which eventually brought me to many emotional circumstances while new occurrences took place. I loved this series, and I was intrigued that this manga initially was written from left to right other than the typical manga that I’ve read so far (excluding manwha.) Although I admired this series as a whole, I do believe that there was some part that were dragged, and I personally dislike the ending that came upon this piece, but other than those problems this was still an enjoyable manga for me. I would definitely like the reread, or come to love this series even more than I already do within the future.

I have been reading Blade of the Immortal for a LONG TIME. It is the only manga I buy, the rest I either borrow or just browse online if it has not been released in English. To say I am a big fan of the series is an understatement. Now for those of you that need some guide of why this series is one of the best ever mangas from Japan:

Story:
If you read the synopsis it is pretty much self explanatory what is going on in the series, but what makes it special is the way the story is told and the twist and turns that go along with it. This is not your typical samurai / ninja story with super powers or super jumps, the only story that is similar in awesomeness is Lone Wolf and Cub, which is a masterpiece of storytelling. In BotI the way the fights happen, the character lines, their motives and all this delivered with some amazing art is just almost perfect. Yes, almost, as all amazing things this story as of late have been a bit dragging on or bringing characters that for one reason or another they just don't stick like some of the older ones. The prison story arc took too long and the current storyline is very good, but some of the characters are just lacking, they are awesome, but there is something missing from the magic of older chapters. Still this level of storytelling is way above most of the rubbish generic stuff that you get every other day.

Art:
In a few words, this manga is as much story as it is art, and I mean WOW, the art, the flow of action, the detail or lack of it just complement the story so well that I don't remember any manga that have achieved this (please correct me if I am wrong). The artist (and lately his team) just produce beauty out of decapitations, and similar kinds of gore, it is a treat to just view each manga. There is an artbook out, you may want to get your hands on...

Character:
Hmm, the characters of this manga are just short of amazing. Their backgrounds, their emotional scars, their values, are all laid out in most cases perfectly (except for the latest chapters where it is lacking just a bit). You get Manji which is trying to redeem himself, you get Rin in her quest of vengeance and inner growth that challenges her motives the more she grows, Anotsu which is on a quest to be the best in a time where being such is dangerous, Magatsu a self taught swordfighter that just exhales cool, and the list goes on and on. What is amazing is that in many cases these amazing characters show up for a few chapters and are killed off in amazing ways which most mangas just don't do, you are stuck from beginning to end with a bunch of characters and some cannon fodder comes along to move the action forward. Here you see the characters go and you wonder how the writer will be able to come up with some new cool character and Samura always delivers.

Enjoyment:
I have a big smile on my face every time a new volume or chapter is released, after so many years is still there, nothing else have captured me like this manga.

Overall:
If it were not for the fact that Hiroaki Samura (the creator of BotI) have been slipping on the story (just a bit I should remind you) and that it seems that the story is in its final arc well, I can't recommend it more, it is by far the manga that I have enjoyed the best in my life. I want to say that the Anime unfortunately didn't capture the magic of the manga (only the beginning credits do), they used a horrible music and they couldn't manage to portrait the emotional baggage of each character which is so important to make them believable. Pick the manga up, you will thank me later.

Spoiler-Free review


Prologue

I read the first 2 volumes of blade of the immortal 2 years ago.From the very beginning this seemed to me as a really great story,but as the time went by I almost forgot about it until last year during which I found and bought 8 more volumes.At that point i wanted to get all of them,but i couldnt find them so I finished it in digital form unfortunately.

Story : 9/10

Anyways ,Blade of the immortal is an amazing ,which provides the usual concept of revenge,but in a different manner that makes it look fresh,I'm pretty convinced that there were not any weaknesses in its story ,as it even made me actually understand and like the main antagonist's point of view and got me to even question the main characters' goal.The story is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the cursed samurai Manji, who has to kill 1000 evil men in order to make up for his past mistakes and the young Rin who is the girl that seeks the revenge that was previously mentioned.Also it is really important to mention that there are not bad and good guys as everyone seems to have their beliefs that are fighting for.

Art : 9/10

The art-style was pretty unique,as it differs from the usual art.The pages are well drawn and they are able to express the characters' feelings and depict their movement's speed ,which is really important in my point of view

Characters : 9/10
The characters are really intriguing and most people will think so too ,I believe.All of them have interesting backstories and hopefully they are neither underdeveloped nor forgotten by the ka . Each and every of them make readers form bonds with them ,which is something really remarkable when it comes to a story ,especially to such a long one as Blade of the Immortal.

Enjoyment : 9/10
Well the way I interpret enjoyment is probably the battles the story provides which are really good due to its art and bonds readers have with the characters. There were battles that I was like I do not want either of the two opponents die as I really understand their beliefs and could not decide who was right.The peaceful scenes were also really enjoyable due to the fact that they made you relax from the strong and harsh battlefields that you were shown.In addition those were the times when you met each characters personality even more ,while watching their way of living
Overall : 9/10
Blade of the Immortal is an amazing samurai tale which has to be known by more people than it already does.Its story,art and characters are something that is not easy to forget ,that's why I consider it such a magnificent .

When Rin seeks revenge for the murder/rape of her family by the Itto-Ryu (a rival sword school), she hires Manji, an immortal swordsman, to help her. But things aren't quite that simple. The more Rin sees how her revenge affects the lives of others, and the more she gets to know her enemies, the harder it becomes for her to justify her goals. I think the story's greatest strength is character development, completely blurring the line between "good" and "evil." Seriously. Nearly all the characters are so sympathetic that you end up with nobody to root for or against. It's enough to drive one crazy!

Aside from that the manga has plenty of political intrigue, moral quandaries, drama and, of course, lots and lots of action. Some of the bloodiest fight scenes I've ever seen, and this is coming from someone who reads Berserk! Manji being immortal doesn't make him invincible in battle, on the contrary, it means he goes through a hell lot more punishment than the average fighter. And, on top of that, the artwork is just plain gorgeous.

TL DR; If you can bear gore this one is a must read
(I would recommend listening to "sowulo - SOL (2016) album" with your reading for full experience (fits with it like key and lock) )

story 10/10
I won't tell anything about the story so rest assured.

A Gory samurai age story as the cover implies (as the most of this genre) but:

1- with a bit of science fiction and some medical knowledge.
2- many arcs not long few boring ones
3-many characters so you are not only following a single protagonist but multiple characters so you not get bored
(and easy to follow don't worry).
4-Things become crazier as you read. Sometimes the roller
coaster slows a bit but then you are near a cliff edge of future excitement in the next chapters.
5-Not the typical samurai wisdom and says you won't get like other ones of this type of stories always contain but
a semi-modern modified type you will enjoy.
6-mind blow ending

Character 10/10
Another special about this Gem is the characters..everyone has their up and downtime and None is invincible
The dialogue is impressive and it what I liked most about the series. (as much as the main story of course)
Also, they are easy to follow from their way of speech and the character art.
Every character with a motive, backstory, principles and enough screen (ehm paper) time :D .

Art 9/10
This one is the best I have seen in art but next to Vagabond.
the manga beats Vagabond in every aspect except for the art can't deny it.
Every character is special and art gets better every chapter.
People look real Japanese and that shading is Gold quality.

Enjoyment 10/10
To describe it in one sentence (one more chapter manga and then I will stop)

Overall 10/10
Read the manga with the album mentioned above and It's a whole new experience

Blade of the immortal is a Japanese manga series by Hiroaki Samura. The series is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the cursed samurai Manji, who has to kill 1000 evil men in order to regain his mortality.

Here's what its about :

Manji is an amoral swordsman, who has been cursed with eternal life. He has grown tired of living with all the death he has created. He has no skills other then those of killing, thus he forms a plan to regain his mortality: he shall kill one hundred evil men for each good one he has killed. The old witch who afflicted Manji with immortality agrees to Manji's proposition and Manji is set on his path to kill one thousand evil men. On his journey he meets a young girl, Rin, who has her own vengeance to seek against the sword school whose members slaughtered Rin's family. Rin and Manji journey together, each hoping to find some kind of peace. In their way are many varied enemies. Rin and Manji are almost constantly under attack and must learn to live their lives, avoiding being consumed by revenge.

What caught my eye was the art styles followed by the mangaka in this masterpeice.

Its definitely something else when you compare it with all those other mainstream manga.
If you love to read manga that's got a classic touch to it, this is the one for you.

It follows the charecter designs of all those early 19s manga that's got a niice nostalgic feel to it.

I myself am a fan of old manga and i found this one so similar to vagabond
If you have read it, please feel free to express your opinions in the comments section.

Thanks for reading.