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.