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.