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.