Blade of the Immortal

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 ones3-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

Revenge is a topic a lot of philosophers have dwelled on, all with their own view on the topic. Of course not only philosophers thought about this subject: revenge is a common topic in mangas too, even readers themselves may have certainly thought on taking revenge in certain occasions; Blade of the Immortal is no different, though it certainly revolves around it, this manga has in fact much more to offer, allowing the reader to dwell on the topic of revenge, while at the same time enjoying the storyline, the engaging characters and the impressive art style. Sounds promising and well, but why was itso good? ~Story~ The story of Blade of the Immortal starts by introducing Rin Asano, whose parents were murdered by the rising sword school Itto-Ryu, led by Kagehisa Anotsu, whom she swears to take revenge on. Consequently Rin decides to hire Manji, an immortal swordsman who killed 100 "good" people, who swore an oath to kill 1000 "bad people" in order to redeem himself. From here on the story develops, but why where double apostrophes used in the good and bad? This is one splendid characteristic of this manga: Blade of the Immortal narrates and displays the story in such a way that it leaves the reader wondering what the definition of correct justice really is through the variety of characters and political means. The story proceeds by following Rin and Manji in their quest of finding the leader of the Itto-Ryu, which is full of obstacles, whether it is the Itto-Ryu itself, economic issues or the different attempts of apprehension on Manji. This may seem generic in a way, but it is presented with sudden plot twists and new situations and characters, which keeps the manga fresh and enjoyable. The plot does not solely revolve around Rin and Manji; in fact, there is big importance laid on the stories revolving around and the Itto-Ryu itself, in order to fully understand the meaning and motives behind the sword school. The political state of affairs of that era is not to he ignored either: these play a very important role in Rin's quest, as well as in the development of the now famous Itto-Ryu school. One thing that must be highlighted is the amount of gore, dismemberments to be more precise, takes place. There is litterly almost no chapter without a single dismemberment, or so it felt. This may bother some readers, as it becomes pretty ridiculous at some points of the story. Other thing to note is the pacing of the narration: it seems at times unnecessary slow, causing the reader to lose interest. ~Characters~ The cast of characters in Blade of the Immortal is by no means small: beside the two main characters, a good amount of secondary characters are presented and developed, be it the members of the Itto-Ryu, the different political factions and its leaders, the relatives of Rin, all with its unique story, while some undergo some serious character development. Rin Asano undergoes the biggest changes: as more and more deaths gets on her count, she begins to realize that revenge will only lead to a path of death, which ultimately will end in a vicious circle. It is interesting to see how she grows more and more doubtful about her revenge, as well as how she grows more mature as time passes; she could become quite irritating at times, though it fits well with her age. The same goes for Manji: he grows from only being a bodyguard to be caring about Rin. Manji's immortality may seem something like a letdown in the begining, though the reader will soon come to realize that the immortality isn't as "overpowered" as it may seem; in fact, Manji's suffering and issues are displayed quite well, leaving the reader to think whether immortality is desired or not. The development of the secondary characters is satisfying as well. Each has their own conviction/motives, as well as having interesting background stories. It is also interesting to see the interactions with other characters, which often lead to their own development. I personally found myself more engaged in the secondary characters than that of the protagonists. ~Art~ The art of Blade of the Immortal is impressive: though it is sketchy, all the characters are unique in their design, making it easily distinguishable between the cast of characters. The backgrounds are impressive too; it certainly manages to convey how Japan was in that time. The sketchy nature of the art style (like the manga Vagabond, which I can highly recommend) may bother some readers, though I found it quite fitting for the story. The same could be said about the fighting scenes, very impressive and easy to follow. There is an evolution of art style visible: in the beginning it lacked good shading, but while the story progresses, it really begins to match with the dark atmosphere the manga is trying to transmit. ~Enjoyment~ This manga was overall a very good read, with outstanding side stories and good narrative, matching with the fantastic art style. The manga begins slow, and really comes into its splendor later on, the reason I'd recommend reading on. The amount of gore may be ridiculous at times, but don't let this bother you, as it is a fantastic story with great characters. Thank you for reading.

I'll start with putting it bluntly- Blade is an Action packed Samurai Manga with gorgeous Art & cool ideas relative to its setting. So read it ONLY if you find that appealing. Let's talk in detail now: An impressive & also one of best things about it, which made it feel like a rich Samurai tale taking place in Edo Period of Japan, is how the story goes to so many different locations & explores quite good amount of concepts relative to that kind of setting. You can very easily notice that this manga has plenty of these little things & ideas which are a bit advanced& smart for just an Action Samurai manga. I also like how you see all 4 seasons throughout the Manga. My fav being Autumn & Winter during 3rd & 4th Act(Last). Last Act being the best one & also taking place during a heavy Snowfall was a joy to watch - something I would like to see in other Manga. Plot : Story is simple, but it has a pretty good Plotting because of the conflict between multiple characters & factions, all of which have their own very good reasons to go against each other. Rin & Manji are our 2 Protagonists going after Anotsu Kagehisa, our main Antagonist. Anotsu's faction itself is being hunted by a special secret faction lead by a man who's antagonist to both Anotsu & our 2 Protagonists & bunch of more characters getting involved in this conflict, good drama etc. Characters : This is the strongest aspect of the Manga besides the Artwork. Blade has great cast of characters with their own very good reasons & stories for getting involved in this big conflict. And Samura did a great job in characterizing / developing them. So when they fight among each other you don't want them to be killed & I found myself rooting for a whole lot of them. Also, this manga has Great Female cast. None them are useless or damsels in distress. In fact most skilled fighter is a woman called Makie. Anotsu Kagehisa is a great antagonist. Take him as "end justifies means" kind of guy. The whole manga was full of his great moments from beginning till end & I was rooting for him to succeed because he had a good ambition & good reasons for achieving it. What made him even more likable is his Love Interest, Makie. Their relationship is quite romantic but it's not emphasized. And it adds another layer to Anotsu's character. Artwork : It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Blade has probably my top 5 fav Art in all manga that I've seen. It's very good from the beginning but evolves into something stunning in the later half, with some of the best panel flow I've seen, with crazy good choreographed Action Sequences, & one of the best Perspectives shots (probably the best). Enjoyment : It has a slow start, takes around 30 chapters to get interesting once all the side characters are introduced. But starting from then each Act is better than previous one. For people who like Samurai setting manga you'll like it a lot once you get past the weak beginning.

"The greatest part of revenge, isn´t for the person who died. It´s for oneself" Wow. What an intense ride "Blade of Immortal" was for me. I got interested in the manga throw the 13 episode anime, based on the first 44 chapters. But the anime adaptation didn´t get home to the viewers and the show was cancelled, so I decided to pick up the manga to see what happened to Rin, Manji and Anotsu. If you are a bit sensitive, this manga is certainly not for you. It contains a lot of detailed violence, deaths, blood, gore, torture and rape in a very realisticway (tip see the Seinen tag). To say the least this is a very dark and non-uplifting story. Why I gave it a 10 then? Because even if the story is very dark is very, very good. It´s detailed, well thought through, and has very human and gripping characters. And the art.. WOW. I will give a more detailed version down below of why "Blade" did a such huge impression on me. Story: 10/10 Revenge story´s isn´t new and are often used as plot base in many mediums. Some are pretty empty, some are good, and then we have the amazing ones. "Blade" definitely belongs to the latter. In a historical and very believable setting we get to follow Rin on her quest of revenge for her brutally murdered parents. To her help she has Manji, the 100-hundred-man-slayer. The ones responsible are a outlawed samurai clan named Ittu-ryu led by Anotsu Kagehisa. Ittu-ryu´s members arn´t happy about how weak and bigoted the art of the sword and war has become in that time and age. So they are on a quest to destroy all dojos that are still practicing old sword techniques and rules, to build a new era with their rules. Rin´s father and mother was murdered for that reason. And Rin´s path for revenge and pursuit of Anutso is far from straight, which makes this story so much more believable and heart gripping to me. The best part with the story is that it isn´t one sided. We get to know all sides of this revenge and historical drama, and what´s motivates all characters. So what´s first may appear as a very black and white story, soon blurres out to a wide grey area. Actions always gets consequences. The setting, the politics, and the characters and their relationships are all very realistic. I can imagine that that era in Japan was much like the one we are shown (minus immortal humans that is). We get a lot of Japanese history, geographic´s and culture in the story - in an interesting and story filling way. It never felt boring or out of place, it just made the whole scene so much deeper and vivid. It was a hard and unforgiving climate during this era, there small crimes could be a reason for execution, and the strong ruled the weak. Art: 10/10 I can definitively understand why it took Hiroaki Samura 19 years to finish "Blade". The art is freaking awesome - and original. Each panel are so rich in detail and shadowing, so sometimes it could have been mistaken for a black and white photo. Hiroaki has even taken his times and draw single hairstrands - that´s say something. The character designs are very realistic, characteristic and detailed (no over sized boobs, eyes or unproportional bodies here) - each individual has been given personal memorable traits. I think that made the story so much more believable and hardcore. Facial and body expressions are in most cases flawless - I could really feel their pain, sadness etc. And extra credit for the unreal good fighting panels. No shortcuts taken. Body and weapon movements are so detailed and technical correct, that it out classes most mangas so much it´s not even funny. Some of these panels can be a bit "shadowy", but it´s meant to be so. It showcases the speed of the movement, often without you missing out of what happens. Brilliant. Speaking of the weapons. Wow.. Such detail and variation. Many characters has their own weapons of choice (you can read about the weapons in more detail in a appendix to the manga), which Hiroaki has displayed in a very impressive matter. The backgrounds are a masterpiece in them self. Unbelievable details and shadowing. How often do you feel like you are in a winter landscape in a black and white print? Not often, but here you can almost feel the snow flakes land on your cheek. By far the best art I have seen so far in a manga. Characters: 10/10 I think I have mentioned that all characters felt very realistic and believable. The way they reasoned, the way they expressed emotions, and the way they acted felt.. in lack of better words.. very human. From unexperienced teenagers to ice cold seriekillers. It made me feel something for all the characters, and many times hard for me to pick sides (ok, in some cases it was pretty clear who you wanted to be sliced up - looking at you Shira). All characters had well developed personalities and character developments. I could really feel what kind of person they were, and the reasons behind their actions. All main and supporting characters are getting detailed backgrounds and own chapters dedicated to them, so most of them is really well fleshed out. Rin starts out with a very naive idea of how strong she is and how she is gonna get her revenge. Throughout her journey she learns how powerless she is, and she starts to get doubts about her way to get revenge. A lot of people gets hurt in her wake, and that makes her question the pureness of her motives. Most of them all Manji, who gets hurt a lot throughout their journey, much due to her bad choices. Rin´s frequent encounters with Anutso also gives her doubts about if she actually is gonna kill him, a lot of what he says makes a huge impression on her. All those things makes her waver in her rightness and decision to take revenge. Manji takes it up him self to be Rin´s bodyguard much due to guilt of his little sisters death (Rin resemble his dead sister a lot) and as redemption for all the innocent lives he took. Even due his character dosn´t develop so much, I like him do more fore his personality. Manji is a ruffie with a good heart. He goes out of length to protect Rin and give her revenge. He trains her in fighting skills and the way of the life she chosen. He smokes his pipe and drinks sake, and loves his naps. More then naps he loves sword fights. Always then entering a battle he has this crazy evil happy smile. I love it. Even due he is immortal Manji feels pain. And he is getting a lot of heavy punishment throughout the story - sometimes I was like "come on Hiroaki, give the guy a break". But he takes it all, and goes in to the next battle with the same crazy evil happy smile. "Blade" has so many interesting and captivating characters. Anotsu (who I really wanted to see dead in the beginning), really grow on you. You get to know his past and the reasons he´s doing things the way he does. It don´t make the things his does right or good, but more understandable. He also feels love and compassion, which are shown mostly in his relationship with Makie. Speaking of Makie. One of the most badass fighters in manga history. She uses a kind of dubble-eged-3-way-split spear, that she can take out a half dojo with in no time at all, with out getting a drop of blood on her. Her fighting scenes are freaking awesome. Makie is one of the characters that moved me the most. Her past and her life is just to sad, and do she is that good at killing she don´t enjoy it at all. She always (battles and otherwise) has this sad face and eyes, that just makes your heart ache. Taito, Hyakurin and Giichi are also all fantastic characters, with fleshed out backgrounds and character developments. Just amazing to follow them throw out the manga. Shira can be the most sick and evil character I ever encountered. He makes many lives a living hell for many of the characters. He is a psychotic sadistic seriekiller, who really enjoys to slowly and painfully kill his victims. If you happen to be a women, rape during does sessions is highly likely. I have never wanted a character dead more then him. Cred to you Hiromaki, you really created a character that evokes feelings of pure hate and disgust. Enjoyment: 10/10 Even if the story many times grows really, really dark it was awesome. The details in the story (cred for all the research in history, swordsmanship, martial arts and politics), amazing characters and character developments, and the fantastic art made this a lifetime memorable experience for me. Yes, I needed to take some breaks to collect myself after a extra intense sequences, but was soon on it again because I just had to know what was gonna happen next. Not for a moment was it dull, boring or uninteresting for me. I enjoyed all of it in it´s hardcore dark design. Overall: 10/10 A incredible and fascinating revenge saga, with heavy focus on the characters and whats happen to them. All to it felt original and unique. I could really feel the characters emotions and struggles, they all really gripped me. I gonna buy this and have in my collection for shore. I can really recommend this to you that´s into good revenge story´s with a lot of blood and fighting, emotional rides, and complex and interesting characters. You absolutely won´t regret it.