Mugen no Juunin
Blade of the Immortal

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“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).

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.

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.

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

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 it ... so 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.

This is one awesome manga. I'm actually not a fan of samurai stuff. I like Sci-fi and fantasy. But the first thing that stunned me here was awesome art.
The clean moves with pen makes an awesome drawing that is stunning and complex at the same time. But yet, in some places you cannot clearly see what is going on. Regarding that, i was amazed with so much violence and blood in this manga. And let's be honnest. This manga has it a lot.
The storyline at the begining seemed nothing special at all, but as you keep reading, the story shapes better, and introduces us with ... Rin and Manji. Those personallities are total opposite of each other, and that gets them in all sord of disagreement.
I really enjoyed reading this manga, and overall, this is one helluva' peace of art. Just don't read it if you don't have solid stomach for it :)
Good 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 realistic ... way (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.

It is super funny that in a manga with sadistic one note torturers and child abusers (and an implied molester) and r*pists people still say "no one is really good or bad"

I would not say this manga is so much about moral ambiguity as it is the ability of people to "justify" much of their acts as necessary or good. Whether you buy into some of them or not is dependent on your moral code. Im not into subjective morality personally but idk how some people can listen to a specific describe himself as evil and unjustifiable in action and be like "i ... am NOT supposed to hate this man." It is an example of how media today has gotten stuck on making villains VERY obvious that when a manga is presented with little bias that people assume they are not supposed to think some people are in the wrong.

that aside, the lengths each character goes to view themselves as either heroes or at the very least BETTER than a villain makes for a great story. The main character, Manji, himself is on a quest of absolution he just makes up on the spot and the elder wiser character is simply like "huh, i guess you could do that" without much fanfare. His employer, Rin, tries to justify her actions but constantly falls into doubt and fear. There are people who justify themselves through code, through family, through fairness, through love, through statesman's duty, and some through simple power. Hence, why I believe this is better read as an exploration to how humanity tends to convince itself that it is just and not the bad guy.

The story is quite compelling, first following our two protagonists and later branching off into various storylines from different perspectives. Some through only 1 arc, others through multitudes. The pace never feels too slow, there is always some development occurring either in the world or in a character. Trigger warning for r*pe scenes though, quite a few. Never comfortable and not insanely graphic, but still disturbing.

The art starts off quite rough, very pencil sketchy, but eventually adopts a cleaner look. Fights are well illustrated and the sense of direction is kept well. Some page spreads are amazing looking, Manji himself is quite a portrait. Like every gruff samurai put into one, and the energy is captured well. Fights are given a sort of artsy feel to be a counterweight to the brutality.

On that note, the characters and their designs are probably the strongest point in the series. No one feels super one note, even the psychopaths get to enjoy some shrewdness behind their animal behavior. The characters easily shift from heroic to villainous roles seamlessly in a believable manners, as their justifications go further and further into selfishness disguised as something more important to the world.

I loved this manga, there is a decent amount of period history that makes it fun and the action is a great display as well. Even moments of quiet with little action are enjoyable as the characters carry their own weight of the story.

Also there IS a good guy and his name is Giichi.

"Did anything change? even the tiniest bit? I wanted someone to witness it if it did. Be it 10 years from now or even a 100 years from now, Thats all i ask of you."

Story-(9/10)

Manji, our protagonist who is infamously known as "hundred man killer" for killing 100 innocent men, is granted immortality by a mysterious old hag using blood worms, for which Manji pledges to kill 1000 evil men to atone for his 100 killing. In his journey he meets Rin who seeks Manji's assistance for killing those who murdered her parents.
The journey is for you to read, but i can tell you ... this is not just your average revenge plot, its beautiful to witness how this develops into more complex story using only revenge as its base. the people they meet, the dilemma they face and the separations they endure makes this a thrilling read worthy each second of your time.

Art-(10/10)

This is one those manga where you can see mangaka's growth as the chapters goes on. The development in his art is astonishing and the transformation from pencil sketches to digital art is breathtaking, its as clean as ever with top detailing. Volume covers and chapter banners is a story of its own, i looked forward to them everytime i finished a chapter hoping to start the next chapter with a mesmerizing Art, and i was never disappointed, even a bit.

Character-(10/10)

For me Characters are the most important aspect in an ani-manga. They are the soul epicenter of any story no matter how great the art is. If the characters are not upto that standards then all is wasted. Be it million dollars animation or out of the world art work, a great character cast will carry anything. And this manga provides you that.
Our protagonist manji who is an immortal, yet not presented as an over powered character but portrayed as very much killable. This manga has one of the best antagonist/side character called Shira, he is gonna make you hate each and every part of him, i can bet my balls on it. As for our main character Anotsu, i wasn't even sure if i should hate him or side with him even till the end. Mangaka has poured his heart and soul into writing this manga and it shows. each character are on their own journey and you will follow them all in their quest.

Enjoyment and Overall-(10/10)

i dont care if i sound biased but its genuine i enjoyed each and every page reading this. for which this is one of my favourite Manga right now. Hate me for this but i rate it among the ranks of Vagabond and Berserk.
I would recommend this to anyone who is into samurai genre and not bothered by gore and tortures, if you cant stand it then maybe this is not for you. Blade of the immortal is a journey, so remember to enjoy it at your own pase. Also just realised this is my first Manga review haha.
"For endless life to witness endless death"
Thank you for reading!

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 .

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.

Hi there MAL peeps, Welcome to another review.
This time around we have the big title Mugen no Juunin aka Blade of the Immortal. So without any stalling lets get into it.

STORY
Blade of the Immortal is a Samurai/Swordsman's manga based around the period of feudal Japan. We follow Asano Rin and her thrusting bodyguard Manji, as she's set on a journey to avenge her family done in by the infamous Ittou Ryu. A group of highly capable fighters led by Anotsu Kagehisa.
Rin and Manji follow leads taking them all across the city of Edo (old Tokyo) in hopes of finding Kagehisa and possibly fulfill ... her goal. Throughout the journey they face several hardships and go through interesting circumstances, from meeting other members of the Itto Ryu to Rin questioning her decision of following on the path of revenge, and meeting people who helped her see things on a different light and growing in the process.

At a first glance this manga seems to be a typical story about revenge. But if I had to sum up what I got from reading it, I would say that the story is a protest against the Bushido/Samurai code.
7/10

ART
Mugen no Juunin has a pretty enjoyable art journey, which is to be expected since it ran for about 19 to 20 years (1993-2012). In early chapters you get pretty decent to average panels. The backgrounds are not all that which is something I'm quite no used to with in manga. Because, usually even if the character design is not all that appealing, you still cool detailed backgrounds. However, this manga was the opposite, and this is a first to me.
Not to look down on the skills of the author cause I feel like he compensated that by giving great the manga great character designs, backed up with some emotional and very expressive close up panels of the characters. On top of that, we have great fighting choreographies and vast arsenal of weapons. Each very unique and with some logical explanation on how they operate.

In later chapters the art progressed immensely. Apart from the great feats mentioned before that were taken a step further, we now got nice looking background sceneries a long with some of the best double spreads I've seen in manga. Expanding from the detail of the stances the characters took to the angle or point of view the author chose to show them.
7/10

CHARACTER
Mugen no Juunin has a great set of characters. From our MC team Rin and Manji, to Kagehisa and the Ittou Ryu gang, big shots like Shira, Habaki, Giichi, Burandou, and minor but yet equally important such as Shirinjii, painter Souri, prostitute O-ren along many others. Each feeling very unique at their own realm, with very different life circumstances and background, motivations, as well as some being a parallel of our MC team.
7/10

ENJOYMENT
The manga may feel quite long at times and very slow paced. As throughout the story the slightly distance himself from the MC team and focus its attention to the surrounding characters. That might be a turn off to some readers as the key plot gets lost in the and you sort of lose track of the events. However, is something that I highly appreciated it cause he flashed out more characters and is actually what led me to conclude that the story was more than just revenge.
This was one of the aspects I most enjoyed in the story cause it added more value and weight to the surrounding characters. They were not just characters added as fillers to the story, they all equally contributed in developing the story into something more which it ended up building an amazing experience.

Another aspect I liked about the manga were the fights. It already had some very cool looking fights with great choreographies, and as the story progressed the quality was just non stop. Big bangers. Each fight was something to look for, from the strategy behind how to proceed with the attacks, the themes, to stances and techniques used by the characters all backed up with the showcase of different weapons. It shows that the author actually took some time to think and plan out how to play out the confrontations and understands about weapons as well.
However, that Manji vs Arashino was one big BS move by the author. So much armor that it was annoying to read through.

Guess plot convenience is just something that every single story must have. Like how Rin while on her solo journey to a different city ended up being saved lol. Although playing to a common trend of the witnessed throughout the story, I still feel that it was another BS move by the author, but I actually ended up liking the conclusion cause the author used that to teach and give some experience to Rin.
6/10

I actually recommend this piece of work not only for the fans of Seinen titles, samurai lovers and such, but to those who want to have a change of pace and read something different. It might feel long and throughout it you might end up getting annoyed by Rin or even starting to hate her. However, I do feel like the surrounding characters beautifully complement this story and add a special touch to the storytelling. Therefore, I would say that is worth a read.

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Violence (implied/shown), gore (seriously, it gets gruesome at times), torture

Story: 10/10
Brilliant, masterfully written story. There are many disparate plot threads that are built up over the course of the whole manga, weaving closer together until they all finally come to a close in an epic finale. While this is a revenge story, it is absolutely not your typical "good guy hunts bad guy" affair, there were points were I genuinely did not know who I was rooting for. This is character driven story telling at it's peak, where the consequences of the character's actions have cascading effects that set the next arc ... of the plot into motion. And there certainly are consequences as the manga doesn't pull punches, you will see characters will be permanently damaged and maimed, physically and mentally. This lends a real weight to the decisions characters make. You will be on the edge of your seat at times. While there are some complaints I have, namely some pacing issues, it absolutly doesn't detract form the story enough to make this anything less than a 10/10.

Art: 9/10
Great art. Very detailed, I especially loved the snowy winter during the last arc, it felt very natural and never cartoony. The panels flow naturally from one to the other, making this a pleasure to read. The fight scenes are gorgeously drawn and well choreographed. However, sometimes I felt like there was simply too much going on in a panel to understand what was happening, which really took me out of the fight scenes. The character designs manage to be distinct while still looking like real people (except one or two), which is important as there is a lot of reoccurring characters.

If you're reading the Dark Horse Comics English translation then just know that the panels are cut and pasted (with minor redrawing) to fit the western norm of reading left-to-right. DHC has done a good job however so it really doesn't detract from the experience.

Characters: 10/10
All the characters are well-written and believable. Each has a realistic personality and a motivation behind there actions, which drives the plot forward. I never felt like someone had to act out of character just to get things moving. Despite the horrendous acts some characters commit it never feel like they're being evil for the sake of it but they have an actual goal in mind (except for one but he's a good character in a different way). This is not to say everyone is likeable, frankly almost everyone important to the story is a terrible person, but they are believable. This is critical to setting up the tragic "Beware the Cycle of Revenge" message it delivers. It was genuinely tense to see fights because I could decide who to root for, even the antagonists have sympathetic (or at least understandable) goals. A core strength of this author is his character building skills, slowly developing multiple characters through the course of the manga. While many manga struggle to develop characters other than the protagonists, this one has a large cast of characters that grows as the manga does. This really works to make you feel sympathetic to each side of the multi-sided conflict. As others have said, this manga is built on it's characters and that is a strong foundation indeed.

Overall: 10/10
What else is there to say? This is a masterpiece of the samurai manga genre, with it's complex plot and well-written characters. If you can stand gore and extreme violence, I would absolutly recommend this.

Good
• Really great fight scenes. They're tense and you never know who will win (or who you want to win)
• Complex, plot comprised of multiple interwoven subplots
• Complex characters
• Shifting alliances as circumstances change
• Makes use of different panel formats when beneficial (e.g. a 4koma like style but 4 panels in a column for a series of fast attacks and dodges)
• Enough lighter chapters and comedy relief that it never feel too gloomy or tough to read


Bad
• Occasionally hard to follow fight scenes
• Sometimes it feel like it's trying too hard to be dark and edgy with the gore and sexual violence
• Every female character suffers from damsel-in-distress syndrome. Even the supposed bad-asses
• Initially the story has a pacing problem, feeling very "villain of the week" but this the real story soon takes centre stage

Extra Subjective
•Initially, stylised splash pages are used to end fight scenes but this quickly stops, to the betterment of the manga in my opinion. The art is great but they felt like they were posters and not panels of a manga and there use gave an uncharacteristic cartoony feel to other-wise dramatic chapters

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.

The story is interesting, good art, good fighting panels. My only gripe is the art eventually changes and it literally hurts my head whenever there is an action scene, there is just so much scribble that it gives me a headache when I try to appreciate the battle. I dropped it for the time being because of that, it's just not fun when you have no clue what is happening.

Overall I'd give it a 7 because it is not a boring manga and it actually has somewhat of a story, and it comes in Deluxe volumes so it makes it more enjoyable.

Art: 7 (4 after ... about 15 volumes)
Story: 7
Characters: 8

I am not a samurai fan , and therefore i can clearly say , it’s one of the most amazing work i have ever read :

-art style : it’s so simplistic and yet so impactful , it make the battle so clear i love it 9.5/10
-characters : there is no good , but only bad people and scum here , each one of their story is well written , so well , that sometimes you dont’ want to return on the main characters timeline ( and they are good) the chara design is absolutely god tier 10/10
-story : you won’t be bored , ... i feel like there is no exceedîng chapters , useless chapter or boring time on it 7.5/10
-thematical : quality ( badass swordsmans)over quantity (normal citizens) ? Blood over peace ? add to that a revenge led by a 16 years old girl who’s teacher is an immortal and immoral man . 9/10
Little bonus : the gore and the violence is well mastered +1

If you love awesome characters with awesome fight in a seinen way this is for you

9/10

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.

Even from the perspective of somebody who has negative interest for feudal Japan and actively tries to stay away from stories in that time period, Mugen no Juunin offers a much more contemporary approach to the typical honor-bound samurai/warrior idea. At first, the series seems unassuming and slow, but given enough time and it pays you in spades with it's glorious and compelling back-to-back character arcs, starting and resolving all right next to each other. The aid of the world-building surrounding these arcs as well as the ever-looming main story arc of Rin's revenge eventually ties everything into one *very* neat knot, which is just ... as satisfying to finish as it is to read through.

If each major character had more focus on stuff like "what it means to have honor" and living by some kind of moral code, this series would be knocked a few steps down. However, it should have been clear to me from the first minor antagonist that the author was much more invested in in molding vigorous and colorful people to keep the story riding along smoothly. In the same vein that people praise One Piece, Mugen no Juunin allows itself the room to set many developments up for later, and it does pay off. It takes a while to feel the full effects of it, but the reader and series itself are given the same amount of respect from the author, so by the end of it all, MnJ has a very complete and savory feel to it.

The art itself is also outstanding in a few ways, as we are often met with a mix of deep, strong strokes during intense scenes, and much more mellow, soft paintings for their climaxes. This leaves not a single moment hard to understand while never feeling hand-hold-y at all. Coupled with the gorgeous volume and chapter covers, the whole thing has nothing but soul leaping out of it as you read along.

I will say, it was a little hard to keep up with the series at first. I ended up trusting the author to deliver on what he was building for later, and while I'm grateful that I did, I can see myself dropping MnJ entirely in another timeline. It's never once bad, it just *feels* a little lost or loose-strung for a long while. If you can put up with that, I wholly recommend this to all that are interested.

9/10 for both casual and careful readers. There's a lot of fun happening while simultaneous profound brushes of character development swoop in and out repeatedly. I don't see many people disliking this series unless they can't deal with the "slow" start.

Blade of the Immortal - A Protagonist without flaws

Blade of the Immortal is a manga that stands out for its unique premise, yet it falters in many aspects, particularly in its characterization and presentation. While the story is set in the Edo period of Japan, this historical backdrop often feels underdeveloped. To label this manga merely as a product of its time is a disservice to its potential. A well-crafted samurai manga not only provides a thrilling narrative but also immerses the reader in a vivid and engaging world. It should highlight the historical context, allowing readers to grasp the intricacies of the period, including ... the weapons, social structures, and cultural nuances that define it. For instance, aside from the brief appearance of a kusarigama in the prelude, the weaponry remains vague. We know that the protagonist wields a sword, but the lack of detail leaves a void in the reader’s understanding.
What truly distinguishes Blade of the Immortal from the countless other samurai mangas? The answer isn’t straightforward, as the series grapples with many narrative and thematic issues. One of the primary concerns is the quality of translation, which significantly impacts the reader's experience. Many Western editions suffer from translation problems that obscure the original intent of the dialogue and character development. Furthermore, the Western practice of reversing the panels — contrary to traditional manga reading order — adds an additional layer of confusion that detracts from the storytelling. For a medium that relies heavily on visual storytelling, these alterations will dilute the impact of the artwork and narrative flow, for sure.

The characters in Blade of the Immortal possess complex nuances, but accessing those depths requires an immense amount of patience. Readers must sift through layers of dialogue and interactions to uncover the motivations and personalities of each character. Unfortunately, the emotional connections between Manji, the protagonist, and those around him often feel insignificant and lacking in depth. This emotional detachment can be traced back to the protagonist's unique trait — his immortality. The fact that Manji can die and be resurrected diminishes the stakes of his interactions. When a character can simply return to life, the weight of their struggles and relationships is rendered almost meaningless.
Manji’s quest is driven by the curse that binds him: "This immortality will not go away until I kill 1,000 evil men." While this premise presents a tantalizing goal, it also introduces a significant flaw in his character arc. It raises an important question: does it matter how many enemies he defeats if the very nature of his existence is one of invulnerability?! The sheer existence of his immortality feels like an overpowering advantage that undercuts the tension of the narrative.

Moreover, Manji’s reflections on purpose further complicate his character. In the first chapter, he states, "A person cannot live without objectives, control, vengeance, or atonement," suggesting that he lacks any of these vital motivations. A compelling protagonist should have clear and relatable goals and this is a hallmark of successful works in the genre, such as Vagabond or Lone Wolf and Cub. In those stories, the motivations of their protagonists are well-defined and resonate with the reader — Musashi's philosophical exploration or Ogami Itto's relentless pursuit of vengeance create compelling narratives. In contrast, Manji feels like a vessel for the narrative rather than an engaging character with a purpose. If he himself questions his motivations, how can the reader remain invested in his journey?
This lack of clarity creates a disconnect, making it challenging for readers to root for Manji. The absence of a clear moral compass or motivation leads to questions about his actions: how can we discern whether he is a hero or a villain? This ambiguity can leave readers feeling trapped in a narrative that lacks direction and emotional investment. Instead of being captivated by the story, they may feel compelled to read out of obligation rather than genuine interest.

Another critical aspect to consider is the mishandling of licensing for Blade of the Immortal in the West. The confusion surrounding the publication has resulted in mirrored panels that detract from the reading experience. Manga is a visual medium that relies on a specific layout and flow, and disrupting this flow can hinder the reader's immersion. Additionally, Western editions often feature altered content that does not align with the original work, leading to discrepancies that can alienate readers familiar with the source material. As a reader who enjoys raw manga, I find these changes to be not only frustrating but also an affront to the artistry of the original creation.
Look at the mess with the licenses for the West in this manga. In addition to the panels all being reflected (which in itself ruins the experience of reading a manga, a work that comes from Japan), they also do the incredible disservice of making versions of volumes that do not exist in the original conception of the work. As a reader of raw manga in Japanese, this is considered a crime.
I read the Brazilian edition which is not like that, fortunately it is like the Japanese version, but the colors are not saturated enough, making the colors not visible well. In addition to being an incredibly complicated work to read (and to collect all the volumes), it is also full of graphical problems. What is this for?
In my experience reading the Brazilian edition, I found that it adheres more closely to the original Japanese version, which is a relief. However, it is not without its flaws; the colors in the Brazilian edition are not saturated enough, resulting in a less vibrant presentation that fails to do justice to the artwork. This is especially disappointing for a manga that relies heavily on its visuals to convey mood and atmosphere.

Ultimately, Blade of the Immortal is a complex work that faces challenges not only in its narrative structure but also in its presentation. The reading experience can often feel arduous and frustrating due to its numerous graphical and translation issues. While the concept has the potential to be engaging and profound, the execution leaves much to be desired. One cannot help but wonder what this story could have achieved if it had been presented with more clarity and depth.