I really do. Here's why.

Art: Top notch. The best 'realistic manga' styles I've seen in a while. On par in its own way with Takehiko Inoue's art, who I consider to be King of this style.

Plot: Very interesting. Our leading man, Manji, was given immortality through regeneration, wants to be mortal again, and so decides to kill 1000 bad guys to compensate for the 100 innocents he's killed. Our leading lady, Rin, seeks revenge for the senseless murder or her parents and annihilation of her dojo's sword style by the Ittou-ryou school, and enlists Manji as a bodyguard in order to do this. They proceed to fight members of the Ittou-ryou and come across other factions and individuals with different and/or similar goals and interesting things happen. One great strength is how none of the opposing sides are definitely 'villains'. They all have their individual reasons for doing what they do, and these motivations are what bring them to conflict rather than 'good guy vs bad guy'. The occasional twists are nice too. Fairly simple overall, though the plot is laid out rather basically from the first few chapters.

Characters: Fantastic. As I mentioned before, one of the strengths is that very few of these characters are definitely 'good guys' or 'bad guys'. There are a few exceptions of course, and they are dealt with accordingly. The character interactions are always good, a surprising number of romances/couples as well. One small criticism about Manji is that he barely changes, though this serves as a foil to Rin's development and possibly serves to remind us of his immortal and unchanging body. The fact that the main antagonists (almost all of them really) are characters you get to know rather intimately is a good way of making sure that you don't see them as black and while bad/good guys. Which is one of the themes of the manga, it's not a mindless killy killy samurai manga, it has heart. Rin's struggles over her quest for revenge, Manji's reluctance to define who is 'evil' so he can kill a thousand evil men as well as the overlaying theme of forgiveness, redemption and all that good stuff.
This isn't a macho-fest full of dudes playing with swords while the girls bandage them up afterwards, by the way. Arguably the strongest fighter in the manga is female, there are several strong female characters and fighters, and the point at which Rin springs Manji from jail is one of my favourite moments in manga.

Battles: Top Notch. Beautifully drawn, certainly gets better the further in and even the fact that Manji is an immortal doesn't retract from the tension. His immortality is not a Super-Sayian-like invincibility booster, there are still ways to kill him, disable him and defeat him, but the regeneration makes it a lot more work than it would have been. It certainly isn't a 'seen one swordfight, seen them all' scenario either, there are a diverse cast of warriors each with different styles and often completely varied (and often fictional) weapons, and this leads to a battle manga that stays fresh.

Offpoint: One common criticism is that Manji relies to heavily on his regeneration and not his actual skill. I'd like to point out that in battle, your basic reaction and the way you move ultimately stems from your instinctive fear of death. Manji still feels pain, but he doesn't really have a life-or-death reason to block a sword thrust to the gut anymore, I would argue that his regenerative abilities have pampered him and made hims somewhat soft - and that this is why he takes so many hits when he's supposed to be skilled.

And a little warning.

Maturity/gore: This is a seinen for a reason. The fact that it's a samurai manga should be caution enough, much heads being lopped off, dismembered limbs, geysers of blood (though not to the point of ridiculousness) and later, it gets worse. There's this one character who is definitely one of the 100% evil characters. He rapes girls while cutting them up and you get to see this. There is also a prolonged rape/interrogation of one of the characters, and an arc more or less given over to chopping people up for experiments. This is generally handled much better and is not as bad as some other seinen (Wolf Guy, Hellsing, Freezing, Berserk to name a few) but if you really, really don't want to go through these scenes, don't begin reading.

Overall one of my favourite and most well-balanced manga I've read, once I've finished it, I'll go take a gander at some of the mangaka's other work.

... Last updated on July 19th, 2012, 7:30am

Somebody else said it perfectly when they were talking about this manga: "This work to me is somewhere in-between a proper manga and an artbook." As someone who mostly read manga based on art work, this manga is the most satisfying. I truly appreciate being able to stop reading for a moment and just be able to absorb the level of detail in the pencil work for clothing. Samura is truly an artist based on how he carefully drew clothing, its texture and its patterns & prints. In fact, I don't really remember too much of those distracting screentones that I would have seen in almost every other manga.

One of the best "historical" manga I've ever read (besides Vagabond). From something as simple as being able to fix your own damn flip-flops to fighting with the other senses while blind. Samura goes into details of the traditional ways that needed to be cut down, and gives these missions to several characters. Examples: Anotsu seeks to demolish sword schools that value form over function, Makie is a sword prodigy who often fell back into the confines of being a woman, Kagimura defied the orders of Seppuku to chase his final goal of killing Anotsu, Manji is an immortal ronin who serves a girl with a vengeance... and etc, so forth.

The best part of the characters is that their actions are not absolute black and white. Each character had reasons which drove them, these actions make their character relatable in some ways, if not entirely. Samura manages to create a very natural way for these characters to come to life by having them question each other's justifications for their actions. I mean, seriously, hearing Anotsu monologues each time is like music to my ears but from Rin's viewpoint, he's killing senselessly and almost shamelessly.

Character development is phenomenal. While the first few arcs focuses on Manji and Rin's sometimes-symbiotic-sometimes-chaotic relationship, it was refreshing to see the Immortality Arc which really allows Rin to shine through. Maybe her technique never improved but her strategic thinking definitely did. It was also interesting to learn that while Anotsu is so ambitious to build an empire that values function over form in swordsmanship, there was a strong disconnection between him and his men. You rarely see him around new recruits and trying to make a stand, instead, he has a very small council to help guide him through new transitions. A good example is when Manji and Rin encounters mask-maker Araya who admits that Itto-ryu swordsmen normally just try to survive because they don't meet together often.

I can go on naming examples forever to make my point for each category, but overall, I truly recommend this manga. This is one of those timeless manga that never seems to age because the artwork is so gorgeous, the plot is extraordinary, and the characters are truly unforgettable. I still find myself coming back to read this manga, beginning to end, when I cannot find a good manga to read.

... Last updated on November 17th, 2020, 2:32am

Spanning over many years, the story doubtlessly deviated from its original course (relatively quickly anyway) and Samura didn't care much for world build or history, but I do not think these two aspects are truly relevant. What really matters in this work to my eyes is the exploration of violence, revenge, hate and related themes. On that front Samura does a fairly good job. To be honest, it's nothing really that deep or profound. But exactly because it's rather simple and elementary, it allows to be understood easily by anyone. And even more than the themes themselves, what really makes the greatness of this manga is the way they are expressed, so in one word the art. Yet I am not praising just the art in itself (which, mind you, it actually is already great in itself, if you ask me), but rather the way Samura uses it to express simple and yet never exhausted themes. This work to me is somewhere in-between a proper manga and an artbook. The story is, as often is the case in many manga, little more than a pretext for the author to portray certain scenes. The fact that Samura doesn't care much for historical accuracy only goes to show his purely aesthetic reasons for choosing his setting.
It's worth noting how Manji, the supposed MC, fades into the background more and more as the story goes on, and he turns out to be more of a spectator than an actor of the story, which pretty much suits his existence as an immortal that is something other than human, and this sense of alienation is further reinforced in the final chapters. His main playmate is Shira, which in body and mind is a freak just like Manji.
The greatest expression of Samura's art in this work is probably Makie, a triumph of violence, coldness and sensuality, mixed in with a sense of ephemerality and caducity, faced nonetheless with a will of steel that accepts mortality and misery, and yet is not willing to give in until the very end.
Kagimura and Anotsu are two others great characters. Anotsu is unable to accept the contradictions of what happens to the martial arts when they are reduced to a mere formal system that cares more about etiquette than efficiency. His Itto-ryu has only one single rule, and that is the prohibition of overnumbering the opponents. This differentiates it from being a mere no holds barred, since those who fight without rules only care about the outcome while those who abid by the Itto-ryu's rule are fighting mainly against themselves in a battle of self-improvement. What Anotsu care about is the personal growth in real battle situations. A very down to earth and elementary, even primitive, drive: the desire for true personal power founded on one's own ability rather than depending on other people. Yet a desire that contradicts the very nature of what human society has become, and hence Anotsu wishes to change that same society and show to its members the value of his pursuits, to show them how weak their illusionary power dependent on technology and bureaucracy actually is. And of all this Kagimura, the warrior who became a bureaucrat himself, is well aware and what drives him the most in his hunt for Anotsu is not the orders he receives from above, but rather his envy for what Anotsu is trying to accomplish, something that Kagimura desired in his heart of hearts but never dared to pursue. Though admittedly Kagimura is conflicted, because he still sees value in the society that Anotsu wishes to destroy. That's why he ultimately chose to sacrifice his own personal pursuits as a warrior for the sake of order and stability, for the sake of his family.
There is no black or white and there is no clear answer in the end. Even knowing the pointlessness of her own revenge, Rin can't help but wishing to go through with it nonetheless; even knowing the pointlessness of his social struggle, Anotsu doesn't put down his sword until the very end; even knowing the pointlessness of his battle against the already fallen Itto-ryu, Kagimura doesn't stop chasing Anotsu. The feeling that we get from the whole picture is that of a human life made up of things that are cherished and that are ultimately lost, yet we can never let go of them even if it's hopeless to try to grasp them, and so we keep fighting a losing battle not for the sake of the future but rather for the sake of the past, because if we gave up everything we had done up until now would lose all meaning.

The biggest flaw with Blade of the Immortal is that its very apparent that the author got bored with his story and had no clear plan as to how it would unfold. Out of the numerous characters that show up, there really aren't too many that stand out story wise. The story's original premise is discarded pretty early and too many arcs feel pieced together rather than leading to an overarching point or theme. Even the setting itself isn't fully explored because, as he reveals in the book's commentaries, he honestly isn't that much a fan of historical period pieces. There should have been much more of a universe to this long story that is never fully expanded on.

With that said, the art is simply breathtaking, if inconsistent. Like the story, the author gets bored of certain aspects and changes things without planning, such as the death murals going away. When Samura is at his best, when he's drawing a character he clearly enjoys to draw like Makie; his attention to detailed poses and motion is unparalleled. But when he's drawing yet another Manji vs. mook fight, he tends to slip up. But even his lazier art is better than most's full efforts. At times, it feels he invents new characters just because he wanted to draw something fresh. Or worse, he invents out of place scenes so that he can blatantly draw his various fetishes.

Blade of the Immortal was Samura Hiroaki's first work and it really shows in artwork and especially his storytelling. You see a maturation process happening but also spikes of disinterest in his own work. He was able to gut it out to a mostly satisfying conclusion but reading it as a whole provides a very uneven experience. Fights are sometimes spectacular and sometimes mundane. Characters sometimes drastically change or stagnate without proper setup. But Blade of the Immortal's high point are high enough to consider it a masterpiece.

... Last updated on November 20th, 2013, 12:54am

definately one of the greater manga out there : ) the drawing is more realistic than most other manga and, bloody as it is, it's funnier than some comedy i've read XD Beware vol. 11 though O_O

This is a Classic. The Best. Action+Story+Characters=Excellent
Totally different from other Manga. A LOT of ACTION.

... Last updated on January 14th, 2007, 9:27am

at first i thought i wouldnt be interested, thiking it would be your typical samurai manga where the protaganist just fights and fights but the characters have so much depth and the story itself is engaging. you just gotta be patient to read though the chapters since i think it's gonna be a long manga and i aint complainin...;p

plus the romance in this manga beats any shoujo/ josei i've ever read. it's not so obvious that it clouds the action in it but i really do feel their love!

... Last updated on September 15th, 2012, 7:02am

I've read 15 volumes and I will break down what my views are on this manga.

Firstly and most importantly the art is incredibly good, definately up there among the greats of this genre. Only gripe I had was on a rare ocassion some action scenes were hard to follow.

The plot is great, it's detailed and unpredictable, but kinda tries too hard creativly at some points which can confuse readers. Only real gripe I had was there were some long scene of discussions that they could have done without.

The characters are easy to understand and are built up with emotional value. You will feel for the main female lead and you will admire the main male lead. Friendship and mateship is more dominate than romance in this manga, even though there are glimses of the main lead's relationship going beyond friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, not as great as I expected but over all worth the read and definately will be something I'll keep track of with releases. I can't rate this high for the fact that I have read vagabond and that is still superior in my opinion.

Your friendly neighbour Shavone.

p.s The anime series for this manga which comes out in July 2008 will definately be a must watch! I have a good feeling it will be exciting to watch.

... Last updated on June 18th, 2008, 12:04am

6/23/2005 release date of latest volume. It seems we got just one volume in 2005. Read this, you won't be disappointed. Hard and bad but with an eye to romance as well.

Mugen no Juunin came to its end. Samura Hiroaki managed to create great piece of art, so it’s not such a bad idea to recall this long and magnificent journey. I re-read whole thing (again) and decided to write some thoughts about different story arcs (possibly with no actual spoilers) because Samura changes not only "mood" and "feel" from arc to arc but even "storytelling" to some point and to be completely honest, even quality of arc differs. Still, I wouldn't dare to forget that it's overall "result" what matters and I can tell you right away that Mugen no Juunin is great read.

Introduction Arc - As expected, here Samura introduces basic storyline, characters, their motivations, pasts and relationships. It's not surprising that this is the weakest part of whole story. Oneshot stories where only point is to kill whoever is the villain at the moment. It works fine as introduction but I remember asking myself years ago if this is really that "great and mature manga" which my friend recommended to me. Luckily enough the last part of this arc improves exponentially and sets up fluent pass to the next part.

Mugai-ryuu Arc - Here things finally starts to be good. Here comes the true genius of Samura Hiroaki's storytelling. While first arc served for introduction of characters, their beliefs, motivations and desires, this one starts moving plot forward. New characters are fleshed out quite finely. As I was reading this arc I could finally tell that this is that great manga I was expecting. In first arc action wasn't anything special. You just got one nice conclusive picture but in this part Samura demonstrates how good action he can draw. And he gets even better with time.

Aftermath Arc - This serves as a little breather before things start to get complicated again. Samura portrays several characters and path which everyone takes. It's actually really good part of the story and it definitely isn't unnecessary. It's not really that different from previous arc.

Prison Arc - Here we go. Some say that this arc is perfection in its pure form and some say that this arc is incredibly boring and slow as hell. To be honest, I like this arc but I have to admit reading it chapter after chapter while waiting whole month(s) for another is really pain. But once you can read it as a whole it’s great. Samura shifts his storytelling into diary-like story flow. Nothing is rushed, author is taking his time to fully flesh out characters, plot, goal, point and meaning. Also a lot of set up for last arc is being done here.

War in wintertime - The last part. Every set up which was done is used here to its fullest. This story arc is gruesome, brutal, action-packed and fast yet pretty moving at times. Characters beliefs have their final clash here as they take weapons. The death is omnipresent. Great end for a great story.

To be honest, Mugen no Juunin isn’t perfect series. It has its flaws. Yeah, I never really liked Rin as a character. At start I disliked her, later on I just started to ignore her. Manji on the other hand is pretty fine character. The art is rough and simply great.