A pretty gruesome series. It is not so much the gore that makes it different compared to other violent series, but the specific acts of violence that are perpetrated by the characters in this manga. Without giving too much away, right from the get go you see a level a violence that is rarely ever portrayed in manga.

... Last updated on October 23rd, 2013, 11:12am

Azumi is a must for every fan of the chanbara and good drama. The characters have real depth and Azumi especially is phenomenal. The violence is very gritty and no gratuitous sex scenes in sight (hello Kazuo Koike) just good old storytelling. Ok there is tons of sex and sexual violence but it´s a vital part of the narrative and not stupid/creepy fan service. The series isn´t for a general audience though as the violence is unrelenting and horrific even by seinen standards and there is a ton of sexual abuse but everything works so well that i read the complete manga series in one day long session. It is that good and just shy of masterpiece status.
The art is also a lot better then it seems at first and the author is very good at conveying movement and facial expressions. The anguish in peoples faces when they die is just superb. I further suggest Azumi 2 and Oi! Ryouma (8,5/10) to get the complete picture and the reviewed Kamui Gaiden (8,5/10) is another forgotten genre classic.

... Last updated on June 25th, 2015, 1:29pm

This is definitely one of my favorites. Azumi reminded me of Tezuka Osamu's seinen work because the plot is fast-paced and jam-packed and there are many plot twists. The first 28 volumes are especially superb. It was hard to stop while reading during these volumes. The characters are unforgettable, the combat scenes are exhilarating, and the themes are complex. I can honestly say I fell in love with many of the characters of this series. I'm surprised this title isn't as popular as the leading seinen manga series. Please read this at once.