Customer Reviews

Blade of the Immortal, Vol. 17: On the Perfection of Anatomy

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I've followed Blade of the Immortal for a number of years, and never cease to be impressed by the unique twists and turns that the series' writer-artist Hiroaki Samura adds to it. BOTL's 17th volume, "On the Perfection of Anatomy," continues the great Samura tradition of the title, but has its downside...

The story picks up right from volume 16, as Manji is in the clutches of the former head of the Mugai-Ryu, and high-ranking shogunate official, Gen. Habaki, who wants to use his unique powers to transfer immortality to others. This plan involves a driven western-educated doctor who is mentally on the edge (and under pain of death to complete the task) and grisly surgeries on Manji and a series of convicted felons - surgeries which get more and more desperate, more and more terrifying... Meanwhile, Rin (who has been without Manji for nearly a month) is traveling around with Hyakurin, trying to find her erstwhile bodyguard, and her Itto-Ryu houseguests are becoming a nusiance in the city...

Samura takes a decidedly leisurely pace with this series' plotting, and volume 17 is no exception - in a series where a single duel can take up an entire volume (no kidding) I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Manji is still in the dungeon in this volume. However, despite the twists and turns and reversals of fortune that this series incorporates, I'm starting to worry if maybe Samura is starting to lose his way... any central focus that the series had seems to have fallen by the wayside, and one wonders when (or if) it can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. This volume just feels like Samura is treading water - but well-written and well-drawn nonetheless.

Great series! This issue however, was a little slow on the story side. Maybe I've become accustomed to all the action taking place in the books prior. But the blood and gore is still there, and it's still a very interesting story. I highly recommend this series.

Seems like a filler issue - nothing much happening in this volume, purely focusing on the medical procedure of trying to transfer immortality to another regular person.

What the hell

Blade Of The Immortal is so darn good
There may be less action in this one but it's so twisted and spooky... it's fantastic
Unwholesome and sick, highly sadistic moments
a delight

every single Blade Of The Immortal is an absolute must-have

so just f***ing buy it

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