Customer Reviews

Blade of the Immortal, Vol. 1: Blood of a Thousand

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I stumbled onto "Blade of the Immortal" translations in comic book format. Attracted by the art, and the unusally deep dialogue between the opponents (as dramatic as Kazou Kioke's "Lone Wolf and Cub", but much more up-to-date in sensibility and subject matter) I immediately began looking for back issues, which was difficult. Many retailers don't seem to order many issues of this book. Fortunately the trade paperbacks started coming out soon after.

"Blade of the Immortal" starts off as a fairly typical samurai revenge story, with some unusual horror movie twists. We meet Manji, a guilt-ridden outlaw and expert swordsman, who is cursed with an odd form of immortality. No matter how grievously he is injured, he cannot die. Manji makes a deal with a magical buddhist nun. He will gain the release of death, if he slays 1000 evil men. Soon we meet Rin, a young girl, the daughter of a swordsmanship teacher who witnessed the horrific murder of her parents at the hands of the Itto-Ryu, a renegade sword school. Tortured by nightmares, she seeks revenge, but realizing she has no hope of surviving a direct confrontation with even one Itto-Ryu swordsman, she convinces Manji to serve as her bodyguard and stand in. Taking up Rin's quest seems a perfect confluence of both of their desires: her need to put her parents memory to rest, his to earn his redemption.

The stories take you through dramatic encounters with various members of the sword school. All are dangerous swordsmen with unique styles of combat. Some are quite literally monsters. Each has a unique story, an unique reason for having become a renegade, and this becomes the source of much thought provoking drama before, during and after the battles. All are memorable characters, in particular Shimuzu (Book Two: "Cry of the Worm"), a fellow immortal and Maki, a swordswoman forced into prostitution who fights like the wind (Book 3: "Dreamsong").

Harioki Samura has great timing, the panel layouts make the fight scenes breathtaking and exciting. Also wonderful is the developing relationship between Manji and Rin, a kind of older brother, little sister dynamic that lends the book much humor and necessary warmth (given the bloodiness of the battles).

Beginning with "Rins Bane" (Book 4) Rin's internal debate about the morality and human costs of her quest, takes center stage, and make this one of the deepest and most interesting books to cross the Pacific in years. There's still plenty of action, and the relationship between Rin and Manji continues to deepen, but it's the debates about the sanity of the bushido code, about memory, about filial duty, and hints of political intrigue to come, that make this book an thought provoking and engrossing read.

If you have any taste for the high drama and action, as well as the deeper issues running through comic books like "The Authority: Relentless", you have to give "Blade" a try. This is the best dramatic manga translation I've read, and it compares favorably with "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion". I really don't think you will be disappointed.

Blade of the Immortal is the best manga ever! (I'm assuming you know all of the backround information, so I'm going to dive right in.) This is one of the only stories where the "bad guys" seem to have a conscious. Instead of being just a bloody slice-and-dice samurai soap opera, the characters actually have deeply personal motives. Anotsu is trying to fulfill his father's dying wish, Rin is trying to avenge her parents in a vow she made at her father's grave, and Manji is trying to escape from the life he claims is miserable. Each of the main characters struggles with himself, which is something unusual. Each character does things they don't like, but they do it for a reason. Another great thing about this series is its supporting characters. Makie, Magatsu, Shira, and Hyakurin, and others show up later, making things much more interesting. Each of these characters has secrets and morals, too (with the exception of Shira). These characters show up more than once, so they can be rather important. Samura's art is the greatest! I like that the women he draws are not the common, unrealistic, top-heavy cartoons often found in other manga. In fact, Rin is teased by Manji as "having a body like a barked twig." I'm not saying there is no sex in Blade, but there is no nudity (Being a girl, I don't care for manga with nude chicks). His art seems to be constantly improving (if that's possible). Warning: there is a LOT of blood in this series, although it is drawn in black and white, which calms things down (a little). Samura's great story telling makes this series worthwhile, though. His characters go through some startling changes, which keeps things fresh and interesting. Like I basically said earlier, his characters are the best part. Samura makes them more than just pictures. He gives them so much individual personality and I like that. His characters feel regret, pain, and sadness just like anyone else. Okay, if you haven't bought Blade of the Immortal yet, you should do so now. This is the best manga I've read, and I highly recommend it. Buy it NOW.

'Blade of the Immortal' is the story of Manji, a vulgar, unvarnished, at times unethical ronin who has been granted immortality. To free himself of this curse, he must slay 1,000 evil men. Manji becomes the yojimbo of Rin, a young girl, hell bent on revenging her parents' death.

It's a simple enough story, if you leave it at that. But Hirokai Samura's masterpiece is far more. To begin with, Samura's attention to detail (both in the artwork and in the story) gives this series a depth not often seen. The characters are multi-faceted, they can have subtle motivations. Each character has a human quality to them; one can feel understanding for both Rin and her enemies. When I first read 'Blade of the Immortal', it struck me as oddly similar to Frank Herbert's 'Dune' - or rather, 'Dune' from the perspective of the Harkonens. The more you read 'Blade of the Immortal', the more sympathetic you feel for Anotsu (Rin's enemy), and the less justified Rin seems.

The attention Samura pays to detail in his storyline is comparable to that which he pays the artwork. Each frame not only moves the story along, but also tells us more about the characters. Samura at times focuses on hands and feet as indicators of a character's feelings. Oddly enough, some of Samura's most beautiful artwork is done in the death scenes. Manji slicing some one up is drawn with the elegance of a ballet!

In short, 'Blade of the Immortal' is a beautiful, brutal, subltle, and vulgar masterpiece. I don't have the words to describe it. In my opinion it is great work of literature. Don't let the fact that it's a manga or a 'graphic novel' predjudice you.

'Blade of the Immortal' is one of the best books I've read in far too long. Mr. Samura's art and story-telling techniques blend to create the world of fudal Japan, with a human grip. 'Blade' tells the story of a cursed/blessed ronin, Manji, who must slay one-thousand evil men. But, the true artistry of 'Blade' is in the characters. Not since Victor Hugo have I seen a writer build and paint his characters so real and complex. Each character has a story, a life, of it's own - Manji isn't just a "good-guy" killing "bad-guy"s, he is a man trying to do something right and noble. Rin, Manji's protectorite, is touching and cute. Even the villianous Anotsu is, at times, warm and reasonably correct. Oppositly, Manji is a killer through-and-through, Rin is obsessed with vengence and Anostu is cold and twisted. This is a book I suggest at all times, to those who like novels, comics or just a beautifully drawn fight.

I am an avid otaku, and I love all sorts of anime and manga, and yet this is one of my favorites. that would seem a little strange, seeing as how I'm usually given to more, well, cute things, but this is such a fine book I don't see how anyone couldn't get sucked in. The art is incredible. I can't begin to rave about it. Even nasty scenes where people are beheaded, disembowled, etc. look beautiful, and the art depicts real people and real situations. the main characters cry and have bad things happen to them and throw up and lose battles and all sorts of stuff not commonly seen in any kind of fiction these days. They are very real, even though the story has a fantastic element to it (manji's immortality and, to a certain extent, the battles.) I own this whole series (so far, anyway) in comic form and I am buying the book just to preserve this wonderful story. I really think it gets better as it goes along, but even this first book is very good. I also think the translation is some of the best I've seen and I apprieciate the cultural and historical notes they include. my only complaint with any of it is that they haven't released books for all of the comics, only 3 story arcs. grr.

It's hard to believe that Hiroaki Samura is just beginning his career with Blade of the Immortal. His artwork yields first place to no one. He can make his characters seem to move on the page, and yet also create still, gorgeous, disturbing, mandala-like conclusions to the battles.

His writing more than holds up its end of the bargain with tight plots and strong characterization. Though the book appears to be about Manji, the former samurai now cursed with immortality, really it is about Rin, an innocent girl seeking revenge for the murder of her parents, who seeks Manji to gain his aid. This is a grim story, with death and rape and much other suffering, but there is no exploitation of these themes. They exist to trace the path Rin must walk, between her innocent past and the future of vengeance she thinks she desires. This is not a book for children, but not because it is of the mold of "adult" comics; the serious themes are the story, not a pretext for depictions of sex.

One final note: read the introductory notes on the translation. Later volumes also have glossaries, which should be read unless you are familiar with Japanese terms and history. You'll be able to understand the story without doing so, but not appreciate its richness.

This excellent manga features rounded characters, beautiful artwork, and a complex plot. The action scenes seem to be in motion. Each character displays many facets as an immortal swordsman, Manji, helps young Rin avenge her parents. There's plenty of gore, though the more frightening portion of the story deals with the psychology of the disturbed "bad guys." This is plot driven and fully enveloping. I've read many other manga, but this was the first that completely sucked me in. Try it, you will be enchanted.

Blade of the Immortal is a hidden gem lost amongst big names. The series is in my opinion the tbest drama in manga market and is one of the best works of modern fiction made.

The style is black and white with rough, sketchy lines almost on the verge of being scribbles. However, the artwork is a its best whenever the male lead, the immortal warrior known as Manji, does a deathblow to his enemies. The artwork then is a perverse ecstacy of violence and beauty woven in huge, sometimes two-page-wide, panels. The characters are usually of a thuggish, rough nature but Samura-dono is often praised of his portrayals of them which are lifelike and dramatic.

The series is beautiful, though it is a bit expensive, every otaku should own for its greatness. No two battles, which go from one-on-one duels with regular sword to indoor brawls with knives to huge, 15 man melees with everything from shuriken to double-bladed polearms and spears to odd parrying blades reminiscent of sai, are ever alike. Manji is like a dependable big brother, wise old man with a saying every now and then that inspires both hilarity and a bit of truth of life, cranky drunkard, and tail-kicking ronin all in one. Rin provides a more innocent look at Japan and her naivete keeps Manji holding to at least an illusion of morals. Run, do not walk, to get this series and bow before its greatness

I ordered this manga a loooong time ago and the series has me hooked. This is the first one, I've also read the second (Cry of the Worm) and third (Dreamsong) anthologies. Hiroaki Samura does a really great job of blending a lot of disparate elements in this series; the cynical modern attitude of the hero Manji, the intense personal drama of Rin, the stark world of feudal Japan, and the punkish attitude of some of the villains amalgamate seamlessly into a story that defies genres with its uniqueness. The only thing I didn't like was the reversing of the pages; in Japanese, books are read from right to left, the reverse of what we do in English. Usually, therefore, when manga are translated the pages are all reversed. With Blade, however, some pages are reversed, some panels are cut up and posted in a different order, some are redrawn, and so on. Sometimes this makes things a little confusing, especially in the battle sequences. But all in all, it's a really great book that shouldn't be passed up. I recommend it to anyone who likes a story with a lot of action and drama, and who enjoys utterly incredible (and really graphic) artwork. Definitely worth it!

Realistic artwork and story, not convoluted with simple, easily forseen plot. The main character, Manji, is the dark, brooding, foul-mouthed hero with a sense of style all uniquely his own. He doesn't try to be someone else, doesn't make excuses for his behavior, and accepts what people are deep down inside. His 'revenge tutelage' to the young, inexperienced Rin makes for a striking contrast and an interesting combination. The two together accurately represent the Yin/Yang philosophy so prevalent in most Asian stories, but does not overindulge that theory to the point of innanness. In fact, that line between good and evil is easily blurred, as Samura teaches us so cunningly.

Dark Horse does an excellent job with the translations and explanations, as well as with the mirroring of the comic (right to left for English speakers, which is a reverse of the Japanese left to right way of reading). Way to go, DH!

This is one of the best samurai stories out there, and Dark Horse presents it to English-speaking audiences splendidly. Both get the highest marks of recommendation from this reader.