Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781593072186
Released: August 2004
Original release: 2002
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

The thirteen volume of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal, Mirror of the Soul, was published by Dark Horse in 2004. The releases of the English-language volumes collect slightly different chapters than the Japanese releases. I recently discovered that some of the chapter divisions are also slightly different. Mirror of the Soul includes chapters sixty-eight through seventy-six of Dark Horses’ edition. It is most closely equivalent to the twelfth volume of the original Japanese release, published in 2002. Blade of the Immortal has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including a Japan Media Arts Award in 1997 and an Eisner Award in 2000. I also happen to be quite fond of the series personally. Mirror of the Soul picks up the story directly where the previous volume Autumn Frost leaves off. Since Autumn Frost ends with the implication of a major (although not unexpected) plot twist, I was looking forward to seeing how the story developed in Mirror of the Soul.

Kagehisa Anotsu, leader of the increasingly powerful sword school known as the Ittō-ryū, has agreed to the absorption of the Shingyōtō-ryū dōjō despite some of its students misgivings. In order to secure the schools’ cooperation, Anotsu marries Hisoka, the foster daughter of the Shingyōtō-ryū’s head. But even though he was reached Kaga safely and the wedding proceeds without any major complications, there are still those who see the Ittō-ryū as a threat and would attempt to take Anotsu’s life. Broke and starving, Rin, whose parents’ deaths were caused by the Ittō-ryū, has also reached Kaga in pursuit of Anotsu. A chance encounter brings the two of them together on the road when suddenly Rin finds herself caught in the middle of an assassination attempt. Manji, the bodyguard Rin abandoned in order to find Anotsu, has finally managed to leave Edo, but arrives in Kaga too late to find either Anotsu or Rin. And now that both she and Anotsu are on the run, Manji will have his work cut out for him to find them again.

At the beginning of Blade of the Immortal I was prepared to dislike Anotsu as he appeared to be the series’ villain. But as the manga progresses, he has proven to be a much more complicated character than that. At times its difficult to even call him an antagonist, one of the reasons he makes such a fascinating character. His and Rin’s relationship is also very interesting to see. Even though she wants him dead he holds nothing against her and understands her fury. Mirror of the Soul is the first time Rin witnesses Anotsu go all out as he fights for his life, realizing once again just how out-classed she is. It’s also one of the first times Anotsu is seen actually fighting with his axe—an exotic and devastating weapon with which he is able to deal an impressive amount of damage. Because the weapon is so unusual, and because Anotsu is so skilled, he is at a distinct advantage against opponents who aren’t sure how to respond to it.

Mirror of the Soul also shows Anotsu at his most vulnerable. He ends up having to rely on Rin as much as she relies on him, an odd but compelling situation for the enemies to find themselves in. Illness, disease, and injury could be a fate worse than death in an era where medical expertise is limited. Anotsu’s physical well-being isn’t the only thing at risk in Mirror of the Soul. His reunion with Makie is tragic (I was, however, very happy to see her return to the series) and is bound to take an emotional and mental toll on him. His plans for the Ittō-ryū are also in danger of unraveling. Anotsu may be an incredibly skilled strategist, but even he isn’t able to plan for every possible development. I am very curious to see how he will handle everything that has been thrown at him in Mirror of the Soul; the series continues with the next volume, Last Blood.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569719916
Released: December 2003
Original release: 2001
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Autumn Frost is the twelfth volume in the English edition of Hiroaki Samura’s award-winning manga series Blade of the Immortal. The volume, published by Dark Horse in 2003, collects chapters sixty through sixty-seven. These are the same chapters that are collected in the eleventh volume of the Japanese edition of Blade of the Immortal published in 2001. Blade of the Immortal has been the recipient of a good number of honors. Two of the most noteworthy are a Japan Media Arts award, which the series won in 1997, and an Eisner Award, which the manga won in 2000. Blade of the Immortal continues to be one of my personal favorites. I love the characters, artwork, and story which only seem to get better with each passing volume. While the previous volume, Beasts mostly focused on the Mugai-ryū, Autumn Frost most directly picks up the storylines from the volume before that, Secrets. Chronologically however, Autumn Frost does follow Beasts.

After selling out the other members of the Mugai-ryū assassins to the Ittō-ryū, Shira now has enough money to hire some muscle of his own. His target is Manji, who he intends to kill nice and slowly in exchange for the hand he lost in their last encounter. What Shira doesn’t know is the Manji is nearly immortal, making him the ideal victim for Shira’s sadistic inclinations. He also doesn’t realize that Manji has temporarily paired up with Magatsu Taito, an ex-member of the Ittō-ryū, and that Magatsu is out for revenge. Shira viciously killed a young prostitute named O-Ren with whom Magatsu was exceptionally close. Now that Magatsu has identified Shira as O-Ren’s murderer, he is determined to make him pay for her death. Knowing that Shira is after Manji, Magatsu is willing to use him as bait. Manji, who knows what Shira is capable of, would rather avoid the cruel killer and is more than willing to let the younger man deal with him. Although Manji and Magatsu have fought against each other in the past when it comes to Shira the two are of the same mind.

Magatsu and Manji make a great pair. Although neither one of them would probably voluntarily admit it, they get along well with each other. I loved seeing them together. Magatsu is the younger of the two and still has much to learn, but he and Manji share a lot in common. They’re both smart-asses (their near-constant ribbing on each other amused me to no end), they’re both highly skilled swordsmen, and they both have a girl who weighs heavily on their minds—in Magatsu’s case O-Ren and in Manji’s, Rin. I am rather fond of Magatsu. His fight with Shira is marvelous and filled with raw emotion, physicality, and power. Samura brilliantly captures the encounters intensity through the men’s facial expressions: pain, surprise, confusion, fear, disbelief, rage and anger. It is obvious at a glance just what they are going through. The tide of battle is constantly shifting; one moment Magatsu has the upper hand and the next Shira is in control. He may be fighting one-handed but Shira still makes for an incredibly formidable opponent.

I think I’ve probably mentioned it in past reviews of Blade of the Immortal, but it’s worth saying again: Shira is absolutely terrifying. One of the important points to come out of Shira and Magatsu’s fight is the need to know the terrain and one’s own opponent. But no one really wants to know Shira. Grey morality is very prevalent in Blade of the Immortal, but Shira is one of the few characters in the series that is truly rotten. Previous volumes have revealed his sadistic proclivities but Autumn Frost shows that his soul is even more twisted than that. Shira takes great delight in causing others pain and suffering. However, his horrifying and outrageous actions work both for and against him. Either way, he is one seriously scary and messed up guy. Shira is not someone you want to get mixed up with as an ally and even less so as a foe. Blade of the Immortal continues with the next volume, Mirror of the Soul. I am very interested in seeing how things continue to develop from here.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569717417
Released: December 2002
Original release: 2000
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

As the eleventh volume in the Dark Horse release of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal, Beasts collects chapters fifty-five through fifty-nine. The series has been divided slightly differently between its Japanese and English releases. Beasts, published in 2002, is most closely equivalent to the tenth volume of the Japanese edition, published in 2000. 2000 was also the year that Blade of the Immortal won the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material. The series had previously been honored with the Japan Media Arts Award in 1997. Blade of the Immortal has also earned a special place with me as one of the first manga series I ever read and it remains one of my personal favorites. I enjoy its well-rounded and complex characters, the dynamic storytelling, Samura’s fantastic artwork, and the series’ odd yet stylish anachronisms. Needless to say, I was looking forward to reading Beasts.

For some time now the swordsmen of the Ittō-ryū, a rogue school which is steadily gaining legitimate power in Edo, have systematically been hunted down and killed on the orders of an unknown entity. Although they have lost many of their top members in these ruthless killings their leader Kagehisa Anotsu has successfully evaded capture and death, accomplished only by sacrificing his followers. Still, with so many people after his life, it is an impressive feat. Anotsu has left Edo to arrive safely in Kaga, but the same cannot be said of the decoys he left behind, all of who were killed or severely maimed. Many of the surviving members of the Ittō-ryū are frustrated and angry and are ready to show just how ruthless they can be. They only have one clue to go on, the name “Akagi.” But when they are given a tip that leads them to the group of assassins known as the Mugai-ryū, the Ittō-ryū finally has a chance for revenge.

Although previously there have been hints and references to the Mugai-ryū’s pasts and who they really are, Beasts is the first volume in Blade of the Immortal to really focus on the Mugai-ryū and delve into some of its members’ back stories. In particular, Hyakurin and Shinriji’s respective histories are explored as is their relationship to each other. Since his introduction Dark Shadows, Shinriji has always been a bit of a likeable goofball. It is obvious that he genuinely cares for Hyakurin and that she is incredibly important to him even if he is incredibly awkward about it. In Beasts, Shinriji proves that his good nature hides a great potential for swordsmanship. Shinriji’s not really cut out for the Mugai-ryū’s line of work, but when needed he is prepared to fight. He can even be surprisingly capable and effective. The members of the Mugai-ryū really only have one thing in common—they have all received death sentences but have been given the opportunity to work as assassins in order to buy back their lives. Their backgrounds may be different, but most have developed a sort of camaraderie with one another.

There is no question at all that Blade of the Immortal is a mature title. Violence in particular is prevalent and quite graphic. Beasts is not an exception although it does turn to a form of violence that hasn’t been especially prominent in the series—torture. Most and some of the worst of it occurs off the page, but Samura shows enough that readers know exactly what is going on without having to rely on their imaginations. The torture and its aftermath are brutal. It’s not pretty, but it is necessary for the story. What struck me as particularly well done for this segment of Blade of the Immortal was Samura’s characterization of the members of the Ittō-ryū. At the beginning of Beasts they are all filled with blood lust. But as the volume progresses many of them become increasingly uncomfortable with the situation and dissatisfied with the results when things don’t proceed as anticipated. Beasts is an intense volume with important plot and character developments. I’m looking forward to continuing the series with Autumn Frost.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569717462
Released: June 2002
Original release: 1999
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Secrets is the tenth volume of Dark Horse’s English-language release of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal. Published in 2002, it collects chapters forty-eight through fifty-four, making it nearly equivalent to the ninth volume of the Japanese edition which was first published in 1999. Blade of the Immortal is liked by both critics and more casual fans, among which I am happy to include myself. In 1997 the series won a Japan Media Arts Award. It was also the recipient of an Eisner award in 2000. At this point, Blade of the Immortal is well into its story; Secrets is the beginning of the third major plot arc in the series. The previous arc ended with The Gathering and The Gathering, Part II. To put it mildly, both volumes were fairly intense. I was looking forward to seeing how the characters would deal with the consequences of those volumes and where Samura would take the story next with Secrets.

Kagehisa Anotsu is the leader of the Ittō-ryū, a rogue sword school that is quickly gaining power and prestige in Edo. The school isn’t so concerned with style as it is with winning and so when its members fight anything goes. Anotsu has been invited to the Shingyōtō-ryū dōjō in the mountains of Kaga to discuss the school’s assimilation into the Ittō-ryū—an odd situation since most other sword schools have fallen to the Ittō-ryū by force. Anotsu has finally reached Kaga safely (the same can’t be said for his decoys back in Edo) but the students of the Shingyōtō-ryū are far from happy with his presence at their school. Elsewhere in Edo, Manji is recovering from his most recent encounter with the Ittō-ryū which literally left him in pieces. He may be nearly immortal, but even the kessen-chū that keep him alive have their limitations. Rin may have made it through the Edo checkpoint in her pursuit of Anotsu, but she is quickly discovering that traveling on her own without Manji is more challenging, and more dangerous, than she initially realized.

It has been several volumes since Anotsu has made an actual appearance in Blade of the Immortal. I find this particularly interesting because his very existence is the driving force behind so many of the other characters’ actions. Two different sides of his nature are seen in Secrets. It has already been established in the series that Anotsu is a skilled swordsman. Because it is a more formalized duel, his fight with Iriya, one of the top students of Shingyōtō-ryū, isn’t anywhere near as violent as Manji’s fight from the previous two volumes, but it’s still a very tense situation. Although Anotsu is surprised by Iriya’s skill—which proves just how good Iriya is—Anotsu remains calm and collected throughout the fight. The duel also reveals that the two sword schools’ philosophies aren’t that dissimilar. This and his discussion with the head of the dōjō give Anotsu plenty to think about. He may be a fighter, but he doesn’t rely on his sword alone. Anotsu is also politically ambitious, contemplative, and calculating.

Anotsu isn’t the only character to make a reappearance in Secrets. Master Sōri, a close friend of Rin’s now deceased father and a rather eccentric artist from early on in the series, also makes his return. He has a somewhat unexpected connection to the Mugai-ryū. He is able to share some very important information about the group of killers with whom Manji had so recently allied himself. I wasn’t really expecting Sōri to have a critical role in Blade of the Immortal so I’m curious to see just how big a part he will end up playing. He has certainly show himself to be necessary at this point in the story. Another character I was happy to see return was Magatsu, a former member of the Ittō-ryū. He and Manji have some unfinished business to attend to and it’s an excellent setup for the next volume in the series, Beasts. I’d say the third story arc in Blade of the Immortal is off to a great start.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569715604
Released: December 2001
Original release: 1998
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

The Gathering, Part II collects chapters forty-two through forty-seven of Hiroaki Samura’s award-winning manga series Blade of the Immortal. The series has been honored with both a Japan Media Arts Award as well as with an Eisner Award. The Gathering, Part II, released in 2001, is the ninth collected volume of the English-language edition of the series as published by Dark Horse. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of Blade of the Immortal, the chapters collected in the English volumes are slightly different than those that are collected in the Japanese volumes. However, The Gathering, Part II is nearly identical to the eighth volume of the Japanese edition released in 1998. As might be expected from the title, The Gathering, Part II is an extension of the previous volume, The Gathering. It is also the end of the second major story arc in Blade of the Immortal.

After Rin leaves him behind in order to pursue Anotsu, the leader of the Ittō-ryū, on her own, Manji, her bodyguard and traveling companion, will do everything that he can to find her again. In order to obtain the travel permit he needs to leave Edo Manji must fight three vicious swordsmen from the Ittō-ryū, and they’re not necessarily going to wait to confront him one at a time. Manji may be nearly immortal but he’s not invincible. Elsewhere along the outskirts of the city Rin is faced with her own challenges as she tries to cross through the checkpoint on her way to Kaga. She has sought out the aid of the Nakayas, innkeepers who live near the border and who have helped illegal travelers pass through the checkpoint in the past. Unfortunately, the Nakayas have been under close scrutiny from the checkpoint’s guards after a failed attempt to smuggle a girl through ended in her death. It doesn’t help matters that Rin is now a wanted criminal, too, and that the authorities are on the lookout for her.

As already mentioned, The Gathering, Part II is really a continuation of The Gathering more than anything else as the events that were put into motion in The Gathering are find some resolution. No major plot developments are introduced in The Gathering, Part II, but that doesn’t mean the volume isn’t important. While there may not be many new twists and turns to the story, there is still plenty of character development. In The Gathering, Part II this is particularly true for Rin. At this point, I would argue that she is the character who has grown and changed the most in Blade of the Immortal. Rin is often plagued by self-doubt and a lack of confidence in her own abilities, but at the same time she has developed a fierce sense of determination and a tremendous amount of willpower. In The Gathering, Part II, Rin is challenged to prove just how far she is willing to go to seek her revenge. Ultimately, her performance is brilliant.

Manji’s fight with the Ittō-ryū swordsmen, which began in The Gathering, is also brought to a conclusion in The Gathering, Part II. It’s one of the longer fights to occur in Blade of the Immortal so far and it is brutal. Neither the Ittō-ryū nor Manji have any qualms about fighting dirty as is immediately obvious by watching their strategies and tactics during the fight. Because they are all willing to do almost anything in order to win, their battle is incredibly violent and intense. Manji in particular has to be spontaneous and creative with his martial abilities since he is facing multiple opponents. Although Samura’s artwork overall is excellent, sometimes his fight sequences can be fairly chaotic and difficult to follow. However, the significant moments, whether they occur during a battle or during a quiet conversation, are always made absolutely clear. The Gathering Part II is an excellent ending to one of Blade of the Immortal‘s major story arcs. I’m looking forward to the start of the next arc with the tenth volume, Secrets.