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.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569715314
Released: April 2001
Original release: 1997
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Heart of Darkness is the seventh volume in Dark Horse’s English translation of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal. After chapters twenty-six through thirty-three were serialized as individual comics, the seventh collection was published in 2001. The numbering of the English volumes of Blade of the Immortal is slightly different than that of the original Japanese volumes. Heart of Darkness collects chapters from the sixth and seventh volumes of the Japanese editions, both of which were released in 1997. 1997 is also the year that Blade of the Immortal won a Japan Media Arts Award. The series also won an Eisner Award in 2000 for Best U.S. Edition of International Material. In addition to being critically well received, Blade of the Immortal also happens to be one of my favorite manga series (as well as one of the first manga that I read). Understandably, I was looking forwarded to reading Heart of Darkness.

Rin and Manji aren’t the only people after the life of Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the rogue Ittō-ryū sword school. The Mugai-ryū, more of a band of assassins than a legitimate style, are also after Anotsu, but they have their eye on Manji, too. Anotsu will soon be leaving Edo, but his exact route is unknown. The Mugai-ryū have obtained inside information on Anotsu’s plans and are willing to trade it in exchange for Manji’s aid in taking him down. But that is all they are willing to share—who the Mugai-ryū really are, and who is backing and supporting the group is unknown. Despite their better judgement, Manji and Rin agree to join forces with the Mugai-ryū. They will soon discover just how incredibly dangerous some of its members truly are and may very well come to regret their decision.

Heart of Darkness is a exceptionally apt name for this particular story arc. Shira, one of the members of the Mugai-ryū who was introduced in the previous volume, Dark Shadows, plays a very prominent role. He is already known to be cruel and sadistic; the bloody aftermath of others’ encounters with him were shown in Dark Shadows. In Heart of Darkness his perverse proclivities are on full display—witnessed by Rin and the readers from start to finish—and it is brutal. From the very beginning of Blade of the Immortal it has been clear that the series is intended for mature audiences, but Heart of Darkness leaves absolutely no doubt. The lengthy scene with Shira is well done, but that doesn’t make it any less horrifying or any easier to read. It’s disturbing, rough, and intense, but then again it should be.

I continue to be impressed by Blade of the Immortal. In Heart of Darkness Samura’s artwork and storytelling is once again top notch. (Although the way Dark Horse has semi-flipped the manga occasionally makes the panel flow somewhat awkward.) His characters, even those that are scary as hell, fascinate me. Anotsu in particular is very intriguing. Time and again he is shown to be an incredibly formidable opponent. Not only is his a skilled fighter, but he has the brains to match. Anotsu is extremely intelligent and an excellent strategist which is one of the reasons he’s managed to stay alive for so long considering the number of people who would rather see him dead. Blade of the Immortal remains one of my favorite series. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next volume, The Gathering.

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781569714690
Released: September 2000
Original release: 1996
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Dark Shadows is the sixth volume of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal as published by Dark Horse. The English volumes and the Japanese volumes collect slightly different chapters and so Dark Shadows is actually most closely equivalent to the fifth volume published in Japan and released in 1996. Dark Shadows was published in 2000, the same year that Blade of the Immortal won an Eisner Award. In 1997 the series also won a Japan Media Arts Award. Blade of the Immortal was one of my first manga series and it remains one of my favorites. On Silent Wings II, the volume that immediately precedes Dark Shadows, ends the first major story arc of Blade of the Immortal. Dark Shadows begins the next arc, introducing new characters and new complications to the story.

The Ittō-ryū continues to dominate the other dōjō in Edo, ultimately catching the eye of the shogunate itself. But the pressure applied by the shogunate isn’t the only thing that Anotsu, the charismatic leader of the Ittō-ryū, has to worry about. A newly formed sword school is bent on the destruction of the Ittō-ryū. Using methods as ruthless as the Ittō-ryū’s own, they have been steadily taking out Anotsu’s leading swordsmen. Rin, too, has become more confident in her decision to kill Anotsu in revenge for her parents’ murder. She continues to train with Manji to improve her swordsmanship. The confrontations between Manji and the members of the Ittō-ryū have brought him to the attention of the new sword school, as well. They would like him to join them in their fight against Anotsu and the Ittō-ryū.

One of the things that Samura does exceptionally well in Blade of the Immortal is establishing moral ambiguity in his characters. No one is truly good or bad—the “bad guys” have honorable qualities and the “good guys” have faults. It all depends on the perspective of the individual characters. A good example of this in Dark Shadows is Magatsu, one of the only members of the Ittō-ryū to survive an encounter with Manji. He’s more than willing to cut down other swordsmen, usually after being provoked, but maintains his own code of honor along with his grudges. Throughout Blade of the Immortal, Magatsu is shown to be one of the more decent characters. On the other hand, Dark Shadows see the introduction of Shira, a member of the swords school fighting against the Ittō-ryū. In his case, he is extremely cruel and even sadistic in his methods. He’s made his living killing others for money and has come to enjoy it.

Up until this point, much of Blade of the Immortal has focused on Rin and Manji and their journey. But they don’t even appear until the final half of Dark Shadows. Instead, Samura takes the opportunity to explore the Ittō-ryū more deeply. Magatsu in particular is developed as an important character. Dark Shadows also introduces new and very dangerous players to the story. The volume downplays some of the more fantastical elements of the story, but that may just be because Manji wasn’t involved in any of the fights. However, there’s no question that Blade of the Immortal remains a very violent series. Dark Shadows marks an excellent start to the new story arc and I look forward to seeing how things continue to develop in the next volume, Heart of Darkness.