Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781593073213
Released: June 2005
Original release: 2002
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Last Blood, the fourteenth volume in the English-language edition of Hiroaki Samura’s manga series Blade of the Immortal was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2005. The chapters collected in the English volumes are different from those collected in the original Japanese volumes; even the actual chapter divisions have been modified in some cases. However, in the case of Last Blood, it is nearly identical in content to the thirteenth volume of the Japanese edition published in 2002. Since Blade of the Immortal began its publication it has been very well received, winning many awards and honors such as a Japan Media Arts Award and an Eisner Award among others. Blade of the Immortal is one of the manga series that I enjoy reading the most. Last Blood is a transitional volume in Blade of the Immortal, marking the end of the third major story arc and the beginning of the fourth.

In a strange turn of events, Rin finds herself fleeing Kaga along with her enemy Anotsu, each one of them helping to keep the other alive. Unfortunately, Anotsu is dying from a infected wound. It’s only a matter of time before the remaining students of the Shingyōtō-ryū dōjō catch up with them. Although Anotsu never intended for it to happen, his presence in Kaga brought tragedy down upon the school. The Shingyōtō-ryū members are determined to take his life in return, even if it means their own deaths. And because Rin is accompanying Anotsu, her life is in danger, too. This is the mess that Manji, Rin’s bodyguard, walks into. Separated from Rin in Edo when she left him behind to pursue Anotsu on her own, Manji finds her again only to discover that she’s being held captive. The Shingyōtō-ryū isn’t too keen on the appearance of an unknown swordsman, making a tense situation even more volatile.

As previously mentioned, Last Blood largely serves as a transition volume. Although there are a few very important plot developments, for the most part there is very little evolution in either the story or the characters. Instead, Last Blood is the culmination of everything that has come before it as largely independent storylines begin to collapse together. Every group that has so far had a stake in Blade of the Immortal is involved in Last Blood, resulting in a sort of battle royal between the Ittō-ryū, Shingyōtō-ryū, Mugai-ryū, and even the bakufu itself. And then there’s Manji whose main concern is Rin. Depending on the circumstances, Manji has allied himself with the various factions over the course of Blade of the Immortal in order to protect her and keep her safe. With the exception of his loyalty to Rin, Manji’s allegiances are constantly shifting as he makes the most of the situations with which he’s confronted.

While there may not be much plot or character development in Last Blood there certainly is a fair amount of fighting going on. Blood has been shed and battles have been waged since the beginning of Blade of the Immortal. And, as Last Blood shows, that is something that won’t be changing any time soon. In one way or another the different factions are all fighting to change their lives and the society in which they live. Because they choose the sword to live, many will also die by the sword. Last Blood is anything but the last blood that will be shed as their struggles continue. The Ittō-ryū in particular is faced with some major setbacks, but they have always proven themselves to be versatile and adaptable. They will begin to make their next move in the next volume, Trickster.

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.