Synopsis

Manji is an infamous swordsman in feudal Japan who is known as the "Hundred Man Killer," as he has killed one hundred innocent men. However, there is something far more frightening than his ominous reputation: the fact that he is immortal. This is the handiwork of eight-hundred-year-old nun Yaobikuni, who placed bloodworms capable of healing almost any wound in Manji's body. To atone for his crimes, Manji resolves to kill one thousand evil men. Yaobikuni agrees to this proposal, saying that if he succeeds, she will undo his curse of immortality. Soon after this promise, Manji meets Rin Asano, a 16-year-old girl who requests Manji's assistance in killing those who slaughtered her parents. Initially reluctant, Manji refuses Rin's desperate plea. However, owing to her evident lack of strength, Manji changes his mind and agrees to protect Rin for four years. With this partnership set in stone, the two embark on a perilous journey of bloodshed, vengeance, and redemption, each to fulfill their own life's cause. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Episode Guide

Oshimeter0-5960-7980-100Upcoming

Characters

Manji

Immortal ronin Manji, scarred and wielding twelve blades, seeks redemption.

Silverstein Keith

Kagehisa Anotsu

Pragmatic Itto-ryu leader, Anotsu is a lethal swordsman and skilled axe-wielder, driven by a ruthless pursuit of strength.

Gibbs Adam

Rin Asano

Avenger, Rin Asano, wields skill and resolve to avenge her family's murder, despite her doubts and growing feelings for her bodyguard.

Lee Mela

Community Feed

countzeroor★★★★☆Anime10d

Blade of the Immortal has had a mixed adaptation history. The last anime adaptation came out while the manga was still ongoing. This past year, we finally got a new anime adaptation thanks to Amazon – who produced and distributed it. Readers of the blog will be familiar with the premise from my previous reviews of the work (volume-by-volume reviews on my blog, not posted here), but a quick summary is in order. Teenage girl Rin Anotsu is the daughter of the head of the Mutenichi-ryuu dojo, when her father is is murdered, and her mother is raped and murdered as well, by the students of the Ittou-Ryuu sword school, lead by Anotsu Kagehisa. Rin sets out to get revenge, accompanied by Manji – the titular immortal. However, on the course of their journey, they’ll learn that as cruel and ruthless as the members of the Ittou-Ryuu are, the forces of the Shogunate are as bad or worse. One of the things Hiroaki Samura’s manga was known for was intensely violent and detailed action scenes. These were accompanied by some additional sexual violence, though not as regularly. Unfortunately, this is where the anime falls short. The violence in the anime comes in short, sharp staccato bursts that don’t linker on screen. This is actually something of a problem, because while the gory violence comes quickly, shocks, and then leaves, the anime dwells on the sexual violence. In the manga, the violence had room for the shock factor to sink in. Here, it’s quite the opposite. There are exceptions in the third quarter of the series, during the prison arc, but not really. I’m not sure if this is a case where the studio didn’t have confidence in the animation of the violence, or Amazon executives felt that they couldn’t get away with giving the violence equal time. img220(https://i1.wp.com/countzeroor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/430036.jpg) Rin isn’t the only character threatened with sexual assault (and some characters are raped), but she gets threatened with it a lot. This is not helped by the fact that the show also gives short shrift to some of the members of the Ittou-Ryu, and their opposite number in the shogunate. There are characters who feel like they get more coverage in the manga, but get short shrift in the anime – they show up, get a line, and then a fight. If the show just had another 12 episodes, it would have been perfect. Ultimately, I’m glad this show exists. It’s not a perfect adaptation, but I’m glad it’s there.