Blade of the Immortal

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Blade of the Immortal
無限の住人 (Mugen no Jūnin)
Genre	action, drama
Manga
Authored by	Hiroaki Samura
Publisher	Kodansha Dark Horse Comics Conrad Editora Ehapa Egmont Panini Comics Schibsted Forlagene
Serialized in	Afternoon
Original run	1994 – present
No. of volumes	20 (currently)

Blade of the Immortal (Japanese: 無限の住人 or Mugen-no-Jūnin, abbreviated as BOTI, lit. "Inhabitant of Infinity"), is a Japanese manga series by Hiroaki Samura.^[1] The series won the Excellence Prize at the 1997 Japan Media Arts Festival^[2] and the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award in 2000 for Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material.^[3] The series is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period, beginning in the 2nd year of the Tenmei era or 1782. Blade of the Immortal is being released in the United States by Dark Horse Comics and is up to 16 volumes. It is serialized in comic-book-sized installments monthly.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters of Blade of the Immortal 2.1 Main characters 2.2 Ittō-ryū 2.2.1 Other Ittō-ryū 2.2.2 Mugai-ryū 2.2.3 Shingyoto-ryū 2.2.4 Other characters 3 Story Arcs 4 The Kessen-Chu 5 Weapons in Blade of the Immortal 6 Glossary 7 Art of Hiroaki Samura 8 Publication 9 References

[edit] Plot

Blade of the Immortal follows the deeds of Manji, a skilled samurai who has a decisive advantage: no wound can kill him, except for a rare poison. In the past, his criminal actions led to the death of 100 other samurai (including his sister's husband). He becomes immortal at the hand of a 800-year-old nun named Yaobikuni, and is compelled by the death of his sister to accept the quest that will end his agelessness. He has vowed to make amends by killing 1000 evil men, and until he does Manji will be kept alive by kessen-chu ('sacred bloodworms'), remarkable creatures that allow him to survive nearly any injury and reattach severed limbs even after hours of separation. They work by sacrificing themselves to seal the wound - they're worms that were bred to be as close in their chemical and physical make-up to humans as you can get without being human. They cannot handle regrowth on a large scale, but, for example, can reattach a severed limb or seal a hole in the brain.

Manji crosses paths with a young girl named Asano Rin and promises to help her avenge her parents, who were killed by a cadre of master swordsmen led by Anotsu Kagehisa. Anotsu killed Rin's father and his entire dōjō, making them a family of outcasts. Anotsu's quest is to gather other outcasts and form an extremely powerful new dojo, the Ittō-ryū (a school teaching any technique that wins, no matter how exotic or underhanded), and has started taking over and destroying other dojos.

In addition, another group calling itself the Mugai-ryū has emerged, in opposition to the Ittō-ryū. Its true leadership and motives are initially a mystery, but its methods (any tactics that leads to victory) resemble those of the Ittō-ryū. They try to enlist Manji's help as they seem to want the same thing. Eventually Manji joins but quickly pulls out after he finds out a member, Shira, is way too sadistic for his tastes. After a while Manji finally discovers that the Mugai-ryū work for the government. They are all death row inmates who are allowed to live only if they serve the shogunate . While Manji and Shira quickly grow to hate each other, after Shira runs off, Manji remains on friendly terms with the other members of the group.

In a broader context, the series covers the effects of death and the consequences of not being able to die, as well as the meanings behind living. Most of the principal characters have some sort of purpose which they inexplicably discover through the events that transpire.

[edit] Characters of Blade of the Immortal

[edit] Main characters

• Manji (卍, Manji^?): The immortal referred to in the title. While not lazy, he is very laid-back, often seen sleeping. Manji also has a strange sense of "honour" that is in many ways similar to the fighting-ethic of the Itto-Ryu. The fallen samurai Manji served the Hatamoto Horii Shigenobu, a local daimyō, enforcing his brutal rule (unknowingly) on the local populace until he found out his lord was corrupt and killed him. For that he was considered an outlaw and hunted down by the same daimyō clan, achieving the nickname "Killer of 100" after the body count. He planned to flee to his sister's house even though she had married an officer of the law, Saitō Tatsumasa. Manji ended up killing his sister's husband out of self-defense when he attacked Manji. His sister witnessed her husband's death at the hands of her brother and went insane, reverting to a child-like mindset. Manji settled down to take care of her. At some point during this time, he met Yaobikuni (her name literally means "nun of eight hundred years"), a mysterious nun, who gave him the kessen-chu, or sacred bloodworms that make him immortal. Despite the obvious advantages of being nearly invincible, Manji dislikes being immortal. He tries to get Yaobikuni to remove the kessen-chu, finally making a deal with her. He has to kill 1000 bad men, to make up for the 100 good men he killed, if he does this Yaobikuni will rid him of his immortality. It's worth noting, one reason he doesn't like being immortal is he feels it is making his swordsmanship rusty, because he doesn't have to be as good to win. After his sister is killed (due to a revenge for his actions) he met Rin, whom he accepted to help since he felt she was very much alike to his deceased sister. Manji is constantly trying to make amends for his past actions: he kills his lord to atone for those he killed on the Damiyo's orders; looked after his sister to atone for the deaths of the one hundred cops he killed; and makes the deal to kill one thousand bad men and to look after Rin to make amends for the death of his sister. However each time Manji tries to do something "good", he tends to only make the situation worse (the death of his lord leading to the deaths of one hundred cops, for example). He uses many weapons, a good number of which came from defeated opponents. His two short, hooked swords are named Shidō (four paths). His two standard swords are named Imo-no-Kami Tatsumasa (Sister Defender Tatsumasa). His two chained scythes have no name. His double bladed sword-breaker is named Kotengu (Little devil). He first appears in Criminal.

• Rin Asano (浅野 凛, Asano Rin^?): The sole survivor of an Ittō-ryū massacre at Anotsu's hand and heir to her father's sword school, the "Mutenichi-ryū". She has mediocre swordsmanship skills but an intense desire to avenge the brutal death of her family. At the beginning of the series is she portrayed as somebody who is trying to act mature, but is still very childish - as the series progresses she steadily "grows up" and loses much of her naivety. She hires Manji as her bodyguard in this quest. However, it's not as simple as that - Rin is constantly torn by doubt over the righteousness and validity of her mission and fears becoming a hypocrite as Anotsu claims she is more like the Ittō-ryū that she realizes because she chooses to use throwing knives instead of a sword like the "Mutenichi-ryū" teaches. She comes into contact with Anotsu at one point, but his claim that she is becoming more and more like the Ittō-ryū as she progresses down the path of revenge causes her even more doubt. In recent chapters she realized she can't defeat Anotsu. She has found Anotsu again, and is now traveling with him hoping to catch him with his guard down. Anotsu is no fool and is fully aware of what she is doing, despite this he allows her presence. She has since left his company, vowing that she will eventually kill him; yet she will stand back for the time being and watch how the events unfold. It is also worth noting that she kisses a sleeping Manji in the fourteenth volume, Last Blood, and has shown on numerous occasions her developing feelings towards him. They are as of now largely unreciprocated. She has three weapons, a Chinese sword named Kutoneshirika which she carries in a Toju (purse-like scabbard of sorts), a Tantō type dagger and a set of small throwing daggers named Ogunchu (Golden Wasps). Even though she is only mediocre in terms of fighting ability, Rin is still more skilled with weapons than most women of that time period and the fact that she carries a small arsenal of weapons with her makes her somewhat unique. She first appears in Conquest part 1.

[edit] Ittō-ryū

• Kagehisa Anotsu (天津 影久, Anotsu Kagehisa^?) : Leader of the Ittō-ryū. This emotionally cold young man has prodigious skill with the sword, and leads the Ittō-ryū in order to form a dōjō dedicated not to form and rules, but to the simple test of superior lethality. Brought up by an abusive grandfather (a swordsman disgraced by the Asano dōjō), Anotsu is as pragmatic and shrewd as he is deadly. He isn't as inhuman as originally believed, as he even allows Rin to live after she attacks him; even letting her follow him everywhere. While painted as the "villain" of the series at the start, he has had many scenes devoted to making the reader sympathetic to his views and goals. Is currently at "war" with Habaki Kagimura, the leader of the Banshu. He has two weapons. The first, his main weapon, is a Nepalese-based axe named Kabutsuchi (Head Hammer). The other is his rarely used sword of the same name. It is not much of a backup weapon, as even Rin referred to it as "pathetic" in Last Blood part 4. First appears in Conquest part 1.

• Taito Magatsu (凶 戴斗, Magatsu Taito^?) : Among the Ittō-ryū's finest swordsmen. Of peasant origin, he became a swordsman to avenge his sister, who was killed as a child by a samurai. Taito is one of the few swordsmen who has fought Manji and survived. He has also fought by Manji's side as well. He can be considered a kenshi, a swordsman who is not from the samurai class. His lover of sorts, a prostitute named O-ren was killed by Shira. He quit the Ittō-ryū, although he is still friends with Anotsu. He ends up following Manji around due to the fact he knows Shira is after Manji. Although they argue a lot, Manji and Taito have a relatively friendly relationship. In the end Manji allows Taito to find Shira, and despite how much Shira wants to kill Manji, he lets Taito take him. Eventually Shira loses the one hand he had left to Taito and presumably falls to his death. Later concerned by something Shira said, Taito goes to meet up with Anotsu and eventually rejoins the Ittō-ryū. Taito's weapon is a gladius-like triple-sectioned sword named Grand Turk. The main blade is a gladius, the second is a smaller, shorter sword hidden in the handle, the last is a spear-head like dagger hidden within the second blade. The sword is curiously missing a sword guard. First appears in Conquest part 1, first named in Fanatic part 1.

• Makie Otono-Tachibana (乙橘 槙絵, Otono-Tachibana Makie^?) : Master swordswoman and in love with Anotsu. Said to be Anotsu's match and saved his life with her deadly abilities when they were children. Born into a samurai family, Makie and her mother were disowned and cast away from the family by her father, Harukawa, when Makie's older brother committed seppuku after Makie was revealed to have inherited the family's famed talent and he was unable to defeat her in combat. She initially chose the path of the sword to avenge her mother's disgrace, but ended up becoming a geisha when Anotsu bought her freedom because she neither had the nerve to become a prostitute like her mother nor commit herself completely to becoming a swordfighter because she does not have the nerve to kill when her concentration in battle is broken. Defeats but does not kill Manji, apparently turning her back on Anotsu. Later found living alone, having bound her hand in an attempt to destroy her own skill in combat after her father's humiliating death. She reappears in recent chapters, having followed Anotsu since he left Shirakawa when she realized his body was weakening, and destroys the men under Iriya who were pursuing Anotsu. After Iriya's death, she leaves with Anotsu and Magatsu. As said by Anotsu, she is the only one that can beat him. Her weapon, a double bladed three-section-staff, is named Haru-no-Okina (Old Man of Spring). She conceals her weapon in a hollowed-out shamisen, a mandolin-like instrument. She first appears in Dreamsong Part 1.

[edit] Other Ittō-ryū

• Sosuke Abayama (阿葉山 宗介, Abayama Sōsuke^?): Second-in-command of the Ittō-ryū. An aged swordsman who nevertheless remains one of the Ittō-ryū's most skilled fighters. A skilled political operative, well suited to handling the dōjō's administrative tasks. He is missing his right arm, and uses a concealed dagger/machete-like weapon with a strange hilt.

• Araya Kawakami (川上 新夜, Kawakami Araya^?): An Ittō-ryū swordsman living as a mask-maker. Determined to conceal his past from his son, Renzo, he is also the man who led the rape of Rin's mother. He first appears in On Silent Wings part 1, and is later killed by Manji in On Silent Wings part 6. Renzo then attacks Manji in rage, Manji feigning death. Renzo then makes an assumption his father had a sordid past with Rin at his father's burial, when Rin says, hypothetically, that there are some reasons past incidents shouldn't be brought up, as the blissful ignorance is better than the lifetime of shame.

• Higa (火瓦, Higa^?):Ittō-ryū fighter fascinated by Manji's immortality and determined to somehow steal it from him. His weapon is a Southeast Asian blade named Kamujin (Godblade). A very determined man, after losing both arms he still tries to kill Hyakurin by biting down on her throat. Beheaded by Shinriji as Higa was attempting to kill Hyakurin.

• Hanada (花田, Hanada^?): Cocky Ittō-ryū swordsman who detests the sun. Killed by Manji. He wields a pair of very narrow swords, one with a small hooked blade and the other with a straight small blade at the ends of the pommels, called Enchū-maru (Swallows of Death), which Samura notes would not allow Hanada to kill anyone unless he precisely strikes a lethal point. Samura stated he originally was supposed to resemble John Lennon but he ended up as "just another otaku dude". His bizarre glasses shape, one rectangular lens and one circular lens, is a possible homage to Spider Jerusalem from the American comic Transmetropolitan.

• Uruma (宇留間, Uruma^?): Composed Ittō-ryū swordsman whose trademark is a chain ending in a barded spike, used for immobilizing his enemy, as well as his large machete-like weapon, Ondeko-bachi (Devil's Drumstick). Killed by Manji.

• Eiku Shizuma (閑馬 永空, Shizuma Eikō^?): Immortal swordsman. Gifted with the same blood-worms as Manji, he seeks to gain Manji as an ally to overthrow Anotsu. He said in Cry of the Worm that the kessen-chu were given to him by Yaobikuni during the Muromachi period, which means he is two hundred years old. His weapons are a poisoned pair of a dagger and a saber both named Inoue Shinkai Kosatsu ("Wormkiller"). He first appears in Conquest part 1, is named in Cry of the Worm part 1 and is later killed by Manji in Cry of the Worm part 3. The poison he uses (Kessen Satsu) is later used in Trickster in an attempt to kill Manjji.

• Sabato Kuroi (黒衣 鯖人, Kuroi Sabato^?): Skilled pupil of Anotsu Saburō (Anotsu Kagehisa's grandfather) and master Ittō-ryū swordsman. Along with his skills with a sword, Kuroi has several quirks, which includes poetry referencing Black Sabbath appearing whenever he does. In addition, Kuroi is so obsessed with ageless beauty that he used taxidermy to preserve the heads of his former wife and Rin's mother, and mounted them on his shoulders. Along with his sword skills, Kuroi uses two shuriken referred to as Karasu, or "The Crow." He first appears in Conquest part 1 and is later killed by Manji in Conquest part 3. Kuroi Sabato's is inspired by the band Black Sabbath; Kuroi Sabato roughly translates into Black Sabbath from Japanese. Kuroi is a direct translation to the color black. Sabato when romanized, can be taken as "Sabbath." Black Sabbath is one of Hiroaki Samura's favorite bands.

• Kinuka (鬼抜, Kinuka^?): Honor-driven Ittō-ryū swordsman, who leads in the incident which results in capturing of Hyakurin and death of Shinriji. Killed by Giichi.
• Tamasaki: Enraged Ittō-ryū swordsman under Kinuka. Suffers from muscle deterioration brought about by one of Hyakurin's poisons, and thinks of nothing but his revenge on her. Killed by Hyakurin.
• Saikaya (賽河屋, Saikaya^?): Ittō-ryū swordsman living as a doctor, charged with killing Shira and Manji. Mercilessly killed by Shira.
• Iwami Ginzan: Ittō-ryū swordsman living as a herbalist. Charged with the duty of killing Shira and Manji. Suffers the same fate as Saikaya.
• Kurishige Wayan: An Ittō-ryū swordsman, one of the ten core members of the group after several dojo leaders are slaughtered by Giichi and Kagimura Habaki. He has a star burst shaped scar over his left eye as a result of fighting a bear in his youth, an event which also permeates into his fighting style. He, Kasori, and Magatsu kidnap Rin in volume 15, Trickster, as bait to lure Manji in a trap. He fights using a sword which is designed to soak poisons and a dagger used to make his killing stroke. Is killed by Manji in combat.
• Fujiaki Kasori: Ittō-ryū swordsman, one of the ten core members of the group. He obtains kessen satsu from the deceased Eiku Shizuma's belongings to use against Manji. Is killed by Giichi in combat.
• Doa Yoshino (吉乃 瞳阿, Yoshino Dōa^?): Ittō-ryū swordswoman who is quite small. Her primary weapon is an odd knife which is fashioned from a spearhead. She appears in the later chapters as one of Ittō-ryū's new recruits. Doa always travels with her friend Isaku and the two have developed complementary fighting styles. This usually consists of Doa providing the offense with her speed and dagger, while Isaku provides the defense with his armored arms. Her tendency to jump right into battle with little to no provocation often lands her and Isaku in trouble. She ends up befriending Asano Rin. She and Isaku are both originally from Hokkaido, where Doa lived defending Ainu land from samurai who attempted to take it by force, despite the fact she is not Ainu herself.
• Isaku Yasonokami (八苑狼 夷作, Yasonōkami Isaku^?): Ittō-ryū member of great height (over 1.90 meters/6'2" tall). Unlike most members of the Ittō-ryū, Isaku has no weapons to speak of, instead he wears various piece of armor and tends to act defensively. He is also Doa's best friend and the two always travel together. Isaku often finds himself rescuing Doa, apologizing for her and keeping her from killing others (usually by picking her up and running away). He and Doa have also developed complementary fighting styles, with Isaku acting as the defense and Doa as the offense. He ends up befriending Asano Rin. Is also Christian. He is not incredibly intelligent, but is kindhearted. Is cut in two as a result of the experiments in Habaki's compound, only to be reassembled by Doa - he now has similar regenerative abilities to Manji.
• Koji Kashin: A spy and doctor for the Ittō-ryū, one of the ten core members of the group. He is an elderly man with a long white beard and unknown to Habaki, Kashin has been making highly detailed maps of his castle as he performs medical services in Habaki's strong hold. These maps are later used to aid Rin and Doa as they infiltrate Habaki's castle to find and rescue Manji and Isaku.
• Ozuhan: A masked member of the Ittō-ryū who appears to be deaf and communicates through the use of sign language and simple sounds. He is one of the ten core members of the group. He is known as the "the guy no one wants to fight beside" because of his use of a hypnotic flute to fight. Ozuhan, himself, is immune to the effects of his instrument.

[edit] Mugai-ryū

• Hyakurin (百淋, Hyakurin^?): A female assassin and a lieutenant in the Mugai-ryū. Hyakurin was the wife of an abusive samurai, Hayakawa Kakōsai Genkei, who was obsessed with trying to gain fame by training Matsuhiko, their sickly son, to become a strong swordsman. She later kills her husband to avenge the death of her son by his father's hand and is then arrested and sentenced to death. Her case came to the attention of Kagimura who subsequently recruited her into Mugai-ryū. Hyakurin's most unique physical trait is her blonde hair, which she maintains by bleaching it with a strong chemical as a compulsive desire to remove bloodstains from it. While her skills with a sword are unremarkable, she has an extensive knowledge of poisons. This knowledge carries over into her choice of weaponry, a collapsible wrist mounted crossbow with poisoned bolts named Burafuma (Little Steps). The crossbow also possesses two blades such that when the weapon is collapsed, Hyakurin can use it to stab her opponents. After volume 11, Beasts, her skills are impeded after having her arm broken. She later becomes pregnant and ends up "retired" from the Mugai-ryū because a deal between Habaki and Giichi when Giichi earns his freedom. She has no desire to keep the child because she believes she will be reminded of Shinriji's death and the faces of the Ittō-ryū men who raped her. She first appears in Dark Shadows part 1.
• Shira (尸良, Shira^?): A cold-blooded killer in the Mugai-ryū. He's responsible for the death of Magatsu Taito's close friend, O-Ren. Shira's a sadistic psychopath who derives sexual pleasure in the torture and murder of his victims, particularly young women. After an attempt to ambush Anotsu goes horribly wrong and he tries to take it out on his attackers. He uses the saw-blade side of his sword to hack of some of their limbs, and then tries to rape a prostitute that was with them while cutting her up at the same time. Rin tries to stop him but is slapped away, Manji arrives and manages to take off Shira's hand before he runs off. Following this incident he cuts some flesh from his injured arm, and sharpens the bones into spikes. His hair turns stark white due to the trauma he caused himself. He develops an obsession with revenge on Manji which leads to him betraying his Mugai-ryū comrades, causing the death of Shinriji. Later, his quest for revenge against Manji leads to a battle with Magatsu Taito, who was traveling with Manji specifically so he could find Shira. This battle further cripples him with in the loss of his remaining hand. Recently he's been shown to be imprisoned in the same prison Manji is currently being held in, and has been set parametres/list as to who he shall face before being allowed to fight Manji (this list includes Magatsu). He also states that he has since lost one eye, and has a new 'weapon' of sorts. He uses a ninja-to sword, with a saw edge on one side of the blade. He usually uses the regular side to immobilize opponents by cutting off their legs, and then uses the saw-blade to cut off other parts of the body and cause maximum pain. This sword is named "Hotosogi" or woman shadow eraser. However, there is a second meaning for "Hotosogi" which also fits Shira's sadistic nature; when the kanji for woman and shadow are used together they become vagina. He first appears in Dark Shadows part 2 and is first named in Dark Shadows part 3.
• Giichi (偽一, Gīchi^?): A highly skilled Mugai-ryū killer. Little is known about his past or reasons for being sentenced to death, though it's suggested that it might involve his sick son, Tojiro, who suddenly dies. Giichi is also one of the most skilled fighters in the series, having killed a total of 59 Ittō-ryū swordsmen on his own. Of the Mugai-ryū, he is the only member who manages to garner enough kills to earn his freedom. He works closely with Kagimura Habaki and cares for the other Mugai-ryū, attempting to buy Hyakurin's freedom as well, unsuccessfully. He disappears when Habaki dissolves the Mugai-ryū and is later found living in among the burakumin by Rin and Hyakurin, where he provides Rin with information concerning Manji's whereabouts. Now a broken man, he deliberately distances himself from Hyakurin to keep her from suffering any more pain and is aware of her pregnancy - when she tries to kill her baby, he stops her and persuades to carry the child to term and allow him to raise the baby after it is born. He uses a unique weapon which resembles an oversized bladed handcuff attached to a length of chain. The weapon, Kanetsura's Mito-no-Kami (Guardian of the Three Paths), was adapted from a thresher or similar farming implement, and allows him to sever or entangle limbs, necks and weapons from a distance. It is hard to block as the handcuff like action will wrap it around what it hits, but is broken by Manji in Volume 14: Last Blood. Giichi's first appearance is in Dark Shadows part 1.
• Shinriji (真理路, Shinriji^?): A bumbling Mugai-ryū swordsman. He was apparently a pickpocket and thief prior to joining the Mugai-ryū. After attending a sword school, he worked for a silk merchant. Disgruntled by his low wages, he stole money from the merchant and left. Shinriji intentionally stole 1 ryo less than 10 ryo to avoid the death penalty. Unfortunately for him, they added the money he earned legitimately to the total. He worked most closely with Hyakurin and developed a crush on her, viewing her as a surrogate mother, her blonde hair reminding him of his foreign mother. While he's not highly skilled with a sword, he does have a firm grasp of dimensions as noted by Kinuka, and is implied by Kagimura to have much potential. He first appears in Dark Shadows part 1, and is later killed by Kinuka, but not before taking out four Ittō-ryū. As he dies, he positions himself to point south-east (archaically called tatsumi) in order to tell Giichi that Hyakurin has been taken to the Tatsumi district of Edo. As a sign of respect, Hyakurin cuts her hair and places the tied locks on his gravesite.
• Makoto (真琴, Makoto^?): A former male prostitute, Makoto was recruited to be the group's mole within the Ittō-ryū. During his time in the Ittō-ryū, he served as a page for the senior members often carrying letters and taking care of their weapons during meetings. He was a key player in the massacre which occurred during a feast meant to celebrate the official union of Ittō-ryū with Banshu, slipping poison into the Ittō-ryū's food. He first appears in Dark Shadows part 1 and is later killed by Abayama in Pity.
• Kagimura Habaki (吐 鉤群, Habaki Kagimura^?): The leader of the Shogun's Banshu samurai, the Bangashira, and secret leader of the Mugai-ryū. He simultaneously invites the Ittō-ryū to become an official sword school while directing the Mugai-ryū against it. Kagimura also masterminded and took part in the massacre that occurred during a feast welcoming the Ittō-ryū into the Banshu. Abayama's comments imply that he is incredibly skilled with a sword, as evidenced by his attack on Manji in Trickster, volume 15. He first appears in Dark Shadows part 1.

[edit] Shingyoto-ryū

• Kensui Ibane (伊羽 研水, Ibane Kensui^?): Sensei of the Shingyoto-ryū dōjō in Kaga. A man with a philosophy similar to the Ittō-ryū, he offers Anotsu the dojo in exchange for marrying his foster child, Hisoka. Forced by the bakufu to betray Anotsu. Dead by his own hand.
• Hisoka Ibane (伊羽 密花, Ibane Hisoka^?): Foster daughter of Ibane Kensui, the granddaughter of Ibane Kenshu, Kensui's former master. Afflicted with a sickly body and near blindness as a side-effect of the medication she needs to stay alive, she is physically weak but a sensitive and perceptive individual. She marries Anotsu, but almost immediately after he is betrayed by the Shogonate and Kensui. She aids Anotsu in his escape from Kaga. Dead by her own hand.
• Iriya (入谷, Irīa^?): Student of Ibane Kensui and unrequited lover of Ibane Hisoka. Humiliated by Anotsu during a duel of his own design, and seeks vengeance for the deaths of Kensui and Hisoka. Killed by the wounded Anotsu in Last Blood.
• Kozue (虎杖, Kozue^?): Senior student of Ibane Kensui who is largely shown in a humble manner. He does not hold the same feelings of contempt or anger for Anotsu that are principally shared by his fellow students. Killed presumably by Magatsu.

[edit] Other characters

• Sori (宗理, Sōri^?): A high-ranking spy and ninja obsessed with art, driven into political intrigue in order to gain access to European art, which is contraband in that period. Master Sōri has a daughter named Tatsu and is a childhood friend of the Asano clan. Rin goes to him hoping he will be another sword against Ittō-ryū. He refuses to offer any help at first but is soon able to provide Rin with thirty ryō. He later assists Manji after he is injured, and informs him about who is behind the Mugai-ryū. Also hires Magatsu to watch over his daughter while he is away painting, and is later revealed that may have greater interest in Magatsu (to which Manji notes after his conversation with Magatsu in volume 12, Autumn Frost). He first appears in Genius part 1.
• Yaobikuni (八百比丘尼, Yaobikuni^?): As her name implies, she is an eight-hundred-year-old nun. She herself has the kessen-chu and has imparted these blood-worms to both Manji and Shizuma. Yaobikuni finds Rin Asano at the graveyard where Rin's father is buried. After hearing her story, Yaobikuni urges Rin to find the toughest, strongest yojimbo of all: Manji. Yaobikuni is short in stature and has spiral tattoos on her face. She first appears in Criminal.
• Johnny Gyobutsu (序仁 魚仏, Zīonī Gīobutsu^?): Assassin fascinated by western apparel and practices. He poses as a Christian priest, collecting bounties on criminals who confess their sins with a flintlock pistol, marked with the word "Divina" on the barrel. Has the dubious honor of being Manji's first victim to appear in the graphic novel. His first appearance and death both occur in Criminal. His name is a homage to John Lydon's stage name while heading the British punk band Sex Pistols, Johnny Rotten ("Gyobutsu" roughly translates as rotten fish).
• Shido Hishiyasu (司戸　菱安, Shido Hishīasu^?): Leader of the world's baddest ronin gang, the Shinsengumi. After Manji killed his brother "Johnny", Hishiyasu sought revenge by kidnapping Manji's sister, Machi, to use her as bait. When Manji would not submit to a duel, and offered only to fight barehanded, Hishiyasu lets Machi go only to kill her immediately after. He has two pronged swords that have the word "ACID" on the tsuba. After the death of his sister Manji is able to accept his fate and proceeds to kill the entire ronin gang, starting with Shido Hishiyasu. His first appearance and death both occur in Criminal. Like Johnny, he too has his name based on a member of Sex Pistols, bassist Sid Vicious (being Shido's name an almost literal romanization).
• Renzo Kawakami (, Kawakami Renzo^?): Son of Itto-Ryu member Araya Kawakami. After being orphaned by Manji, he is now Shira's hand both literally and figuratively.

[edit] Story Arcs

These refer to the English editions published by Dark Horse Comics. Blade of the Immortal can be (so far) roughly divided into four main storyarcs:

1. Introduction: Volume 1 (Blood of a Thousand) ~ Volume 5 (On Silent Wings, part 2)
   • In this story arc, the reader is introduced to the main characters, plot, central conflict and overall theme of the series ("documenting the human struggle"). The plot is superficially simple: Manji and Rin wander around Edo, occasionally meeting members of Ittō-ryū on their quest to find Anotsu. However, the bulk of Samura's philosophical ruminations can be found in this introductory story arc, from obsession (Conquest, Genius) duty (Dreamsong) the burden of time (Cry of the Worm) and revenge / redemption (On Silent Wings). Part of Samura's appeal is in not painting his "villains" with black-and-white strokes; even the supposed antagonist Anotsu, who espouses an "end justifies the means" philosophy, elicits sympathy from the reader via his ultimate goal - in that, fighting the widespread corruption of his era and therein fashioning a stronger Japanese society.
2. Mugai-ryū: Volume 6 (Dark Shadows) ~ Volume 9 (The Gathering, part 2)
   • This story arc introduces the Mugai-ryū, a mysterious sword school intent on hunting down Anotsu Kagehisa. After killing several minor members of Ittō-ryū, Mugai-ryū enlists Manji and Rin to help them track down the elusive Anotsu. The evolution of Samura's style can be seen particularly in this story arc: gone are the elaborate "death murals" and the stronger focus on inking denotes a preference for 'hard' technique in contrast to 'soft' depiction (very little penciling). The first truly despicable villain is also introduced in this story arc, the psychopathic mercenary Shira who delights in blood and torture. The climax of this story arc involves the separation of Manji and Rin, as Rin decides it would be better for her to hunt Anotsu alone; Manji attempts to track her across province borders and ends up in a vicious fight with three Ittō-ryū members.
3. Aftermath / Last Blood: Volume 10 (Secrets) ~ Volume 14 (Last Blood)
   • The third story arc follows the separate characters as they pursue their various goals: Anotsu to unify his sword school with the remote Shingyoto-ryū in Kaga ; Rin on her quest to locate Anotsu; Manji's recovery from his wounds taken in the previous story arc and, eventually, his search for Rin; Magatsu's hunt for the murderous Shira; the consequences dealt upon Mugai-ryū by the vengeful Ittō-ryū members. By volume 13, Mirror of the Soul, the divergent threads begin to come together and the series (as a whole) reaches a climax with volume 14, Last Blood, wherein most of the principle characters meet and engage in some form of battle. Last Blood also includes the beginning sections of the next and current story arc.
4. Prison: Volume 14 (Last Blood) ~ present
   • Finished in japan in volume 20; currently at least four trade paperback volumes have been published chronicling the latest adventures of Manji and company. Volume 15, Trickster, was released by Dark Horse as of February, 2006. This fourth story arc concerns the events after Last Blood, beginning with a few apparently-random fights that, in consequence, lead Manji to join up with the shogunate in fighting Ittō-ryū. However, the government has a more devious plot, and imprisons Manji for issue after issue of experimentation, hoping to reproduce the effects of the kessen-chu. This story arc has concluded Afternoon.

A fifth (and final) arc has begun in the Japanese run of the comic, but has yet to be translated into English.

[edit] The Kessen-Chu

A bloodworm (kessen-chu) is an unexplained little worm-like creature, which lives in the bloodstream and tissue in a non-parasitic way. It heals all wounds acquired by its host, replacing the missing tissue and organs with their own bodies as well as reattaching limbs. The only way to kill a bearer of the bloodworms is to use a bloodworm poison, although it has been implied that cutting off their head may suffice if it is not reattached quickly. During his battle with Makie, Manji said the only way to stop him would be to cut off his head. But whether this would kill him or just leave him unable to function is debatable, because in his battle with Eiku Shizuma, Manji cuts off his head after poisoning him with his own sword, and he does not die until after the kessen-satsu (blood worm killer) takes effect. Further adding to the debate were statements in Wizard magazine that Manji could survive a severed head, but it would take at least a year for the blood-worms to regenerate that much tissue. It is worth noting that, while not yet covered in the English version of Blade of the Immortal, another immortal is partially beheaded (to the point where only a flap of skin is keeping it's head attached) only for the wound to heal within a few seconds This essentially confirms that Manji's regenerative abilities would allow him to survive a beheading. The time in which it takes for regeneration varies: Manji can reattach a limb within seconds and can partially recover from a bullet or stab wound to brain. However the wounds to his head did have a negative effect (incapable of moving his lower body or weaker vision). Apparently, the kessen-chu give immortality to its host and everlasting youth (the host retaining the age he/she had at the time he/she was fed the kessen-chu). It's unknown how to infect a person with the kessen-chu, but Shizuma indicates it takes a lot more than blood to blood contact with someone who's infected. In later chapters the question how to transfer them becomes a major part of the story.

[edit] Weapons in Blade of the Immortal

The weapons found in Blade of the Immortal are largely fictional, most created by Samura, who confesses he has no idea what some of them are supposed to do. Usually, major characters have unique and specialized weapons - hidden crossbows, throwing knives, poisoned blades, and even weapons meant to inflict maximum pain.

Manji himself carries a number of blades - Sukehiro Amatsubaki ("Rain Camellia"), Kotengu ("Little Devil"), Okorobi ("Man Toppler"), Merabi ("Lady Gadfly"), Karasu ("The Crow"), Shidō ("The Four Paths"), Imo-no-Kami Tatsumasa ("Sister Defender Tatsumasa"), a spear-like weapon called Aun, and an unnamed hooked weapon.

Some of Samura's other creations include Giichi's thresher-like throwing blade, known as Kanetsura's Mito-no-Kami ("Guardian of the Three Paths"), which he uses to sever the heads of his enemies, and Anotsu's large Kabutsuchi battle-axe, which was based on an example from Nepal.

[edit] Glossary

• Ada-uchi: An act of private veangeance, similar to 19th Century duels of honour. Such revenge was legal if approved by the proper authorities.
• Asakusa and Fukagawa: Famous please quarters of old Edo.
• Bakufu: The central government; the bureaucracy that gre up around the Tokugawa shoguns. Originally established in Edo by the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu.
• Bangashira: head of the banshū.
• Banshi: A samurai manning a sekisho (checkpoint).
• Banshū: officers serving under the Shogun, usually assigned to Edo Castle to defend the Shogun himself.
• Bekko-ame: A traditional sweet candy.
• Bugyō: A high ranked samurai in charge of keeping the peace with the help of men under his command and volunteer "posse" members.
• Bushi: samurai.
• Busu: a poison made by sun-drying the root of the torikabuto plant.
• Daimon: "Great Gate" - the great gate to the Asakusa Shrine, a famous landmark in old Edo still in existence today.
• Doseimotsuko, Rengyo: These plants (Dutchman’s Pipe and Forsythia) can alleviate some types of poisoning when boiled and consumed.
• Ezo: Hokkaidō and the other islands north of Japan. At the time, they were still contolled by the indigenous Ainu peoples and were a perilous back door into closed Japan for foreign goods and people.
• Go-Rōjū: Senior councillors to the Shogun, picked from the most trusted daimyō.
• Hamayumi: A bow accompanying the better-known hakyuyumi good-luck arrows still given out at shrine festivals today.
• Haru: "springtime"; in the Edo period, it was also a euphemism for sex.
• Honjo: A place in central Edo.
• Ittō-ryū: The radical sword school of Kagehisa Anotsu.
• Kaga: A remote feudal domain of the Japan Sea coast southwest of Edo.
• Kawara-ban: an early form of news tabloid. Rougly printed on wood blocks, cheap scadal sheets popular among Edo's working class.
• Kenshi: A swordsman, not necessarily born into the samurai caste.
• Kessen-chu:: The “sacred bloodworms.” A person infected by them cannot die but feels pain like a mortal.
• Kessen-satsu: “Bloodworm killer.”
• Kirusute: The right of a samurai to kill a lower-caste person who has offended him.
• Koban: a gold piece (similar value to the ryō)
• Koshū-do: Koshū Byway, one of the main roads out of Edo to the wester provinces
• Muromachi: The reign of the Ashikaga shogunate in Kyoto, A.D. 1338-1573. The last period of social stability in Japan before two centuries of civil war and the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
• Mon: (1) Literally, "a gate," used to designate all the members that pass the front gate to a dojo; (2) a small unit of money.
• Monze-naka-chō: A down-scale pleasure quarter in old Edo.
• Mutenichi-ryū: The sword tradition taught by Rin’s father.
• Mugai-ryū: A sword school of the Akagi (Kagimura) assassins; literally "without form".
• Nagauta: a musical style of pre-modern Japan, often songs of tragic love from kabuki theatre.
• Nakasendō: one of the five main thoroughfares connecting Edo to the provinces. The inland route to Kyoto, while the more famous Tokkaido followed the coast.
• O-tento-sama: God, providence (lit. "the sun")
• Rashamen: a Japanese woman who slepted with foreign men, a contemptuous term from the first days of contact between Japan and the West. By the time of Blade of the Immortal, almost all such contact was limited to the port town of Nagasaki in southern Japan.
• Ryō: A high-valued coin.
• Sangin: An official trip to the capital. Daimyo of outlying fiefdoms were required to spend one year in three in Edo, allowing the Shogun to keep them under tight control.
• Sakura-mochi: A delicacy made from pounded sweet rice paste and cherry-tree leaves.
• Sanzu-no-Kawa: River of the Dead. Analogous to the River Styx in Greek mythology. Crossed by the dead on their way to the underworld.
• Satori: The state of intuitive illumination sought by followers of Zen Buddhism; the movement of such enlightenment.
• Sekisho: A checkpoint regulating travel from Edo to other han (feudal domains). All travels had to submit papers at official checkpoins along the main highways into and out of Edo.
• Shingyōtō-ryu: A variety of swordsmanship.
• Tegata (tsūkō tegata): official travel pass of transiting sekisho.
• Tsukiyotake: a poisonous mushroom unique to Japan.
• Uji: An area near Kyoto.
• Warabi: An edible plant (bracken or fernbrake).
• Yojimbo: A bodyguard.
• Yotaka: "nighthawk", a streewalker, the lowest rank of Edo prostitute.

[edit] Art of Hiroaki Samura

One of the most striking features of "Blade of the Immortal" is its beautiful, realistic artwork. Although Samura stylizes and elongates his human figures to some extent, especially early in the run of the manga, he has a thorough knowledge of anatomy that allows him to create uniquely expressive poses and angles. His unusual use of accurately detailed shots of hands and feet makes them almost as reflective of character and mood as his faces. Atmospheric backgrounds and landscapes round out the look of the manga, which incorporates many panels done in a finished, shaded pencil style rather than in inked line art. His superb drawing skills are shown to their best advantage in these penciled panels.

Samura says that he always wanted to be a manga artist. However, unlike most mangaka, he attended art school for a time and has a classical art education. He says in interviews that he disliked the smell of oil paint, and openly admits to hiring another artist to help him get through a required oil painting course. [1] Although he prefers to work in black and white, and does many freelance illustrations in graphite, Samura has painted some color promotional pieces and book covers in acrylics for the collected volumes of Blade of the Immortal, such as the cover for 'Blade of the Immortal #111: Shortcut #5 (of 5)' [2]. Samura never completed his art degree, because he left school before graduation to create Blade of the Immortal for Afternoon.

Cut and Pasted Panels

To preserve the integrity of his art, Samura requested that the publisher of the licensed English translation, Dark Horse Comics, not "flop" the manga (that is, reverse the pages as if in a mirror). At the time the English translation began its publication in individual monthly issues (1996), flopping was an almost universal practice for translated manga. Instead, Blade of the Immortal was modified for Western readers by the unusual method of cutting up the panels and rearranging them on the page in order to have the action flow from left to right.

Although American industry practice has now largely changed over to publishing translated manga in its original right-to-left orientation, Blade of the Immortal has retained the labor-intensive cut-and-paste method. (It is probably also the only translated manga still being published in monthly issues as well as trade paperback collections.) The publisher cautions that rearranging the panels is not foolproof, and can lead to continuity errors. Some individual panels are flopped to try to correct this, and occasionally the artwork is modified accordingly. For instance, a retouch artist may draw a scar over Manji's left eye to disguise a flopped panel. Sound effects within the panel may also be retouched out and re-lettered in English. Japanese sound effects that are an integral part of the artwork are usually left as is.

[edit] Publication

The original Japanese manga has thus far been collected into 20 volumes (tankōbon) by Kōdansha's Afternoon KC division. The series is still ongoing, and volumes are usually published at the rate of 1 to 2 per year. The English version of the manga is published by Dark Horse Comics.

• Mugen-no-Jūnin 1 (1994/09) ISBN 4-06-314090-3
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 2 (1994/12) ISBN 4-06-314101-2
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 3 (1995/04) ISBN 4-06-314109-8
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 4 (1995/10) ISBN 4-06-314119-5
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 5 (1996/08) ISBN 4-06-314137-3
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 6 (1997/06) ISBN 4-06-314151-9
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 7 (1997/10) ISBN 4-06-314165-9
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 8 (1998/07) ISBN 4-06-314183-7
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 9 (1999/06) ISBN 4-06-314210-8
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 10 (2000/04) ISBN 4-06-314238-8
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 11 (2001/01) ISBN 4-06-314259-0
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 12 (2002/02) ISBN 4-06-314268-X
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 13 (2002/11) ISBN 4-06-314306-6
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 14 (2003/07) ISBN 4-06-314326-0
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 15 (2004/01) ISBN 4-06-314337-6
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 16 (2004/05) ISBN 4-06-314348-1
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 17 (2004/11) ISBN 4-06-314363-5
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 18 (2005/06) ISBN 4-06-314380-5
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 19 (2006/04) ISBN 4-06-314409-7
• Mugen-no-Jūnin 20 (2006/10) ISBN 4-06-314430-5

[edit] References