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Blade of the Immortal (US) #25
Blade of the Immortal Volume 25: Snowfall At Dawn
The showdown that fans have been waiting for begins here, as Manji and Shira finally cross swords! Although he's missing an arm, Manji's mystical healing powers still ensure that he's a formidable opponent — but his greatest foe, the masochistic Shira, has a few depraved tricks up his own sleeves! With Shira deadlier than ever, having had plenty of time to plot twisted revenge schemes, will Manji be able to protect Rin from his deranged nemesis? Plus — an Ittö-ryü warrior dies, in typically dramatic Hiroaki Samura fashion.
Samura's widely acclaimed Blade of the Immortal manga series has won awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards.
Samura's widely acclaimed Blade of the Immortal manga series has won awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2009
About the author
Hiroaki Samura
477 books260 followersHiroaki Samura ( 沙村広明) is a Japanese cartoonist and illustrator. He is best known for writing and illustrating the manga Blade of the Immortal (1993-2012). Among his other manga series Die Wergelder (2011-2018) and Wave, Listen to Me!, the latter serialised since 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 8, 2025
Get ready to be disgusted by Shira once again.
April 1, 2023
(Zero spoiler review for the deluxe edition collecting this volume) 4.5/5
I wish, I truly wish that more manga was like Blade of the Immortal. The haunting beauty of the artwork and the stark fragility of the writing is so far above anything else within the medium (and not just because of the sublime Dark Horse deluxe editions), as to make anything else I've found within manga utterly fail in comparison. That said, if there are any manga as well written (firstly) and as maturely and artistically drawn as this, then please let me know. Then I could exorcise the agony inside me, and leave western comics in the dirt where their cultural marxism and ideology has driven them. A medium that values fans and gives them stories they want sounds oh so appealing. I really do wish more manga was like BotI.
To say this was a rollercoaster would be an unfair use of a considerably overused analogy. But it bloody was, and its (as usual) really bloody good. The cast is probably at its most expansive here, and that doesn't bother me one bit. I love it. The ongoing central theme running throughout the book since page one, that of Rin's quest for vengeance with the aid of Manji is still present, but now has numerous other interweaving characters and plot threads. The results of which are, as mentioned, bloody fantastic. I like every single one of them for various reasons, regardless of where their allegiances lie, what their motivations are, or their morality. Their are some pretty heinous people still left here, yet they are all unique and interestingly executed. There was even a little humor thrown in here, something that is far more miss than hit in comics, but Samura pulls it off with aplomb. To have created such a majestic, long running story, with the same breathtaking art is something that can never be understated or underappreciated. And the cliffhanger that this volume left me on... I wasn't paying attention to the pages disappearing, so engrossed was I with the final arc, that when I ran out of pages and realised I would be waiting months for the next instalment, I was crestfallen. The man is seemingly without peer.
To get the same artist on a modern western comic for more than six issues seems a rare thing, but Samura will have given us more than 6000 pages of HIS story and HIS art when this is all said and done. Please read this, and please buy the deluxe editions. I promise you won't regret it. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
I wish, I truly wish that more manga was like Blade of the Immortal. The haunting beauty of the artwork and the stark fragility of the writing is so far above anything else within the medium (and not just because of the sublime Dark Horse deluxe editions), as to make anything else I've found within manga utterly fail in comparison. That said, if there are any manga as well written (firstly) and as maturely and artistically drawn as this, then please let me know. Then I could exorcise the agony inside me, and leave western comics in the dirt where their cultural marxism and ideology has driven them. A medium that values fans and gives them stories they want sounds oh so appealing. I really do wish more manga was like BotI.
To say this was a rollercoaster would be an unfair use of a considerably overused analogy. But it bloody was, and its (as usual) really bloody good. The cast is probably at its most expansive here, and that doesn't bother me one bit. I love it. The ongoing central theme running throughout the book since page one, that of Rin's quest for vengeance with the aid of Manji is still present, but now has numerous other interweaving characters and plot threads. The results of which are, as mentioned, bloody fantastic. I like every single one of them for various reasons, regardless of where their allegiances lie, what their motivations are, or their morality. Their are some pretty heinous people still left here, yet they are all unique and interestingly executed. There was even a little humor thrown in here, something that is far more miss than hit in comics, but Samura pulls it off with aplomb. To have created such a majestic, long running story, with the same breathtaking art is something that can never be understated or underappreciated. And the cliffhanger that this volume left me on... I wasn't paying attention to the pages disappearing, so engrossed was I with the final arc, that when I ran out of pages and realised I would be waiting months for the next instalment, I was crestfallen. The man is seemingly without peer.
To get the same artist on a modern western comic for more than six issues seems a rare thing, but Samura will have given us more than 6000 pages of HIS story and HIS art when this is all said and done. Please read this, and please buy the deluxe editions. I promise you won't regret it. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
March 4, 2019
Wonderful
November 1, 2015
It's the final showdown between Manji and Shira, and their greatest fears have come to pass. Shira was indeed one of the experiments in the Prisoner Arc. Manji's missing arm is sewn to his shoulder, and it seems Shira may have gained the same infection that keeps Manji immortal. We once thought Shira neutralized, but he's become a more vile predator than ever. Can he even be killed now? And if he is killed, how will Manji find Rin?
Shira is the kind of twisted villain many readers are tired of. He targets the physically weak to emotionally torture the strong, lacing his serial assaults with misogyny, and has no trouble targeting children. He's so depraved that he'll be problematic for some readers.
As I've read along, I've questioned why he doesn't bother me the way other villains of this stripe do. The answer is complex. Part is that Shira is built up so greatly that he's a believble delivery on manga's tradition of villains that just won't die - where to most books it's a trope, here he's actually effective and fearsome. In too many ways he is what Manji would have been without the character growth of this series, and it's too right that he now put Manji and Rin's lives at risk.
The series has established such goodwill that it can get away with things others can't, but that's not the whole of it. Shira doesn't target Rin just to damsel her; what goes on between them, and Renzo, has plot wrinkles, and the challenge for saving Rin is much deeper than paitning Manji as a heroic savior. Without spoiling it, it quickly feels like there is no salvation coming. Even when the inevitable ally shows up to save the day, we dread for them because they're in over their heads, too. It's not a thrill that we're rescued. We're pretty sure they're about to die.
This showdown does not follow many of the tropes of manga conflict. Beyond the violence that would never fly in most mainstream books is a story more complex than any simple one-on-one feud. It's about vengeance subverted, and about the conflicts of the Itto-Ryu being so much bigger than Manji and Rin, or Manji and Shira.
Shira is the kind of twisted villain many readers are tired of. He targets the physically weak to emotionally torture the strong, lacing his serial assaults with misogyny, and has no trouble targeting children. He's so depraved that he'll be problematic for some readers.
As I've read along, I've questioned why he doesn't bother me the way other villains of this stripe do. The answer is complex. Part is that Shira is built up so greatly that he's a believble delivery on manga's tradition of villains that just won't die - where to most books it's a trope, here he's actually effective and fearsome. In too many ways he is what Manji would have been without the character growth of this series, and it's too right that he now put Manji and Rin's lives at risk.
The series has established such goodwill that it can get away with things others can't, but that's not the whole of it. Shira doesn't target Rin just to damsel her; what goes on between them, and Renzo, has plot wrinkles, and the challenge for saving Rin is much deeper than paitning Manji as a heroic savior. Without spoiling it, it quickly feels like there is no salvation coming. Even when the inevitable ally shows up to save the day, we dread for them because they're in over their heads, too. It's not a thrill that we're rescued. We're pretty sure they're about to die.
This showdown does not follow many of the tropes of manga conflict. Beyond the violence that would never fly in most mainstream books is a story more complex than any simple one-on-one feud. It's about vengeance subverted, and about the conflicts of the Itto-Ryu being so much bigger than Manji and Rin, or Manji and Shira.
May 29, 2013
I read these chapters a few years back but catching up on the official North American adaptation. This volume contains my absolute favorite sequence of panels: the scene in which Tanpopo dives over Renzo to save Rin and Manji. Most beautiful paneling ever.
That, however, is balanced out by the sheer utter WTF of the kessen-chu bases, which look like disembodied vaginas. I'd completely forgotten about that part. Oh Hiroaki Samura, show your deep-seated issues with women more. (I've read his entire body of work except for the latest revenge fantasy manga about the three women assassins. Trust me when I say there are definitely deep-seated issues at play!!)
That, however, is balanced out by the sheer utter WTF of the kessen-chu bases, which look like disembodied vaginas. I'd completely forgotten about that part. Oh Hiroaki Samura, show your deep-seated issues with women more. (I've read his entire body of work except for the latest revenge fantasy manga about the three women assassins. Trust me when I say there are definitely deep-seated issues at play!!)
October 23, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.
Manji is a ruthless ronin stricken with the curse of immortality. To undo his curse, he must take the lives of a thousand sinners. He's a wandering sword for hire that kills without mercy and hunts down evil warriors all over feudal Japan. He wanders and kills without purpose for quite some time, but his long journey to end his own life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a compassionate young girl named Rin who is seeking revenge for her parents after they were murdered by members of a brutal new sword school called the Itto-ryu. Manji accepts the role of Rin's guardian and their drastically different ideals and personalities begin to change each other in ways neither of them could've foreseen as they clash with one merciless sinner after another.
The story cycles between several groups of samurai warriors each with their own moral codes and objectives. Other than Manji and Rin, there is Anotsu Kagehisa; the leader of the Itto-ryu and his band of rogues that openly defy old traditions as they seek to revolutionize the way of the samurai through force. Hyakurin and her partner Giichi who work as government cutthroats under a faction called the Mugai-ryu along with a serial killer named Shira, and so on. There are also hundreds of assassins, criminal gangs and shady individuals that wish to learn the secrets of Manji's immortality for their own nefarious purposes. With so many vicious people on the loose, it's no surprise that this ends up being one of the most brutal and bloody samurai tales ever told.
Blade of the Immortal makes ultra-violence look like a poetic art form. Blood and limbs fly like scarlet paint. Blades cut through flesh and bone like knives through butter. The use of clever battle poses and finishing techniques against the backdrop of hyper-stylized Edo period art makes for some museum-worthy battle and death scenes.
Despite how glamorized violence and bloodshed is throughout the series, it does not shy away from exploring the aftermath of said violence and how it impacts the psychological state of the characters. A sweet girl like Rin seeks revenge against Anotsu of the Itto-ryu for leading an assault that resulted in the murder of her family and slowly grows accustomed to the constant brutality that the path of revenge leads to. Anotsu himself isn't the one-dimensional evil monster that Rin believes him to be as he is driven by a sense of revenge himself; his revolution against outdated traditions begins only because people he loved were hurt, killed and outcasted by the harsh rules and teachings of the old sword schools. Even those who live through vicarious swindling and assassination such as Hyakurin and her partner Giichi have very traumatic upbringings and take no joy in their work.
We see how violence warps these characters into killing machines and then we see how the violence they inflict on others leads to more tragedy and bloodshed. Whether it be physical, mental or sexual, the violence throughout the series never goes unexplored or unpunished. It somehow manages to be brutally elegant and mature at the same time, the bloody battles are fantastic and the effects it has on the characters is even more so.
What seems to be a cliche samurai revenge story subtly transforms into an exploration of the psychological effects that violence has on many different types of individuals. Some are defined by it, some are bound to it, some love it while others allow themselves to grow from it or be destroyed by it. Violence and revenge are never fully justified nor condemned. It's presented from a very neutral and realistic point of view, allowing you to see it from every angle possible and judge for yourself whether it can be justified or not.
The story is simple, but the webs of conflict between many groups of complex and dangerous characters is where it truly shines. Strong development, elegant violence, moral ambiguity and an unusually modern punk tone in the dialogue and mannerisms of the characters offers a unique way of exploring a feudal-era drama that defies the expectations of a traditional revenge story.
***
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Manji is a ruthless ronin stricken with the curse of immortality. To undo his curse, he must take the lives of a thousand sinners. He's a wandering sword for hire that kills without mercy and hunts down evil warriors all over feudal Japan. He wanders and kills without purpose for quite some time, but his long journey to end his own life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a compassionate young girl named Rin who is seeking revenge for her parents after they were murdered by members of a brutal new sword school called the Itto-ryu. Manji accepts the role of Rin's guardian and their drastically different ideals and personalities begin to change each other in ways neither of them could've foreseen as they clash with one merciless sinner after another.
The story cycles between several groups of samurai warriors each with their own moral codes and objectives. Other than Manji and Rin, there is Anotsu Kagehisa; the leader of the Itto-ryu and his band of rogues that openly defy old traditions as they seek to revolutionize the way of the samurai through force. Hyakurin and her partner Giichi who work as government cutthroats under a faction called the Mugai-ryu along with a serial killer named Shira, and so on. There are also hundreds of assassins, criminal gangs and shady individuals that wish to learn the secrets of Manji's immortality for their own nefarious purposes. With so many vicious people on the loose, it's no surprise that this ends up being one of the most brutal and bloody samurai tales ever told.
Blade of the Immortal makes ultra-violence look like a poetic art form. Blood and limbs fly like scarlet paint. Blades cut through flesh and bone like knives through butter. The use of clever battle poses and finishing techniques against the backdrop of hyper-stylized Edo period art makes for some museum-worthy battle and death scenes.
Despite how glamorized violence and bloodshed is throughout the series, it does not shy away from exploring the aftermath of said violence and how it impacts the psychological state of the characters. A sweet girl like Rin seeks revenge against Anotsu of the Itto-ryu for leading an assault that resulted in the murder of her family and slowly grows accustomed to the constant brutality that the path of revenge leads to. Anotsu himself isn't the one-dimensional evil monster that Rin believes him to be as he is driven by a sense of revenge himself; his revolution against outdated traditions begins only because people he loved were hurt, killed and outcasted by the harsh rules and teachings of the old sword schools. Even those who live through vicarious swindling and assassination such as Hyakurin and her partner Giichi have very traumatic upbringings and take no joy in their work.
We see how violence warps these characters into killing machines and then we see how the violence they inflict on others leads to more tragedy and bloodshed. Whether it be physical, mental or sexual, the violence throughout the series never goes unexplored or unpunished. It somehow manages to be brutally elegant and mature at the same time, the bloody battles are fantastic and the effects it has on the characters is even more so.
What seems to be a cliche samurai revenge story subtly transforms into an exploration of the psychological effects that violence has on many different types of individuals. Some are defined by it, some are bound to it, some love it while others allow themselves to grow from it or be destroyed by it. Violence and revenge are never fully justified nor condemned. It's presented from a very neutral and realistic point of view, allowing you to see it from every angle possible and judge for yourself whether it can be justified or not.
The story is simple, but the webs of conflict between many groups of complex and dangerous characters is where it truly shines. Strong development, elegant violence, moral ambiguity and an unusually modern punk tone in the dialogue and mannerisms of the characters offers a unique way of exploring a feudal-era drama that defies the expectations of a traditional revenge story.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
January 9, 2021
The description of this volume boasts "The showdown that fans have been waiting for begins here, as Manji and Shira finally cross swords!"
I think the best thing Samura could have done with Shira was let him be dead before the Castle Edo storyline. I don't care about his mustache twirling, rapey villainy. I don't believe that he was able to get a new sidekick (a character I've never cared about). While his secret involvement in the Castle Edo storyline, and how it has changed him is somewhat interesting, I wish they'd had it be about virtually any other character in this story.
We do finally get an explanation for Manji's powers, through the journaling eyes of his torturer.It's fine.
There are some decent Manji/Rin moments, and Shinji's plan isn't as stupid as most Evil Bad Guys, but I'll be happy if I never have to see him again.
I think the best thing Samura could have done with Shira was let him be dead before the Castle Edo storyline. I don't care about his mustache twirling, rapey villainy. I don't believe that he was able to get a new sidekick (a character I've never cared about). While his secret involvement in the Castle Edo storyline, and how it has changed him is somewhat interesting, I wish they'd had it be about virtually any other character in this story.
We do finally get an explanation for Manji's powers, through the journaling eyes of his torturer.It's fine.
There are some decent Manji/Rin moments, and Shinji's plan isn't as stupid as most Evil Bad Guys, but I'll be happy if I never have to see him again.
February 5, 2019
We finally get an explanation of why Manji is immortal which is pretty scientific but it is good to have a more in depth description of how his healing works. Also, we get the beginning of Manji's showdown with Shira, but just the beginning. Overall a good volume and moves along nicely and makes me want to see what happens next.
March 8, 2025
[4.5/5] This was a very good volume. I think that PoS Shira is in my top 10 most vile manga villains. The panels showing Baro’s fight were really well done - the chaotic scratchy mature of the art was really leaned into and it worked very well. My main niggle with this volume was Manji not hearing the slaughter while in his palanquin was not realistic at all.
January 2, 2018
Good volume.
August 9, 2018
Ok manga....Overall story💩1/10 But on the plus side pretty decent samurai/Feudal japan type manga with lots of Explicit Violence(Heads,ears and other body parts flying all over the place)👌😅💀👂👃💕💕
February 11, 2020
Rating: 9.57/ 10.00 | 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
May 28, 2020
7.5/10
October 11, 2020
Finally a noteworthy battle.
January 28, 2024
Nicely done.
December 15, 2012
This volume is a great example of why I started this series in the first place, and why I continue to love it through some of the volumes that are harder to get through. It's finally focused back on Manji and Rin! They're such great fun. Hiroki Samura is -- obviously --an incredible artist. But sometimes I wish the cast of characters was a bit smaller and more focused on Manji and Rin, like in the beginning of the series. And it's definitely gotten more gory... Actually makes me nauseous sometimes. But it's worthwhile, so far. :) I don't think I've been able to follow any other manga series this long before...25 volumes!
January 3, 2013
Another outstanding volume from Samura, with the LAST man you'd ever want gaining immortality now a serious threat to Manji's survival, and Rin's chastity, sanity and life. Things are accelerating to a great end, and though I mourned the death (probable) of my favorite Itto-Ryu kenshi. What amazed me is Samura's talent for nuanced characters, so much so that even Shira has a moment when he seems human, and not a cutout psychopath. Highly recommended!!
October 13, 2012
[3 and 1/2 stars]
July 5, 2014
Great creation of the bad guys and their ambivalent sidekicks.
August 10, 2020
So stressful to read. Glad I've got the next volume
January 20, 2017
[REVIEW FOR THE SERIES...]
Blade of the Immortal (Vol. 1-31)
Blade of the Immortal (Japanese: 無限の住人 Hepburn: Mugen no Jūnin, lit. "The Inhabitant of Infinity") is a Japanese seinen manga series by Hiroaki Samura. The series is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the samurai Manji, cursed with eternal life, who now has to kill 1000 evil men in order to regain his mortality. The series ran from 1993 to 2012, and has garnered itself quite a fan following and now has several animated and movie adaptions.
The Blade of the Immortal series is perhaps one of my top favorite manga series of all time and I’ve read a lot of manga in my life. I’m still not completely sure what it is about this series that worked for me; all I know is it did. The truth is it is a very dark, violent, historical manga with elements of fantasy and mysticism. Much of it involves very gritty and gory sword fighting scenes and super fascinating cast of characters, heroes, villains and all shades in between. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, if you manage push past the first few chapters, which can be very confusing honestly. Once you get into the meat of it though, it becomes enthralling, disturbing and even emotional. And the art...well it’s exquisite and only improves as you continue through the volumes... Check it.
WOW. Epic no? So this is Manji, our cursed yet extremely skilled samurai hero (anti-hero?) who is on a quest to kill 1000 evil men in oder to relieve himself of this curse and die peacefully. So it all starts when he is the cause of the death of 100 good samurai, due to his criminal actions, and is cursed to immortality, (by means of "sacred bloodworms" (血仙蟲 kessen-chū) that allow him to survive nearly every injury and even reattach dismembered limbs, by a 800-year-old nun. After a tragic turn of events he then vows to make amends for his sins that will allow his curse to be ended. This dark endeavor for redemption causes him much sorrow and suffering, but Manji always manages to persevere. His life only gets more complicated, however, when he meets Rin.
Manji later crosses paths with a young girl, named Asano Rin, and promises to help her avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by the mysterious and evil 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, and threatens to defy the honorable system of the samurai realm.
Manji and Rin team up together to hunt down the savage Anotsu, which leads them on a perilous adventure, down a simultaneous path of revenge and redemption. I love the platonic dynamic between Manji and Rin. This series is a wonderfully thought out read, amazing illustrated and filled to the brim with action, excitement, mystery, and suspense and of course, a load of violent sword fighting scenes. There are a series of other interesting characters that I will not go into in this review, but suffice it to say, Blade of the Immortal is a read to remember. I highly recommend this to seinen manga fans, but not to the squeamish or faint of heart. This is a very graphic series.
[OFFICIAL RATING: 4.8 STARS]
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews