Spotlight Manga: Blade of the Immortal MAL Series Information Page: Blade of the Immortal MAL Score - 8.69 (by 735 users) Ranked - #20 Popularity #83 For the next week I would like to have a discussion about the series that focuses on the key elements that we here on MAL use to critically rate a manga: Art, Characters, Story, and Enjoyment. I would like everyone to approach this thread as if you were going to write a review and structure your initial post like this: Art - insert rating Characters - insert rating Story - insert rating Enjoyment - insert rating Art - discuss any pros and cons of the art styling used in the series, try to include some specifics. Character - describe any of the things you liked or didn't care for in regards to specific characters in the series etc... If you are having trouble writing up a review or coming up with specific pro's and cons, please don't worry. Just do the best you can with it and if you can only write two or three sentences about any of the 4 elements then that's OK. Not everyone here is currently at a level which will allow them to articulate their thoughts and opinions. After your initial post is made you can feel free to civilly discuss issues of contention. I am sure there will be many opinions expressed here that some of us will disagree upon and criticize and it is for that reason that this entire club exists. So I hope everyone has fun and I am really looking forward to seeing how this discussion will develop. *Due to voting rule changes, this series is shot down from its first poll data. It will be available as a resurrection option once its completed. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL Blade of the Immortal was NOT inducted into the club Manga list but may be nominated again: 13 Yes - 81.2% 3 No - 18.8% 64 Don't know this manga - 79.0% of the total number polled 1 Abstained - 1.2% of the total number polled |
Don_Don_KunJul 21, 2013 11:54 AM
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| I like the new anime, but from what I've heard it doesn't really reflect the original manga. |
KiralyAug 3, 2008 4:03 PM
| Art - 10 When it comes to Hiroaki Samura's art, it's either hit or miss. Some complain over the sketchiness of it all, while others see it as merely a trademark of Samura's style. I am of the latter category, and would list Samura as one of the best mangaka out there, on par with Berserk's Kentarou Miura. There is a great amount of detail in the natural environments and city streets alike, and the characters sport both highly realistic faces and the sudden comical and exaggerated expressions. The art pinups of Manji's finishing moves add another point of awesome. Characters - 9 The characters are many, awesome, intriguing and deep. Maybe not all at once, but the important ones have everything they need plus a little extra, and the cast of supporting characters like Giichi, Hyakurin, Makie, Taito and Doa to name some, are far more developed than your average support character. Obviously, the Antagonists are no less complex, Anotsu being a man with a decent background story and goals to fight for. Story - 8 The story incorporates typical Samurai themes with Anotsu's Crusade against the established Dojos and Rin's quest for revenge, along with Manji's obviously supernatural "Gift". Over the course of the story till now, a lot of character growth can be seen, especially for Rin, with Manji staying more static. One of the best things about it in my opinion, are the underlying themes of good and evil. Starting his journey aiming to kill a thousand evil men to atone for the hundred good ones he killed, Manji is put against many enemies who all have their own reasons and motivations, perverse or not, encouraging the reader to question the nature of "evil" and whether any human being can truly be labeled as such. Enjoyment - 10 One of the best manga I have come across, with a gripping story and brilliant art, ensuring it a position amongst the classics of our age. |
| Blade of the Immortal Review Art - 10 The art of Blade of the Immortal is arguably one of the best in any manga I've read. the quality and detail in Samura's artwork can be mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Miura, Inoue, Nihei, and Otomo. Samura puts an incredible amount of detail, from the vibrant streets of Edo to the character designs, each panel is drawn meticulously. And me being a huge sucker for 2 page spreads, Blade of the Immortal gets extra props for featuring some of the best I've seen. Characters - 10 Arguably, the cast of characters in Blade of the Immortal is its strongest aspect. While most of the spotlight is focused on Manji, Rin and Anotsu's struggles, the minor characters in Blade of the Immortal get an ample amount of panel time. like Baman mentioned, these bunch are developed much more than the average supporting characters. The minor characters all have in-depth backstories, tragic at most times, giving the readers a glimpse of how they came to be and how their current goals/intentions were founded. Story - 8 The overarching theme of Blade of the Immortal is retribution: Manji seeking his own for killing 100 "good" people, Rin aiming to take the head of her parents' murderers, and Anotsu seeking to first destroy, then rebuild the ideals of Japanese swordsmanship. again, Baman hit the bulls-eye regarding the underlying themes of good and evil. Like I said before, the characters' backstory gives an insight to how their intentions were founded. these backstories set the precedent for their actions in pursuit of their goals, making their actions seemingly justified. Enjoyment - 10 An Epic Samurai tale? Check. Magnificent artwork? Check. Well developed and fleshed-out characters? check. Blade of the Immortal is one of the few manga titles I've read that excel in all 3 aspects. |
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| Here we have a manga with undeniably strong art, interesting if for the most part somewhat flat characters, a simple but tried and true story and a very nice portraying of the times it plays in. I won't go into further detail as this post centres around a question: In itself, the manga is good, but I've often heard it said (or read it written) that much of the story, themes and characters have been done before, and done better, in Lone Wolf and Cub. As I probably won't be able to get my hands on that manga (let alone fully read it) before the polls open, I'd like to hear your thoughts. |
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
  @santetjan: Samura Hiroaki's art for Blade of the Immortal is definitely top notch, ranking up there with Inoue Takehiko of Vagabond fame. When it comes to historical and cultural details though, Lone Wolf and Cub leaves the other two in the dust. The characters also have more well-defined (if simple) motives to justify their actions. |
YuunagiFeb 8, 2009 1:13 PM
Yuunagi said: The characters also have more well-defined (if simple) motives to justify their actions and the series wraps up neatly at 28 volumes while the other two are still dragging on. To be fair, I'd be shocked if Blade of the Immortal isn't completed in 28 volumes or less. But anyways, the manga is an absolute masterpiece. It's Samurai Champloo meets Berserk. 10/10 and yes. |
santetjan said: @Yuunagi: Many thanks. I suppose I really should read Lone Wolf and Cub then, both for its own merits and in order to take a somewhat more substantiated position on the merits of setting and theme in Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal. Lonewolf and Cub is more influential than every other manga ever published combined. Seriously. |
| From one of my comments: Blade of the Immortal is surely not a great, complex manga made by stunning plot twists or any deep content. The reasons I liked it so much is probably related primarily to how it handles the story and the fights between factions which are narrated: anyone has his own beliefs, not the purest ones since almost all the cast killed quite a number of people in their days, some of them in a very graphically brutal way, so you are never presented with the good guys and the bad guys, just the dudes who slaughtered a bunch of people and those who slaughtered who slaughtered a bunch of people. This is the only way to judge who is right and who is wrong, and I love when there is no absolute and forced distinction between good and evil, only lots of evil and madmen. Also, being a series that lasted 19 years I have to say that it's impossible to perceive the passage of time since almost all the chapters and arcs are strictly linked and there's no real useless event or filler, anything it's important to arrive to the final climax, which is quite exciting even if you don't like much ol' good japanese samurai fights, like me. Last but not least, the art is simply amazing, not realistic as Miura or Ikegami's drawings but it's different from the standard and it really fits the story. Though I understand why someone wouldn't give it chance since 30 volumes are not a piece of cake, I'd say that the overall story flows really fast since there's no dead point, so once you're caught by it doesn't feel like a long manga at all. |
| it's pretty fun yeah. it's very fast paced, similar to berserk and other similar seinen manga focused on visually impressive fights, long backstories given to villains and supporting characters and recurring use of flashbacks and memories, an obsession w repentance, etc - it's very tropey but also excellent as a genre piece, more engaging than lone wolf and cub imo (but verrrry similar - the companion who serves as a foil and motive for change for the main character, an immortal or long lived character with decades of actions to be held accountable for facing others bearing similar burdens, mutual guilt of all parties involved) actually the tropiness is kind of fun - the guy's immortality stemming from a curse placed on him for killing too many people that he has to remove by killing 1000 evil men is very convenient for the recurring themes in most samurai manga the art is beautiful, as mentioned not the peak of the genre but very well done biggest problem if it can be called that is just the fact it very much lives and dies within the framework of the samurai genre and doesn't bring much that is new to it besides a certain sense of irreverence that's less common in lone wolf or vagabond (to name two examples). i'll probably abstain |
Mayuka said: did you call holier than thou bitch right here last.fm |
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