Apr 3, 2022
Once a katana is bent, it cannot be placed back in its sheath. It is useless. It is thrown away.
I came across this theme at least 3times in this manga. Initially, I thought cool, nice tidbit to know. But later on I understood the deeper analogy that is shown here. It’s not just swords, it’s same for people.
Ichigeki or (One strike, One kill squad) is a manga set in one of the most famous historical period in Japan. The Meiji Restoration. The Shogun has a military rule, supported largely by Satsuma region, while the Imperial loyalists hold Edo and want to modernise Japan. They want
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to do away with the 4 occupation-class divide.
The manga doesn’t teach us about this political backdrop too much. We, like the peasants in the story only know what little we are told.
I have read manga like Jin, Ichi, Golden Kamuy etc where this period is referenced, so I’ve read up on it.
When I saw the Tom Cruise movie, “The Last Samurai” I was totally emotionally convinced about the honor of the great samurai. Katsumoto was based on Saigo Takamori. The movie is black and white, I still love it though. Reality is grey. The samurai were privileged class, they didn’t want to lose that privilege.
If you see Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Harakiri and The Twilight Samurai you’ll find that not all samurai were rich. There were sometimes super poor, especially in times of peace.
Back to the manga.
Story. 8/10
The Satsuma are gathering in Edo to revolt against the Emperor. The Imperial lords can’t attack them overtly. So, they recruit 10 strong peasants/villagers.
These guys are physically strong. Lord Shimada is responsible for forming, training and utilizing this group.
Initially, to him they are expendable. They are trained only in attacking and running. No defence. The poor villagers don’t even think about why they aren’t getting trained in defence. They don’t realise that they are expendables. Their eyes are too busy looking at the katana that they are given. A peasant, holding a katana!! Is that even possible in their wildest dreams??
There is one guy, Ushigoro who thinks about this situation. He is our MC. And I’m glad to have him. A smart lead, means a smart manga.
These guys carry out missions against Satsuma at night and train on daytime. They are paid well, and their families will receive money when they die.
That’s all I’ll say. Any more, and I might spoil some story. The plot will thicken, believe me.
Art. 7/10
The art is dark. It is indeed fitting for a gory, cruel manga. I like the fight scenes, and the way expressions are drawn. One big complain—— initially, I had a hard time understanding who is the main guy. A few of them looked too similar.
A couple of times the art resembled Takemitsu Zamurai......going a bit exaggerated. That is drawn by Taiyo Matsumoto(Ping pong, Sunny).
This manga is drawn by Jiro Matsumoto (Freesia, Jigoku no Alice).
Both are amazing.
Characters. 8/10
There are 10 guys in the One strike squad. I remember 5 properly. Ushigoro, the MC is super realistic. He is a level headed guy. Thinks things through, and is prone to impulsive decisions from time to time, as all men are. Relatable.
Lord Shimada is a man with a great poker face and intelligence to boot.
He is a skilled swordsman. Not to be taken lightly.
I feel there is another MC hidden in this manga. Imuda from Satsuma. He is a rival to Ushigoro. I could’ve never imagined the scope of influence that he would have on the story when he first appeared in the story. He is a strong samurai. The kind of man he is, you’ll only grasp by the end of the story.
Chiyo, Sono, Ichizou are all well drawn characters. Even as side characters, they have growth and are memorable.
Enjoyment. 8/10
I love chanbara manga ie. Samurai related manga. Mainly because I love historical fiction. This story is no exception. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and finished it in only 2 days. 6hr maybe.
It has a great pace, unputdownable. I only wish it was longer. I want to read more.
The mystery part was a great touch. Ending is really cool.
I recommend this if you like Samurai, historical, deep philosophical, action manga. Seinen, through and through.
Not recommended if you are looking for a light, comedy, highschool read.
So give it a shot. Let me know if you find some similar manga!
Thank you for reading!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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