Blade of the Immortal

From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source

The article is incomplete or needs improvement This article covers an essential topic and is in need of expansion by contributing to Wikimartialarts. Please follow the guidelines in the Manual of Style and complete this article to the highest level of quality before continuing on smaller articles.

Blade of the Immortal Name Blade of the Immortal Author/Creator Hiroaki Samura Publisher Kodansha Country Japan Serialized in Afternoon Original run 1994 – present Number of Volumes 19

Blade of the Immortal or Mugen no Jyuunin, in Japanese is a manga by Hiroaki Samura featuring Manji, the master swordsman cursed with immortality. This comic book features heart-pounding action sequences, the thick plot twists and the emotional depth of each character in the manga. Further, Blade of the Immortal features stunning artwork and creativity in each of its pages. This piece is also the winner of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award as well as Japan's 1998 Media Arts Award.

Summary

The story begins with the ronin named Manji pondering about what he had done. Manji used to kill without question under his master, Horii Shigenobu's orders. However, one day he found out that the people he killed were really innocent farmers who had gathered the courage to complain to the authorities about the taxes his master has imposed on them. Manji decided to kill his master and became the most wanted man in Japan. Upon killing 100 people mercilessly, he met a monk named Yaobikuni and cursed him with immortal life by giving him the "Kessen-Chu" or "Holy Bloodworms". The only way to lift his curse was to make up for his sins of killing 100 people and driving his sister mad, is by killing 1000 bad people, in return, the bloodworms will leave him alone.

Time passes and Manji lives on until one day, he found a girl sleeping in his bed. Asano Rin had come looking for him, who Yaobikuni had referred to as "the strongest, toughest yojimbo (bodyguard) of all." Rin wants revenge for her parents who had being murdered by the Itto-Ryû and she swore on their graves that she'll avenge them. She can't do it alone of course, she needs the aid of Manji.