Blade of the Immortal

## Blade of the Immortal *Blade of the Immortal* (*Mugen no Juunin*) by Hiroaki Samura is a landmark of seinen manga — an Edo-period samurai epic defined by its breathtaking artwork, morally complex characters, and unflinching violence. Manji is a former samurai who, after committing a hundred murders — including that of his own lord — has been cursed with immortality by an 800-year-old nun using her sacred bloodworms (kessen-chu). The only way to lift the curse is to kill 1,000 evil men. His path crosses with Rin Asano, a teenage girl whose parents were murdered by the Ittō-ryū — a radical sword school led by the visionary but ruthless Anotsu Kagehisa, who believes all sword styles should be unified under his own. Rin hires Manji as her bodyguard and protector in her quest for vengeance, and they begin a years-long journey through the underworld of Edo Japan, fighting increasingly skilled and philosophically complex opponents. Samura's artwork is legendary — detailed, kinetic, and deeply influenced by both classical Japanese illustration and Western comics. *Blade of the Immortal* won the Eisner Award in 1997 and remains a defining example of the artistic possibilities of manga. Serialized in Afternoon from 1993 to 2012; collected in 30 volumes by Dark Horse Comics in the West.