Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection (2019)

Rin wants to take on the most twisted and powerful individuals of the Ito-ryu and Manji is the person willing to help her get that vengeance for her. But her road to avenging her parents is not easy and amazingly difficult but the numerous characters they come in contact with (may it be good or bad), it makes for a fascinating, action-packed series worth watching! Overall, “Blade of the Immortal” Complete Collection” is highly recommended!

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TITLE: Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2019

DURATION: Episodes 1-24 (600 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0, Subtitles: English subtitles

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATING: TV MA VSD

Release Date: January 19, 2021

Originally created by Samura Hiroaki

Directed by Hamasaki Hiroshi

Series Composition by Fukami Makoto

Music by Ishibashi Eiko

Character Design by Ogiso Shiingo

Art Direction by Kudo Tadashi

Anime Production: LIDEN FILMS

Featuring the following voice talent:

Tsuda Kenjiro/Andrew Love as Manji

Sakura Ayane/Juliet Simmons as Rin Asano

Sasaki Nozomu/Adam Gibbs as Kagehisa Anotsu

Omi Minori/Alissa Simmons as Tanpopo

Tanaka Yuki/Avery Smithhart as Soma Ryo

Mikami Satoshi/Blake Jackson as Mitake

Kugimiya Rie/Brittney Karbowski as Yoshino Doua

Carli Mosier as Hatsu

Chris Hutchison as Saburō Anotsu

Kuwashima Houko/Christina Kelly as Makie Otono-Tachibana

Shirkuma Hiroshi/Courtland Johnson as Giichi

Nara Tooru/David Wald as Shira

Hanawa Eiji/Eric Chase as Sabato Kuroi

Obara Masato/Jack Ivy as Araya Kawakami

Sasaki Umeji/James Belcher as Kashinkoji

Fukuda Kenji/James Marler as Baro Sukezane

Kanuka Mitsuaki/Jay Hickman as Yasonookami Isaku

Sakuya Shinsuke/Joe Daniels as Eiku Shizuma

Nakata Jouji/John Swasey as Kagimura Habaki

Fukumatsu Shinya/Josh Morrison as Sōsuke Abayama

Hayashi Marika/Katelyn Barr as Hyakurin

Suzuki Tatsuhisa/Michael Wronski as Taito Magatsu

Mike Haimoto as Burando Ayame

Sako Mayumi/Molly Searcy as Meguro

Kobayashi Chikahiro/Scott Gibbs as Shinriji

Seki Tomokazu/Ty Mahany as Sori

Vicki Barosh as Yaobikuni

Damned to wander the Earth in an endless cycle of carnage and murder, the fallen samurai known as Manji seeks the chance to win back his mortality. To do so, he must first balance the deaths weighing against him by slaying 1000 evil souls, a task that would take even the greatest warriors a lifetime.

Manji, however, has all the time in the world to kill, and his lonely quest leaves a trail of bloody bodies in his wake… until his path crosses with that of Rin, who has sworn vengeance against the murderers of her family and school, even though the cost will almost certainly be her own life. Now, the girl who chases death has an unkillable sword master at her side, and the men she seeks will soon learn to fear the Blade of the Immortal!

Back in 1993, Samura Hiroaki’s “Mugen no Junin” (which translates to “The Inhabitant of Infinity”) manga series would begin its serialization in “Monthly Afternoon”. The series would be known outside of Japan as “Blade of the Immortal”.

With over 30 volumes and a run that lasted through December 2012, the series would receive a 13-episode anime adaptation and a novel adaptation in 2008, a live action film adaptation starring Kimura Takuya in 2017 and then a ONA streaming anime adaptation on Amazon Video titled “Mugen no Junin: IMMORTAL”.

And now the ONA will be released on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks titled “Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection”, produced by Liden Films.

The series continues after the 2008 anime series.

The series revolves around Manji, a skilled samurai who is immortal thanks to an 800-year-old nun named Yaobikuni.

Wanting to end his immortality, he has vowed to kill 1,000 evil men and until he does so, he will be kept alive by kessen-chu (sacred bloodworms) that allow him to survive any injury and reattach severed limbs.

Along the way, a young girl named Asano Rin asks for Manji to become her bodyguard and help her avenge her parent who were killed by members of the Itto-ryu led by Anotsu Kagehisa.

But what happens when Asano Rin with Manji come into contact with some of the most sadistic killers from Itto-ryu and Mugai-ryu.

VIDEO:

“Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection” is presented in 1080p High Definition and character designs for each of the characters are quite good. Especially when it comes to showcasing emotion. Colorful and vibrant, I didn’t notice any banding issues or compression during my viewing of the series, nor was it majorly soft.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection” is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD MA 2.0. The soundtrack is front speaker driven and dialogue and action are crystal clear.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Blade of the Immortal: Complete Collection” comes with Japanese promos.

I am a fan of the “Blade of the Immortal” manga series and the live action film and while I never watched the original 2009 anime series, the 2019 series does a great job of providing a recap of what happened to Rin’s family and how she would eventually get Manji to become her bodyguard.

Which then evolves to become a storyline of Rin exacting justice on those of the Ito-ryu who killed her father and those who raped and tortured her mother.

The early episodes features Rin and Manji taking on the deadly Itto-ryu, the best of the best. In fact, some who are better at fighting than Manji, but one thing that Manji has is that he is immortal (unless his head is cut off) thanks to bloodworms which put his body together and heals him quickly.

The story then shifts to the Mugai-ryu who is led by Habaki Kagimura. Habaki is the secret leader of the Mugai-ryu and the leader of the Shogun’s Banshu samurai.

Because the Mugai-ryu are secretly plotting against the Ito-ryu, they try to recruit Manji and Rin, but unbeknown to both, the Mugai-ryu has numerous shady members who are just as twisted and deadly as the Ito-ryu.

And then what happens when Rin and Manji become separated from each other? And I’ll leave it at that.

“Blade of the Immortal” is no doubt bloody, violent, profane and created for mature audiences. What makes the anime interesting is that it manages to have some humor despite being a violent series full of death and torture.

Rin is a teenage girl who is driven by wanting justice for her parent’s death. But because of her ambitions, she puts Manji in danger to the point that Manji is literally thrashed over and over. And she feels guilty about it because for one, she makes him do the fighting and she can’t do much because she’s quite weak and always crying. She knows she wants vengeance, but by putting Manji in situations over and over, it’s good to see that Rin has a conscience.

But for Manji, he feels comfortable around Rin because she reminds him of his sister and if anything, she honestly cares about him and the pain he goes through despite being immortal.

As for the series, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. There is no doubt many twist and turns but the series manages to provide many surprises despite the countless violence. Personally, I don’t like uber. bloody violent anime series but in the case of “Blade of the Immortal”, the violence is appropriate to the storyline.

Overall, “Blade of the Immortal” Complete Collection” is highly recommended!

Click here to Purchase This Blu-ray on Amazon

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