(Note: I’m
not reviewing this volume, rather than reviewing the series to this point)

The story of the immortal Swordfighter is about to get ready for its last
chapter. For a manga, who normally tend to drag in the middle part, it is
keeping the pace as well as its tension.
The story revolves around Rin who is trying to avenge her parents with the help
of Manji. The translation is using modern slang to deliver the atmosphere,
which is also the approach that used by the Japanese author. In addition, some
characters underlie the modern system of values, which makes it able to take
part in interesting dialogues between them.
However, the most attracting aspect of the series is the art, which continues
to stay fresh and appealing after twenty volumes. Samura’s sense of anatomy and
the usage of black and white depict the story realistic and give it a chilling
atmosphere. His style really unfolds in the fighting scene that contains his
trademark. In certain points of the book, he hides all the gruesome surrounding
of the battle and focuses of one character striking a fatal hit. Instead of
blood and guts, you see the character in a pose in front of a beautiful
background. Those moments stand out art wise from the rest of the book and intensify
the experience.
Blade of Immortal is maybe one of the biggest achievements in manga in the last
ten years and sets an example for Japanese comics of the next generation.