Blade of the Immortal

## Blade of the Immortal *Blade of the Immortal* (*Mugen no Juunin*, 2019) is the definitive anime adaptation of Hiroaki Samura's iconic manga — a relentless, blood-soaked journey through Edo-period Japan that never sacrifices character depth for spectacle. Manji is a masterless samurai burdened by a terrible curse: he cannot die. After slaying 100 innocent people, Manji was granted immortality by a 800-year-old nun using sacred bloodworms that heal any wound. The only way to break the curse is to kill 1,000 evil men. He crosses paths with Rin Asano, a sixteen-year-old girl whose parents were slaughtered by the ruthless sword school Ittō-ryū, led by the brilliant and terrifying Anotsu Kagehisa. Rin hires Manji as her bodyguard on a mission of revenge, and together they wade through wave after wave of Ittō-ryū disciples — each with their own unique and lethal fighting style. Produced by MAPPA in 2019, the 24-episode adaptation compresses Samura's 30-volume manga with fidelity to its moral complexity and visceral combat. The series is notable for presenting antagonists with genuine philosophies rather than simple villainy.