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Blade of the immortal, by Hiroaki Samura, is, quite simply, amazing. The
backgrounds are more detailed than many classical paintings; the characters
are well thought out and complex and the story is far reaching and engaging. It
also captures the essence of feudal Japan so completely that it is easy to
imagine one's self in that time.
There are many volumes in this series, which follows the life of a
samurai who gave up his right to die. He, a beautiful geisha who is also the
most deadly swordswoman in Japan, and several other richly developed characters
weave in and out of the story in a way that, although normal for regular
readers of manga, will be rather difficult for many American readers who are
used to the much simpler American comics.
Manga is, by its very nature, full of many more grey areas than American
comics. Things and people are not all good or bad. A character who tries to
kill the hero in one volume may come back to save him in the next. This can
cause problems for the typical American comic fan, who is used to a much more
black and white world. However, if you are either already familiar with the
style of mangas, or are willing to experience a new form of comics, I would
highly recommend Blade of the Immortal.
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