Blade of the Immortal Volume 4: On Silent Wings: On Silent Wings v. 4 [Paperback]

"Blade of the Immortal" starts off as a fairly typical samurai revenge story, with some unusual horror movie twists. We meet Manji, a guilt-ridden outlaw and expert swordsman, who is cursed with an odd form of immortality. No matter how grievously he is injured, he cannot die. Manji makes a deal with a magical buddhist nun. He will gain the release of death, if he slays 1000 evil men. Soon we meet Rin, a young girl, the daughter of a swordsmanship teacher who witnessed the horrific murder of her parents at the hands of the Itto-Ryu, a renegade sword school. Tortured by nightmares, she seeks revenge, but realizing she has no hope of surviving a direct confrontation with even one Itto-Ryu swordsman, she convinces Manji to serve as her bodyguard and stand in. Taking up Rin's quest seems a perfect confluence of both of their desires: her need to put her parents memory to rest, his to earn his redemption.

The stories take you through dramatic encounters with various members of the sword school. All are dangerous swordsmen with unique styles of combat. Some are quite literally monsters. Each has a unique story, an unique reason for having become a renegade, and this becomes the source of much thought provoking drama before, during and after the battles. All are memorable characters, in particular Shimuzu (Book Two: "Cry of the Worm"), a fellow immortal and Maki, a swordswoman forced into prostitution who fights like the wind (Book 3: "Dreamsong").

Harioki Samura has great timing, the panel layouts make the fight scenes breathtaking and exciting. Also wonderful is the developing relationship between Manji and Rin, a kind of older brother, little sister dynamic that lends the book much humor and necessary warmth (given the bloodiness of the battles).

Beginning with "Rins Bane" (Book 4) Rin's internal debate about the morality and human costs of her quest, takes center stage, and make this one of the deepest and most interesting books to cross the Pacific in years. There's still plenty of action, and the relationship between Rin and Manji continues to deepen, but it's the debates about the sanity of the bushido code, about memory, about filial duty, and hints of political intrigue to come, that make this book an thought provoking and engrossing read.

If you have any taste for the high drama and action, as well as the deeper issues running through comic books like "the Authority", you have to give "Blade" a try. This is the best dramatic manga translation I've read, and it compares favorably with "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion". I really don't think you will be disappointed.

That said, on to my review of "On Silent Wings." This paperback holds the first half of the "On Silent Wings" story arc. The book pretty much starts out with Rin finally meeting her adversary after two years of searching. Unfortunately, Rin's hurt pride over a bad training session with Manji leads her to try and fight him alone. This confrontation reveals a lot about Anotsu's character. I found myself really warming up to him. Also, due to Samura's attention to detail in facial expressions, you can see Rin's awakening admiration and respect for her hated enemy as well.

This episode, culminated with Makie's admonition in "Dreamsong" add to Rin's growing difficulty with her chosen path. Is she really justified in seeking revenge? This story line marks a turning point for Rin as a person; she's begining to question her own motives. Unfortuately, I think part of her problem is that, without revenge, what has she got in life? It's tearing her apart inside. While Rin's spiritual battle is going on, we are introduced to yet another kenshi from the Itto-ryu, Kawakama Araya. Apparently, Rin has some special reason for hating Araya, but she's not forthcoming with the information. This story ends in a cliffhanger, to be concluded in "On Silent Wings, part 2."

So how do I rate this book? Very highly. If this were a volume of Samura's artwork alone, it would be cheap at twice the price. But with Samura's intricate and twisting storyline, I'd have to say it's priceless.

In "Rin's Bane," the young swordswoman, smarting from an argument with Manji over her fighting skills heads off into the woods to wash her hair. There she finds herself face to face with Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu swordsmen. Anotsu brushes aside her skills, and she is forced to face some very unpleasant truths about her beliefs. The lessons of this encounter haunt Rin in the next story, "On Silent Wings." Manji and Rin are at a local fair when the immortal swordsman suddenly finds that a local mask maker is another Itto-Ryu. In a parallel encounter, Rin risks her own life to prevent a haughty samurai from killing a young child. Manji barely avoids a public battle, and Rin is shocked to recognize the artist as the killer who defiled her mother.

As events proceed inexorably towards the second volume's part of the story, we sense the internal tensions in Rin and her swordsman as they confront the possible outcomes of their actions. Hiroaki Samura's tale again touches on complex moral issues rather than simply dishing out a violent samurai melodrama. The grim horror that counterpoints the lighter exchanges between Samura's main encounters provides the basis for much thought and consideration. One of the surprises in this series has been the quality of the translation, which manages to carry through the whole range of the dialog. Yet Japanese is preserved where it is part if the detailed and carefully composed artwork. This extremely high level of artistic integrity grows on the reader. "Blade of the Immortal" is much more a genuine graphic novel than it is a simple manga.