In retrospect, this must be the first work of art to teach me that there is also beauty in death and destruction.īefore even discussing the men of this manga, let me start with the fate of the women: they have no freedom, no voice, no strength to fight for their own happiness. If you like something similar to this, I highly recommend Basilisk (of course), Peacemaker Kurogane, and Vagabond.Ĭomic-manga-graphic-novel manga-i-read-in-2021īlood and flesh, the life of those who devoted themselves to the way of the sword must end by the sword, there's simply no other way to go about it. Please read this manga, you can thank me later. Still, it's worth the pain and experiences. Lastly, the last couple of volumes were dragging - I wish it was 2 volumes shorter. Not to mention thousands of characters with a mouthful of names I barely got a hold of (but that's my problem, I guess). Next is the introduction of subplots that are entirely irrelevant to the main story which cast a series of 1-800-what-the-fuck-did-I-just-read episodes to my mind as I tried to get through them. First of all, I must say the illustration changes drastically around volume 7 and it's for the worse :( which is sad because it's the style that got me hooked from the beginning (oh how I wish I could start a petition to re-illustrate it! The change of style bothered me so much). However, there are some things I don't really like. *warning: The ending would leave your soul numb for days* This is not just any manga, it's literature.

God-tier storytelling technique, by the way. It's a criticism and a slap-in-the-face to feudalism in Japan, or perhaps basically power-corrupted human beings, in the finest form. Well, I think you must be a veteran of the way of the samurais and Japanese culture a bit to understand the theme, which is a mixture of loyalty, duty, and honor. It is a story of revenge, honor, corrupted souls of the samurais like no other. This is a story of the first match between Fujiki Gennosuke, the one-armed swordsman, and Irako Seigen, the blind samurai, following by a flashback of events that led them to the final showdown. It's 16th century Japan: the Daimyo has ordered to hold a tournament where 20 of the best samurais in the country must fight each other to death to entertain the foul-mood tyrant. 1, but Shigurui (Death Frenzy) will hold a special place in my heart. My #1 is still Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Vol. This is by far one of the most graphic, violent, gore, and most of all best samurai mangas I've ever come across in years. There are 15 volumes of this masterpiece but I'll write just one general review here (because I don't want to flood your walls with my reviews). (*Note: I have read the complete 15 volumes but decided to record as 1 book in the Annual Reading Challenge*)

Shigurui manga ending