Blade of the Immortal #126

Blade of the Immortal, created by Hiroaki Samura, began its serialized run in the Japanese manga anthology Afternoon in 1993. The series centers on Manji, a master swordsman cursed with immortality who vows to kill one thousand wicked men to regain his mortality. Issue 126 was published during the height of the series' acclaim for its highly kinetic, ink-washed art style and its departure from traditional manga aesthetics, leaning into historical grit and philosophical inquiry.

Samura designed the series with a focus on realism and detailed historical weaponry, often utilizing pencils and charcoal to achieve a rough, cinematic texture. By the time this issue was released in the mid-2000s, the series had secured a dedicated international following, earning critical praise for its complex narrative structure and the evolution of its protagonist. It remains a landmark work in the gekiga genre, widely studied for its fluid combat sequences and character development.