Blade of the Immortal Announces Official Sequel

Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal may have officially come to an end in 2012, but like a lot of classic manga and anime series, the series will be making a return with an official sequel manga. The latest issue of Kodansha’s Monthly Afternnon magazine officially announced that the series will be getting a sequel manga titled Blade of the Immortal – Bakumatsu Arc.

Officially launching in the next issue of the magazine on May 25th, the sequel won’t be written or illustrated by original creator Hiroaki Samura, but he is credited with collaborative efforts for the sequel.

According to Anime News Network, Blade of the Immortal – Bakumatsu Arc will be written by Kenji Takigawa and illustrated by Ryu Suenobu. The sequel series will be set in the Bakumatsu period in the 19th century, following the Edo period adventures of the original series. The sequel will reintroduce fans to the main character Manji, who will is living alone in the Tosa domain but heads to the capital for a currently undisclosed reason.

The series will feature Manji going against the strongest warriors of the Bakumatsu era, and a special preview for the sequel features historical figures such as Sakamoto Ryoma, and Shinsengumi members Okita Soji, Kondo Isami, and Hijikata Toshizo. Though there are currently no other details, the next issue of Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon teases a special announcement for the Blade of the Immortal franchise so hopefully more information will be revealed.

Blade of the Immortal was originally created by Hiroaki Samura for Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine in 1993, and the series was later adapted into an anime in 2008 by Bee Train and Production I.G. The series has been licensed for an English language release by Dark Horse Comics, and even had a live-action film directed by Takashi Miike in 2017. The series is described as such:

“Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal will keep you on edge! Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men! His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents’ killers…and his quest won’t end until the blood of a thousand has spilled!”

via ANN

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