If you are not familiar with Blade of the Immortal, then now is the time to clue yourself in. The series dates back to 1993, but Takashi Miike revived the classic samurai tale for a live-action movie. A brand-new poster for the adaptation is out now, and its bloody imagery perfectly suits Miike’s action-packed feature.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The poster, which can be seen below, is a straight-forward one. The image shows Takuya Kimura in-character as Manji, an immortal samurai who is on a mission to make amends for his bloody past. The poster also highlights Takashi’s work on the film as the director marks his 100th film with Blade of the Immortal. Towards the bottom, the poster also contains the film’s English tagline, “There is redemption in vengeance.”
Blade of the Immortal will have a limited run in the U.S., and fans of Takashi are excited to see his latest work. The series itself was created by Hiroaski Samura decades ago and tells the gritty tale of Manji. After his criminal life led to the deaths of 100 samurai, the swordsmen is turned immortal by an ancient nun who calls for him to atone for his past. Manji will be kept immortal until he slays 1,000 wicked men.
During his journeys, Manji meets a young girl named Asano Rin and promises to avenge her parents. The girl’s family was killed by a gang led by Anotsu Kagehisa as the gangster hopes to create his own powerful dojo by killing anyone who owns their own.
For fans who are hoping Blade of the Immortal will be another 13 Assassins, they may be a bit disappointed. Reviews from U.S. critics have given the film favorable reviews, but they do say the manga adaptation fails to live up to Takashi’s most famous works. However, if you are looking for a film with intense fight sequences and gallons of fake blood, then this is the samurai film for you.
In Blade of the Immortal, samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her bodyguard. Swearing loyalty, protection, and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong.
