Shigurui

[LifeILL]

I just found out recently that the manga has been scanned and it's up to volume 10 now (in Japan volume 11 is out already)

So it's only 1 volume behind I guess.

For those of you who finished the anime the manga continues the story in volume 7, this is where things get really crazy.

[LifeILL]

Here's the synopsis for those who never seen the anime before





Synopsis: At the beginning of the Edo Era, when people enjoyed a time of peace, Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga holds a fighting tournament. In the past, matches were fought with wooden swords. This time, real swords will be used. One-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and blind Irako Seigen will fight each other in this match. Both are disciples of Iwamoto Kogan, who is known as Japan's greatest swordsman. Each of them are determined to prove himself the successor of Iwamoto's school. However, there can only be one champion. So begins a story of intertwining fates, conflict, and strange destinies.



This series has been known for its realistic characters, stories, and fight scenes.

[Avisch]

The manga's anonymous translations are very good. We've gotten up to chapter 53 because of them.

No matter which side you root for in this manga (Seigen or Fujiki). You get amazed either way.

Spoiler for Particularly chapters 50+:

Seigen beating Ushimata with Mumyou Sakanagare whilst allowing himself to dodge BOTH of the Ushimata's blades. I root for Seigen and this was totally kickass for me.

Chapter later has Ushimata return from the grave. Now both sides get pleased

[Tyrone Biggums]

Does anyone know who won the duel in the orignial novel?

I don't want to wait for the manga to finish.

[Tenryuken]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Biggums

Does anyone know who won the duel in the orignial novel?

I don't want to wait for the manga to finish.

I'll PM you.

MangaHelpers has Volume(RAW) 12 and 13.

[Xion Valkyrie]

Originally Posted by Tenryuken

I'll PM you.

MangaHelpers has Volume(RAW) 12 and 13.

Oh thanks. Btw, how many volumes is it again?

[Tenryuken]

It's still ongoing but I think the last Volume that came out is 13.

[Xion Valkyrie]

A ton of new chapters coming out recently. I can't believe there isn't more discussion on this. I guess the art style + gore is off putting to a lot of people.

[MikiMata]

I love, love, love the anime. I thought I would prefer Fujiki when the series started, but ended up feeling more empathy for Seigen. But of course, the ending leaves you totally hanging, with nothing resolved. I will definitely check out the manga.

[Xion Valkyrie]

I dunno, Seigen seems like too much of an asshat and opportunist to me.

[MikiMata]

Originally Posted by Xion Valkyrie

I dunno, Seigen seems like too much of an asshat and opportunist to me.

Sure, he is definitely that. But it's better than being a mindless drone who does everything his insane master says. <cough> Fujiki <cough>There aren't really any "good" characters in this series. That's part of what makes it so interesting!

[Xion Valkyrie]

Originally Posted by MikiMata

Sure, he is definitely that. But it's better than being a mindless drone who does everything his insane master says. <cough> Fujiki <cough>There aren't really any "good" characters in this series. That's part of what makes it so interesting!

Yes, Fujiki is definitely not that great either, but IMO he's the lesser of 2 evils lol. Anyways, there are some 'good' characters, but they're usually side characters, like the monks and what not.

[Poetic Justice]

It looks like its gonna end soon. Not enough violence in the last few chapters though.

[Kanon]

It's over now...

Spoiler for Volume 15:

Gennosuke and Irako's big fight was a bit disappointing, but what followed made up for it. The final chapter was sick and depressing as hell. God, I hate Mie. In the end, all she ever thought about was her revenge.

All this time, I was rooting for Gennosuke, but now, I kinda wish Irako had won... he became a more sympathetic character towards the end.

[lightbringer]

Spoiler for v15:

A more common manga would have drawn out the tournament for a couple of volumes. No such thing here. The author wanted to cover that first match from the start and that's it. And what a match it was. Over in an instant, which is kind of refreshing. No protracted battle here.

What happened afterwards was a bloody mess, in a good way. I didn't see this coming. First the severing of the head, then Mie's suicide. I totally did not see that coming. Sure, she was hellbent on revenge, but I was convinced she had a thing for Fujiki and would keep on living for his sake.

Even though the point was to portray all the gore of the era, I can't help but think that the mangaka has a blood and guts fetish. I mean, just look at the cover illustrations. It's almost perverse. An interesting but depressing manga, with the ultimate payoff at the end being disappointing. I guess the final message is that nothing good will come from seeking revenge.

[neshru]

Wow, so it ended this way? Considering the incredibly slow pace of the other 14 volumes, I was surprised by how rushed this volume seemed to be. Not only I expected a much longer fight between Fujiki and Irako, but I totally expected the author to show the frogman's own duel. In the end I wasn't disappointed by the final fight (I thought the way the winner managed to win was plausible and extremely clever - many shounen series should learn from this) and by what came after it, but I was quite thrown off by how abruptly the series ended.

[Poetic Justice]

The way the series ended was plausible enough for an ending. It was pretty obvious that a mission for revenge was never going to end happily anyway for either of them.