Blade of the Immortal Episode 1

Blade of the Immortal episode 1 is finally here and to say the least, I am happy with the manga to anime transition. While my biggest qualms about the transition laid on the artistic value of the manga and how it would translate to the screen, Bee Train productions and Production I.G. did a fabulous job with a nice blend of color and lack thereof, play with light and shadows, and muted palette.

Episode 1 introduces us to Manji, a violent samurai with a rather special ability -- an inability to die. Cursed with immortality by an 800-and-something-year-old nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, Manja vows to lift the curse by slaying 1,000 villians. The episode makes a few jumps here and there, which may cause some confusion, but overall, there's enough there to satisfy old fans and entice those new to the series to continue on. I am still on the fence on the soundtrack -- not sure where to lean yet, but I'll leave my final thoughts on the soundtrack after a few more episodes.

Blade of the Immortal is done beautifully presenting dark themes and gore. This is sure to please fans of other samurai-themed anime such as Samurai Champloo, Berserk, and Samurai 7. You can bet I'll be following this series closely.