Blade of the Immortal (2008)
A dark samurai anime following an immortal warrior's bloody quest for death, redemption, and the meaning of humanity.
Blade of the Immortal - Series Information
- Original Title: 無限の住人
- First Air Year: 2008
- Last Air Year: 2008
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode: 24 minutes
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 13
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Networks: AT-X
- Alternative Titles: 無限の住人 (JP), Клинок Бессмертного (RU), The Inhabitant of Infinity (US)
- Production Companies: Production I.G, Kodansha, BeeTrain, Media Blasters
- Production Countries: Japan
Blade of the Immortal - Plot
Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die.
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Blade of the Immortal - Cast & Crew
Main Cast
- Rina Sato
- Tomokazu Seki
- Daisuke Namikawa
- Hirofumi Nojima
- Katsuyuki Konishi
- Kazuya Nakai
- Mamiko Noto
- Masashi Ebara
- Megumi Toyoguchi
- Shin-ichiro Miki
Writers
- Hiroyuki Kawasaki
- Kenichi Kanemaki
Executive Producers
- Michiru Ishikawa
- Masayuki Haryu
- Shinji Sekizawa
Blade of the Immortal - FAQs
Is Blade of the Immortal based on a manga?
The 2008 anime adapts Hiroaki Samura's acclaimed manga of the same name, originally serialized in Monthly Afternoon magazine from 1993 to 2012. The manga is celebrated for its visceral artwork and morally complex characters, and it won the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material in 2000.
Where can you stream Blade of the Immortal?
Blade of the Immortal is available to stream on HiDive. For a full overview of current viewing options in your region, JustWatch is a great resource to check for the latest availability.
How does the 2008 anime differ from the 2019 version?
The 2008 series produced by Production I.G and BeeTrain covers select story arcs from the manga across 13 episodes. The 2019 adaptation by MAPPA is a separate, more comprehensive retelling with 24 episodes and a noticeably different visual style, widely considered closer to the source material's tone.
Who are the main voice actors in Blade of the Immortal?
The principal cast features Tomokazu Seki as the immortal samurai Manji and Rina Sato as Rin Asano. They are joined by Hirofumi Nojima as the antagonist Kagehisa Anotsu, Mamiko Noto as Makie Otono-Tachibana, and Kazuya Nakai as Taito Magatsu, among others.
What is Blade of the Immortal about?
Manji is a battle-hardened samurai who cannot die, cursed with immortality as punishment for his violent past. His only path to death — and redemption — is to kill 1,000 evil men. When he becomes the bodyguard of young Rin Asano, who seeks revenge for her murdered family, their fates become deeply entwined.
How many episodes does Blade of the Immortal have?
The 2008 anime consists of a single season with 13 episodes, each running approximately 24 minutes. The series aired on the Japanese cable channel AT-X and was produced by Production I.G in collaboration with BeeTrain and Kodansha.
What genre is Blade of the Immortal?
It falls squarely into the action and adventure anime genre, with strong seinen sensibilities — meaning it targets a mature male audience. Themes of mortality, vengeance, and moral ambiguity run throughout, giving the series a darker, more philosophical edge than typical action anime.
What are similar anime series to Blade of the Immortal?
Fans of Blade of the Immortal often enjoy Hell's Paradise (2023) and Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition (2022) for their dark, violent tone and morally complex protagonists. The Elusive Samurai (2024) and Sword of the Demon Hunter (2025) are also worth exploring for their historical Japanese settings.
More About Blade of the Immortal
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