Esteemed Japanese director Takashi Miike ( Ichi the Killer, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Yatterman) directed a live-action adaptation of Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal manga which will open in Japanese theaters next year during Golden Week. Takuya Kimura plays Manji, the immortal rōnin swordsman who becomes the bodyguard of a young woman out to avenge the death of her parents.
The manga launched in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine in 1993 and concluded in 2012 at 30 volumes. There are currently 5 million copies in print across 20+ countries. It previously won an Eisner Award in 2000. Dark Horse publishes the manga in North America and will release an omnibus in the near future. A 13-episode anime from Bee Train and Production I.G. aired in 2008 and retold a very condensed version of the first 6 volumes.
SYNOPSIS
To end his eternal suffering, he must slay one thousand enemies! 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!