Blade of the Immortal was released in Japan on April 29, 2017 (during Golden Week) and was subsequently released in limited North American theaters on November 3, 2017. The film is based on the 1993 samurai manga from Hiroaki Samura and covers the first two arcs. The plot follows an immortal ronin who is convinced to help a young girl gain vengeance against her father's murderers.
There are currently 5 million copies of the manga in print across 20+ countries. The series previously won an Eisner Award in 2000. Dark Horse publishes and English-translated 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.
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 body-guard. 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.