Rating: 
Summary: I love this book
Review: If you are shopping for this volume of Blade, you are probably familiar with the story, characters, setting, and overall goodness of everything Of The Immortal. This has been my favorite so far. The story finally picks up some pacing, while slowing down in other respects. I enjoyed the tortured prostitute character, and Manji again comes across both moral choices and personal obligations, and sometimes what you want isn't what you need, or neccissarily get.Very well worth your time. Buy all of it ASAP.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best BOTI TPB yet
Review: In many ways Samura's manga series Blade of the Immortal tops all other manga series. His artwork is awestriking, the action is exciting, the characters are more intricate and interesting then most I've seen, and the drama is unmatched, but in all of these aspects Samura has outdone himself in Dreamsong. Lover to Kagehisa Anotsu, Makie sets out to proove her love by killing Manji, the immortal ronin who protects Rin. Though her love from Anotsu is strong, Makie's conscience gets in the way, and she is forced to choose between her love for Anotsu, or killing a human being. For a while I thought Cry of the Worm was the best TPB of Blade of the Immortal, but Dreamsong has complicated things. The fights are, as usual, bloody, and the characters are amazing complex. If you are a fan of any manga, GET DREAMSONG!
Rating:
Summary: New depth for the characters, and great reading for us!
Review: In this, the fourth installment of the Blade of The Immortal series the focus is rarely on the "immortal" mentioned in the title. Instead we learn more about Rin and her ability to deal with challenges and adversity when she learns, much to her dismay, that her fighting abilities are not what she would like them to be (or rather, need them to be in order to actually survive a fight). Much of her personal introspection and growth comes after an encounter with the man whom she is sworn to kill: Kagehisa Anotsu. It is an encounter that at first Rin would rather have not had, but as the book continues on we see that speaking with Anotsu has changed Rin and her view of what she is doing with Manji and this quest of hers . . . at least it seems to have. The book ends on a mild cliffhanger that leaves you wondering just what the hell is going through Rin's mind, and what she's going to do next. This book is outstanding; either by itself or in the context of the larger series it is entertaining and interesting. Being not quite so heavy on the action as the previous three books it might seem as though it would drag, but the character motives and movement keep you interested right from the start. To be honest it would help if you have a working knowledge of the characters and their motivations as they are put forth in the previous books, if for no other reason than to reread them after you've finished On Silent Wings. Even though I am a big fan and feel like I know the story pretty well I still went back and reread the other three books, and I found that a little fore-knowledge really opened up the story. I can't wait for the fifth installment! Yeah, actually that's something else you may want to have on hand as well before you pick this one up, because you're going to wonder what the hell is going through that girl's head too!
Rating:
Summary: The most compelling volume so far
Review: It's hard to explain Hiroaki Samura's artwork in Blade of the Immortal: if you've seen it, you understand its beauty and power; if you haven't, you need to. He can do more an un-inked pencil sketch than you will find in any inked and computer-colored comic in the market today. His writing elevates this art even further above the crowd, and this volume is the best so far. It introduces a new character, Makie, a woman whose abilities with the blade exceed both Manji's and Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu who killed Rin's parents. Her own tale is sad and powerful, but her great virtue for the story as a whole is that she provides a new pair of eyes with which to see Anotsu, for she shares her past and her heart with him. In a sense, she stands between Rin and Anotsu: she has suffered, as they have, yet she has gained nobility by it--which leaves open the question of whether Rin's desire for vengeance will be tempered in this same way. Though Makie has yet to appear again, at least in the English translations, this one appearance makes her one of the most memorable of characters.
Rating:
Summary: The most compelling volume so far
Review: It's hard to explain Hiroaki Samura's artwork in Blade of the Immortal: if you've seen it, you understand its beauty and power; if you haven't, you need to. He can do more an un-inked pencil sketch than you will find in any inked and computer-colored comic in the market today. His writing elevates this art even further above the crowd, and this volume is the best so far. It introduces a new character, Makie, a woman whose abilities with the blade exceed both Manji's and Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu who killed Rin's parents. Her own tale is sad and powerful, but her great virtue for the story as a whole is that she provides a new pair of eyes with which to see Anotsu, for she shares her past and her heart with him. In a sense, she stands between Rin and Anotsu: she has suffered, as they have, yet she has gained nobility by it--which leaves open the question of whether Rin's desire for vengeance will be tempered in this same way. Though Makie has yet to appear again, at least in the English translations, this one appearance makes her one of the most memorable of characters.
Rating:
Summary: This is the one that got me hooked.
Review: Of all of the 'Blade of the Immortal' series that I've read, this one is still the most beatiful, still the one that illustrates in a nutshell what Samura's series is about. When I first saw this book, I was in a bookstore, browsing the shelves. Then I saw this amazing cover, Makie, holding her blood covered "sword" surrounded by dead bodies. I picked it up and read the whole thing right there in the store. That's when I knew their was no turning back. I bought it then and there, and set out the buy the rest of them. The most interesting thing about that experience was that even after reading the entire thing, I had no idea who was the hero and who was the villan, to use clichéd terms. That is what takes my breath away about this series -- it continually asks the questions, "Who is good? Who is evil?" And I haven't even gotten to the artwork yet. 'Dreamsong' has the most beatiful artwork in the series to date. The gorgeous pictures of Makie, slicing a man in half "like a fish prepared for grilling" are not to be missed. Samura manages to make his 'death' scenes both poetic and painful, yet in no way abhorrent to the senses. My recomendations: First off, remember that this series is not for children. Not only because of the extreme violence, but also due to the vulgarity of the characters, sexual innuendo, and some very disturbing scenes that come in later in the series. I'd say this book should only be read by adults 18 and older. That said, even despite all of these things, this is one of the greatest and most original manga I've ever read. If you are an adult, Blade of the Immortal: Dreamsong is the perfect place to start reading manga. It's worth the cover price many times over.
Rating:
Summary: This is the one that got me hooked.
Review: Of all of the 'Blade of the Immortal' series that I've read, this one is still the most beatiful, still the one that illustrates in a nutshell what Samura's series is about. When I first saw this book, I was in a bookstore, browsing the shelves. Then I saw this amazing cover, Makie, holding her blood covered "sword" surrounded by dead bodies. I picked it up and read the whole thing right there in the store. That's when I knew their was no turning back. I bought it then and there, and set out the buy the rest of them. The most interesting thing about that experience was that even after reading the entire thing, I had no idea who was the hero and who was the villan, to use clichéd terms. That is what takes my breath away about this series -- it continually asks the questions, "Who is good? Who is evil?" And I haven't even gotten to the artwork yet. 'Dreamsong' has the most beatiful artwork in the series to date. The gorgeous pictures of Makie, slicing a man in half "like a fish prepared for grilling" are not to be missed. Samura manages to make his 'death' scenes both poetic and painful, yet in no way abhorrent to the senses. My recomendations: First off, remember that this series is not for children. Not only because of the extreme violence, but also due to the vulgarity of the characters, sexual innuendo, and some very disturbing scenes that come in later in the series. I'd say this book should only be read by adults 18 and older. That said, even despite all of these things, this is one of the greatest and most original manga I've ever read. If you are an adult, Blade of the Immortal: Dreamsong is the perfect place to start reading manga. It's worth the cover price many times over.
Rating:
Summary: An elegant epic
Review: Of the 4 currently published books of this series, this third installment is the best of the lot. It introduces one of the most intriguing characters of the series, the female character on the cover who tries to identify the path of her destiny through lost love, lost family and her great natural ability at using the blade. Actually the whole series is very good compared to any other Japanese manga, on a par with evangelion for depth, dragonball for gripping interest, and a level of care and detail for art that rivals the sketches of any professional artist. Dreamsong is alike the Illiard even, in that both deliever a powerful storyline that is also poetic. Buy, read and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: An elegant epic
Review: Of the 4 currently published books of this series, this third installment is the best of the lot. It introduces one of the most intriguing characters of the series, the female character on the cover who tries to identify the path of her destiny through lost love, lost family and her great natural ability at using the blade. Actually the whole series is very good compared to any other Japanese manga, on a par with evangelion for depth, dragonball for gripping interest, and a level of care and detail for art that rivals the sketches of any professional artist. Dreamsong is alike the Illiard even, in that both deliever a powerful storyline that is also poetic. Buy, read and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant! Immortality at is't best!
Review: The story about Manji, the Ronin samurai who is cursed with immortality and has to slay a thousand evil men before he can die and Rin, the only surviving daughter from a slaughtered family, bent on hellish revenge against the man responsible for her familys death, Anotshu. In Dreamsong, Anotshu's love, the beutiful Geisha and secretly Japans best swordswoman, sets out to kill Manji for her lovers sake. Before that Anotshu will not marry her. So the man who gave up his right to die, faces the woman who gave up her right to dream. The story is dreamy and intriquing and the art is a blend of Manga with western influences and is very tastefull.
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