Best samurai manga available in English?
October 4, 2017 4:50 PM Subscribe
What are the best samurai/martial arts manga of all time, that are available in English? Extra points if it is a completed story (rather than ongoing) Extra points if they are still in print/easily purchased.
"Best" is a matter of opinion, but Rurouni Kenshin is certainly highly respected and lauded.
posted by jackbishop at 5:17 PM on October 4, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by jackbishop at 5:17 PM on October 4, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'm not super-knowledgeable about this but I like Lone Wolf and Cub. I think it is regarded as a classic. Wikipedia claims, "Lone Wolf and Cub is one of the most highly regarded manga due to its epic scope, detailed historical accuracy, masterful artwork and nostalgic recollection of the bushido ethos" (no citation is offered).
posted by grobstein at 5:20 PM on October 4, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by grobstein at 5:20 PM on October 4, 2017 [7 favorites]
Came here to suggest Rurouni Kenshin, also.
posted by sailoreagle at 5:54 PM on October 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by sailoreagle at 5:54 PM on October 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
I kind of love Kaze Hikaru, but I definitely haven't read enough manga to claim it's the best of all time.
posted by asperity at 8:51 PM on October 4, 2017
posted by asperity at 8:51 PM on October 4, 2017
Seconding Lone Wolf and Cub. The omnibuses are available at Amazon.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:05 PM on October 4, 2017
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:05 PM on October 4, 2017
And I'll second Blade of the Immortal, although it peaks early.
posted by thesmallmachine at 9:36 PM on October 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by thesmallmachine at 9:36 PM on October 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
I guess it's not technically manga, though the creator is Japanese-American, but it's hard to go wrong with Usagi Yojimbo
posted by one for the books at 10:52 PM on October 4, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by one for the books at 10:52 PM on October 4, 2017 [4 favorites]
Blade of the Immortal, however, yeah the last half drags in a way that made it extremely difficult to keep up with.
posted by Young Kullervo at 7:14 AM on October 5, 2017
posted by Young Kullervo at 7:14 AM on October 5, 2017
Stan Sakai did an adaptation of the classic story of the 47 Ronin, too. With Kazuo Koike as consultant!
I have to rec more of Koike with Lady Snowblood. The plot goes sometimes to xenophobia and random evil psycho lesbians but it's a mythic manga nonetheless (and the movie's better).
For the loyalist counterpart to Rurouni Kenshin, the Shinsengumi are the focus of Nanae Chrono's Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker (completed) and the sequel Peacemaker Kurogane (ongoing). I don't know if the Tokyopop volumes are still available, but at least I think the short anime is. So watch the anime maybe?
Drifters (ongoing) is a very oddball manga that pits Earth's historical figures against each other in a standard-ish European Fantasy milieu, but since the main characters are Oda Nobunaga, Nasu no Yoichi and another samurai from the Shimazu clan, with Hijikata Toshizo, Akechi Mitsuhide and Minamoto no Yoshitsune among the opposing side, maybe it fits too?
posted by sukeban at 11:19 AM on October 5, 2017
I have to rec more of Koike with Lady Snowblood. The plot goes sometimes to xenophobia and random evil psycho lesbians but it's a mythic manga nonetheless (and the movie's better).
For the loyalist counterpart to Rurouni Kenshin, the Shinsengumi are the focus of Nanae Chrono's Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker (completed) and the sequel Peacemaker Kurogane (ongoing). I don't know if the Tokyopop volumes are still available, but at least I think the short anime is. So watch the anime maybe?
Drifters (ongoing) is a very oddball manga that pits Earth's historical figures against each other in a standard-ish European Fantasy milieu, but since the main characters are Oda Nobunaga, Nasu no Yoichi and another samurai from the Shimazu clan, with Hijikata Toshizo, Akechi Mitsuhide and Minamoto no Yoshitsune among the opposing side, maybe it fits too?
posted by sukeban at 11:19 AM on October 5, 2017
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posted by kxr at 5:16 PM on October 4, 2017 [2 favorites]