"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare." -Sun Tzu

This manga is a historical military manga. Although it follows major events quite closely there are instances of undeniable supernatural activity an example being Kyou Kai's invincible breathing technique that is somehow able to do anything you could possibly think of. It is a manga that follows the journey of Li Xin or Ri Shin, as is later translated, in his attempt together with the king of Qin to unite China during the time of the warring states.

Story: 39 / 43%
The story is way more that what most synopsis can lead the viewer to believe. This manga does not shy away from conflict, death, idiocy, and lunacy. It has heavy topics which is why it is a seinen manga. In terms of historical manga I would say this manga is second only to Vagabond in terms of story and story-telling. It is not a manga that is simply about a boy becoming the "greatest general under the heavens". It is a manga were specific and detailed events are shown as well as how key battles and wars were won. Tactics, strategy, and superb intelligence is all shown in this manga. I learned more about actual battle tactics from this manga that reading Sun Tzu's the Art of War and Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings. All in all it is a manga that will teach you a lot historically about China and strategy while still keeping an incredible story-telling with compelling characters and marvelous scenes.

There being supernatural activity detracts from what I believe would be an otherwise perfect story. You do not need supernatural activity to create plot armor when the author should be able to follow events quite closely and have no reason for making an unnecessary event. In the later chapters during Shin's very close battle with a particularly... menacing general he is saved rather miraculously. And although it was an awesome series of events and adds to the depth of the introduced characters, I feel that the supernatural activity does not add anything and rather subtracts quality from the story. That isn't to say that the supernatural events detracts from the characters as it is the other way around. It is just the story that is affected by this, hence the lower points.

Characters: 29 / 33%
The characters are pretty stereotypical. I can't be caught lying here. Our main character, Shin, is a hotheaded and brash person but carries a heart of gold that holds an extreme amount of determination. Shin is fiercely loyal to his friends shown numerous times his willingness to sacrifice himself for his friends. He is basically a Naruto. But similar to Naruto we see Shin grow throughout the series which is uncommon for a lot of stories.

We then have the dandere of the cast. She has a quiet personality, saying little unless she is giving advice. Others who have seen her inhuman talent with the sword have called her a monster as she cuts down her opponents with ease. She has grown warmer towards her comrades in the mid to later chapters (around the 360s chapters). She is seen as a potential love interest for Shin, but is never really acted upon.

Lastly we have Ei Sei, the king of Qin. At the beginning of the story, Ei Sei seemed level headed but somewhat cold. When Shin collapsed from exhaustion, Ei Sei carried him without complaint even though he said before that he would treat Shin as a sword and not a person. Sei and Shin become each other's support and in a way, become rivals. As they journey towards their dreams, they're constantly trying to keep up with each other. After either of them achieve something, they always come together on the roof of the Royal Palace to congratulate and encourage each other to keep moving forward. Shin eventually becomes one of Sei's closest friends. And as their dreams merge, Sei hopes to one day unite all of China with Shin as his sword.

All in all I think the most original character is Ei Sei.

Art: 21% / 23%
The art in this whole manga is consistent and by no means overrated. I believe this manga is second only to Vagabond as I've said before and I keep my word as it is true in the art too. While I am being unfair comparing both mangas it is useful for me to keep track of the rating using Vagabond as a scale for these two. It's realism is extremely well made but there are times when i note inconsistencies. There are times it seems there is a lot of effort made and others where there was a mediocre or a less than best effort. I see this most in large army battles where sometimes everything is beautifully detailed and other times it lacks in comparison.

Overall: 89% / 100% or 8.9/10 rounded to 9/10