Fighting for survival/ Path of returning home or searching for immortality

I didn’t have any expectation. But after a few chapters or 65 chapters later, I came out close to addicted.

If you are searching for some fantasy fighting or shounen-ish manga while hoping it can combine the element of thriller or plot-twists, you should check out this manga~~ Oh yeah, not only this is a gory manga, but this manga also heavily details on its characters’ development.

***Warning, this is not a ninja manga that focuses on whose Jutsu is cooler or stronger. If you are trying to read a manga that makes you happy or laugh, this is not a manga for you*
*Minor Spoilers*

Before talking about the story, I must mention the MCs.
-Gabimaru: “Best” Ninja/ Prisoner.
-Asaemon: Sword Master/ Executioner.
Due to “coincidence” or “story setup”, these two MCs somehow “teamed” up together along with the other executioners/ prisoners to pursue the elixir of immortality on a mysterious island in order to be freed and return back to home.

Along the way, both of them must face or prevail their personal conflicts and weaknesses. More importantly, they must survive death-threatening opponents or challenges ahead of them.
For Gabimaru, he was supposed to be a heartless human killing machine; however, he must find a way to incorporate emotions and feelings to become his strength.
For Asaemon, she was supposed to be arguably the best swordmaster; however, she must find confidence in herself and her expertise in the samurai sword.

Other than the MCs, the side characters can be extremely interesting as well. Overall, the characters in this manga are hella striking in their own ways and can actually steal some spotlights away from the MCs.

For the story, the setup is extremely unique. Despite having the samurai/ninja element + Edo-ish vibe, the mangaka, Yuuji san, completely created his own universe. With the existence of a mysterious island, Yuuji san demonstrated crimson contrast between hope and despair, survival and death.

For the art category, it is definitely a highlight of its own. Don’t want to go further into this, go READ x)


Story: 9 (unique, well planned, smooth)
Art:10 (meticulous, aesthetically pleasing, astounding background, love the human sketches)
Characters: 10 (detailed, see growth, consistent)
Enjoyment: 10 (Became a huge fan of this manga)
Overall: 9.5 (highly recommend to give it a shot)


P.S. Yuzuriha is THE BAE