I don't know anything about the manga on which this was based. I watched this more as a martial arts movie fan. If the fight scenes were good, I'd like it, that's my main criteria for judging this movie. I was hoping for something on the same level as the awesome live action Rurouni Kenshin movies, an excellent manga based live action adaption by the way, but sadly the fights in Blade of the Immortal were just mediocre, nothing in particular that stands out as spectacular. The action here was more about butchering people and exaggerated gore - lots of scenes of slaughtering useless hordes of opponents - than showing off the performers' skills in martial arts/weapons/stunts.
As for the rest of it: The main characters, Manji and Rin were likeable enough. I did like the weird cast of freaks comprising the bad guys. The plot, though, was pretty convoluted, with subplots that apparently went nowhere, and confusingly too many competing factions to keep up with.
As for the rest of it: The main characters, Manji and Rin were likeable enough. I did like the weird cast of freaks comprising the bad guys. The plot, though, was pretty convoluted, with subplots that apparently went nowhere, and confusingly too many competing factions to keep up with.