Blade of the Immortal Episode 12

Blade of the Immortal Episode 12

Act Twelve – Blood of Finality

Now that we’re officially halfway through Blade of the Immortal, it doesn’t really feel like this is a two cour series. Obviously the series didn’t end with this episode, but at the same time I have no idea where it’s going to go from here.

Sure, there’s going to be a lot more stuff with the Itto-Ryu, and Kagehisa, Taito, and Makie are all back together, but I would have been fine with a one cour series. I know it wouldn’t have told the entire story, and that fans of the manga would probably be upset, but still.

Or, maybe this is one of those few series which would actually benefit from being broken into multiple seasons. Rather than a single, two cour season, would you prefer if this anime was broken into two, one cour seasons? I think a break in the middle of the series might actually do a lot of good here.

Maybe it isn’t feeling this way to you, but for me, this series is starting to stretch on. I felt the same way about Dororo, but I’m glad I stuck with that series until the end. It’s not like I’m going to drop Blade of the Immortal, but I do think a break would help freshen the series up — and I don’t mean the one week break we’re probably about to get.

Rin and Kagehisa’s Adventure

Just as Manji and Taito had their little adventure, this time around we get an adventure with Rin and Kagehisa — not exactly a pair you would picture together. What I gather from this whole adventure is that Rin isn’t a very emotionally strong person.

She puts on a brave face most of the time, but as we even see at the end of the episode when she begs Manji to save her, that’s not who she really is. However, even before that point there were signs of this throughout the episode, most notably her following Kagehisa on his travel.

Once she realizes that Kagehisa is sick with tetanus, she uses that as an excuse not to kill him. She claims that when she kills him, she wants it to be when he’s healthy. This is her way of attempting to seem like she’s an honorable swordswoman, but that’s not actually the case.

Kagehisa Anotsu from the anime series Blade of the Immortal
Kagehisa Anotsu

What about before she noticed that Kagehisa was sick? She didn’t exactly try to kill him. And why didn’t she try? Because she’s afraid of what would happen if she succeeded. What would she have left in life if Kagehisa was dead? She would have nowhere to turn her anger other than towards herself.

Also, after traveling on her own for a while, it seems like she desperately wants a man, or anyone I guess, as a companion. Without Manji she realizes how alone she is, and she’s willing to cling to anyone, even Kagehisa, if it means not being alone. It’s almost like a form of Stockholm syndrome.

Finally, Rin allows Kagehisa to walk away at the end of the episode. Again, she makes some speech about defeating him with her own hands once he’s back at full strength. But, this really sounds like another empty promise/threat.

Itto-Ryu Meeting

Although it was a short scene, I feel like I need to discuss the Itto-Ryu meeting we saw. There appeared to be a lot of Itto-Ryu members, there, but the only one I really recognized was the older man. I’m pretty sure this is the same guy who killed Kagehisa’s father and then swore allegiance to Kagehisa.

Also, of significant note is that Kagehisa himself wasn’t present — he’s off in Kaga with Rin. But we are told that he was originally supposed to be at this meeting, so I don’t think there’s a coup happening among the Itto-Ryu. It’s not like these members are having a secret meeting without Kagehisa.

Another thing to point out is that it’s not solely an Itto-Ryu meeting. They’re meeting with another group, but it’s unclear exactly what group this is. Are they with the shogunate? I think the one younger guy we see returning to the meeting room is the Mugai-Ryu mole, so are they who’s meeting with the Itto-Ryu?

Regardless of who the Itto-Ryu are meeting with, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end well for them. There appears to be some sort of plan to catch them off guard 30 minutes after we last see them. Whether this is to arrest them or straight up kill them is unclear.

However, my prediction is that this ambush isn’t going to go quite as planned. I’m guessing most of these random Itto-Ryu are going to be killed, but the older man, whatever his name is, isn’t going to be one of them. This is probably where we’ll get to see just how strong he is as a true introduction of his character into the story.

The Gang’s All Here

The ending of the episode was exciting just because we got to see a couple of the major characters all reunited. Of course, Kagehisa and Rin were already present, but then Manji shows up and the party really begins. Then Taito shows up, and after him comes Makie.

I really wasn’t expecting to see Makie make a comeback in the story since she had given up fighting. But it seems old habits die hard. Also, I still think she’s probably the strongest character we’ve seen so far — and that includes Kagehisa when he doesn’t have tetanus.

Makie Otono-Tachibana from the anime series Blade of the Immortal
Makie Otono-Tachibana

It was interesting to see Rin, Manji, Taito, Makie, and Kagehisa all fighting on the same side. The lines are continuing to blur between good and evil. We previously learned that Makie and Taito aren’t bad people, but what does this mean about Kagehisa considering they’re so devoted to him?

And the fact that Rin and Manji also fight alongside them is significant. Despite Kagehisa being their ultimate enemy, they’re able to put aside their differences. So where exactly is this series going?

I don’t see Taito and Makie being killed by Manji and Rin, but I also don’t see them allowing Kagehisa to be killed. So will the series end with Kagehisa still alive? Will Rin forgive him? Now that they’ve become — albeit temporary — allies, what direction is the story going to take?

Conclusion

What did you think of Blade of the Immortal episode 12? Do you think this series should be split into two seasons instead of two cours? Do you think Rin is ever actually going to kill Kagehisa? And, what do you think is going to come of the Itto-Ryu meeting? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of the next episode is available here.

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