Rin and Manji are two themes created for the WordPress blogging system. Rin is an extension of Manji and between the two of them they have been downloaded over 6000 times from this here site. However I’ve never spoken about why I chose those names. The names were chosen as an homage to the fantastic comic book series by the completely awesome Hiroaki Samura, Blade of the Immortal.

The story is set in feudal Japan, and centres on Asano Rin and her attempt to seek revenge for the murder of her parents. In her quest Yaobikuni (a tiny old lady, who’s a buddist monk) advises her to get a good Yojimbo (bodyguard). Enter Manji.

The story is gut renching, beautiful, inspiring, shocking, grossing-out, harsh, sweet, poetic and brutal. It’s one of the seminal works in sequential storytelling, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

I’ve been meaning to give a proper review of this series for a while, but David Bird seems to have done a much better job of it than I would have.Go read the excellent review.

I’m only going to add that if I was stranded on a desert island and could get one comic book series delivered to me, Blade of the Immortal would be it. I’ve been reading it since issue 8, today I bought issue 100.