Shigurui: Death Frenzy

Shigurui: Death Frenzy (シグルイ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takayuki Yamaguchi, based on the first chapter of Norio Nanjo's novel, Suruga-jō Gozen Jiai. Set in the early Edo period, the story revolves around a brutal tournament held by Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga, where participants use real swords instead of wooden ones. The narrative focuses on the deadly duel between the one-armed swordsman, Gennosuke Fujiki, and the blind swordsman, Seigen Irako, and the complex, tragic events that led to their confrontation. The manga is known for its realistic, graphic violence and explicit sexual content. A 12-episode anime adaptation produced by Madhouse aired on WOWOW in 2007. The anime faithfully captures the manga’s violent aesthetics and dark atmosphere, and is noted for its abrupt ending. The anime was directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, written by Seishi Minakami, and licensed in North America by Funimation under the English title, 'Shigurui: Death Frenzy'. The story flashes back from the moment of the duel to reveal their intertwined past as fellow students to bitter enemies and the fate that binds them.