The best part about Blade of the Immortal is the characters. No one is perfect, no one is really intrinsically good or bad (there IS one exception). Manji finds that being irresponsible in the past has cost him dearly and if he continues to reject discipline, it could do so again; he can't be careless anymore. He's beyond anti-hero; he smokes, drinks, entertains prostitutes, kills wantonly, and even hits Rin the first time they meet. Rin learns a lot about herself and what she's willing to sacrifice in order to fulfill a hastily-made graveside promise. Her enemy, Anotsu, is similarly obligated to his family to unite all schools of fighting in Japan.

But it's in the small, unexpected character tics that humor escapes, just like in real life.