Orient (manga)

Characters

Musashi is cheerful and caring, with a determination shown when he proposes becoming a Bushi alongside his friend Kojiro. His kitetsu blade is called "Enma's Odachi", a pitch-black longsword with a flame-like pattern. Kojiro is kind, caring, and self-sufficient, though competitive with Musashi; his kitetsu blade is "Vorpal Cherry Blossoms", a katana that can generate multiple strikes in one action. Tsugumi is sweet and forgiving but also manipulative, a powerful fighter who fears letting toxic people go, relying on Musashi and Kojiro to overcome this.

Her kitetsu blade is "Twin Soaring Swallows", a weapon resembling bladed tonfa. Jisai, Kojiro's deceased father, was kind and calm, enduring harshness from townsfolk due to his Bushi origin and encouraging Kojiro to be proud of his heritage. Naotora, captain of the Takeda Band, is charismatic with a mischievous side; his kitetsu blade is "Bladed Wings of Habakiri", a small cosmic blade controlling water and fire. Shunrai is the vice-captain of the Takeda Band, and Aoshi is its second class general.

Hideo, captain of the Kosameda Band, appears calm and gentle but is actually arrogant and self-centered. Shiro, a member of the Obsidian Eight, wields "Abyss", an oversized curved sword that can cut out and swap locations, ranging in size from human to mountain top. Nanao, another Obsidian Eight member, uses "Seven-Belled Armadillo Sword", a staff that splits into a seven-sectioned sword whip. The Obsidian Goddess is a mysterious entity hiding in Musashi's body, pursued by the Obsidian Eight.

Michiru, a princess of the Saruwatari Band, acts cold and distant due to severe shyness but eventually opens to Musashi; her kitetsu blade is "Lapis Lotus", a dark blue sword with a butterfly-shaped guard that can manifest smaller blades for floating or defense.

Media

Kodansha collected its chapters in 22 tankōbon volumes released from August 17, 2018, to November 8, 2024. An anime television series adaptation by A.C.G.T, directed by Tetsuya Yanagisawa with scripts by Mariko Kunisawa, character designs by Takahiro Kishida, and music by Hideyuki Fukasawa, aired from January 6 to March 24, 2022, on TV Tokyo and AT-X. The opening theme is "Break Out" by Da-ice, and the ending theme is "Nani Iro" by Wataru Hatano. Crunchyroll streamed the series outside Asia. A second cours aired from July 12 to September 27, 2022, with opening theme "Break It Down" by Sōta Hanamura and Lil' Fang, and ending theme "Irochigai no Itotaba" by Gakuto Kajiwara. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and South Asia, releasing it on Ani-One Ultra YouTube, iQIYI, and Animax Asia. An English dub premiered on February 23, 2022.

Reception

Rebecca Silverman awarded it three and a half stars, highlighting the mature Buddhist imagery in demon designs and the author's refined art style, which she found free of the juvenile humor in earlier works. Faye Hopper gave two and a half stars, praising the artwork but panning the narrative as chaotic and sluggish, with flat characters and weak tension that squandered the story's early momentum.