Death Frenzy / Одержимые смертью / Shigurui

"Death Frenzy" (also known as "Shigurui") is a manga set in the 6th year of the Kan'ei era (1629), at the beginning of the Edo period. The main setting is the Sumpu Castle, where Ieyasu Tokugawa (the first shogun of the Tokugawa clan) spent his final days. Tadanaga Tokugawa, the younger brother of Iemitsu (the third shogun) and grandson of Ieyasu, decides to hold a tournament using real weapons, which results in the death of 16 out of the 22 swordsmen who participated, following Tadanaga's orders. "Death Frenzy" is a drama set in a brutal and merciless era, often described with these words. When it comes to brutality, it is usually associated with blood or the deaths of many people. This period considered such actions to be normal and not necessarily brutal. Altruism was not welcomed, and those who performed acts of kindness were not respected. The art style of the manga does not focus on brutality, as it is not the main point. The manga is drawn in this way simply because there is no other way to depict it.