Ichigeki

 

 A good Samurai-themed manga that had its translation finished recently, if you like samurai manga like Vagabond or Blade of immortal then Ichigeki might pick up your interest. Taking place in turbulent Bakumatsu period of Japan, Ichigeki narrates a story of a group of warriors recruited from peasant class tasked to fight against Satsuma warriors who made defiant stand against Tokugawa in Edo. In terms of storyline, Ichigeki offers nothing particularly flashy within the sword&sandal genre, but the manga managed to capture the brutal and bleak nature of that particular period of Japan perfectly with its 47 Chapters.

If i had to pick the best part of Ichigeki, it would be the main character Ushigorou. The character is very well made for a short manga, a person who come out on top against every odds by relying his wits and win even against skilled Samurais despite his peasant background. Usually Bakumatsu period Samurai manga tend to revolve around Shinsengumi which is quite overdone by this point, but Ichigeki is an exception. This manga is definitely a good read if you look for some newer realistic Samurai manga with no supernatural aspect considering most of these types tend to be covered extensively in old school style.