Blade of the Phantom Master

Blade of the Phantom Master
Cover, volume 2 of Japanese edition
Genre	Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Manga
Written by	Youn In-wan
Illustrated by	Yang Kyung-il
Published by	Daewon C.I. (South Korea) Shogakukan (Japan)
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young Champ (South Korea), Monthly Sunday Gene-X (Japan)
Original run	2001 – 2007
Volumes	17 + 1 Shin Angyo Onshi Gaiden
Anime film
Directed by	Jōji Shimura Ahn Tae-kun
Produced by	Bunsho Kajiya Shukichi Kanda Yang Jee-hye Lee Sang-don Lee Dong-ki
Written by	Youn In-wan
Music by	Kow Otani
Studio	Oriental Light and Magic Character Plan
Released	December 4, 2004
Runtime	87 minutes

Blade of the Phantom Master (新暗行御史, Shin Angyō Onshi^?, 신암행어사 Shin amhaengosa), translated as "New Royal Secret Commissioner", is a serial manhwa and anime film created by Youn In-wan and illustrated by Yang Kyung-il. The series takes place in a world reminiscent of ancient Korea, and follows the Korean-folktale-inspired adventures of Munsu, one of the few remaining guardians against corruption and tyranny, as he seeks to find those responsible for the destruction of his country. It was serialized from 2001 to 2007 in South Korea (as Shin amhaengosa) and in Japan (as Shin Angyō Onshi), and was adapted into an animated theatrical-release film in 2004 in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Japan and South Korea. In 2007, an English-language version of the film was released in the United States by ADV Films (licensed for $130,000) under the title Blade of the Phantom Master. In 2008, the anime became one of over 30 ADV titles transferred to Funimation. As of August 1, 2014 the title has been available in the US on Netflix Streaming with English and Japanese audio.

Blade of the Phantom Master takes place in the fictional land of Jushin, modeled after feudal Korea. In Jushin, there once lived secret government agents called the amheng osa (or angyō onshi in the Japanese version), who traveled the countryside in disguise. They were charged by the king with finding and punishing corrupt government officials, and bringing justice to the country's citizens.

At the start of the series, Jushin has been destroyed, fractured into numerous fiefdoms and kingdoms, many of which are ruled by corrupt and tyrannical warlords. Blade of the Phantom Master follows the adventures of one of the remaining amheng osa, Munsu, as he continues to wander the countryside and deals with the chaos caused by Jushin's fall.

Though initially episodic in nature, it becomes apparent as the series progresses that Munsu's travels are not random. In truth, Munsu is searching for the man responsible for assassinating his best friend, the king of Jushin, an act that led to the fall of the country.