Lady Snowblood is a Japanese manga series written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Playboy magazine from February 1972 to March 1973. The series revolves around the title character, a female assassin who seeks vengeance against the bandits who murdered her stepfather and older half-brother and raped her mother.
The cover of Vol. 1 of the Dark Horse Comics collection
Oyuki, aka Syura Yuki
Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood and Crying Freeman, which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Koike at New York Comic Con, 2013