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Post by stillpoint on Dec 5, 2016 1:20:25 GMT -5
  Published: August 30, 2006; September 27, 2006 Synopsis: "Dig, dig, dig. Poor, insane Jodo is digging holes all over town. Boss Hamanaka, Jodo's father, is dead, and his vast fortune is nowhere to be found! Gangs vying for control of the community wage an impending war just as Usagi arrives on the scene! And there's another samurai, mysteriously observing everything from the sidelines, who may enter into the fray - or maybe he's waiting for the town to be torn apart!" Notes: Collected in Usagi Yojimbo Volume 23: Bridge Of Tears and The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 6. First appearance of Mayumi. Discuss the issue and/or post full reviews below! |
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Post by stillpoint on Dec 5, 2016 2:26:44 GMT -5
Great setup and pacing. There are no fiendish plot twists here, just a well-crafted tale with a gritty swordfight in a rainstorm between Usagi and Kin.
There's a horrifying moment, too. Early in the second part, the rival thugs are depicted as clearly inexperienced and incompetent, waving swords around while telling each other to "watch out" and "be careful." Later, after some gold is found, they get worked up enough to stop posturing and start killing. It's just one panel, and they're all actually in the background, but I found it chilling.
Mayumi is certainly a more traditional woman than the upper echelon bodyguards and fugitive ninjas Usagi has a possible romantic interest in. I don't find her especially compelling but she doesn't have a lot of appearances to establish herself. Kitsune took a while to grow on me, for example, and now I look forward to new stories with her.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 5, 2016 8:37:07 GMT -5
There's a horrifying moment, too. Early in the second part, the rival thugs are depicted as clearly inexperienced and incompetent, waving swords around while telling each other to "watch out" and "be careful." Later, after some gold is found, they get worked up enough to stop posturing and start killing. It's just one panel, and they're all actually in the background, but I found it chilling. Well said! I couldn't understand Usagi's attraction to Mayumi other than the fact that she felt more like the traditional love interest you'd see in classic Samurai films. However, even though I couldn't understand it, Stan absolutely had me feeling it by the time of "The Bridge." Wow. That one really got me. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 24, 2017 20:25:31 GMT -5
This story feels a lot like Yojimbo, I feel like we had a story that similarly riffed off Yojimbo but I can't remember what it was.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 25, 2017 8:53:53 GMT -5
This story feels a lot like Yojimbo, I feel like we had a story that similarly riffed off Yojimbo but I can't remember what it was. Stan homages the classic Samurai films he grew up with often, particularly Yojimbo. I believe Gen is entirely based upon Mifune's character, and (yes) there were at least two Usagi stories that followed the plot of Yojimbo to a T. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 25, 2017 9:13:13 GMT -5
This story feels a lot like Yojimbo, I feel like we had a story that similarly riffed off Yojimbo but I can't remember what it was. Stan homages the classic Samurai films he grew up with often, particularly Yojimbo. I believe Gen is entirely based upon Mifune's character, and (yes) there were at least two Usagi stories that followed the plot of Yojimbo to a T. There is certainly a resemblance between Gen and Mifune's Ronin with no name, though that's true of Usagi as well. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 25, 2017 9:46:35 GMT -5
Stan homages the classic Samurai films he grew up with often, particularly Yojimbo. I believe Gen is entirely based upon Mifune's character, and (yes) there were at least two Usagi stories that followed the plot of Yojimbo to a T. There is certainly a resemblance between Gen and Mifune's Ronin with no name, though that's true of Usagi as well. Usagi is based more upon Musashi Miyamoto. Not sure if Stan was specifically thinking the Samurai Trilogy films ( usagigoya will tell you there are other Musashi films that he considers superior), but the influence is apparent, especially in Usagi's gradual transformation over the years. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 25, 2017 12:04:32 GMT -5
There is certainly a resemblance between Gen and Mifune's Ronin with no name, though that's true of Usagi as well. Usagi is based more upon Musashi Miyamoto. Not sure if Stan was specifically thinking the Samurai Trilogy films ( usagigoya will tell you there are other Musashi films that he considers superior), but the influence is apparent, especially in Usagi's gradual transformation over the years. That's definitely the main influence but visually I see a lot of Mifune, especially when it comes to Usagi's facial features. Mifune had a way of communicating so much with just his eyebrows and I can't help but think of his acting when I see the detail that Stan often pits into Usagi's face to sell us on a lot of the really emotional scenes. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 25, 2017 16:43:24 GMT -5
Usagi is based more upon Musashi Miyamoto. Not sure if Stan was specifically thinking the Samurai Trilogy films ( usagigoya will tell you there are other Musashi films that he considers superior), but the influence is apparent, especially in Usagi's gradual transformation over the years. That's definitely the main influence but visually I see a lot of Mifune, especially when it comes to Usagi's facial features. Mifune had a way of communicating so much with just his eyebrows and I can't help but think of his acting when I see the detail that Stan often pits into Usagi's face to sell us on a lot of the really emotional scenes. Mifune played Musachi Miyamoto in the Samurai Trilogy  |
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Post by brutalis on Aug 10, 2020 12:11:58 GMT -5
Stan provides us his version of what is a traditional american gangster movie with the hero stuck in the middle between the city folk and the mob. Toss in another Ronin who is seemingly passing through like Usagi and a the possibility of hidden riches and you have a classic film noir movie. Usagi ala Bogart or Mitchum or Glenn Ford. Actually I can see lots of Ford in Stan's Usagi. Hmmmmmm
Love love love the rainy and muddy moody setting for the story. You can feel the humidity, the oppressive mugginess in the air surrounding the villagers. A truly stunning sword fight in the rainstorm finale. And once more our Ronin finding the truth that it's easier to face an angry village or another sword fight than having to confront or deal with a woman!
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