Usagi Yojimbo

or: The Best Kept Secret In Comics?

I am no newcomer to comics, and have been reading them for as long as I can remember. Tastes have changes, but interest in the medium has been fairly consistent. As a result, I know quite a lot of people who know quite a lot about comics.

In all that time, I have somehow completely managed to completely avoid the brilliance that is Usagi Yojimbo.

I have seen it periodically pop up on shipping lists and thought “That’s an odd name. I wonder what that is all about?” I never answered the question, as I can never recall seeing on the shelves.

Things changed in the summer, when I saw an enormous double volume hard back book sitting in the local comic shop. It was kind of hard to miss, and intrigued, I picked it up, and flipped it open (carefully, of course). Inside, there were a bunch of cutesy animals running around.

A few years back, I would have just closed the book and put back where I found it (still carefully, mind you). However, the twin genius that is Bone and Blacksad taught me that a comic filled with cutesy animals can still be ace. With the encouragement of the owner of the shop, I parted company with some money, and took the book home.

Within pages, I was hooked, and wondered how I had missed this. I undertook some Wikipedia research, and was slightly aghast that I was reading stories that were 25 years old! Yes, Stan Sakai had been writing and drawing this tale for a quarter of a century, and it had totally passed me by. On the upside, there was a ton of material that I could get to grips with.

The basic plot is fairly simple, Myamoto Usagi is a masterless samurai rabbit. He wanders around feudal Japan, getting into adventures. There is nothing to dislike about Usagi as a character, he’s polite, honourable, a bit down on his luck, a bit awkward with the ladies, a strong sense of justice. And he totally kicks ass in a sword fight. This is not a series light on action. Usagi might not be keen on getting into fights, but when he does, he commits to them.

I’ve called the plot “simple”, but don’t be deceived, but there is a always a completeness to the individual tales, often a sense of justice, and a lot set up far in advance. Nor does it mean that the stories don’t surprise, and quite often don’t end up where you expect them too. There is a lot of historical research undertaken to prepare the stories, although Stan Sakai admits that details get changed where the story demands it. As one might expect, there is a lot of humour, but perhaps less expected, quite a few moments of genuine sadness.

As ever there are a team of supporting characters, bounty hunter with a heart of gold Gen, wily trickster Kitsune, noble bodyguard Tomoe, headstrong young Jotaro, and Usagi’s sensei, to name a few. All get involved in the action, and their backstories themselves unfold over time.

Sakai’s artwork is, like the stories, beautiful, clean and simple. It’s all black and white, but strong lines. Whether Usagi is enjoying watching leaves fall, or sipping a tea, there’s quiet reflection. But equally, there is a strong sense of action when swords are drawn. And when Usagi’s blood is up, or he’s facing a demonic foe (especially evil spearsman, Jei) , things do look downright scary.

I have now read all the books currently available, and I genuinely can’t fault this series, or recommend it highly enough. Don’t make my mistake, pick it up now!

Ryaaaa!

Kindly submitted by Jonathan Miller