47 Ronin by Mike Richardson
If ever there was a tale that required graphic novel treatment, it's this one, and the art is incredibly well done.
The story of the 47 Ronin is apparently an ancient tale, almost folklore, in that there are apparently various tellings throughout Japan. Back when Japan was a shogunate, Lord Asano was wrongly (at least in this telling of the story) accused of dishonoring a court official and was sentenced to commit seppuku. Because he was given a death sentence, all his land, his home, his belongings, and his retainers were to be handed over to the emperor. This did not sit well with his retainers, especially his head counselor Oishi, who had warned him about holding his temper. They know they must depart from the house and become ronin, leaderless samurai, but they refuse to allow this affront to their master stand. Of all his hundreds of retainers, 47 of them stand with Oishi and vow to get revenge, no matter how long it takes.
And it takes a long time. During the years they wait, they are convincing others that they mean no harm. Oishi, for instance, becomes the town drunk, even having his katana stolen from him while he lies oblivious in the street, forsaking his wife and family to live with the town prostitute. But all the while, he and the others are just waiting for a sign. When the court official finally lets his guard down, they strike, killing everybody in his house. They then willingly submit themselves to the emperor, where they all commit seppuku. Talk about honor.
But the artwork! Stan Sakai's art is like looking at a an entire book of Hokusai woodblocks. Japanese art from that era is so lovely - it's one of my favorite periods of art. Sakai stands up very well in that tradition.
I love mythology and folklore. I don't know how many times I've said it. And Japanese folklore, legend, and mythology is sadly underappreciated. I hope maybe just one person will give it a try, starting with this book. It's a nice place to get your feet wet, before maybe plunging into those roaring waves surrounding Mount Fuji (if you don't get that reference, look up Hokusai on Wikipedia. And you're welcome).
The story of the 47 Ronin is apparently an ancient tale, almost folklore, in that there are apparently various tellings throughout Japan. Back when Japan was a shogunate, Lord Asano was wrongly (at least in this telling of the story) accused of dishonoring a court official and was sentenced to commit seppuku. Because he was given a death sentence, all his land, his home, his belongings, and his retainers were to be handed over to the emperor. This did not sit well with his retainers, especially his head counselor Oishi, who had warned him about holding his temper. They know they must depart from the house and become ronin, leaderless samurai, but they refuse to allow this affront to their master stand. Of all his hundreds of retainers, 47 of them stand with Oishi and vow to get revenge, no matter how long it takes.
And it takes a long time. During the years they wait, they are convincing others that they mean no harm. Oishi, for instance, becomes the town drunk, even having his katana stolen from him while he lies oblivious in the street, forsaking his wife and family to live with the town prostitute. But all the while, he and the others are just waiting for a sign. When the court official finally lets his guard down, they strike, killing everybody in his house. They then willingly submit themselves to the emperor, where they all commit seppuku. Talk about honor.
But the artwork! Stan Sakai's art is like looking at a an entire book of Hokusai woodblocks. Japanese art from that era is so lovely - it's one of my favorite periods of art. Sakai stands up very well in that tradition.
I love mythology and folklore. I don't know how many times I've said it. And Japanese folklore, legend, and mythology is sadly underappreciated. I hope maybe just one person will give it a try, starting with this book. It's a nice place to get your feet wet, before maybe plunging into those roaring waves surrounding Mount Fuji (if you don't get that reference, look up Hokusai on Wikipedia. And you're welcome).
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