Dark Horse Comics Usagi Yojimbo #23            My Father's Swords  September 1998 (Click on the thumbnails to view full size cover art)

USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
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Dear Stan,

Ikeda's surviving his apparent death kept this from being one of the best issues for me. I suppose I'm just oversensitive from years of reading comic books, where coming back from death is the ultimate cliché, but I was also genuinely moved by his willingness to learn and admit he was wrong, his honor, and his sacrifice. His survival made me feel strangely conned, though I realize it does not invalidate his actions.

Even more troubling was Inazuma's nightmarish vision of Jei, while being examined by priest Sanshobo. At first I was afraid Stan was implying a connection between the two. And then I thought: "It can't be" (you may recall that I find the priest to be one of the most inspiring supporting characters).

Upon search through the recent issues, I wonder if Inazuma isn't going to join Jei, while his "niece" goes to live with Sanshobo. After all, the one has dreamed of Jei as her salvation for some reason, while the other cast what seemed to be a longing look at the priest's sanctuary. This may turn out to be my favorite part of the whole "Grasscutter" story line.

Incidentally, has there been any rumor of an animated Usagi film lately? I continue to think that would be so neat Until then, I guess I'll just have to "settle" for enjoying it as an excellent comic book…

Ben Varkentine
saulchurch@aol.com

I had fully intended on having Ikeda plunge horribly to his death – right up to the time I actually started drawing that page. I had a sudden change of heart and an idea for a future story.

Dear UY ,

I've been a collector for years (back to single-digit Fantagraphics), and I still enjoy Usagi ; the "Grasscutter" story is excellent. I watch Japanese films every so often, and I've been able to follow some of the old tales, thanks to Usagi Yojimbo 's tributes and similar story lines. And I love the barrage of books and references that Stan Sakai keeps giving to us. I was wondering, however, will Stan put out any reference or guidebook to the UY universe? Timelines? Lists of characters? Usagi's favorite Japanese cooking?

Kai Hutchence
kai@dlcwest.com

The appendices in the UY Roleplaying Game contain all the information you've asked for, except his favorite food (sushi). Most impressive is the timeline that puts Usagi's adventures in a historical perspective.

Dear Stan,

Stan Sakai drawing Riblet in Bone #2, and Stan Sakai writing and drawing Usagi Yojimbo #20 in the same week?

Jei would attribute this to the Gods, and I'm not sure he'd be wrong.

"Tomoe and Ikeda" had only one flaw, to my mind: the title. Putting together the names of characters in a title usually means opposites attracting or opposites not attracting; on occasion, it may mean that one character is a foil for another. In this story, Tomoe Ame and Ikeda were not two sides of the same coin, and the pivotal event was something Lord Noriyuki did: saving Motokazu from falling to his death. When Ikeda made what should have been a heroic sacrifice, he spoke to Noriyuki, not Tomoe.

Perhaps you were foreshadowing, Stan, or perhaps the fact that Ikeda's realization that he was wrong and Noriyuki was a "true lord" had more of a visual impact than a written one. Whatever the reason, I wouldn't have changed anything else in this issue:

1) Tom Luth knocked himself out with the color work on the cover, with the malevolence of Jei set exquisitely against the innocence of his charge.

2) The niece's realization that she was on Jei's trail was black humor at its best;

3) Jei's battle with the Kitanamono and Ryoko was a tour de force: Usagi has been as exciting in battle, but he's rarely been more so;

4) The end of Ryoko had an interesting effect on Lord Kotetsu. When Jei laughs, we hear his madness, but we also hear the cunning of a genius. When Lord Kotetsu laughed, what did we hear? Was it, at bottom, pathetic?

5) Usagi and Gen in pursuit were wonderful and kept us aware of what was at stake and how "impossible" a satisfactory solution might be. Also superb were Gen's repeated remarks on a reward: Gen is not Stray Dog, bounty-hunting to benefit others, but if any sort of reward is offered here, I doubt that he'll claim it;

6) Arimura's arrival revealed Ikeda's secret and permitted us to reflect on honor and how a general by rank became a general by soul. Ikeda made a mistake long ago in rebelling against Noriyuki's father, but he learned from it in his exile; he continued to learn from it here, his verbal attack on a "puppet" turning into a physical defense of a "true lord" who saved a vassal at the risk of his own life;

7) Nothing much happened with priest Sanshobo and Inazuma, but we felt his decency and her shakiness, and both should have a big part to play later on; and

8) Usagi and Gen caught up with Grasscutter in the hands of Jei, and while Gen made an amusing observation, we knew better than to laugh. Could this be the beginning of the end of the saga of Jei? Grasscutter is a sword of the gods, and Jei has claimed that he is on a mission for the gods. Where could he credibly go after this?

In a mere 24 pages, Stan crafted another winner of a chapter, and I'll be looking forward to UY #21.

Charles J. Sperling
Flushing, NY

P.S. Needless to say, I loved the stories in Daisho, but I had trouble fitting in the news of Mariko's marriage in "Runaways" with the meeting of Usagi and Mariko in "Homecoming," where the rabbit ronin did not seem to know that Mariko was married and a mother.

I could say that Mariko did not know that Usagi had heard of her marriage to Kenichi and he was playing "dumb" so he would not have to tell what happened after he learned the news (see "Runaways" in UY Book 9: Daisho [and also UY Vol. 2, #13-14]). But the real reason that Usagi did not seem to know of Mariko's marriage was forgetfulness – mine, not Usagi's.

Stan,

I noticed that in the Letters Column of [UY Vol. 3] issue #20, you mention that you have substituted "uncle" for "big brother" in Keiko and Jei's relationship. Actually, in Japanese, she would refer to him as "uncle," since he seems to be quite a bit older. Were they closer in age, say within ten years or so, she might appropriately refer to him as onii-san, but if he is any older and in a position of some authority, as Jei clearly is, she would use "uncle."

Stephen J. Escobedo
Stephen@in-trans.com

Thanks for clearing that up, Stephen. So Keiko would actually be calling Jei oji-san (uncle), not to be confused with ojii-san (grandfather), which she would call him if the age difference were greater.