We miss you, Tomoe.

[lookatyouhacker]

Now, as much positive as I've been hearing on the Chanyou chapter, one thing I don't like about it is that after that, Tomoe Ame was absent from the series for approximately thirteen years, save for when she showed up again in Senso, which I'm not even sure if that's supposed to be canon or not. I mean I hope not, but that's not for me to decide by a longshot. I understand Stan Sakai wants to do research on arranged marriages before writing the story involving Tomoe's but I would still think it would be wonderful if he wrote stories involving Tomoe that were completely separate from her marriage. For example. I think it would be great if after he finishes the story for Usagi Yojimbo that he's currently working on, he would write one that follows Tomoe as she visits her brother Tajima, checking to see how well he's been running the Falling-Rain school of fencing, and they talk about what they've been doing since the last time they saw each other. Tomoe would even tell him that she confronted their father's killer.

[Maka]

[estee]

What the hey now?!

THIRTEEN YEARS?!

I have the fervent hope that Tomoe is not simply going to be a dutiful wife, but pretty much take over whatever holdings Lord Ito has and become the true leader of the clan.

Her soul is in her sword. Not her mirror.

[lookatyouhacker]

[estee]

Lord Ito is the lord of the Kojima Province.

He's probably a nice man. But still...She's our Tomoe and no man is good enough for her.

[lookatyouhacker]

Well, it's been too long since that subplot when anywhere and Sakai himself said that it may take years for that to happen.

[estee]

Well then we gots time for the marriage to fall through or war starts with the Geishu and the Shadow Lord (ptui!) and Tomoe will be free again.

[lookatyouhacker]

[estee]

I consider "Senso" the Elseworlds of the "Usagi-verse".

Its a alternate reality that may or may not happen.

The core book is canon. Anything else is a matter of interpretation by the reader if its belongs or not.

Of course if Stan says Senso is canon then its canon.

[lookatyouhacker]

Does Stan say that Senso is Canon?

[estee]

[lookatyouhacker]

Well, I hope not, but that's his decision, not mine. Of course, I say "I hope not" for two reasons: one, I find the idea of an alien invasion in feudal Japan absolutely ludicrously out of place, as is the Usagi Gundam, and two, I hate the idea of fan-favorite characters getting killed off.

Anyway, if Stan Sakai believes that the amount of research that he did so far on Japanese arranged marriages is insufficient for his story on the one set up for Tomoe, and I really hope he replies to this threat telling us one way or the other, I want him to know for a fact that we have other ideas on what he could do with her in the meantime, because many of her fans really want to see her again. In fact, the one I myself stated, the idea of Stan writing a story where Tomoe visits Tajima, would not only finally let us see Tomoe again, but also get us to know Tajima as a character. Up until now, we only saw him in the flashback on Tomoe's backstory, but my idea for a story could get us to know more about his own character and background. And because he was the one assigned to lead the Falling Rain Fencing School, it would be great if Tomoe, and by extension we got to see how well it held up under his supervision.

[estee]

I always considered Senso to be fan fiction that happened to be written by the Creator.

Stan wrote that for the fans more than anyone.

[Robert Kassebaum]

There's another possibility-she committed seppuku after the tea ceremony (DH issue 93). She put every thing on the line to show how much she care for Usagi. And what does he do? He walks out. She so emotionally distraught from the rejection, I wouldn't put it past her.

[Maka]

Possible Robert. But I think I think Tomoe would fulfill her duty to her lord over her feeling for Usagi.