POTENTIAL UY 101 SPOILERS

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 16:54 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote:
estee wrote:
Oh great Chizu is going to be the one posseessed by Jei's soul...and Usagi will have to kill her. You are so evil, Mr. Sakai.
Hey, you're the one who wanted Chizu back. Sometimes the worst curse is getting what you wish for.

But we'll see...

If...if...Chizu is going to meet her end in #101, I hope she'll at least have a chance to go out with a bang. Lord Ikeda's death in issue 45 is a perfect example of how to give a major player in the series a great send-off.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 23:38 -0700

Chizu was already scheduled to meet her demise as part of Grasscutter 2. As we all know, Mr Sakai listens to his fans! To kill Chizu off so unexpectedly now would not be in anyone's best interest...

Hmmm...perhaps the issue involves Jei trying to use his influence to garner support from others. Maybe build a small army to help him in his quest to destroy Usagi and all who oppose him (her). Maybe an army in the form of the Neko Ninja Clan (who seem to be falling from the favor of Hikiji to the Komori Can)...imagine an army of demon-possessed Ninja. How cool would that be...

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:16 -0700

Todd Shogun wrote:Chizu was already scheduled to meet her demise as part of Grasscutter 2. As we all know, Mr Sakai listens to his fans! To kill Chizu off so unexpectedly now would not be in anyone's best interest...

Hmmm...perhaps the issue involves Jei trying to use his influence to garner support from others. Maybe build a small army to help him in his quest to destroy Usagi and all who oppose him (her). Maybe an army in the form of the Neko Ninja Clan (who seem to be falling from the favor of Hikiji to the Komori Can)...imagine an army of demon-possessed Ninja. How cool would that be...

Actually, I kind of prefer the premise suggested by the cover for #101...Usagi becomes possessed by Jei. For a time, Usagi seems overtaken by Jei's spell, (just imagine two or three issues with a Jei-possessed Usagi on the rampage) but then Jei makes the mistake of trying to kill one of Usagi's loved ones - maybe Jotaro - and Usagi is reawakened....but Jei won't leave his body without a fight. Unlike their previous confrontations, this would be a battle completely from within, and would be more of a test of Usagi's inner strength as opposed to his ability with the sword.

Anyway, Stan might listen to the fans, but they should probably be careful about what they wish for. I'm beginning to suspect Mr. Sakai has a darker side to his personality we should all be wary of. "Sure guys, I'll bring back Chizu for this issue." (Cue Jei-like chuckle) "Heh heh heh..."

Fanfan · Post by **Fanfan** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:40 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote: Hey, you're the one who wanted Chizu back. Sometimes the worst curse is getting what you wish for.

But we'll see...

We are inside a B movie here, Wishmaster...

What i wonder about Jei : is Jei a supernatural being that takes possession of people (an evil yokai) and long before the Jei we know. Or is it the angry spirit of the Jei we know that turned into an obakemono ? (but we recently have this kind of story in Nocturnal)

As the second people of the Chizu fan club and lobby, i do not worry, because love is strong, and will triumph over this evil spirit...

____________________________________
Dark side of the force is the pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural

sschroeder · Post by **sschroeder** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 13:54 -0700

Source: Dark Horse for March, 2007

Spoilers below!

USAGI YOJIMBO #101

STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale March 28
b&w, 24 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

A lethal game of cat-and-mouse catches Usagi in its trap as the rabbit ronin steps in to protect an ally, only to become a victim himself! Ousted by the head of the Neko Ninja Clan, Chizu is an outcast, on the run from the same assassins she once considered her brothers and sisters. When her former comrades catch up to her, Usagi raises his sword in her defense. However, in the heat of battle, Usagi is struck by a poison dart. Now, Chizu has mere hours to find an antidote while her enemies continue their deadly pursuit. As the poison takes hold, Usagi's mind is driven into a twisted nightmare. Will he ever recover? Find out in “Fever Dream,” this month in Usagi Yojimbo !

Thomas Froehling · Tue Dec 05, 2006 18:44 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote:
Todd Shogun wrote: Thing is, now the "signature box" in the lower right corner of the art in blue really stands out. Maybe if that were blended into the ground color some more?
Thanks for the suggestion. I've asked Tom to gray down the signature box by a touch.

It sure would be better to have it blended; otherwise it will look like a sticker, not part of the art, if you know what I mean...

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 18:58 -0700

sschroeder wrote:Source: Dark Horse for March, 2007

Spoilers below!

[/quote]

There's so much the issue could potentially reveal, such as the mysterious "link" between Inazuma and Jei (has anybody else noticed how Inazuma suffered a fever dream of her own prior to being possessed?), plus Usagi's "true nature"...something he's constantly been accused of by Jei throughout the entire series.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 19:59 -0700

I wonder now that we know more about this issue, if it will actually be Inazuma at the end of that black blade on the cover of #102. Perhaps the scene in the cover is still part of the Fever Dream, and it is Usagi facing off against the Usagi from the cover of 101... Imagine Usagi going up against an evil version of himself. All we know is that the mystery assassin (probably a Neko Ninja) catches up with Usagi in 102. Is the cover from 102 really showing a face off between that assassin and Usagi, or Usagi and a Jei-possessed entity? We all know the Neko Ninja do not carry around black katanas...and furthermore, the sword on the cover of 102 is a samurai's katana, not a shinobikatana...and of course, there's the eerie lighting bolt-shaped reflection on it...which points to Inazuma...

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 20:27 -0700

The cover for Book 17 has a very similar image. At that point, there wasn't any pretense about anyone besides Koji being on the other end of that katana. The events in #60 and #102 might be different, but the symbolism of the pointing blade on the front cover isn't. If that's not Usagi's evil doppelganger he's staring down, then we can indeed look forward to a confrontation between Usagi and Inazuma/Jei in #102.

Thomas Froehling · Tue Dec 05, 2006 20:39 -0700

Todd Shogun wrote: All we know is that the mystery assassin (probably a Neko Ninja) catches up with Usagi in 102. Is the cover from 102 really showing a face off between that assassin and Usagi, or Usagi and a Jei-possessed entity? We all know the Neko Ninja do not carry around black katanas...and furthermore, the sword on the cover of 102 is a samurai's katana, not a shinobikatana...and of course, there's the eerie lighting bolt-shaped reflection on it...which points to Inazuma...

Well, I for one thought the assassin would be of the Assassins Guild (I don't recall the name and can't get my hands on the issue right now...The one who accidently killed his prostitute girl-friend).

Maybe the cover of 102 is more like a vision, a bad dream; or maybe he is confronted by the spirit of Jei and has to defend himself against this intruder (the ragged hut as a symbol for his own injured body). Remember, Jei entered Inazuma while she was close to death, a state Usagi should be in if we take the content of issue 101 seriously....

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 21:00 -0700

If Usagi is confronted by the spirit of Jei in his fever dream, then most likely it will end up in the form of Inazuma or the evil Usagi from 101, based on the fact that it's a katana pointing at him and not a spear. If it's Inazuma, he'll then realize that she has fell victim to the Jei demon and will be ready when they meet again. Personally, I think it is Usagi's evil self, in the form of Jei, who visits him in the dream, and that's what we are seeing on the cover.

Thomas, you're probably right about Shizukiri as the mystery assassin, and he finally catches up with Usagi... but I don't think that face off is reflected on the cover. I think there's a lot more going on with 102 than meets the eye.

Hey wouldn't it be cool if Chizu, with nowhere to go, teams up and travels with Usagi for awhile after these two issues? She could be Usagi's main ally in the upcoming Jei story arc. Imagine a face off between Chizu and Inazuma...that would be too cool.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:24 -0700

Todd Shogun wrote:Hey wouldn't it be cool if Chizu, with nowhere to go, teams up and travels with Usagi for awhile after these two issues? She could be Usagi's main ally in the upcoming Jei story arc.

Chizu's been meandering for quite a few issues now...it would be great to see her pulled back into focus for the new story arc. If Stan is still planning to knock Chizu off at some point down the line, I hope she'll at least have a chance to take that S.O.B. Kagemaru with her.

Cosmo · Post by **Cosmo** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:40 -0700

Ben, Kagemaru can't be the son of a BADWORD, since he's a cat.

Personnally, I don't see Chizu and Usagi wandering together. They may appreciate each other from time to time, but she's still a ninja, he's a samurai, and I think there can't be a total trust between them, and love even less. That doesn't mean that some kind of mutual seduction can happen.

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 12:21 -0700

Ben wrote: Chizu's been meandering for quite a few issues now....

It would be cool to see a flashback story (or two) of her life as a nukenin or apostate ninja, depicting some of her adventures while she has been on the run from her clan, sort of like an anthropomorphic take-off on the "Legend of Kamui" storyline.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 15:32 -0700

Okay, Stan confirmed the mystery assassin in UY 102... But I still think the face off on the cover is not with Shizukiri...although it could be. Perhaps the blade is simply reflecting darkness? Or maybe Usagi is so poisoned that he is hallucinating that Shizukiri is actually Jei with a black katana?

NRAMA: Would you care to offer any hints about what is coming up beyond issue #100?

SS: I’ll be wrapping up a story that I started in Usagi Yojimbo #95. An assassin is on Usagi’s tail. He catches up to our hero while he is still weak after being poisoned by a ninja dart. Beyond that, Jei, the demonic spearman, is one of my most popular villains, and I’ll be exploring his origins.