Alternate Ending to Usagi #102? (SPOILER ALERT!)

[shaxper]

When I read the alternate ending to Usagi #102 in the new Sketchbook #4 at Motor City Con, I asked Stan which ending the fans seemed to prefer (since Stan is considering changing the ending for the next Usagi TP volume). He said roughly 80% favored the new ending. I was a bit surprised to be in the minority. In fact, I suspect Keira and I were the only two making up the remaining 20%, so I wanted to hear your thoughts.

Which ending do you prefer, and why?



For me, I like the idea of the new ending better, but I wasn't a fan of what it did to the story. I was never a fan of Mayumi, so the twist about her being an assassin works better for me, but it ends the story with a whole lot of explanation and no real emotional impact. Even if I don't like Mayumi, at least the old ending left you feeling some element of sorrow, as well as a concern that this would affect Usagi in the future. Merely thwarting another (slightly more clever) assassin doesn't leave me feeling anything special at the end. The story merely concludes.

Also, if Mayumi was a hired assassin, why didn't she simply poison the food that she served to Usagi when she first met him? I don't quite understand why the other assassin was necessary if she was "on the job" either.

So I don't think the new ending is "bad." Like I said, I like the idea a lot, but I think it introduces more problems than it solves.

What are your thoughts?

[go]

Dear Readers,

In real life she would have poisoned him (in his tea with polonium?).
End of fun.

The original ending showed Mayumi's protector as a noble role for Usagi.
I was very happy Usagi did the right thing for this accidental meeting.

The alternate ending adds depth to the Usagi saga.
Mayumi's character has revealed her dark purpose / true meaning.
Everything makes sense...
Usagi really is in a very dangerous culture.

I like the alternate ending better.

Thank you for reading my opinions.
Best wishes to all!
go

[MikeM]

I too liked the alternate ending better. When I read the alternate ending in the sketch book I actually woke my wife up and told her about it. Don't worry she is used to me going on and on about comics.

MikeM

[Ronin-K]

I like the original ending much better. If Mayumi was an assassin, she would have killed him already so it's sort of strange.

[Ben]

I dunno...I'm inclined to vote for the original ending, since it allows Mayumi to at least remain "innocent". I remember one tale from TRAVELS WITH JOTARO, where a Buddhist priest called Tamago was revealed to be another killer sent by Koroshi. It was a nasty, nasty surprise - the kind that really hurts, but in the context of the story it was neccessary.

Mayumi, on the other hand, is a different case. There's already so much darkness in Usagi's world...I'd say keep Mayumi free of that darkness, for her sake. Let her die a good person.

Those are my 2 cents.

[Thomas Froehling]

Although I don't know the alternative ending yet (only from what I could grasp here), I'd say neither of them totally satisfy me. Ok, these are the given alternatives, but let's just imagine something else:

Mayumi tries to help Usagi by clinging to Shizukiri, Usagi yells her to back off, Shizukiri tries to hit her, but on the very last moment she ducks away, merely scratched (in comparison). Usagi uses that moment to mount his attack as seen in the original ending, killing Shizukiri the way we've seen it, cause he doesn't know how bad Mayumi's wound may be.

She, on the other hand, does not dare to look at the fight, fearing to witness Usagi to be slain. When he gets to her, they can have their emotional moment where she tells him she now understands why he has left her at the bridge, what with him being a desaster magnet (Gen's words; I liked the expression ).

They will have their heartbreaking good-byes (farewell, abayo,or what ever), she could live, Usagi could travel on, and everything could be blamed on karma. Well, karma is used to bare the burden, so no harm done....

Now, what do you think?

[shaxper]

Although I don't know the alternative ending yet (only from what I could grasp here), I'd say neither of them totally satisfy me. Ok, these are the given alternatives, but let's just imagine something else:

Mayumi tries to help Usagi by clinging to Shizukiri, Usagi yells her to back off, Shizukiri tries to hit her, but on the very last moment she ducks away, merely scratched (in comparison). Usagi uses that moment to mount his attack as seen in the original ending, killing Shizukiri the way we've seen it, cause he doesn't know how bad Mayumi's wound may be.

She, on the other hand, does not dare to look at the fight, fearing to witness Usagi to be slain. When he gets to her, they can have their emotional moment where she tells him she now understands why he has left her at the bridge, what with him being a desaster magnet (Gen's words; I liked the expression ).

They will have their heartbreaking good-byes (farewell, abayo,or what ever), she could live, Usagi could travel on, and everything could be blamed on karma. Well, karma is used to bare the burden, so no harm done....

Now, what do you think?

It's a nice ending, but it requires an emotional maturity that doesn't seem consistent with Mayumi's character.

[Thomas Froehling]

Hmm, I don't know....

all this killing, the blood... above all, being in the center of it...
That can help speed the maturing process
But I agree, she would not be the same, the events having changed her quite a bit;

It's a nice ending, but it requires an emotional maturity that doesn't seem consistent with Mayumi's character.

[Ca7nk]

I'll have to go old ending on this one. I can allready see I'm in the minority when I say I actually liked Mayumi. She was bratty, annoying and fairly quick to judge but she had an innocent charm about her. Almost childish. I knew she wasn't gonna last as a character mainstay in the UY universe but I'm happy with the way things turned out. Haveing her revealed as an assassin would seem a tad predictable to me. Old hat if you will.

This way she holds a small but special place in Usagi Yojimbo.

[Todd Shogun]

Alternate ending for me! Adds an awesome plot twist to the storyline. One that was completely unexpected. The actual ending, while also good, was too much of an easy out for Usagi. It was also more predictable.

[estee]

Usagisher was kind enough to send me a copy of sketchbook #4.

I'd have to say I like the original ending.

Having Mayumi be an assassin was just cruel.

I know that writers enjoy tormenting their creation (I know I do), but this was especially harsh. I had the feeling that Usagi was truly falling for her. But to be betrayed by her may forever sour him on ever having a normal relationship with a woman. It would always be in the back of his mind that this person is not who she seems. Having Mayumi die for him, while tragic, eventually he'd move on with his life and could find happiness.

Great job, Stan, you always keep us guessing and delving deeper into the motivations of your creation.

[Texcap]

Can anyone tell me where more information on this "alternate" ending for issue #102 can be found (Sketchbook #4)? Are pages available to view, such as with the alternate issue to #99?

As for the question itself, I voted, and tend to believe that the original ending was the far better idea, making for a tragic but honorable & brave end to the character. I knew very little about Mayumi prior to picking up issue #99, and Stan was able to do such an impressive job crafting her character and giving her life (the scenes where she believes she's been abandoned by Usagi are heart-wrenching) that I was instantly sympathetic to her and I'd hate to see those raw emotions tainted as far as any "official" story or canon goes.

If we can enjoy an "alternate" ending just for the sake of seeing 'what might have been' that would be great. But as far as canon goes, I'd like to see the original stick!