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Story Synopsis: Issue 14 concludes the two-issue prologue of this awesome new 8-issue epic. Prologue Four - "Dannoura" details the events of the Gempei War, which was the great civil war of Japan, and features the hero MINAMOTO YOSHITSUNE. The story opens up in March of 1184 A.D., when the Gempei War was nearing an end. The Heike Clan, with the eight year old Emperor ANTOKU, was surrounded by the Genji Clan in the Battle of Dannoura Straits. The victor of this famous naval battle will have all of Japan at their command. Little Antoku wore the Grasscutter sword into battle, but all hope seemed lost for him and the Heike Clan. Suddenly, the tide seemed to turn in their favor when reinforcements arrived... however, the newcomers joined forces with the Genji Clan. There was only one thing the Heike could do -- and they still had the sword of the gods. The character on the cover is Minamoto Yoshitsune, hero of the Gempei War... bears a little resemblance to Usagi now, doesn't he? What could this mean? Find out this September!!! As far as story notes go, Stan says the story notes for UY #13 and #14 are going to be longer than they have room for in the letters column, so they'll probably serialize them over a number of issues or severely edit them down to fit. However, Stan tells me he'll send up the story notes in their 100% entirety for placement on the Grasscutter Website!!! RYYYAAA!!! Stan used the following research materials to pull #14 off: THE JAPANESE -- PEOPLE OF THE THREE TREASURES by Robert Newman, THE HEIKE STORY by Eiji Yoshikawa (also author of MUSASHI), THE TEN FOOT SQUARE HUT and TALES OF THE HEIKE translated by A.L.Sadler, KOTTO by Lafcadio Hearn, WAVES by Masuji Ibuse, THE TALE OF THE HEIKE Vol. 2 translated by Hiroshi Kitagawa and Bruce Tsuchida, JAPAN DAY BY DAY by Edward Morse, OF NIGHTINGALES THAT WEEP by Katherine Paterson, SHIKE Book 2 a novel by Robert Shea, GENPEI by Hideo Takeda, TERRA Vol 31 #4 article called "The Samurai Crab" by Joel Martin, and YOSHITSUNE (a program originally shown on NHK television in Japan about Minamoto Yoshitsune, the hero of the Genpei Wars). Last minute add-on: the titile of this story may be changed to Yoshitsune.
If you have any questions you want answered, then send e-mail to Todd-Shogun
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