カサブランカ
Kasaburanka
Casablanca
A brief description of the comic:
Usagi Yojimbo, who owns an izakaya nightclub in Kasaburanka, discovers his old flame Mariko is in town with her husband, Kenichi. Kenichi is a famed rebel, and with Lord Hebi on his tail, Mariko knows Usagi can help them get out of the country.
The plot:
The comic opens with an image of a spinning globe and the sounds of “Sukiyaki,"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C35DrtPlUbc
How Sensei Sakai will illustrate this is totally up to him, of course.
Drawing, page count, etc. are all up to our Sensei.
Voice over panels explain the significance of the city of Kasaburanka, near the Imperial Palace…
Many people wanted to escape Japan, Edo Harbor became the most popular port of exit.
Getting out of Japan was not easy. A tortuous refugee path brought people to Kasaburanka, where they would search for an exit visa. As the narrator finishes the description, the panel shows Kasaburanka's bustling market. Murakami Gennosuke announces that two Ninja government couriers were murdered on the road and that the murderer is headed for Kasaburanka. The next panels show a ruthless daimyo loyal to Lord Hikiji, Lord Hebi, arriving at the Edo seaport and is greeted by the local commander, Captain Murakami Gennosuke. Lord Hebi asks about the government couriers, and Gennosuke says that the murderer, like everyone else, will be at Usagi’s that evening.
The panels shift to Usagi’s izakaya in Kasaburanka, a stylish nightclub and casino. Ugarte, played by the UY snitch character who is always trying to sell information, approaches Usagi, and asks if he will hold some letters of transit for him. Usagi observes dryly that the murdered Ninja couriers were carrying letters of transit, but accepts the letters and hides them in the koto played by his house musician, Kitsuni. Katsuichi, owner of the rival bar, the Blue Parrot, offers to buy Usagi's, but Usagi says his bar isn't for sale. Chizu, Usagi's neglected lover, tries to arrange a date for that evening, but Usagi dismisses her attempts to pin him down and calls a kago to send her home. Gennosuke tells Usagi he's going to make an arrest and warns Usagi against protecting the couriers' killer. "I stick my neck out for nobody," Usagi responds. Gennosuke also mentions Kenichi a writer for the Emperor and anti-Lord Hebi partisan, will be arriving in Kasaburanka and warns Usagi against trying to assist Kenichi, whose political activities are a threat to Lord Hebi. In the conversation that ensues, we learn that Usagi was involved in the losing side in a war. Lord Hebi's arrival cuts the conversation short. With Lord Hebi present, Gennosuke decides the time has come to arrest the murderer of the Ninja couriers. Cornered, Ugarte appeals to Usagi for help, but Usagi does nothing.
After things calm down, Kenichi enters the bar with Mariko. They have come in search of exit visas. Lord Hebi approaches Kenichi with hostility, and Gennosuke politely requests that Kenichi report to his office the next day. Meanwhile, Mariko and Kitsune, who recognize each other, begin to talk. At first Kitsune refuses Mariko’s request that she play "Sukiyaki," but eventually she relents. The music brings Usagi to the shamisen. "I thought I told you never to play—" he begins, breaking off when he sees Mariko. Kenichi and Gennosuke join the group and Usagi sits down for a drink, violating his rule of never drinking with customers. When the couple leaves, Usagi picks up the check, breaking another personal rule.
Later that evening,
Usagi drinks alone after the bar closes. Kitsuni plays "Sukiyaki" again, and Usagi thinks about the past. In a flashback, we see a happier, less haggard Usagi in Osaka with Mariko by his side. They walk through the city, ride a boat around Osaka harbor, pop open a bottle of sake, and dance at a club. Although they are clearly in love, they avoid all questions about each other’s pasts. When they hear word that Lord Hikiji’s army is approaching Osaka, Usagi knows he will have to leave the city. Usagi proposes to Mariko, who tries her best to hide her anguish, saying she doesn't plan that far in advance. Usagi isn't worried, however. He thinks they'll leave together the next day for Edo. At the harbor the next day, Usagi waits in the pouring rain, but Mariko is nowhere to be found. Kitsune arrives and shows Usagi a note. The note is from Mariko and says that she can never see him again.
At this point, the flashback ends, and the panels shift back to Kasabaranka. Mariko enters the bar. She wants to explain what happened in Osaka, but Usagi is drunk and angry, and Mariko leaves.
The next day, Mariko and Kenichi go to Gennosuke's office, where Lord Hebi tells Kenichi he will never escape Kasabaranka alive. The couple then goes to the Blue Parrot to visit Katsuichi and arrive just as Usagi is leaving. As Kenichi talks with Katsuichi, Mariko tells Usagi that Kenichi is her husband and has been for years, even when she and Usagi were together in Osaka. Katsuichi says he can obtain a visa for Mariko but not for Kenichi. The couple decides not to split up. Katsuichi suggests they speak to Usagi, whom he suspects is holding Ugarte's stolen letters of transit.
That evening at Usagi's, a young woman, Sachico, approaches Usagi to ask if Gennosuke is "trustworthy." Gennosuke, as Usagi knows, has a habit of offering female refugees exit visas in exchange for sex. Usagi says Gennosuke's word is good, but, not wanting to let Sachiko's new marriage be harmed, Usagi arranges for her husband to win big at dice so they can buy a visa on their own. Later, Kenichi asks to speak to Usagi. He offers to buy the letters of transit, but Usagi says he'll never sell them. When Kenichi asks why, Usagi replies, "Ask your wife."
Lord Hebi’s soldiers have gathered around Kitsune's shamisen and are singing Lord Hebi’s anthem. Kenichi tells the band to play "Sukiyaki," and leads the patrons of the bar in a stirring rendition of the song, which drowns out the Lord Hebi’s soldiers. Lord Hebi is furious and demands that Gennosuke shut down Usagi's. Gennosuke closes Usagi's on the pretext that gambling takes place there, even as he accepts his evening's winnings.
Back at their hotel, Kenichi asks Mariko if there is anything she wants to tell him about Osaka, and she replies “No.” Husband and wife reaffirm their love for each other. As Kenichi leaves for a meeting of the underground resistance, Mariko leaves too and surprises Usagi by showing up in his apartment. She pleads with him for the letters of transit, urging him to put aside his personal feelings for something more important. When Usagi still refuses, she pulls a knife on him. Usagi dares her to stab him, but Mariko cannot. Instead, she breaks down in tears and claims she still loves Usagi. They embrace.
Later, Mariko explains what happened in Osaka. After she married Kenichi, he had to return to Kyoto, where he was arrested and put in a prison. Months later, she heard he was killed in an escape attempt. She met Usagi shortly thereafter. Mariko learned Kenichi was still alive just when she and Usagi were about to leave Osaka together. Kenichi needed her, and she decided to stay with him. She didn't tell Usagi because she knew he wouldn't leave Osaka if he found out, and then he would be arrested. Her story finished, Mariko says she'll never be able to leave Usagi a second time, but she begs that he help Kenichi escape. As for whether she will go with Kenichi or stay with Usagi, she says she doesn't know what's right anymore and tells Usagi, "You have to think for both of us."
Later that evening, Kenichi claims to know that Usagi loves Mariko and asks for the letters of transit for her sake. Just then Lord Hebi’s soldiers burst into Usagi's and arrest Kenichi. The next day, Usagi pleads with Gennosuke to release Kenichi, saying that Kenichi can be arrested on a more serious charge, possession of the stolen letters of transit. Usagi also tells Gennosuke that Usagi plans to use the letters to escape with Mariko. That afternoon, Usagi sells his club to Katsuichi. That evening, back at Usagi's, as Usagi hands the letters to Kenichi, Gennosuke emerges from the shadows to make the arrest. Just as suddenly, Usagi pulls out a sword and points it at Gennosuke. He orders Gennosuke to send a message to the harbor to make sure that evening's ship will take off as planned. Gennosuke pretends to send a message to the harbor, but actually sends the message to Lord Hebi.
At the harbor dock, Usagi makes Gennosuke fill in the letters of transit for Kenichi and Mariko. Mariko objects, but Usagi says he did the thinking for both of them and decided that for Kenichi to continue doing his work, Kenichi needs Mariko by his side. Usagi tells Kenichi that Mariko visited him last night and pretended to still love him to get the letters. Usagi knew she was lying, Usagi says, because it was over between them a long time ago. As Usagi is talking, Mariko sobs in the background.
After goodbyes, the Kenichi and Mariko board the ship. Just then Lord Hebi arrives. Lord Hebi commands Gennosuke to prevent the ship from sailing, but Usagi kills Lord Hebi just as the ship leaves. The local police arrive, and Gennosuke, who has seen everything, orders, "Round up the usual suspects." As the local police run off, Gennosuke congratulates Usagi on becoming a patriot and then becomes a patriot himself, symbolized by his throwing out a bottle of saki produced in the Lord Hebi’s occupied region. Usagi and Gennosuke walk along the harbor together. Gennosuke says he can arrange for Usagi to escape and then announces he will go, too. The comic ends with Usagi saying the famous final line, “Gennosuke, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." "Sukiyaki" plays in the background.
Kasaburanka characters:
Usagi "Usagi" Yojimbo -
The owner of Usagi’s an izakaya nightclub in Kasaburanka and the comic's protagonist. When we first meet Usagi, he is a jaded bar owner in Kasaburanka who wears a dour expression as he drinks and plays go alone. He constantly proclaims his freedom from all bonds, be they political or personal. After Mariko enters the picture, he undergoes a considerable change. In a flashback, we see Usagi in Osaka. He is in love with Mariko and visibly happy, and he is devastated when she doesn't show up at the dock. Usagi never turns back into the lighthearted lover he was in Osaka, but he does overcome his cynicism and apathy to become a self-sacrificing idealist, committed to helping the Emperor.
Mariko-
A Japanese beauty who is Kenichi's wife and Usagi's former lover. A devoted wife, Mariko refuses an exit visa when Kenichi is unable to obtain one as well, saying she prefers to wait with him and leave Kasaburanka together. In Osaka, Mariko had fallen in love with Usagi, because at the time she had believed Kenichi was dead. When she learned her husband was still alive, she sent a note to Usagi at the docks, saying she could never see him again. Despite her obvious commitment to her husband and her confessions of love to Usagi both in Osaka and later in Kasaburanka, she rarely displays much passion. Ultimately, the letter may be the best insight into her personality. She can be so cold and distant that reading her true thoughts or feelings can be almost impossible.
Kenichi-
A writer for the Emperor and anti-Lord Hebi partisan. Kenichi is a committed political leader who sees defeating the Lord Hebi as his raison d'ètre. He endured time in a Lord Hebi’s prison, but he remains enthusiastic, courageous, and outspoken Kenichi is a devoted husband to Mariko and is willing to sacrifice himself to ensure her safety.
Murakami Gennosuke -
Murakami Gennosuke is the prefect of police in Kasaburanka. If Kenichi represents pure political idealism, Murakami Gennosuke represents the very opposite—unscrupulous cynicism. Murakami Gennosuke, like the Lord Hebi government he serves and represents, has given up caring about right and wrong, and his only loyalty is to the winning side.
Murakami Gennosuke is a hypocrite, castigating Usagi for allowing gambling in his bar just as he pockets his earnings for the evening. Despite his self-serving behavior and seeming amorality, Murakami Gennosuke is always a good friend to Usagi and shows signs of being a decent person at heart. At the end of the comic, this seed of decency blooms into genuine political action, as he refuses to arrest Usagi and decides to join his friend in exile from Kasabaranka. Murakami Gennosuke approaches everything with wit, and many of the comic's best lines are his.
Lord Hebi -
Lord Hebi is a ruthless commander sent to Kasaburanka to capture Kenichi. Lord Hebi is a stereotypical Japanese villain, ruthlessly cruel and robotically efficient. From the moment of his arrival in Kasaburanka, he is all business, immediately inquiring about the murderers of the government couriers. He is willing to resort to cruelty in punishing his enemies and is determined to prevent Kenichi from leaving Kasaburanka at all costs. Unlike Ninjas depicted in other films, Lord Hebi is never overtly sadistic. Despite his unpleasant demeanor, he is always civil and polite.
Katsuichi -
Katsuichi’ is the owner of the Blue Parrot. Like Usagi's izikaya, the Blue Parrot is a Kasabaranka bar, though it is noticeably less popular. At the beginning of the comic, Katsuichi offers to buy Usagi’s izikaya and the services of the entertainer Kitsuni. Usagi initially refuses both offers, but when he decides to leave Kasabaranka, he does sell out to Katsuichi.
In addition to running the Blue Parrot, Katsuichi is involved in the Kasabaranka black market and sells, among other things, exit visas. Although Katsuichi is mostly concerned with making money, he is at heart a good person, which he demonstrates when he suggests that Kenichi approach Usagi about the letters of transit.
Ugarte -
Played by the UY character who is always trying to sell information..what is his name?
A member of Kasabalanka's criminal underworld. Ugarte's business is selling letters of transit to refugees. He may be helping them escape Edo, but his aim is profit, not charity. Ugarte murders the government couriers to obtain the valuable letters of transit, which he plans to sell to Kenichi for a considerable fee. He is arrested before he can complete the sale.
Chizu -
Chizu is a member of the Neko Ninja who hangs out at Usagi's. At the beginning of the comic, Chizu is Usagi's neglected, miserable lover. After being ignored by Usagi one night, she shows up at the bar with a Inukai (Stray Dog) - A bounty hunter who is notorious for his ruthlessness and his surly mistrust of others, especially samurai, the very next evening. Her one redeeming moment comes during the singing of "Sukiyaki," when she shows herself to be a loyal patriot.
Kitsuni is the entertainer at Usagi’s. Kitsuni is a warm-hearted, agreeable musician and a fiercely loyal friend to Usagi. In Kasabaranka, she is Usagi's only link to the past, since the two were together in Osaka as well. When Usagi drinks himself into a depressive stupor, he generally wants to be alone, but he doesn't seem to mind Kitsune's presence. At times, Kitsune seems like Usagi's older sister or guardian. She looks out for Usagi by trying to deny Mariko's request that she play "Sukiyaki," and she cautions Usagi about drinking too much. While Kitsune is a vivid presence in the scenes in which she is featured, her character is never fully developed.
Sachiko is an anthropomorphic cat and is a master thief, posing as a street performer to hide her criminal livelihood who desperately wants to escape. Sachiko comes to Usagi to ask about Gennosuke's reliability. Gennosuke has offered to give her and her husband exit visas to leave Kasabaranka in exchange for sexual favors, and she fears that this is their only option. Her plight brings out the idealist in Usagi, who arranges for Sachiko’s husband to win big at the roulette table, scoring enough money to purchase the exit visas. In this way, Usagi allows Sachiko and her husband to leave Kadsabaranka with their marriage uncorrupted.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this.
I hope Sensei Sakai will please forgive me for any of the mistakes i have made here.
Thank you very much for reading this.
Thank you all for the fun!
Best wishes to all.
go
The immediate thought would be to put her in the Janet Colgate role (and it'd be fun to make 'The Jackal' a fox) but that'd spoil said twist - we know who Kitsune is, that she's not some impressionable mark, and that she'd have her own angle on things. Maybe she'd be better as the Freddy Benson, the interloper, with Kiyoko and Usagi as her own, loose (and perhaps in Usagi's case, largely unwitting) versions of 'Arthur' and 'Andre'.
I don't know if the whole subsequent scam from the film would easily translate to the Edo period setting, and I ain't clever enough to think up an alternative. Maybe if I thought about it a while. In any case it'd have the same kind of twist end as the film - the chosen mark turns out to be a third con artist who fleeces both Kitsune and the CB, both of whom see the funny side of it. And Kitsune & Kiyoko aren't too much worse off - they leave town with Usagi's purse, and maybe a bit more besides.