New UY Dojo gaijin

[Anjin-san]

Greetings:

I'm Roman and I read my first UY comics this week and I'm already seriously considering UY as the subject of my first tattoo.

I had been aware of the existence of the UY character since almost the very beginning. A high-school friend bought every issue of UY but he never discussed it; And I, at the time, was more interested in super-hero books. (I still love Spider-Man and Batman.)

Anyway, I'm a Graphic Designer and Photographer by trade having finally completed my BFA in Graphic Design last year. I'm still looking for work in my field.

I believe my interest in UY comes from a different place than most fans. I am definitely NOT a fan of the style in which anime/manga is drawn (Curse you, Astro Boy) nor am I fan of anthropomorphics.

I like Usagi Yojimbo because:

1) He is _not_ drawn in an anime / manga style nor a cute style like "Hello Kitty." (Thank you very much, Mr. Sakai)

2) UY stories are written in contrast to the cartoony style of the character designs and not in complement to them. The stories would still hold up and entertain even if the characters were rendered in a more realistic style. (Again: Thank you very much, Mr. Sakai)

3) Feudal Japan: Like a lot of people, my interest in feudal Japan started with James Clavell's "Shogun" - both novel and mini-series. (Hence my UY Dojo nickname). Like "Shogun," UY is well-researched and one stands a good chance of learning something in addition to being entertained with a "ripping yarn." Although I love Kurasawa and other Toshiro Mifune films, "Shogun" is my favorite because culture clash is part of the conflict driving the story and it puts feudal Japan in context to the sensibilities of a Western viewer.

4) Cartoon rabbits: Though I'm not a fan of anthropomorphics per se, and would actively avoid "furries" conventions, I do have an affinity for cartoon rabbits. (I have no idea why.) My first words weren't "Mama" or "Da-Da" but "Bugs Bunny." (Really!) For me, UY completes my trinity of cartoon rabbits including himself, Bugs, and Captain Carrot.

5) Buddhism: While "Shogun" started my interest in Japan, my interest in Buddhism maintains it. Currently, I sit with Southwind Sangha and plan on taking _Tokudo_ (formal initiation and declaration of following the Buddhist path) in October. Southwind Sangha is of the Soto Zen school (sotoshu) of Buddhism.

So, that's me in a nutshell. With that, I'll leave you as I await arrival of UY Book 1 in the mail . . . .

Gassho

Roman

[ziritrion]

Hi Anjin-san, and welcome to the Dojo. You must hold the record for the shorter amount of time for getting a UY tattoo since reading a UY issue for the first time .

[hazlov2004]

hello anjin-san and welcome