Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Might have came before. But anyway, what would you like/do you want to see in the UY comic?
What storylines ocr story developments would you like to see? What animals do you want to see as characters? What characters would you like to see more of?

I would like to see a crocodile samurai.

I would love to see the more artistic side of Usagi developed a bit. I love the idea of juxtaposing his fierceness and his more artistic and introspective side. A samuari needs to be balanced. I have a story in my head where he trades his knowledge of swordsmanship and self defence with a celebrated but reclusive master calligrapher (who, ahem, turns out to be an attractive older woman). I would love to have Stan show off his impressive calligraphy chops and explore the spiritual/artistic side to being a samuari. I suspect that Usagi's physicality and sensitivity to the natural world would come in handy for calligraphy, where I imagine focus, control and dicipline would be an asset. He might even turn out to be really good at it.
I'm interested in the cultural aspects of calligraphy in that era of Japan. It's an art form that's almost nonexistent in North America.

One of my favorite aspects of Stan Sakai's art is the detail and accuracy in everything the architecture, the weaponry, clothing and everyday objects. I don't know if this would be very plausible considering Japan at this time stayed virtually isolated from the rest of the world but I always thought it would be cool to see Usagi out of his element. Maybe a story arc where he some how ends up with a trader or merchant or perhaps a diplomatic envoy. Imagine Usagi in Europe or perhaps the mid -east. I would love to see Stan Sakai's art drawing classic architecture and different cultures. Imagine Usagi mixed up with a Bedouin tribe traveling through the desert on the spice road. The possibilities are endless, he could be involved in some political or historical upheaval in Europe. Maybe its a little over the top but I think it could provide an endless supply of interesting storylines.

I would love to see Sakai-san broaden UY's horizons a little. Maybe take Usagi out-of-country on a ship to one of the nearby smaller islands, which of themselves are supposed to have fascinating histories. I also would love to see one of the mysterious "gaijin" frequently referred to in the comics but never seen finally make an appearance. It'd be great to see Usagi attending a Noh play at some point, too.

Another possibility is to have Usagi endure some sort of traumatic incident that really forces Usagi to question the samurai code - something along the lines of what happened to the protagonist in Masaki Koboyashi's HARA KIRI.

Featuring a gaijin would be my #1 wish to be explored in UJ as we've not seen any of them yet... and one Englishman (William Adams) was even given samurai status, the only foreign samurai ever...? Maybe a character based upon his early years in Japan.

I would love to see a Portuguese character. They showed up in Japan around 1543 I believe. The reason is obviously because Im biased, being Portuguese and all. That and there are no Portuguese characters anywhere!

MikeM

If there's a Portuguese character in Usagi Yojimbo, he'd probably be a Jesuit missionary. Not a samurai.

Still, I've read (in Sansom' History of Japan) that around 1570, a daimyô called Takayama converted to Christianism for this reason : he had defied a Jesuit, Gaspar Vilela, by engaging a philosophical debate... which he lost.

Ben wrote:Another possibility is to have Usagi endure some sort of traumatic incident that really forces Usagi to question the samurai code

Well, Usagi has already largely questioned this code. See how, in the story "Duel at Kitanoji" (#60), Koji Nakamura even denies him to be a "true samurai".

Absolutely positively only one thing for me...the Usagi/Nilson crossover story. Then life would be complete.

It would be very personal for me (just an illustration in fact):

France, XVIIth century, Usagi would be a gentilhomme, like the Baron de Sigognac (the hero of Gautier's Captaine Fracasse, illustrated by Doré), but a vampire one (that are french writers that have promoted vampires during all XIX century), and he meets nightly Mademoiselle Chizu in her bedroom perhaps (baldachin ?) or without décor, a young lady that is both offended and flattered, but at this time she has probably been bitten and is quite suggestive (both attitude, hair and clothes)... A subtile touch of red would be great...

I'm still waiting for "Cat and Rabbit Romance" if ya catch my drift.

Lady Keiko_ronin Usagi wrote:I'm still waiting for "Cat and Rabbit Romance" if ya catch my drift.

Are you implying Tomoe or Chizu as the cat in that romance?

go chizu!

yes i'm a bit of an anarchist

Steve Hubbell wrote:

Lady Keiko_ronin Usagi wrote:I'm still waiting for "Cat and Rabbit Romance" if ya catch my drift.

Are you implying Tomoe or Chizu as the cat in that romance?

Sorry bout that, Steve, I meant to be more specific. Why, Tomoe of course. But Usagi and Chizu do make a cute couple.

morna-san wrote:go chizu!

yes i'm a bit of an anarchist

Yeah ! one more member of the Chizu's fanclub !!
Chizu ! Chizu !

Got to read Mother of Mountain tonight to know what happened with Tomoe...

And we were discussing about Usagi yesterday with other fans, and in fact i would like to see more Yokai !

the TPB you mean? You have that already? We're a day late due to a pesky American holiday.