Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Usagi has met versions of the Lone Wolf and Cub, Zato Ichi, and even Godzilla, and is soon going to meet Wong Fei Hung. What characters or personalities from Japanese history, literature, or pop culture would you like Usagi to meet next? What kind of animal would they be?

I'd like to see a character based off of Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin. I imagine him as a fox or a red panda (given his red hair). For those who don't know, Kenshin is a fictitious wandering swordsman who lives in Japan's Meiji Period. He has taken an oath to never kill, and wields a sakabatou, or reverse-blade sword (the bladed side is on the back of the katana, and the dull side is on the front).

Another cool one would be San from Princess Mononoke.

Of course, they don't have to be from Japan. After all, Wong Fei Hung is Chinese, and isn't Nilson Groundthumper scheduled to appear in the future of UY?

I think it would be fun if Usagi somehow met Monkey/Sun Wokung/Sun Goku/whatever else he's called and other characters from Journey to the West (Monkey and Pigsy are already animals to begin with!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_west

Anyone else here ever read Journey to the West? I once read Arthur Waley's condensed translation called "Monkey" in a literature class once, and I thought it was pretty interesting.

(See if you can get the theme from the old Japanese tv series "Monkey" out of your head!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg)

If I had to name characters from Japanese pop culture I'd like Usagi to meet, Ultraman and Astro Boy come to mind. Since he's already met Godzilla, why not some other famous kaijyu like Mothra or Ghidorah?

How about an animalized version of Hattori Hanzo based on the portrayal by Sonny Chiba in the tv series Kage No Gundan and Kill Bill?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattori_Hanzo

Sci-Fi heroes likes Ultraman and Astro Boy would be kind of hard to fit into Edo Period Japan. Unless they had some sort of magical origin (and we have another Sasuke adventure!)

Like maybe Astro Boy could be a magically transformed statue. His creator, the evil sorcerer Tenma-sensei wants him to do evil, but Astro only wants to do good (or something like that.) If Astro Boy DID appear, I'd think he'd be a mouse, since Tezuka-sama admits that Disney and Mighty Mouse were two of his inspirations for the character.

Mothra and Giddorah-like characters already appeared in the Sumi-E story arc, but maybe Ultraman (or even Astro Boy) could appear the next time we see Katsushige.

Definitely some sort of European character. Maybe one that has learned to speak Japanese. Of course, I am always waiting for the Usagi/Nilson crossover.

The question becomes, since Usagi's world is populated by anthropomorphs, how do you represent a Euro character so that they actually look different than Japanese characters? Part of the issue with foreigners in Feudal Japan is that they simply looked different, were easily identifiable, etc. How can you accomplish this in Usagi's world?

Todd Shogun wrote: Part of the issue with foreigners in Feudal Japan is that they simply looked different, were easily identifiable, etc. How can you accomplish this in Usagi's world?

Albino raccoon?

Peace, maka

I would say animals that don't appear in Japan, but then again we already have Gen

Elephants? Giraffes? Walruses?

Polar bears.

Well, I would like to see more about Edo and the Shogun's Court, especially what kind of animal the Shogun would be (I think we had this kind of discussion some time ago); but Edo and how the court was organised is my main interest.
And when it comes to what kind of animals the Europeans could be: there have never been any bird-like characters ("just" mammals, with Hebi a noticable exception), so why not represent Europeans as cranes, penguins, storks, ostriches, and such like?! A pompous Portuguese trader could be a peacock, a Jesuit priest could be a penguin, an especially evil villain could be a bearded vulture.... I'm beginning to warm up on the subject..

I'd love him to Meet (a teenage) Azumi! I really liked those movies.

I was actually thinking that foreigners could be fish, but birds would probably be better, since we've seen Usagi eating more fish than birds.

Although, wouldn't Nilson remain a rabbit?

Todd Shogun wrote:Definitely some sort of European character.

Definitely. This would be my first choice as well.

I would definitely like to see Usagi in a story meeting up with a gaijin.....

I'd like Usagi to meet a nice girl that doesn't die horribly or is out to kill him.

I know these match ups are impossible but I would love to see Usagi meet Rocket Raccoon from Marvel and Robin from the Disney Robin Hood movie. And maybe Howard the Duck. That pairing almost makes my head explode just thinking about it.

MikeM