Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

While I was trying to figure out the Usagi timeline, I just noticed something strange from vols. 11-12 (which I may find strange just because I don't completely understand it).

The last story of vol. 11 is "Green Persimmon", and as I know that was originally Usagi Color Special #4. Is the placing of that story really supposed to be at the end of vol. 11, right before Grasscutter? I ask because the story has Usagi meeting up with Tomoe and Noriyuki in the Geishu province...yet at the beginning of Grasscutter, Usagi is again alone and talking about going to the Geishu capital to see Tomoe and Noriyuki again.

So is "Green Persimmon" supposed to be somewhere else in the timeline? The reason I ask is because I realized the other day that, if the Usagi Color Specials # 1-3 chronologically take place after the "Mother of Mountains" story, then "Green Persimmon" is the ONLY Usagi and Tomoe meeting that lies between "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy" (in Book 4) and "Kill the Geishu Lord" (in Book 19!). So if we discount Green Persimmon's placing, since it is somewhat questionable, then that could mean that when Usagi meets Tomoe in "Kill the Geishu Lord", it is their very first meeting since way back in "Dragon Bellow Conspiracy"! Sounds like an unusually long time.

Can anyone clear this up?

According to the Usagi timeline:

The story which appeared in Dark Horse Comics' UY Color Special, "Green Persimmon," was published outside of normal UY continuity. "Green Persimmon" actually takes place sometime after the "Grasscutter" story arc, which ends in UY/DH #20. How soon after remains unknown. Stan Sakai knew the story, which was originally serialized in Diamond's Previews catalog, would be collected and published in a single issue, but had not expected it to be published before "Grasscutter". It was thought that the issue would be published about one year after it was serialized. It can be speculated that "Green Persimmon" takes place sometime in the year 1606 or 1607 A.D.

Stan, any updates on this?

Ahhh, now that makes a lot more sense! I know Stan talked about originally intending to have Usagi and Tomoe meet during the Grasscutter arc, but ended up changing things on that over geography difficulties, and I believe even introduced Inazuma and Ikeda partly to overcome those difficulties (if I recall right). Maybe "Green Persimmon" was supposed to cover that.

Still, I do think there needs to be some clearing up on that. I don't know the exact geography of the Usagi landscape, but would make it sense for Usagi to visit Tomoe and Noriyuki while inspecting the road to Atsuta shrine, from Sanshobo's temple? I guess it wouldn't be too far out. He hears about the attempt on Noriyuki's life while at the temple, so it makes sense that he'd check up on them, even if it were a little out of the way. So maybe "Green Persimmon" fits somewhere in the middle of the Book 13 stories.