Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

I was rereading an Usagi comic the other day, when I realized something I remembered realizing before. Is it not strange how ridiculously polite Usagi is as an adult compared to the unimaginably rude child he was. I know he was only a child, but the change is ridiculous! What point in the story of his life did he drop the childlike arrogancy and become a polite soul? Can anyone tell me?

As far as I know, there is no such point in his upbringing, it's rather a graduated development, so to say. We see him headstrong and rash in stories like "A lesson in courtesy", "A funny thing happened on the way to the tournament", even in Battlefield Part 1 to 3; although we could see some kind of realization in that story that fighting and war is nothing glorious in itself.
In "Samurai V" he is shocked by "Blood. I never before realized there would be so much blood!" Later on in his life, in "Runaways", he learnes the hard way about duty and taking on and accepting responsibilities;
But, and that's the appeal of the Usagi stories IMHO, there is no turning point that changed all for Usagi (well, yes, Mifunes death changed a lot in his life, but not so much in his head I think). It's all a natural development, which makes the stories that more believable.

Just my two pence thoughts (or is it cent? )....

I would think that studying the art of the sword (Kenjutsu) would do this to most students. It emphasizes a respect for student and teacher and is reciprocal. I also assume Stan used the difference to emphasize this maturation byproduct of bushido in Japanese society.

Or, it just ended up that way because he wanted it that way

when i was a child i was like that to, a child needs to learn from the one taking care of him or her,Usagi had Katsuichi, a very wise and powerfull teacher and soul,Katsuichi and life changed Usagi into a wiser and stronger soul, when Usagi wanted nothing more then to go to battle, Katsuichi showed him that a battlefield is not something to wish for, or like the time with his garden, hahaha, love those story,s. Usagi aint the only one learning, we are learning to.

One word:

Katsuichi.

I love that one little story where young Usagi is acting all tough and rude to a samurai who then embarasses him. Years later current Usagi tracks him down and applogizes for his behaviour.

Anybody remember where that was from?

MikeM

"A Lesson in Courtesy" was originally published somewhere in serial form. I still have this little poster thing from Dark Horse that I bought from a comic book store for 25 cents that has the last part of the story in color. I'm not sure where the other parts were published (maybe in Previews?). The whole story was reprinted in Book 17.

Thanks Jet_Jaguar

MikeM