Spin Off?

buslady · Post by **buslady** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:12 -0700

I think it would be a shame if Usagi Yojimbo doesn't become a show on it's own. The way they've treated them in TMNT has been really good. Usagi's a great character as we know, his whole world and the great stories written would make great episodes. Some have to be toned down like TMNT of course but they can still be make into good eps. It's be nice to have an hour...back to back, TMNT ep then an Usagi ep...with crossovers occasionally.
I dunno, I'm dreaming.

I think it could work.

hakucho · Post by **hakucho** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:24 -0700

I see you're new to the UY forums and a Raphael fan (like my sister ^_^ )

Welcome aboard!

I was thinking about UY as a show like the new TMNT cartoon too...but I'm not sure whether it would work because for UY there are stories which work very well in comic book form which might get ruined if they were animated (eg the story "The Ronin, the Widow and the Gambler"). But there are some animations made by fans of Stan's panels...check out Tokage's animation in the fan art section!

buslady · Post by **buslady** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 13:15 -0700

Hiya Hakucho, yeah new in the forums, but not to UY. Been a fan since...oh man...*thinks...smoke rises from ears*...1988 I think. I got all of the Fantagraphics but since life's been so busy, I haven't been able to catch up to the latest.

It's true some stories couldn't be adapted to a cartoon format for kids...why not a more "adult swim" level...blood, violence and what it really is? I'd love to see Noodles animated...such a sad but good story. Alot of stories are quiet educational, they'd make history lessons interesting if used in a school enviroment too. Animate the kite makers, and how paper is made, the seaweed farmers...the UY world could be animated and used for educational purposes too...okay im going off on a ramble...sorry! I do that when i get to thinking.

hakucho · Post by **hakucho** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 14:06 -0700

I think that Grasscutter would be interesting to see animated

since the comic itself is a stunning example of the many levels sequential black and white art is capable of, I think that the animation should have a similar standard - push the art to amazing visual levels!

But I think some characters' voices might be hard...case in point, Jei's. How do you make a voice "like one from the grave"? *ponders*

I remember reading in an intro written by Scott Shaw that animation is supposed to be really laborous and hard for artists...but it seems like these days it's gotten easier (judging from the work I've seen from those who are aiming to get jobs in animation)

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 14:21 -0700

A TV series? No; Usagi deserves better. I'd be willing to forsake twenty hours of small-screen entertainment in favour of two hours of a major motion picture. (Of course, I'm not sure the mainstream moviegoing public would naturally click the idea of a butt-kicking samurai rabbit, but heck, the Ninja Turtles pulled it off!)

buslady · Post by **buslady** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 15:22 -0700

Ben wrote:A TV series? No; Usagi deserves better. I'd be willing to forsake twenty hours of small-screen entertainment in favour of two hours of a major motion picture. (Of course, I'm not sure the mainstream moviegoing public would naturally click the idea of a butt-kicking samurai rabbit, but heck, the Ninja Turtles pulled it off!)

Major motion picture...oh hec yeah..I'd be first in line...
how'd they do it though? Live with animatronics would be interesting but CGI, if done right, would be more likely. (hopefully the TMNT CGI movie will be done right!)

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 17:40 -0700

If they can do Narnia, they can do Usagi. Nuff said.

MikeM · Post by **MikeM** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 19:38 -0700

I would even love to see a direct to video animated movie of Usagi. Marvel is actually making a bunch now. I believe Avengers (Actually Ultimates) will be their first.

MikeM

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 8:35 -0700

I was actually thinking of something more in line with a traditional animated movie, with maybe a few touches of new-fangled CGI here and there. (Somehting in the style of PRINCESS MONONOKE is sort of what I had in mind.)

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 10:21 -0700

Princess Mononoke was an awesome film..What we need to do is contract Studio Ghibli to do the Usagi animated feature, based on a screenplay by Stan of course. It would have to be a series of about 4-5 films, each 3+ hours long. The first starts off with Usagi as a student studying under Katsuichi, then going on to serve Lord Mifune and becoming a Ronin (a la Samurai!). We're introduced to Mariko, Kenichi, Katsuichi, Lord Mifune, Gunichi, Hikiji, Hebi, and the Neko Clan... The 2nd could combine Lone Rabbit and Child with Dragon Bellow Conspiracy, with Hikiji playing a larger role throughout, and introducing Tomoe, Noriyuki, Gen, Zato-Ino, Shingen, Chizu, etc... the Third could be something along the lines of Homecoming/Circles, where Usagi returns to his home town and deals with some of the plotlines from the 1st movie as well as Jei, and discovers that Katsuichi is still alive! The fourth movie would be none other than Grasscutter (as well as GC2), with the return of Noriyuki, Tomoe, Jei, Gen, Chizu and the Neko Ninja Clan! As for the fifth...who knows, by that time, maybe Tengu Wars will be the next big thing...

chickrockguitar · Post by **chickrockguitar** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 14:39 -0700

I'd pay to see any Usagi on screen, be it a movie or Tv show. Animated or CGI, anything! lol.