Usagi Yojimbo #151 Cover Reviews 

The Bride And The Samurai Star in”Usagi Yojimbo” #151 [Review]

By | January 22nd, 2016
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

One hundred and fifty one issues in and it is like nothing has changed, in a very good way…

Written & Illustrated by Stan Sakai

Usagi escorts a merchant’s daughter to the town where she is betrothed to a merchant’s son. While the parents are thrilled that the union will unite the two businesses, Usagi has his work cut out for him when Koroshi, the league of assassins, is hired to see she never arrives at her destination!

Being born in the early 1980’s, I can say that I probably saw way more samurai films at a young age then I should have. Cable TV, now ubiquitous, was something not a lot of families had during that time frame. As well, there wasn’t 1000 plus channels to feed your inner media addict. However, there were specialty channels that showed many a foreign film with horrible English dubs. For a young man, this introduced me to every Godzilla, Lone Wolf & Cub and samurai film you can shake a sword at. Since that time, I have continued my affinity for films and media like this. Around the same time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles broke onto TV, roughly around 1987 or so. It was there I got my first taste of Usagi Yojimbo, the rabbit bodyguard. In short, I loved the rabbit who could kick ass and yet remain the hero of the story. Little did I know almost 30 years later, I would be reviewing the long running series. But would a nostalgic character hold up from my fuzzy childhood memories?

In this self contained issue, Usagi happens upon a village where there are dead bodies outside a cabin. Inside is a woman, a bride to be, who is awaiting the arrival of her future husband. Duty bound to protect her, Usagi faces off against a group of assassins sent to eliminate him. After dispatching the assassins, Usagi and the woman must deal with the real enemy.

Aside from this issue, I have read roughly one volume of “Usagi Yojimbo.” I knew what to expect, but I am blown away by this story. Stan Sakai masterfully weaves samurai code and genuine adventure effortlessly into the pages. Oddly enough, Usagi isn’t the focus of the story, considering the book is titled after him. Normally, this might be a detriment to a book, however this works in “Usagi Yojimbo’s” favor. Sakai has been writing the character for years now, the audience knows full well Usagi’s personality. This allows for new characters to get introduced, but not shoe horned into it. n other reviews, I have complained about writers doing that, Sakai could teach a master class on the art.

The villains of the story get the most page time here. They are far from generic, in fact, they come off ruthless. The assassins have little regard for human life, as long as they have their payment. That aspect gives an edge to the story, even if the outcome is a little telegraphed. Where Sakai amps things up, is the reveal of the man who hired the assassins. I will not spoil it, but the outcome was well executed and perfectly timed. Again, some of this might seem obvious when reading, but I got sucked right into things. I can certainly overlook it, if anything it adds to the charm of the book.

Sakai is also the main (only actually) artist on the book. His style is cartoon based, having a Disney-esque quality to it. Meaning, there is a classic look and feel that does not feel at all childish. The detail is very intricate, this holds true for the dense landscape. Usagi is in the woods for most of the book, Sakai adds many layers to that. The perspective in the woods is shown form a few different levels; above, eye level and in the distance. By doing this, there is always a fresh take on the travels. I was thinking about how animators in the 1950’s used the same background when a character is walking, Sakai does the opposite.

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The characters are another area of excellence in the art from Sakai. Their clothing has as much detail as the backgrounds do, which is surprising. Sakai has been known for his meticulous research and it shows on the page. Everyone looks like they fit in perfectly to the scenery. This allows for the reader to separate who is who very easily. By the same token, adding to the already rich atmosphere, Sakai keeps things fresh with little effort. In all fairness, the man has been doing this for close to 30 years, even if he does slip a bit, he has earned it. However, to still be on point after all this time is an amazing achievement. It proves that practice does indeed make perfect.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book is how new reader friendly things are, even at 151 issues. Sure, the mythology of Usagi isn’t front and center, all the other story elements are though. Being a self contained story, this would give a newcomer the perfect taste of what to expect going forward. At the same time, it would certain;y pique the interest in previous volumes. Beyond that, there is an all ages appeal, even though it is not marketed as such. The fascinating thing I took away was how Sakai handles the concept of death. Usagi is not a violent man, or rather, he is not violent in his heart. However, he fully understands the need for violence in terms of survival and action. Sakai’s addition of violence is never gratuitous, there is no blood or limbs flying. it is a very honest reflection of taking a man’s life.

Thoughtfulness is not something always seen in the comic world. Sakai’s ability to standout in a world known for blood and guts is incredible. As much as I love a good, violent, samurai film this is something I would like to see more of in the film world. It is simple for anyone, in any media, to turn things up to 11 on the crazy scale. It takes a deft and skilled hand to make something compelling, thoughtful and thought provoking. It might be easy to dismiss “Usagi Yojimbo” as a cartoonish book, but the content inside makes up for that. Even still, at this stage in the game, Sakai can turn out a quality issue time and time again.

Final Verdict: 7.9 – A wonderful single issue that is perfect for new and old fans alike. Highly recommended.


Kevin McConnell

Kevin is a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a payroll specialist at ADP. When he is not dealing with the problems of others, he enjoys reading comics, craft beer and writing about those two things. He can be found on all forms of social media via http://kevinmmcconnell.flavors.me.

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