Copyright Stan Sakai.
I think there’s a lot to be said for artists who are able to transcend cultural barriers, whether by creating new worlds entirely, or by presenting their own culture in such a way that it is easily accessible to outsiders, while at the same time preserving its unique aspects. I personally find the latter to be the more impressive, and those who are capable of this have a rare gift. Among those few is Stan Sakai, author of the superb Usagi Yojimbo.
Loosely based on the life of 17th century swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, the series is focused on the title character, a wandering swordsman who also happens to be an anthropomorphic rabbit. Like Musashi, he battles using two swords, and uses his fighting prowess to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Along the way he encounters a slew of equally colorful and well-developed characters, including Gen, a rhinoceros bounty hunter, and Jei, a demonic fox who claims to be a representative of the gods. The choice of animal for each character isn’t random, and it’s fun to think about what each character’s form says about their personality.
While Sakai admits that he does take a lot of liberties with the historical references in the story, the amount of research he uses for the series is frankly staggering, and the back of each book is filled with pages of endnotes and references to his sources. You obviously wouldn’t use Usagi for an academic paper, but it’s still a great way to get a taste of Japanese history presented in a really unique and well-presented way. In addition to historical events and characters, many of the stories also feature Japanese legends and folklore, and these are blended with the story just as deftly into one cohesive whole.
Perhaps most impressive about Usagi is the way in which it reads like both a Japanese comic and an American one, and at the same time neither. The art clearly has a strong Japanese influence, and yet an American influence is just as present. The same goes for the storytelling: the story and tone have both Japanese and American sensibilities that, together, give the series a tone that is at times humorous, contemplative, sorrowful, and celebratory.
There are currently 25 volumes of Usagi Yojimbo, and thankfully the series is written in a way that lets a reader pick up any volume and have a good sense of what’s going on in the story. That’s not to say there’s no continuity between volumes, but the references to earlier volumes don’t detract from the experience if you haven’t read the volumes referenced. This is also handy since a lot of libraries tend to carry Usagi, but in my experience their collections are pretty spotty and will just have random volumes. But they’re out there, so find them and read them for free. If you’re even slightly interested in samurai and Japanese history, this is a must-read. If you liked the “Redwall” books as a kid, this is a must-read. If you’re looking for a series that has it all, action, drama, humor, history, great art and characters, this is a must-read.
Happy reading,
-Nate
Tired of Superheroes 