Samurai/Historical Manga to Look For

[shikisoku]

Thre is a episode of the Miyako bay Naval battle.
But not so detailed.

[msr.iaidoka]

shikisoku,

Very awesome. The ship on the far left might be the Koutetsu at first glance.


平和,

マット
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鋼鉄の海軍

[Ashigaru]

Here are two interesting titles I've seen at the book store but haven't yet read:

Gekiga Kojiki - Kamigami no Monogatari / Scenario: Tobe Tamio & Art: Takamuro Kimi / basilico
劇画古事記-神々の物語 / シナリオ：戸部 民夫 & 作画：高室 弓生 / バジリコ

As the title suggests, this is a gekiga comic adaptation of stories from the Kojiki. It's not the first manga Kojiki, but it's supposed to be good and rather faithful.

Nitai to Kinana / Takamuro Kimi / seirinkogeisha
ニタイとキナナ / 高室 弓生 / 青林工芸舎

This manga chronicles the daily lives of Nitai and Kinana, a Jomon era couple. It looks pretty interesting, and filled with Jomon trivia.
_________________
Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
- Seneca

[kitsuno]

Ok, I found my old post about "Vagabond", this was apparently my opinion on the US version: (Does this jive with what you've seen?)

----

Well, it's taken me over a month, but I've finally had a chance to sit down and read both issues (#1, #2) of VIZ Comic's VAGABOND.

It is a story about Miyamoto Musashi - I haven't read Eiji Yoshikawa's MUSASHI in about 8 years, but I think the comic follows it only (very) roughly (the back of the comic states it is based on the Yoshikawa novel). The artwork is good - realistic figures, not the somewhat typical exagerated 'anime-type' figures, and if it originally came from a small Japanese manga, it transfered well to the larger pages of the VIZ version.

Anyway, I don't know exactly what VIZ has control over (and what comes 'as is') but anyway, starting with the basics, the cover and paper are good quality - better than many Japanese manga. Also, the few random pages inside each comic that are colored are a nice extra (most are all b+w). I wish I had the original Japanese comic to compare the story, artwork, color, cover etc. against.

The story itself is okay, although my complaint is that it doesn't seem to go anywhere. I assume the first couple of issues are 'setting the stage' but they are so short individually (or the author just takes a long time to move things along) that nothing realy grips you to want to find out what happens next, you are sort of left asking 'whats the point'? Rather than stopping at a cliff-hanger, you sort of stop at what could be thought of as the end of a scene. I'm not sure if VIZ is selling each issue in shorter portions than the original, but since most Japanese manga range from 100 - 250 pages, I suspect they are (the first issue of VAGABOND is about 82 or so). With that in mind, though, I'm sure that over the long term the story should develop fairly well - it may just be that it takes a while for the story to develop. It's just a matter of having the patience to keep up with it.

All in all, I'd give it good marks for the artwork and the format - good quality paper (it also reads back to front like the orginal Japanese, which may be awkward for some people - but a neat touch) Otherwise I'd say if you were going to pick it up, you should probably opt for the entire series, as there isn't much 'value' in just one issue since it is so short. There is also probably more value for the person interested in the samurai/warrior aspects as there is a fair amount of healthy sword violence - in fact, more action than discernable plot up front, but worth a look.

[Baian]

I think Vagabond is praise-worthy. I enjoy reading every new issue coming out.
I'm also really happy of how he decided to portray Sasaki Kojiro. He couldn't be any funnier.

[Ashigaru]

Hyakunin Yuujo / Sakabe Shuuichi / LEED
百人遊女 / 坂辺周一 / リード社

Serialized in Comic Ran TWINS, "Hyakunin Yuujo" (100 Courtesans) is an anthology series set mainly in Edo's Yoshiwara pleasure district. Each chapter is a stand-alone episode dealing with the lives of a Yoshiwara courtesan and her client(s).

"Hyakunin Yuujo" is probably my favorite Comic Ran TWINS manga, since I'm fascinated with the Floating World, Ihara Saikaku, etc. Many of the episodes end on a bleak note, since the stories tend to dwell on how transitory love and beauty are, but it's a good, serious human drama. Female characters in the series are portrayed with a degree of depth and sensitivity uncommon in manga; they aren't just pretty playthings for the male characters. (This is surprising, since Sakabe's previous manga projects are mostly sleazy stories full of cheating wives and pseudo-rape fantasies.) Sakabe shows both the glitzy, glamorous side of the Yoshiwara as well as the darker side (women kept in virtual slavery and prohibited from leaving the Yoshiwara, and their addicted customers driving themselves to bankruptcy in an effort to spend more time with their paramours, etc.).

The art is good (if not as modern and sexy as "Oshitone Tenzen"), but Sakabe seems to have some difficulty drawing unique faces and his characters tend to look alike as a result. The title may be "100 Courtesans", but judging by the faces it seems like there are really only two or three, and they all seem to be patronized by the same kindly middle-aged man. It's not too distracting, however, and certainly not something that would keep me from recommending the series.

Three collected volumes have been released so far, with the fourth out this month. The Comic Ran TWINS page has a preview of one episode online (NSFW; there's some nudity), and the author's homepage is here.
_________________
Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
- Seneca

[Baian]

There's one American comic book which is quite nice.
It's called Samurai: Heaven & Earth.

The story is a bit silly, but the artwork is simply gorgeous. Of course, being made by an American comic book publisher, it's full of tiny historical mistake, but nothing too big.

Basically, the main character's (Shiro) clan is attacked by a chinese invading force. The castle is burned to the ground and Shiro is the only survivor. He discovers that his fiancee was captured.
He'll then travel to China, and then around the world, all the way to Versaille, to bring her back.




More images:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/aragami_fukushima/shae2.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/aragami_fukushima/shae4.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/aragami_fukushima/shae5.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/aragami_fukushima/shae6.jpg

Official link: http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=10-391

[_RK_]

Is it just me or they all look kinda "european" ?

I recently digged out french comix book- "Onna" by Vernal/Delitte. Very nicely drawn (I did not noticed any obvious mistakes- of course characters are somehow "not-quite-so-japanese looking), three "fables" set in old Japan. Recomended

[shikisoku]

The Three Musketeers?

[Tatsunoshi]

[Baian]

[niitsu kakunoshin]

[ltdomer98]

[Tatsunoshi]

[niitsu kakunoshin]

[DMarie84]

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

[kitsuno]

[Ashigaru]

Hito-kiri Ryouma / Ishikawa Masayuki / LEED
人斬り龍馬 / 石川雅之 / リード社

Hito-kiri Ryouma is a collection of four short historical manga by Ishikawa Masayuki. The first three stories take place during the Bakumatsu era, while the fourth is set in an undefined period that seems like the Sengoku era to me.

Title story Hito-kiri Ryouma is an alternate history tale that suggests that a number of deaths by seppuku officially recorded by Shinsengumi leader Kondou Isami were actually vicious assassinations committed by Sakamoto Ryouma. While the story did a good job of showing Kondou's struggle to protect the image of the Shinsengumi while Ryouma is hacking down multiple members before they're even able to draw their swords, the premise didn't affect me as much as it might've if I knew more about and had more interest in Bakumatsu history.

The second story is Nihonmatsu Shounen-tai, which is about a group of young boys (with an average age of about 12-13, even younger than the more famous Byakko-tai) put into service to defend their castle from an approaching anti-Shogunate army. Given the scenario, I expected a Byakko-tai-style tragic ending with all the kids getting wiped out, but the story took a less obvious direction and in the end it ended up being as much about the toubaku army's leader as about the kids.

Episode 3 is entitled Todokanu Yaiba, a much lower-key affair than the previous two stories. In this story a weary hired killer employed by the bakufu is ordered to murder a merchant with anti-Shogunate ties. The merchant also happens to be the father of the girl the assassin hopes to marry, complicating matters. The killer makes a difficult choice that leads to unexpected but inevitable consequences.

The final manga, Kami no Sumu Yama, is a bit of a departure from the other stories. It's a Japanese fairy tale, basically, and while it's not based on any real folklore that I'm aware of, it feels authentic. In the story a scruffy ronin encounters an isolated village full of adventurers out to kill the legendary dragon-god that lives in the mountains. Having nothing better to do, he decides to join in. A mysterious swordswoman tells him that whoever defeats the dragon (which turns out to be something very different and a lot more interesting) and then keeps the body out of human sight for a hundred years will be rewarded with a thousand years of life. The ronin isn't really interested in living for a thousand years, but he is unwilling to back down from a fight and he and the woman duel to the death over the dragon. The ending is surprising and a little bittersweet, but perfectly appropriate for a fairy tale.

Overall, I recommend this manga. Not being a Bakumatsu fan, the title story dragged a bit for me, but the other three episodes were definitely worthwhile. Not only were the stories compelling, the artwork was excellent as well. Ishikawa's faces are distinct and full of character, and his attention to detail (especially when it comes to architecture) is notable. While the premise of his current series ("Moyashimon", about an agriculture student with the amazing ability to see microbes) doesn't really interest me, I would certainly pick up any other historical stories by him.
_________________
Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
- Seneca

[shikisoku]

I read this manga recently.

Naku Samurai (Crying Samurai)
Amazon Jp

[reynardine]

This actually is revised from an old blog post I made last year, but I thought it would be of general interest here.

1. Rurouni Kenshin by Watsuki Nobuhiro. 28 volumes both in Japanese and English. The tale of a wandering samurai 10 years after the Meiji Revolution. But he's no ordinary samurai--he's the man formerly known as Hitokiri Battousai. The series begins as he meets up with a girl named Kamiya Kaoru who is trying to maintain her family's struggling dojo. High adventure ensues, with a bit of romance and a lot of lightning-fast swordplay. The artist admires American comics and you can see it in his art style--it almost looks like something that Marvel or DC would publish, except the flavor is slightly different. For those of you who have yet to try manga and like American-style comic books, this series may be one to try. It has been for the most part translated into English and published in North America --I think they'll finish by the end of this year. There is also a novel that VIZ is planning to publish in English as well.

2. Kaze Hikaru by Watanabe Taeko. 22 + volumes in Japanese, 6 + volumes in English. I'm putting this one next because it's also being published in America right now. Set about 13-14 years (?) before the time period of Rurouni Kenshin, just before the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Sei is a girl whose father and older brother are murdered. She disguises herself as a boy (even going so far as to shaving part of her head), changes her name to Kamiya Seizaburo, and runs off to join what would later be the Shinsengumi, a group of samurai in Kyoto who backed the Tokugawa faction. She is trained by one of their captains, Okita Souji, and finds herself falling in love with him. While he knows she's a female, none of the others do--and it would be very dangerous for her if they find out. You'd think this storyline would be all kinds of hokey, but Watanabe actually makes it work. Sei is determined to BE a samurai, and part of the storyline is her dealing with leaving her feminity behind her. For a shoujo manga, there's quite a bit of violence (well, Shinsengumi, DUH). The art is very well done and there are lots of historical details. Kaze Hikaru is currently being published (in English) by VIZ. The 6th volume just came out this month.

3. Starlight to Your Heart/More Starlight to Your Heart (Kokoro ni Hoshi no Kagayaki o/Motto Kokoro ni Hoshi no Kagayaki o) by Matsuba Hiro. 2 volumes/8 volumes in Japanese, with 2 volumes of "More Starlight" in English (discontinued). Turns out that ADV, the company that bought the rights to publish the work in English, overextended itself in 2005 and dropped about a third of its titles. This was one of them. There are two volumes out in English. I do have the whole series in Japanese, though, and taken as a whole, it is quite good, and if they could see fit to finish publishing the thing, I would certainly recommend it. Akane, the daughter of a high-ranking minister during the Heian era, has fallen in love with a young Captain named Aogi. However, her father doesn't approve because Aogi is of a much lower rank and Daddy Has Ambitions. So Akane plots with her mother, who lives at the Imperial Court, to be disguised as a servant so that she can see Aogi. But she's not used to the work and is not very good at it. And Aogi, who is trying to be good and forget her, has his own issues to deal with. While the main characters are dense beyond belief, the supporting characters are amusing, and the period detail is very well done. The art is almost Clampesque in style. Kokoro ni Hoshi no Kagayaki o is a prequel, but the meat of the series in in Motto Kokoro.

4.Nante Suteki ni Japanesque by Himuro Saeko and Yamauchi Naomi. 11 volumes (out of print, but reprinted in a 7-volume series), 8 novels and a 5 + volume sequel currently running, all in Japanese. Nothing in English as yet (WHY???). This is the story of Ruri and her not-so-willing fiance, TakaAkira, set in the Heian era. It is a great story, very funny, but with emotion as well. Ruri has a lot of spirit to her. The art isn't as good as More Starlight but the characters, I think, are more complex and engaging.

5. Burai by Iwasaki Youko. 5 volumes in Japanese. None in English as yet. Because the world can't have enough Shinsengumi. Especially when they're drawn real pretty, like this. There's also a sequel series somewhere, but I've never managed to track it down. Burai focuses on Saitou Hajime and the men of the Shinsengumi in their early days when Serizawa Kamo (that wild guy) was still around. Despite the pretty flowing hair, the rest of the art is done in a more shonen style, and the storylines tend more towards that as well.

6.Emma by Mori Kaoru. 8 volumes and 2 novels in Japanese, 5 + volumes in English. Manga doesn't always focus on Japanese history. Emma is the story of a London maid who falls in love with a member of the gentry, and the problems it causes both of them. FANTASTIC ART done in pen and ink crosshatch-style, with lots of historical detail. The story is quite good, although I confess I turn to online translations because the manga is printed in a men's magazine and therefore has no furigana to help with reading the kanji. But do yourself a favor and get the printed originals, because the internet just doesn't do this art justice. There is also an anime, but the manga beats it hands down.

7.Onmyouji by Okano Reiko 13 volumes in Japanese. Based on the novels by Yumemakura Baku, Onmyouji follows the adventures of the famous medium Abe no Seimei and his Watson friend, Minamoto no Hiramasa, as they confront weird and strange happenings during the Heian era. I wasn't all that impressed with the art, although the color splash pages are lovely. The stories in the first volume seemed interesting, but again, kanji without furigana=Maria without clue. Mature content, so I'm not sure they'll bring it over, although the movies did pretty well in America. Two movies and a TV series are also based on these characters.

8. Home by Ueda Rinko. 2 volumes in Japanese. The rest of this list will be dominated by Ueda Rinko's works because a) she does a lot of historical stuff, and b) I happen to have a lot of it since she writes the kind of fun, girly stories that I like. I especially liked this story because the heroine's name was MARIA. Yeah! Okay, it's because she's Spanish, and the story actually opens in Europe, in 1614. Maria lives a quiet life with her father and little brother and pesky wanna-be boyfriend. But that's all about to change, because Japan has sent an envoy to the Spanish King. One of the samurai escorting the envoy is Kojirou, who is betrayed and left for dead. Maria rescues him. He rewards her by taking her hostage and forcing a ship to take them back to Japan! High adventure, romance, good fun for all. Historic detail a bit sketchy, especially the European bits, but the story is so good that I didn't care. Besides, MARIA, right? Heh.

9. Ryou by Ueda Rinko. 13 volumes in Japanese. How to explain this one without going into a major history lesson? Ryou, a very modern girl, finds out that she actually is Ushiwaki (Minamoto Yoshitsune), the great general who evidently wasn't a guy after all. (He was said to be slight of build.) During his/her legendary fight with the monk Benkei on the Gojyou Bridge, she falls through time and is found by a detective, who adopts her because his own daughter had recently died. She remembers nothing. Benkei, however, has followed her and that's where the problems begin. A bit of the story is in modern times, but then they manage to go back to the past, and that's when things get really interesting. Genji plots! Heike romances! And that bad boy Benkei, who has decided if he's not getting 1000 swords, he'll get 1000 women instead, and Ryou will be one of them. I'm still working my way through this series, but so far, it's been a lot of fun. The art is so-so, but the story is top-notch. Also, my Japanese teacher last summer gave it high marks as well--she used to read it when it was coming out back in Japan.

10. Tsuki no Toiki, Ai no Kizu/ Tsuki no Shippo by Ueda Rinko. 1 volume/ 14 + volumes in Japanese, 5+ volumes in English. Ninja hijinks in 1579. A girl wakes up with amnesia and is taken in as a servant at a local brothel. She can't remember her name, but because she has a moon-shaped scar on her back, the people at the brothel take to calling her Kaguya (after the Princess Kaguya in the fairy tale). One day, a man called Hanzou comes in, and treats her like one of the "talent" instead of a regular servant. Sparks fly, you know they're doomed. Lots of adventure, a bit confusing in places with all the names changing because the ninja are so sneaky. There are two sequels: Tsuki no Toiki: Natsu no Yume (1 volume, published along with Ai no Kizu), and then a series called Tsuki no Shippo (14 + volumes), Tsuki no Shippo is being published in English by VIZ, although I can't see why they didn't think to publish the prequel first (since it later affects storylines). Tsuki no Shippo is about a girl from a ninja village named Usagi who has no talent for ninjutsu, so she's ordered to marry Hattori Hanzo and bear his child. A bit squicky being that she's only 15, but then again, things were different in historical times. Amusing fluff, not as good as Ueda-sensei's previous series.

If anyone wants ISBN numbers for these, let me know and I'll include them.

--Maria

[kitsuno]

The historical-based ones would make good Wiki entries for the manga section:

http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Category:Manga

(here is an example entry, c/o ashigaru)
http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Vagabond_%28Manga%29

They'd have to be rewritten slightly to focus more on the storyline and facts, but they are a good start.
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[reynardine]

[kitsuno]

[Toyotomi_Hideyori_rules]

Inuyasha has Takeda Shingen and Oda Nobunaga visit in the show so thats little history.
_________________
Dale
Historian/Member of the Association of Renaissance Martial Arts

Quote: "LoL Takeda is a n00b for charging into the Muskets at Nagashino