previously: >>153008580
GRASSCUTTER: Blade of the Godshttps://files.catbox.moe/4hetpr.mp3
Good murding, Morner.
>>153021945good afternoon, anorn.
>JUST ONE KAMI
>>153021926>WHO>THE FUCK>ARE YOU CALLING>A FEMBOOOOOOOOOY
>>153022091all I'm saying is, if you fooled the kumaso braves you could've fooled me.
>>153021926Yay, my second favorite long Usagi story and a sequel to my fourth favorite long Usagi story!!
>>153022030RIP AND TEAR
>>153022013RIP hoss
>>153022131>a member of a remote mountain peopleThat ought to answer that, I guess?
>>153022143>Sanshobo's temple is in northern SuoCan we infer that Lord Yamahashi is the daimyo of Suo?
>>153022244Retcon or Stan just forgot?
https://youtu.be/kOAtwQ6AWRg
>>153022254I think that makes sense>>153022258what retcon, exactly?
>>153022294Lord Ikeda rebelling against Noriyuki after Mataichis death, even though Ikeda was fighting against Mataichi before becoming a farmer.
>>153022286ENTER sweet cinnamon roll
>>153022305you're right, that chapter says araki fought against mataichi, not noriyuki.
>Battle for Grasscutterhttps://youtu.be/UkApZIpi0Rg
>>153022065Poison Most Foul!
>>153022179Oh, that Gen!
>>153022461The Van Dyne Special
>>153022030who needs a mythical sword when you can make a fist?
I'm just thinking what a pain it must have been to texture all the trees.
>>153022217A diet of Hida beef and pickled fern will do that to you I guess
>>153022596Another reason why I think this guy is the absolute best in Feudal Japan.
>>153022286Chizu-chan!
https://youtu.be/EhGEGIBGLu8
>>153022378His calligraphy really is extremely good. It's not like it starts in this volume or anything, but dang.
>>153022785If there's a drawfriend in this thread, I have a humble request.Taimanin Chizu and Saru
>>153022803stan is a master letterer. just every single scream is a beautiful japanese-esque calligraphy art.
>>153021958Ah yes, Emperor Jim>>153022076If only I had brought the lawnmower
>>153022596>I passed the test>I will diminish and go into the West and remain Ike the Farmer
I like when this respect between enemies bit appears occasionally.
https://youtu.be/YKZlNriIAM0
>>153022669>enough subtlety – I'll just throw a fucking bomb at herkek
>>153022911https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x06zFQ85gT0
R.I.P.
>>153023007Well spear anon, you got your spear victory.I hope you are happy.RIP a real one.
>GRASSCUTTER II: Usagi's Victoryhttps://files.catbox.moe/om97ju.mp3
>>153022030Always bet on FIST
>>153022518>>153022524We need a side adventure/hijinks with Just a Priest & Just a Farmer
>>153023007NO! God damn it! Fuck you, Staniel Sakagi!
>>153022103>translation note for Ninjawas that really necessary Stan? Might as well have one for samurai.
that's it for today, thank you for reading. >>153023138I wish...
>>153023081>SELECT YOUR CHARACTER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPjuj4vULuk&pp=ygUgY2FkaWxsYWMgJiBkaW5vc2F1cnMgb3N0IHNlbGVjdCDSBwkJ2QoBhyohjO8%3D
>>153023152Thanks, Murder! Appreciated as always.
>>153023007Talk about taking them with you.
>>153023007F for Ikeda, he tapped into the Stormin' Norman Force
Amendment to last post, 660 Neko was the totalBook 15262 Usagis (6864 total)882 Panels (13520 total)131 Neko Ninja (791 total)41 Komori (175 total)No Mogura (34 total)>>153022222>>153022284Finally some consistency, 11 run off with Chizu and here she is with 11...>>153022286....and here she is with 29!>>153023202>>153022810"We can't defeat so many"I can confidently say that there are exactly 5 Komori at this point. They could VERY easily defeat them.>>153022884Until lol they've multiplied again! Getting real sick of your shit Stan!>>153022897The Chad IkedaThe Virgin Chizu
Forgot to put it in but echoing the sentiment, thank you as always Murder! I'm not really reading so much this year as counting but I've enjoyed seeing the discussion flourish even if I can't contribute much.
>>153023147Ikeda's subplot is my favorite in the entire comic. It's short and ends in a heroic tragedy, but it spans across two great stories and Ikeda goes through masterful character development. You cannot dislike the guy.But don't worry, later (much later) an important Ikeda related subplot will return in another long story arc, which is also one of the main conteders for the best Usagi story ever put to paper (certainly the most cinematic one).
For the first time I have absolutely no animals that fit my criteria for counting, I'll be honest I didn't think it would take this long but I expect this will be the norm going forwards>Total: 82 (unchanged)
>>153022578I love Ikeda sagely agreeing that her legs must be broken
>>153023007Rest in Peace absolute chad
>>153024022The art becomes standarized after a while.
Chizu was right.
>>153023017>>153023020Kagemaru is a surprisingly underrated combatant, Usagi flat out says he could have died here
>>153024022my favorite one-off animal was the walrus guy who didn't have a name and was just cannon fodder for Usagi to kill
>>153024147>my favorite one-off animal was the walrus guyYeah, he was my favorite youtube pooper.>tfw went to his youtube page to grab a link to a video and all I could find was a message of him privating all of his videos because he didn't like "Google shoving AI on everyone"
>>153022999Damn, have the neko ever jobbed harder than in this sequence? This whole thing is a tour de force of getting rekt.
>>153021945Good anonoon, after
>>153023007No skull! He's still good! Totally..!
>>153022216>>153022202This whole part has always felt pretty pointless to me. Ninja politics, ninja moments, ninja jobbers... It feels like cillee when the story of the grass cutter was very much completed with a rousing climax. This just feels like a boring followup where I really don't care that much because the Neko suck dick and it just feels so weird to me that Usagi is just okay with Chizu and her forces being a menace and even letting them go.It's definitely a part I don't particularly relish getting a chance to revisit
>>153022384Why don't they listen to Gen ? He's right about everything.
>>153022904>>153023007Ikeda truly genuinely was the MVP of this fucking part and it's only saving grace. Pay respects for the mightiest mustache of Japan
>>153024147I think my favourite so far is this unicorn lady from all the way back in the first volume
>>153024638Sorry, all the horses had to die. They're still working on the four legged varieties but all the bipedal ones are gone
>>153022168I don't think it ever comes up, but I've always wondered if Kagemaru arranged this event to push her into taking action.
>>153024638I wonder if later Stan would have even considered making Gen a rhino.
>>153024707>I wonder if later Stan would have even considered making Gen a rhinoNo way in hell. Unique designs are grandfathered in but sadly feudal Japan is really Cat City
>>153022859>>153022862>>153022876https://youtu.be/v9M7g-nKMBU?si=aqNU_9KG3oukRKXY
anon what draws the characters, still going to be unable to draw them. my day job is comic book pencilling and I've got a comic that really needs to be pencilled. still reading along and paying attention to what characters to add- today's would be Kimi and the leader of the komori who introduces himself by the end.>>153024541If we check Stan's letters and commentary in previous issues, he originally intended Chizu and the ninjas to be part of Grasscutter, but cut them out for pacing. Grasscutter II feels to me like just him reworking those excised elements. Odds are he planned to develop Chizu etc through the original Grasscutter so still felt the need to do the cut ninja elements of that story so as to still end up with Chizu, Kagemaru, etc in the places he wanted them to be. But I agree, while I'm not as negative to it as you seem, I do think it's not as exciting as the first story.>>153022216An example of the sort of thing he might've wanted to make sure still got to happen- note details like Kagemaru attacking the komori and the soldiers obeying him immediately instead of Chizu's "wait".>>153022490>>153022499It's rare that circumstances cause this to come up, but I like the glimpses we get at Usagi's spirituality. The way he sees throwing the sword off as blasphemy and actively refuses doing it. He doesn't talk much about his religion, but he does have a healthy and genuine respect for the Gods, it seems.
>>153024805No sweat man, work comes before play after all.
>>153022305no, the soldier who came to get him said it was BECAUSE mataichis' death that his rebellion could succeed.
>>153022030>neandarthal moment
>>153024541>It feels like cilleeAm I having a stroke, or you?
>>153024805>my day job is comic book pencillingFuck, that explains why you're so goddamn good at it.Anyway yeah, like Anon said, relax.
>>153024824But he never rebelled against Noriyuki, he told the samurai off who came to him with the news of a rebellion opportunity.
>>153024707Most of the cast if introduced now would've been cat-dog generic "humans with triangle ears", just look at the fates of more recent cast introductions like Ikeda, Ishida, Sanshobo, etc. Hell, to be honest, if he started this right now (let's imagine he's a young man still) I doubt they'd be furries at all- we'd be looking at something like his 47 Ronin comic, I think. But if they were furries, they'd probably all be generic cat-things, with maybe the exception of Usagi since the starting point of this all was him liking the imagery of a rabbit with the ears tied like a topknot.>>153024824Yes, but the rebellion against Noriyuki never happened, it's the whole point of the story- Ikeda instead decided to stay as a farmer. Sanshobo is referring to Ikeda leading a rebellion after the passing of Noriyuki's father, but the rebellion Ikeda led was against Noriyuki's father, not Noriyuki. It's just a plain wrong recollection of what Stan wrote earlier. These mistakes happen- a few threads earlier Stan replied to a letter agreeing that it made no sense Usagi is surprised at Mariko and Kenichi being wed at the start of the series when we later have flashbacks to him being informed of it when under Mifune's service, but that it happened by him just forgetting the details and making an accidental plot hole.
>>153024541>This whole part has always felt pretty pointless to me.>>153024805>If we check Stan's letters and commentary in previous issues, he originally intended Chizu and the ninjas to be part of Grasscutter, but cut them out for pacing. Grasscutter II feels to me like just him reworking those excised elements.IMO the clearest proof of this is that half of Grasscutter is Tomoe and Noriyuki fucking around and *never even coming into contact with Usagi and the sword*. Them meeting Ikeda here and his connection to Sanshobo indicates how the two plot strands were originally intended to merge – again, IMO.
>>153024828Sorry I tried to post filler but I guess for some reason it doesn't get underlined as a typo so I just glazed over it. Accept my apologies for the state of pericombobulations >>153024805>But I agree, while I'm not as negative to it as you seemMy only problem with it is Chizus character is very stalled at this moment of the story. She's stuck with a shitty second in command working against her but her underlings love her, even to the extent that one that swore a blood price against her is able to be flipped to her side. She's throwing away her ninja like chump change all to get this sword in an ultimately selfish (for the Neko) display of power and to keep their opponents down who are essentially beating them at every turn. It's a complete and utter loss for them even if they still have some forces waiting at the finish line to jump them anyways and the only thing accomplished is the death of a pretty cool secondary character. If you like ninja fights it's a great arc but for me it just feels so useless and Chizu as a character ends it exactly as she started. Still committed to the clan despite clearly having too much of a conscious for the life of a disposable killer, a backstabbing underling that still wants her out so he can run the show, and somehow the Neko having enough people to throw out as cannon fodder constantly but are always on the brink of collapse due to mass ninja death. It's just tiresome
>>153024951>Accept my apologies for the state of pericombobulationsI was just confused! No need to apologize, you can just go directly to the ritual disembowelment.
I feel like this fits the somber tone of this thread right now.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAKEdd_H0XY
>>153024982>you can just go directly to the ritual disembowelment.Well, it is Monday after all.
>>153022596Based farmer. I'm enjoying the ride but the reactions from several characters here feels weird. Usagi becomes a two bit simp for Shizu and the neko ninjas, Gen feels reduced to the complementary asshole role, he has nothing to do in the story so far besides bitch out, and the talk about Shizu's fate feels out of place, like something that should be covered during an action scene and not discussed between muh heroes. So far this story has the same issue has the first part : too many characters who need to do things to make the reader feel the width and the stakes of the setting.
>>153025027>So far this story has the same issue has the first part : too many characters who need to do things to make the reader feel the width and the stakes of the setting.To my memory, this is the last time Stan tries a big big crossover story (discounting a certain spinoff thing), and this might be an element of why.
>>153024680The smug face he's making in the last panel sure does hint at something.>>153024144I've said it before in previous years but I also feel like Kagemaru is underestimated as an opponent to Usagi and co. because of his characterization as a ninja Starscream.
>>153024541>it just feels so weird to me that Usagi is just okay with Chizu and her forces being a menaceSuperior nanban kissing technique folding her tongue 1,000,000 times man. Usagi is thinking with his wakizashi when it comes to her.
Hey ronin, point of order. Since we're coming up on April 1st, and you all remember what happened last year, what do you all want to do if 4chan goes down again during our storytime run?
>>153022461Gen Pimp slapping Chizu here.
>>153025424I guess we could take a day off, I don't even remember what spinoff site we used to continue the storytime on last year during the longer site outage.
>>153022876he ?
>>153025496Probably Plus4chan, that's always been the /co/ spinoff
>>153025533the komori ninja that lunged into the water in panel 2
>>153025533It's slightly hard to parse since all the bats are drawn the same, but here
>>153025578Yeah we were there but we didn't storytime there, because of the way that site is build, it's just not fit for storytiming use.
>>153022803Reading this has made me realize just how good Stan is, like genuine comic book renaissance man. He unironically deserves to be in the same tier that guys like Kirby and Tezuka are
>>153024449>Former Honored Warriors >One, a Trusted Lord, now just a Farmer. The Other, a Dutiful Samurai, now a Priest. >But when the fates, meddlers and a ancient blade start trouble in their land; old skills are remembered, friendships are renewed and Ninjas better BEWARE!>Ikeda! Inushirio!>Grasscutter Gangsters! Rated R!
>>153022217Eh, you could say the oni are a remote island people. The witch called him a familiar, not a lackey or servant, that still implies this guy's at least partly supernatural, just from a tribe of savage beast-men
>>153023007
Here's what really disturbs me about the whole Ikeda arc: he has a second, stubble moustache on his lip, under the stylized huge samurai moustache
>>153022286Taking off your hood and being addressed by name significantly reduces a Neko Ninja's odds of jobbing and dying. Chizu should institute a new policy where one Neko has to introduce themselves like that on any page where the clan appears, they'd stomp the other clans and rule Japan from the shadows in no time.
>>153025998Does it really? Gunji, Také and Saru all bit the dust in spite of it.
>>153025139Honestly I feel Kagemaru is kind of just underrated in general. I mean we laugh at him for being a starscream but unlike starscream his plan to seize power actually for all intents and purposes went off without a hitch apart from Chizu escaping and that was only by the skin of her teeth. He is shown to be a very skilled combatant and it was commented before the actual mission success rate of the Neko ninja actually goes up under him. His flaw really is that unlike Chizu he didn't realise being patroned by Hebi and Hikiji means having your balls in a vice.
>>153021926Been trying to catch up because I skipped a day. Finished reading The Courtesan and honestly kinda disappointed with the ending and how Lady Maple died. Not because I wanted her to have a happy ending mind you; on the contrary, I feel like her going out the way she did was done solely to have a "cleaner" ending with Ishida adopting the child (seriously, how did SHE of all people mistake a doll for her own kid?!). It feels like such a missed opportunity for drama there, because the adoption was clearly inevitable. Maple having to suffer with the same predicament Usagi would go though would've been interesting. Knowing she has to give up her child to a family that could properly protect him, at the cost of no longer being the parent in return.It feels like part of a larger issue with Stan's trigger happy writing style, where his tendency to kill characters off after only a handful of appearances leaves a lot of potential on the table.
>>153026254That's feudal japan baby!
>>153025697I think we did end up doing one individual story when the hack happened, just to tide everyone over while the site was down. But yea if whatever they got in store hampers the ability to storytime a one-day break wouldn’t hurt
>>153023014Not like this...fuck
>>153026254>It feels like part of a larger issue with Stan's trigger happy writing style, where his tendency to kill characters off after only a handful of appearances leaves a lot of potential on the table.While I get the issue, I personally enjoy that the style is there, because it means when a death occurs, it's taken seriously (other than Jei I guess). The fact characters can get killed no matter how much potential, and it means they're gone, feels to me cements the stakes in the comic much more than a lot of other comics that always feel too happy to either delay deaths (think, say, One Piece where everyone always heals after getting the shit beaten out of them to the point that two villains might now be intended to be actually dead but we can't tell because we've trained to expect anyone lives) or retcon them away (DC, Marvel, etc) the second someone goes "ok but there was potential with this character"
>>153023007>What did that samurai want?>Forget about him. We must work hard to bring in the harvest. I think we'll have an early frost this year.That's right Iké. We'll all work hard and bring in this year's harvest, together. But I think the harvest can wait, at least a single day. Until you're feeling better. :((((https://youtu.be/26jxHGbTZZw
>>153024144Usually the guy who tells usagi to die gets killed in the nex panel, but there he was about to make it a reality. I enjoy this villain.
>>153026433You know, fair enough. I still think The Courtesan could've been better handled as a story, though.
>>153024894>Most of the cast if introduced now would've been cat-dog generic "humans with triangle ears", just look at the fates of more recent cast introductions like Ikeda, Ishida, Sanshobo, etc. Hell, to be honest, if he started this right now (let's imagine he's a young man still) I doubt they'd be furries at all- we'd be looking at something like his 47 Ronin comic, I think. But if they were furries, they'd probably all be generic cat-things, with maybe the exception of Usagi since the starting point of this all was him liking the imagery of a rabbit with the ears tied like a topknot.Yeah, it's an interesting thing to think about in the greater scheme of the general non-furryness of Usagi and its creator.It's always been funny to me how, in most cases outside of say the moles and bats, the characters species matters absolutely 0, even since the beginning. And the no tails is really funny as a sure sign it's not really a furry comic weirdly enough, virtually antying furry makes sure to have animals with tails
>>153025631oh yeah, I missed that one. Stupid bats.
>>153025496>>153026329What I meant was, what should we do should the worst happen during our storytime, and 4chan goes down for an extended period? Not necessarily just during any shenanigans on April Fools Day this week. Should we regroup at plus-4-chan? Go to w-a-p-chan? Persist in this doomed reality on d_e_s_u_archive?Not sure why 4chan is being so difficult with this one post, this is the third time I'm attempting to make a reply. Not an encouraging sign
>>153026024The comic's still lethal, but compare with the average neko who doesn't take off the mask and get a name, it's like a 75% chance of death vs 98% chance
>>153024449Shanshobo no Gigachad
>>153026254>how did SHE of all people mistake a doll for her own kid?!).It was dark, and it was far away. By the time she got close enough to catch on it was [skull word balloon] time
>>153026626altchan board names are usually bounced back
>>153008666>>153008675Really putting the moe in Tomoe here.
>>153023007Rest in peace Ikeda, you were the realest.
>>153026978They'll build a Monument to His Sins.
>>153025496>>153025424Oh god, last year was the absolute worst. That was just terrible. And then the website broke.
>>153026626I think archives are the best first-line bunkers. Rally on their meta boards and by ghostposting in your generals if you've got any. Then you can coordinate with other anons and figure out which altchan to hunker down on if need be. Honestly though, I was pretty content just hanging out on Desu and b4k's happening threads during the hack. I'm glad 4chan didn't die for good, but it was a comfy little vacation.
>>153008732Once again Neko Ninjas proving they're dumber than a box of rocks.
>>153027070They better build a big ass monument for him!That's the least he deserves.
>>153023859>791 neko ninjathey must breed like rabbits! >>153023891glad to hear it. >>153024022it's mostly cats and the occasional dog for now on, I think. >>153025424we could go back to wap. or maybe make a custom board on eight (the dot moe one), I frequent one and it works pretty well for an alt chan. but surely nothing could go wrong this year! >>153026584I think you can't mention them at all, my post disappeared too.
>>153022541Good ol' carbon monoxide
>>153024805I have no idea how to make one but it'd be super cool at the end of this to do a gif of the collage, with each day's additions one by one
>>153026678Tch. Of course. Abrigado, hiro-kun.>>153027082That's not a bad plan.>>153027285Murder, what do you think? Entrench at Desu, then make plans from there to either migrate to w|a|p-chan or eight dot moe? I follow your lead, kai-czar**TN: nanban sei-i taishōgun
>>153025989A man so manly the gods saw fit to grant him two sets of facial hair.
>>153027439well yeah, any discussion would be made on desu after the fact, I think that's easier. but hopefully we won't need it. >nanban sei-i taishōgunhmm, I like this title. even if it's a little contradictory.
>>153008913>Peasants cannot become Samurai warriorsWait, what? Didn't Usagi start from a peasant village? Did that practice start getting outlawed during his lifetime or am I missing something?
Welcome back to the death rattle tally! Here are the new scream found in today's storytime:>Heh!: 1See attachment for total cry so far. As always, if you have any questions about the count, feel free to ask.
>>153024805If you just stopped now it would still be an incredibly generous and skillful contribution to the yearly storytime. >>153027368Quick and dirty. Luckily it's just a slide of still images so compressing it down from 7.4mb didn't affect the image quality *that* much.
>>153027567>Didn't Usagi start from a peasant village?He did but his father was the headman and my pet theory is Dadsagi may have been a "goshi" (郷士) or "country samurai" which isn't quite as good in terms of social prestige as a castle samurai but did entitle him and his sons to carry the two-swords of the warrior class.>Did that practice start getting outlawed during his lifetimeYeah, actually. Well in Usagi's case a little before his lifetime. Thanks, "you know who."
>>153024805Get that cheddar anon, we appreciate what's been done so far.
I've mentioned this last year, but I wouldn't mind an Usagi fighting game. I'll post an concept roster when we get a little deeper into the story.
>>153021981When your woman tells you "Babe. Bring the sword." You bring the goddamn sword.
>>153023152No other extras, other than an advert for the Usagi Yojimbo role playing game.
>>153027567There was a period when literally anyone could become a Samurai. It was back before either the war Usagi served in or a previous one. IIRC funny animal Hideyoshi outlawed peasants upgrading to warrriors and Funny Animal Ieyasu outlawed peasants even touching samurai weapons on pain of death. Funny Animal Nobunaga should've won, fuck them priests.
>>153027082>I'm glad 4chan didn't die for good, but it was a comfy little vacation2 days into the hack I had a dream where I woke up and the site was back, only to wake up for real and realize it wasn’t. Maybe for you it was nice but I can NOT go back to that my god, I really am here forever…
>>153021933Grasscutter 2: Feudal Boogaloo
>>153027675I was also thinking of Koei doing an Usagi game, something like "Usagi Musou" but yes a fighting game like Samurai Showdown but with UY characters would also work.
>>153028132>"Usagi Musou"Samurai Warriors 4 Empires has a rabbit themed helmet so whenever I play I make my character a dual wielder and play Usagi
>>153028175I just started playing SW4 Empires again after reading the storytime threads lol
>>153028183the DW3 remaster is cool and everything but man I hope we get a Samurai 2 follow up.
>>153028209https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SwgldWucqUI'm still thinking of getting the remaster, DW3 was my very first Musou game.
>>153028252Oh I intend to get it. 3 is great. I just really like the samurai series too. I'd hope to see more games get the treatment.
>>153022117https://youtu.be/0ipbu4msLSw?si=b59s0LmODbiWXPKU
>>153022596Weighing the Pros and Cons of Shogun Iké:>As a Lord turned Peasant, he has experience and perspective on feudal life that no other claimant could claim, except possibly Hideyoshi>Which is to say, he'd have enough sense to at least guess when peasants are going to have s tough time and adjust his actions accordingly>He's a master strategiet>Probably has a good number of loyalists>Has Kusanagi no TsurugiCons>It'd kick off a war>With 3 to 4 sides depending on if Iké can get the Emperor in his corner.>Conflict of interest with Motokazu workng for a Funny Animal Hidetada supporter>No support from the Komori or Neko Nin, leaving the Lmaogura Clan for intelligence gathering. >He just doesn't have that dog in him.
>>153028821>HideyoshiFuck Hidedyoshi. He turned around and made it so the system was worse for peasants.
>>153023007HAT TRICK!
>>153027285>it's mostly cats and the occasional dog for now on, I think.Cat/dog/bear hybrid thingies, I also remember a lot of goat-y background characters but I may be mistaken on that front, I haven't noticed a lot of goats this time around. But that's all part of why I started counting the species, to see how often Stan breaks the norm of cat/bear/dog/things in the later years.>>153027675I spend a lot of time thinking about this every year. Who would you guys play? Dibs on Stray Dog.
>>153027567Usagi's dad was the headman/magistrate of that village (which implies it's a bigger village than most of the ones we see in the comic, this is also borne out by the way it's depicted when Usagi goes there, quite large and not just a scattering of a dozen houses near a kelp bed or some shit) and would have been a samurai assigned to it with like a 2-4 koku grant (meaning in practice he'd still have to farm to keep himself and his family fed).No, the really strange part is that Kenichi is a samurai as well even though there's no obvious reason why he and his family would be. It would be one thing if he'd gained the status from Hikiji making him the village headman on the spur of the moment before Adachigahara, but no, we see that he's already treated as a samurai's son as a boy.
>>153028892>>153023007https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4VmVwd24c
>>153023007Ikeda for Emperor!
>>153027675Last Blade, a classic! And with the counter button, comboing and generally faster gameplay, I think I'd prefer it over Samurai Shodown as a base for an Usagi game.>>153028911>Who would you guys play? Dibs on Stray Dog.Lame protagonist enjoyer that I am, I would probably play Usagi. Katsuichi might be cool too though, I guess it would depend on the moveset and such.
>>153026663She was also terrified out of her mind with her longheld fear seeming to be coming true. I think it's pretty believable that she wasn't thinking straight and saw what wasn't there. Your brain is ready and willing to lie to you at any point.
>>153022949>You've got to>Love the world>Be a friend>And when you are down you hafta get up again>And when your blue here's what you do>Just think of this happy tune
>>153022961Henry Bowers Special.
>>153023034>I have so many more questions>How do you hear with your ears like that?
>>153028911>Who would you guys play?I usually like speedy characters so I'll grab Chizu.
>>153022596>>153023007How does one acquire this kind of willpower?
>>153029178Willpower is stored in the eyebrows and/or moustache
>>153028911Only musous I ever played were pirate warriors 3 and 4 with a lot of whitebeard, sakazuki, and enel. With how much i also like power fist in SM2 it'd probably be a lot of Hebi and Jei, maybe Ino, and of course the secret character a fucking rock
>>153029178Ikeda could have resisted the one ring
>>153029192Is meddling stored in the ears?
>>153009909>Lord Minamoto no Yorimitsu>thought it was a character in the book>he's both a real guy and the spider myth is accurateMan, Stan does not mess around when it comes to Japanese mythology.
>>153026058Yeah he won but didn’t really have any long term plan or ambitions besides ingratiating himself to the most duplicitous Lord in the country.
>>153022922Interestingly, despite being told twice not to, Sanshobo throughout the entire comic always refers to Ikeda by “lord.” Even here he does it immediately right after being told not to
>>153023007F
>>153029719Old habits die hard
>>153023007NEKO NINJAS IN SHAMBLES. Ikeda clinching that triple in overtime.
>>153021958You ever think about how funny it is so much importance is based around a sword named "grasscutter"? Even knowing the context it's just such an unassuming title for such a massive legend. It's like the Holy Grail from Indiana Jones and how it's just a normal cup.
>>153021981Oh, he's a dead man. Not even Usagi has this level of idiotic hubris.
>>153022013That horse got fucked up, Jesus.
>>153022047Found Hebi's ancestor.
>>153029928I mean the best guesses we have for the etymology of Excalibur is literally just meaning "Cuts Good".
>>153022058Did...did he just fuck this thing to death?
>>153029995He broke its neck, pornbrain anon
>>153022076One of the funniest deaths in the series so far, and he 100 percent had it coming.
>>153022117The return of Quasimodo.
>>153030072>QuasimodoHe predicted all this
>>153022554Same energy
>>153030465You think she has short legs? What?
Hey, I love Grasscutter I as much as any other guy and I get not loving part II, but actually DISLIKING it feels crazy. It's a road trip adventure with many amazing character moments, actual dillemas, betrayals of trust, meaningful introductions and it heavily builds up to future Neko plotlines.>>153024951Grasscutter II is literally the reason why Chizu lives like she lives TO THIS DAY. This massive failure has huge consequences for her and changes the clan dynamic a lot. If it went nowhere then sure, I'd agree, but it's actually THE catalyst which changes status quo.>countless Neko bodiesThe Neko are a HUGE organization. Stan failed to properly illustrate this till the latest Chizu centered stories, which showed us they have well manned outposts everywhere in the country.
Hey, all character species interested anons. I will blow your minds with a 100% truth nuke. This is NOT a theory.Ikeda? Sanshobo? All characters with small round ears?They are bears.Yes, really. You're welcome.
>>153030537Of course they're bears they're way too skinny to be twins but what does that have to do with species?
>>153030582Jokes ruined by typo: 1
>>153030647PHONEPOSTIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!
>>153030537Youd think so, but then again I was sure Zato's wife was a bear. Turns out she's a cat.
>>153021949Fun fact about "rebels" in the past both china and japan would arbitrarily decide some neighboor land has always been part of nation and the people fighting them there were suddenly rebels and not foreigns.
>>153024541>>153025192NOW LISTEN HERE, YOU HONORLESS RONIN! My name is Uuu... Igasu-San and while I have never personally met neither the famous and powerful Miyamoto-San nor the beautiful and cunning Chizu-San, I shall not tolerate such dishonorable behavior! I mean, Usagi-San is a storied hero, his actions surely have deeper meaning and should not need any explanation, while Chizu-San is a honorable woman of imblemished reputation, who has to deal with lots of stressful and dangerous work-related situations on a daily basis. Everything we witnessed is fully explainable as decent and logical behavior, there is no need to project any carnal lusts or forbidden kunoichi techniques, which she'd use on him during purely fictional and theoretical secret meetings every second Wedensday, onto them. Oh wait, that's tomorrow... ANYWAY! Your words are downright disrespectful and you should either shut up or consider seppuku!!!
>>153027595Great work
>>153030993I like the way Igasu-San thinks.
>>153025424>mfw last year
>>153022165To shreds, you say?
>>153022182>>153022192Wow, what incredible timing.
>>153022216Wow, the bat ninjas are here too? They're having a whole party at the temple while the priests are away.
>>153022222>"fuck that one ninja in particular"
>>153022286Cute.
>>153022365These fucking cats are dropping like flies, good lord.
>>153022217So I was right about him being an Ainu or Emishi remnant
>>153022399>"Nekos: 1, Bats:26">>153022404>"make that 2, 27"
>>153022461https://youtu.be/Z1YoDFhD_g0?si=p4vj0sacrdiO9At4
>>153022461I can neve read "you fool" without hearing goku now
>>153022490Oh great, shes suggesting the very thing I said literally several threads ago >>152993082.
>>153030993>just casually using Saga book 9 as a backdrop to taunt the rest of us
>>153031638He lives rent free in all of our heads.
>>153022518Oh shit, wasn't expecting more Ikeda.
>>153022222Having reflected under a waterfall for several hours, this is the finest get I have ever witnessed.
Ikeda's secret theme, https://youtu.be/sbRom1Rz8OA?si=gh0NxPPZl9Nrzn09
>>153022568Woah woah woah, kinda escalated the situation there Ikeda.
>>153022578>"You're talking about murder!"This is the funniest fucking shit, coming from USAGI of all people.
>>153022589>"However, it goes against my nature..."Usagi what the FUCK are you talking about?
>>153031699I don't think Usagi has ever killed someone not trying to kill him or his friend. I'm certain all of them were armed and conscious.
>>153022661Frankly at this point I'm rooting for Chizu to win. This damn sword has been way too much of a pain in the ass, I just want to see it gone and never return.
>>153022680This revenge scheme could not come at a worse time.
>>153022709Ah goddammit, these fucking freaks again.
>>153022731Huh, sruff like this really helps put Ikeda's current position into perspective. He COULD try and take back power, but then he'd just be dealing with this kind of shit all over again. I wouldn't be surprised if this moment was also a big factor in him staying content with peasant life.
>>153022785Just throw the ring into Mt. Doom already!
>>153022822Yes. Yes. YES!
>>153031674You mean this old thing I'm using as a coffee coaster?
>>153022826AW COME ON!
>>153022842>Spoiler I see quite a few dead orcs in that timeline
>>153022884>"Well, that was a complete waste of time and resources"
>>153022897FUCK, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!>>153022904We're seriously going to drag this goddamn arc by ANOTHER chapter!?
>>153029178>WillpowerGreen Lantern Ikeda
>>153022862>>153022904Also I just realized, this is the second female character that has died for literally nothing. It's becoming an annoying trend, not a fan of it.
>>153031699Usagi has killed thousands but he has never murdered anybodyexcept maybe a granny or two but they unironically asked for it
>>153031686He'll save the children but not the neko children
>>153031874It's one of the genre conventions, I'm afraid. Wait'll you get to the story that birthed the>A FUCKING ROCK! meme.
>>153031893Newfriends are not ready for THE FUCKING ROCK.
>grasscutter part 2 slanderWeird, most of the time no one has any issues with this story. But maybe my bias towards chizu and Ike have blinded me in the past
>>153032030I feel the same.Sanshobo is pretty good too.
>>153027285>they must breed like rabbits!I'm increasingly beginning to think they have some kind of binary fission going on, all splitting off from an Ur-Neko. Those that prove themselves/survive long enough rise to the status of having a name, whereas the average Neko is just a faceless mook skilled in sword interception (with their flesh).
>>153031822lmao
>>153031874>second female character that has died for literally nothingDid you count the number of male characters who have died for literally nothing in this comic?
>>153031893I, for one, can't wait for the jacked scuba gang
>>153032040>>153032030Hey, crazy Anon from >>153022134 here, thank you for some validation. I was starting to think very few people like this story and it made me sad.
>>153032684Different anon and I also like it fine, I think it's just a couple anons who don't like it.
>>153028912Kenichi is definitely Dadsagi's secret bastard. He even looks more like Dadsagi then Usagi does. Come to think of it have we ever seen his parents or Usagi's mother?
>>153030978Yeah these 'rebels' are japs who were always independent of the Yamato emperor or Emishi/Ainu or some other Jomon
>>153032030It's a good story. But a frustrating one, especially for Chizufags. Probably the second most frustrating arc for them.
>>153032964>Come to think of it have we ever seen his parents or Usagi's mother?We have not. One of the letters posted earlier asks about Usagi's mom and Stan says he has no idea. We kan kind of infer that she must be dead since she never appears, though. The only other alternative would be if she were cloistered as a nun somewhere fucking remote and Usagi just hasn't dragged his ass to Hokkaido or whatever to visit her. But given the length of his roving you'd think he would have by now.
>>153033235Clearly Usagi's mom is/was some manner of yokai or something
>>153033102Chizufag here. If anything, it paints her in the most positive light so far. She is no longer morally grey, she finally feels like a good person doing her best at a bad person's job.
>>153025998lol, reminds me of oots >>153031822that's on the same level of using a prized ceramic bowl as your everyday mugnew thread here: >>153033809
>>153024449Best boi Sanshobo
>>153022238Before the thread closes, retard bird spotted
>>153021926bnuuy
>>153035250That's a snake, you nimrod.
>>153035897A snake and a cat, no less
>>153022978How are there STILL so many of these fucks?!
>>153023007FUCK THIS ARC, GODDAMMIT.
>>153023026Fucking hell, RIP Ikeda.
>>153023034I hope I never see this stupid fucking sword ever again, holy shit I've never hated a sword more than I do here.
>>153023152Thanks OP.>>153024541Yeah, if I'm going to be honest this is my least favorite arc so far, and one of the only I've actively disliked. Just a total waste of time, a mountain of bodies piled up solely because Usagi's a fucking moron that refused to just return the damn sword back into the sea where it belonged. At least in the previous arc the existence of the witch made that a bad decision, but with her gone there was no reason to go through all this again.So may good characters were utterly wasted here.
>>153032239It didn't really seem like something that would come up until recently. But for what it's worth I did in fact count Ikeda as dying for nothing as well as the female characters.
>>153037031Just a few threads more and you'll start hating rocks even more.>>153037176It makes for a good tragedy. The entire journey happens because Sanshobo is the one who decides about the fate of the sword. Remember that Usagi gave Grasscutter to him, no backsies. And he said "sea bad, shrine good". In the end, a lot of lives were lost for a noble, but pointless goal. Such is karma.
>>153030495The Neko Ninja being revealed to be as expansive as they are retroactively makes both Chizu and Saru dummies. >Saru and Take ask for outright freedom instead of a reassignment to a ninja outpost where they don't do ninja stuff 99% of the time.>Chizu doesn't suggest the above as a compromise so she can save some face and retain useful people, instead she just gives them what they want.Like I get the story had to establish that Chizu is too nice to be the boss and Kagemaru is a treacherous weasel, but it still rubs me the wrong way. Those same later stories also show Chizu isn't actually too nice to maintain some amount of control so Chizu could have offered the ninja-villager compromise to Saru and Take and Kagemaru still could have betrayed them and the only thing that'd change would be Chizu comes out looking 10% more competent.
>>153037778>In the end, a lot of lives were lost for a noble, but pointless goalSounds like Sanshobo's entire character in a nutshell.
Thanks op
>>153024541Hm.
>>153033812This shit's unreadable.
Welp, other thread has hit bump limit and is almost dead.
