previously: >>153076661
thanks to Anon and Enmanon for dumping while I was away for the, uh, Spring Festival. I appreciate it very much.
>>153098844AWWW YEAH!I hope your spring festivities went well, Murder-sama.
>>153098877they were excellent.
the ol' reliable.
>>153098881>What's that sign say?>"Attention peasants, kino incoming">What do you figure that means?>Beats me.Meanwhile this starts playing in the background.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltd0s-n63sI
>>153098844Welcome murder, Backanon!
>>153098903tadaima~!
>>153098891What do you mean the old reliable?He didn...>>153098906Never mind, there he goes throwing his blade.
>>153098925I just called it before it happened. I definitely didn't mess up the post order.
>>153098891Were you able to just buy a katana somewhere during this time period or would all of these be former samurai.
>>153098844I hope your killings went well. Speaking of murderhobos, I see Usagi has accepted his feudal status.
>>153098950Peasants would sell you used swords they had gotten from battlefields.Then of course some might be just former ashigaru who kept their service swords, if they were issued any.I lean more on the former rather than latter though.
>>153098950I *think* you wouldn't be able to buy them over the counter at this point in time.
>>153098961Neneki would later die of gangrene and be never seen again.
>>153098893Makes me wonder, you can transport most Samurai series into Western's and vice versa but how much would you have to change for Lone Wolf and Cub to be a Western (Arguably Road to Perdition is the Western LW&C equivalent)>Lobo and Diego travel around in a armored wagon/stagecoach absolutely riddled with hidden weapons while they take on hitman and bounty hunter jobs to get enough money required to kill the General who ruined their lives
>>153098897>He's slaying them all!>And then he's gonna slay ME>Sweet merciful BuddhaaaaaAAAAA
>>153099023they'd finally get that gatling gun
>>153098881What was the level of literacy in feudal Japan?
>FLOO!: 10
>>153098950Wasn't metal illegal in Japan or something? or am I thinking about china?
>>153098925>Never mind, there he goes throwing his bladeThe Mecha fan in me always get reminded of Great Mazinger throwing his sword.
>>153098912Right in that spot were you can't reach when it itches.
>>153099074I can't recall the details, but most peasants could at least write their own names.One detail I recall quite well was the factoid that women would usually receive little to no education, so their understanding of reading and writing was worse than their male counterparts. Due to this women were usually given shorter (monosyllabic in kanji) names that they could easily learn to write.You know, just a bit of institutional misogyny in Feudal Japan™.
>>153099087I don't recall any metal bans in Japan, they just had shit quality metal dust that required tons of labor to be made usable.
>>153098950As much as the comic leans on the jidaigeki/modern cultural craftsman idea of the sword being the samurai's soul, the number of kinda shitty swords issued to ashigaru as a sidearm during the sengoku was absolutely monumental. (This is why it's actually the *wakizashi* that's supposed to be the soul, that's the one that normal people aren't allowed to carry and that symbolizes the samurai's status. Peasants weren't allowed to own any weapons at all because of fear of mass uprisings, they're 90+ percent of society after all, but merchants and artisans could carry one sword.) Now that there's peace there's a vast surplus of these crappy katana lying around in various places; as Murder says I don't think you could just buy them in a crappy-katana outlet or whatever, but they were circulating and for some people were not illegal to own.Actually looting a battlefield was turbo-illegal though, if you were found out having obtained your sword that way it was crucifixion time.
>>153098998Gorogoro is already stone cold, he knows the law of the road to hell. No outsiders! Meddlers get a special pass.
>>153099067Honestly I'm putting more thought into it and that shit would fucking RULE>Set it during some semi-fictionalized Mexican Civil War/Revolution kind of like the Mexico expedition in the first Red Dead Redemption>Ogami is now Lobo a former Mexican army officer who was betrayed by his commanding officer out of fear he was too ambitious>Lobo's wife is killed, his villa burned and everything he ever fought for ruined>Swears revenge and goes on a journey with his slightly autistic murder savant son Diego >Takes jobs all over Mexico and the South West to get enough money to bribe, hire and set up the assassination of the El Presidente the General who betrayed him who's now the military dictator of MexicoMotherfucker I'd pay good money for this series, hell I might have to make it myself
>>153098961they never meet again
>>153099023It would basically just be Desperado except with a kid instead of the two other mariachis.
>>153099007I love this little interactions, make the world feel richer.
>>153099190BumpThanks for posting this again Murderanon. Hope all is well.
>>153099032>That crazy kid is nuts.Kek
>>153099223This storytime is full of bangers, this one and the ronin under the bridge one are some of my favorites and practically live rent free in my head.
>>153099023I think you've hit it on the head, I would only change the general to an oil man or senator. The military class in Feudal America, while just as susceptible to corruption as the military class everywhere else, has always been content to never overtly hold the reigns of power, which is quite odd considering that's almost never the case anywhere else.
>>153099148>>153099156Man props to Stan, Jotaro is one of those characters I should hate. He has all the ingredients for an insufferable kid character but he ends up endearing because Stan never goes overboard with those traits and tempers them with enough genuine kid behavior
>>153099199that does rule. making him a wanted man in mexico would give the motivation for him to wander through the american wild west, at least in the beginning.
>>153099089A rock!
>>153099079A fucking rock.>>153099089another fucking rock
>>153099059>Jotaro is rockpilled alreadyKatsuichi really is a great teacher.
>>153099218>Can't you see that WE'RE FUCKING CLOSED?!?!I love that movie.
>>153099202The boss didn't cut him down and the blades likely didn't find him. This man died hanging from that tree.
>>153099059Interesting to see two rabbit thugs at once. The ripped one on the right cracks me up.
>>153099261My tono, another rock has hit the dojima rice exchange.
>>153099275I doubt the structural integrity of the fabrics a common thug could afford.
>>153099067>it appears that he is merely one person>this will work out
>>153099089>furious at the temerity of the burakumin swine, the noble child hurls rocks at them long after they have ceased to be a threat
>>153099361He's a fucking idiot.
>>153099135Second from left here has to be a rat/mouse, right?
>>153099361He's a fucking idiot and she was a fucking idiot for not letting Katsuichi go full Feudal Japan on this guy earlier.
>>153099452I have a template of this if anyone wants it after the storytime.
>>153099461>It's Meddling Time!!
>>153099391Man no wonder Katsuichi became a hermit, just pure fucking Feudal bullshit
nooooooooooooooooooo
>>153099244Yeah, this is a great volume. The Lone Goat story is one of the best too, Jotaro really makes the dynamic great.
>>153099525https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxSDWre3nXkRIP Lord Noriyuki #84, the one who was really into playing with koma tops.
>>153099257>the chime seller has small bells, big bells, and absolutely ginormous bells the size of a man's head
>>153099534>>153099525>TONO?! TONO?! TONOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE6HZeb2qXA&pp=ygUaTWlzc2lvbiBGYWlsZWQgbWV0YcS6IGdlYXI%3D
I love Tomoe, but it will never not be funny how she is the only character who doesn't figure it out by herself.
>>153099525>LORD NORIYUUUKKKKIII, COME ON PANDA-BUDDY ANSWER ME... NORIYUKKKKIIII... NORIYUKKKKKIIIII!!!!"
>>153099574It runs contrary to her image of Usagi, of course she would suppress such thoughts.
>>153099206>The Lone Goat is dead! >Now it's safe for us to attack!Attack who, exactly? These goons are a few straws short of a tatami mat.
>>153099342Bells were used for prostitution?
>>153099275If the Blades found him they'd likely kill him anyway.>hmm... this suggests the Lone Goat and ronin set us all up, so we killed Boss Sanpei's entire gang in error>and the only person who can testify to the whole thing being a massive fuckup on our part as opposed to justifed is this guy?>klik
>>153099631Oh boy, here we go!New guys, get ready for some feudal japan!
>>153099248>The Striking Snake schoolCobrai Kai! Cobra Kai! Cobra Kai!
>>153099287>I'm meeting her tonight, then I'll ask her to run off with me and start a new lifeO fug, this is like saying you have a week left until retirement.
>>153099574Watch the fourth panel, usagi-freaks. You can actually pinpoint the second when her heart rips in half
>>153099569Chime seller I am going to woo my girlfriend and I need your loudest bells
>>153099574>What? You mean your sushi roll isn't fresh?>I... Never mind, I'll just suck it until it's good and clean again
>>153099384>Again you deny me my destinyHoly shit this guy is fucking retarded
>>153099722You tell it like it is, Watanabe!
>>153099797Fucking Feudal Japan
>>153099797Seppuku by yoriki.
>>153099466RE-ENTER: Mugeimu no neko
>>153099673>Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you didn't have your swords?>Every daylmao GENERAL Fujii still living rent free inside this meddler's head.
>>153099835>Water demon>OgresNow those are fights I would like to see.
>>153099472Cat's dairokkan a shit! A shit!
he should specify the rock was granitic or something, otherwise you could call it a brittle pumice and make him lose face!
>>153099694>it's shameful to accept charity even though my lifestyle is an obvious detriment to the development of my son>if I do accept charity it has to be ritualized in the context of a lesser paying me tribute, humiliation for no other reason than to humiliate someone elseHonor cultures: not even once!
>>153099498Jobbing to a kid with a stick, how embarrassing.
>>153099537He's not dead, he's just komatopse
>>153099793>fencing school student is, ironically, not the sharpest katana in the armoryMany such cases!
>>153098936makes a reference to the two being so similari like the obscure mountain village people idea
>FLOO!: 11
>>153099830>Katsuichi goes in for the big bear hug for JotaroYou just know if it was Lil Usagi he would have gotten a whap on the head and some lecture about maintaining constant vigilance or something. I love this for him though. Katsu-chan is fully in his Doting Grandpa era.
>>153099899>Turning my shitty joke into a punMasterful work, anon-san!
>>153099574>in panel 6, Tomoe is briefly possessed by an Usagi Yojimbo reader
>>153099631>I was never that reckless...or was I?>Earlier:>Fuck water, I'm going to fight the tengu of the western mountain!
>>153099998JOTARO! RUN! THIS IS THE DONOVAN SMILE!
>>153100030So Kaze was Chilean and not Japanese...
>>153099667>believing in absolutely nonsensical reality-contradicting horseshit is the pride of the samuraiA bit on the nose there, rabbit.
>>153099970This boss fight sequence in sequel was even more bullshit than the boss fight with SHI in the first game.
>>153100030The ol Sanjuro Special again. You love to see it
>>153100070Behold! A Pantyshot!
>>153099965>We'll teach you to Meddle!>We're actively trying NOT to Meddle!!
>>153099683>one gigantic daikon
>>153099985>You know too much, you have to die.>Motherfucker, you TOLD us the bullshit!
>>153098844I think this was the first volume I read when I joined a storytime a couple years back
>>153099694>I am Watanabe Kenwhat the fuck lmao
>>153099250Yeah he's kiddy enough to be a troublemaker but he's good at heart and is nice to balance it all out
>>153100060Jotaro was taught well
;_;
>>153099709>it is too costly to maintain a large retinueReminder that the shogunate did this on purpose. I think it's technically anachronistic for... late 1605, is it? but given the loose chambara-style Feudal Japan going on, the bakufu are probably already doing this to try to squelch the power of the daimyo.
>>153100181>Usagi knows Jotaro is his son>Jotaro knows Usagi is his father>Just about everyone else knows and can tell they’re father and son>…but neither of them knows that the other one knowsThis is gonna bug me incessantly
>>153100181>Tells Jotaro Usagi is his real father>Torments him by not telling that Usagi knowsWhat the fuck Mariko
>>153100219>I think it's technically anachronistic for... late 1605, is it?We're starting to get there. Jotaro needs to meddle himself out because by the time he has a son all of them will be confined to the castle town of their lord if they're not just out and out ronin.
>>153099217gorogoro is the most adorable nigga is this entire comic
>>153099762Why does the maid look so goddamn happy about this?
>>153100191I do like the fact that Jotaro doesn't resent neither man. He knows Usagi is his true dad but he also respects & honor the man back home who raised him.
>>153100260>You're meddling in the wrong hood, FOOL!
>>153100030This might be my favorite fight so far
>>153100250Face/Honor is a helluva drug
>>153100254I think Mariko's reasoning was based on the idea that Usagi and Jotaro could die at any moment, given their wandering lives (and Jotaro's young age), so she had to reveal their bond. Still, she had to protect Kenichi's honor, who had married her even though she was pregnant and, worse, knowing that she didn't love him (and I think Jotaro has no sisters or brothers for a closed-legs reason or even feudal japan chosen aborts.).At the same time, Mariko may have punished Usagi with this torment, a famele rebellion against the male Feudal Japn.I think that one of the stories in the next few years will involve Kenichi's death.
>>153099779>yoriki with gourd monThis reminds me to reply to Mon-Anon from a few threads back >>153054150 – I was late seeing that post so I didn't get to it, but I think that given how ubiquitous Ishida becomes as a representative of the cops it's not at all strange that you mixed this stuff up. I didn't even question it in last year's storytime myself, that's sort of why I ended up paying attention to it this time around.
>>153099391this guy was such a fucking loser katsuichi doesn't even look like he tried very hard here
>>153099361What an idiot. I can clearly see now the philosophy that Katsuichi developed with his own style. Like the saying "The best souls are those which are kept in their scabbards" only thinking with your aggression and sword will only destroy you and others around you. But I may be incorrect, it is feudal japan after all.
this is it for today. have a great Easter and until next time.
>>153099835>I'll level with you, Usagi: she was an uggoThat's fucking hilarious.
>>153100430Thanks murder, and a happy easter to you too.For anyone interested in memery, here's the template I mentioned earlier.
>>153099574
>>153100267>LARGE MAN
>>153099156>The wi-fi's working again!
>>153100430>Ichi, of course, went on to live with his sister and her husband under whom he apprenticed. He eventually took over the business and founded a number of lumber dealerships throughout the province. He became very successful and the one thing his father despised - a merchant.Oh thank fucking god. Feudal Japan (somewhat) averted.
>>153100250>>153100254She killed millions.
>>153100211>Coinage had been in use for many centuries but Japan had been primarily a barter economy based on rice.NO IT HADN'T STAN THEY HADN'T RELIED ON BARTER SINCE THE END OF THE NARA PERIOD SHUT THE FUCK UP OLD MAN
>>153099909I've noticed that it's a theme in this comic that even when assassins get waxed they usually succeed in their assassination attempts.
>>153100048This is hard af, sensei remains the best.
>>153100060There it is again: the patented Katsuichi Unconventional Technique™!
>>153099574tomoe wanted that bun in her oven
>>153099596always loved panel four here jotaro is adorable
>>153100561>Enma when Edo-period economy is mentioned
>>153100102>>153100137Yeah, these jobbers in particular are dumber than average. Katsuichi even gave the guy a clear warning to lay off in the inn and they still decided to flip out on them.
>>153099673this is why i kinda wish that little swordbreaking plot with kenichi was doen with usagi in some formlike his swords potentially being destroyed would be a huge deal for him and honestly a huge development for the comic in one way or another, and it'd be like the ultimate test of how far usagi's fallen from the adherence to bushido
>>153100181>bitch rabbit does not tell her son OR his dad that she told both of them>for some reason, Lion-sensei who saw it instantly also doesn't tell the boy they both knowMariko being a massive retard and/or evil is kinda believable, but why the fuck doesn't Katsuichi intervene, especially when he hears Jotaro talking like this? Seems completely out of character.
>>153100293she likes chasing boys a little too much
>>153100430Thanks and welcome back, Murder!
>>153099574Here I got more versions coming.
>>153100561kek
>>153099311>>153099417It's funny that him keeping his promise here is actually the biggest mistake of his life. If he'd just murked this two-bit bitch right there as bushido demands, everything would have worked out great. Isao would testify to it being legitimate and everything. Damned if you bushido, damned if you bushidon't.
>>153099797poor ichiat least he should be able to go live with his sister i imaginealso i like how these guys are like a dark mirror of usagi and jotaro
>>153099574It's not as clean as I hoped but here is V2.Thank this anon as well. >>153100449
>>153100933
>>153099074>>153099133For the peasants it was roughly 40-50% for men and 15% for women that were literate, at least in hiragana and katakana. I'm sure these stats included some basic working knowledge of kanji as well but not to the degree that the samurai or merchant class could afford to learn.>One detail I recall quite well was the factoid that women would usually receive little to no educationNot true. The education of commoners was not regulated or funded by the shogunate but cultural uniformity meant that every town and even the rural villages had a communal, commoner's school for both boys and girls. These were called "terakoya," tera meaning temple from the cultural legacy of Buddhist and Shinto temples being the primary institutions of education in previous eras. In fact one of the ways a literate ronin could find steady employment was by being a teacher to commoner children in a terakoya.Source: “Tokugawa Education as a Foundation of Modern Education in Japan.” Comparative Education Reviewhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/1186062.
>>153099565Imagine being marked for death not because you pose a major/immediate threat, but because the some ninja’s want to look good and gain the cred for your assassinationAlso funny to imagine they keep “successfully” killing him like every other week, only to find out a week later it was just a kagemusha and noriyuki is still alive
>>153100951I think the lesson is never listen to bitches, bitches know shit about feudal japan.
>>153099835i know we talked about it with oyaneko's accomplishments but this is another point towards ogres being a real "normal" thing huh
>>153100954In hindsight it's pretty obvious that Sakai added the thing about the sister solely so the orphan counter would be less bleakly incremented.
Always wondered where the panels for this came from.
>>153100983>Kagemaru reading the expense report for this month for 18 separate "successful" assassinations of Lord Noriyuki
>>153099872katsuichi is still goated out of his fucking gourd god damn what a catch
>>153100988But Anon, if they did that then Mariko wouloooooh, I see how you're thinking!
>>153100983>>153101051
>>153101036Even without the edit it’s perfect reaction image material; gotten immense mileage out of it
>>153101052>>153100048forgot he did this too, jesus christ
>>153099384how does one forget the massive, still bleeding wounds next to their eyes?
>>153100079man even jotaro got a win, shunji didn't get shit, didn't even look strong in his fight
>>153099435>or we could just use our power granted to us being in the samurai class and murk them until they give us a room uncle usagi
>>153100141fuck
>>153100834It's not really his business. He's a kooky mountain hermit. It would feel more out of character for me if Katsuichi intervened instead of letting this family drama play out on its own. I'm sure he's not happy seeing his spiritual son and spiritual grandson so miserable but unlike his pupils Katsuichi has never been a meddler.
>>153099773>I am not a vagrantOne of my all time favorite panels. This man is a samurai.
>>153099886The kit of a meddler is still a meddler.
>>153100048What is the math behind throwing a blade hard enough to sink it into someones chest like that.
>>153100181>>153100191I'll just say three things. First, this story makes me cry every time. Second, I think Stan was foreshadowing Jotaro's knowledge with his pause in this panel storytimes ago.And thirdly, the real worst Usagi girl. It's that absolute fucking CUNT Mariko, may she roast in Hell for all eternity.
>>153101170We've established that he's massively retarded.
>>153101170When you murdered the girl you lusted after out of anger and then run off to murder her boyfriend in hopes of escaping justice you tend to tunnel vision.
>>153101073>Oh my kami, they killed our lord!> YOU BASTARDS!!!
317 Usagis (8876 total)941 Panels (17910 total)45 Neko (969 total)No Komori (197 total)No Mogura (37 total)No Ninjas of the Dark Light (4 total)Became concerned for a minute that I was going to have to count again to hit the 9000th Usagi but then I realized I'd counted total first, lol.
>>153100053>you have 3 allies that'll fight the 3 you're not fighting>open field instead of cramped village>all but one's a glass cannonto quote a great general from the land of dragons: get gud
>>153100561enmanon-dono, what's mariko's punishment?
>>153099923YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
>>153099950No chill.
>>153099217Cute kid
>>153101331Well a pro baseball player can hit 90 odd mph throwing a ball. Given Sensei's bullshit we can assume he's on that level if not higher for throwing force.
>>153077218editfag, thanks for posting too. where is that story from? >>153082567dang I wish there was a high res version of this one. stan used to make beautiful background and landscape art. >>153100561I'm inclined to believe you chose the name enma just because of how great he works as a reaction image, lol
>>153099585Samurai hug!
>>153099636Is that Jei on the bridge?
>>153099667Sometimes you need a child like Jotaro to show how nonsensical everything else is.
>>153102106>Where is that story fromStar wars Tales #14, other stories in it included "Apocalypse Endor", the battle of Endor from stormtrooper perspective and "The Emperor's Court", a comedic story about Han Solo's trial for unlawful shooting of Greedo.Besides that story, Stan hasn't worked on any other star wars story, except as a letterer on "Spare parts", a Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés short story on the droids R2D2 and C-3PO during their time aboard the Jawa sand crawler. originally released on Star wars Tales #4 on June 28, 2000.
>>153102142On one hand I think it could be, on the other I don't see Keiko anywhere.So it's probably not him/her.
>>153100191So fucking sad.But now read this part again:>>153099753>You love your father, just as I love mine. Mine taught me what it means to be a samurai's son - a person of loyalty and honor.This speach bubble has fucking layers.
>>153099779Nobody respects the jitte
>>153099824Usagi is learning to avoid bullshido
>>153099843Remember the story about how to make pottery? This guys look familiar.
>>153102210Not to mention Usagi's reaction in that panel and the rest of the page. It may even play into his line on the next page about karma, being a big part of him deciding to accept the situation of not telling Jotaro the truth.
>>153099965Reverse scooby doo.
>>153102302LAYERS.Also, screw Mariko. Like, what the fuck woman?!
>>153099217>Do not worry about us, Miyamoto Usagi.>Frankly, I don't give a shit about you, Yagi.
>>153101170Adrenaline, anger, and being a huge idiot
>>153100030This feels like a gunsling duel.
>>153102142Doesn't look like Jeinazuma and no Keiko. Could have been previously, but now, doubtful.(Also, I think Stan only got into the habit of drawing them wandering in the background post-Keiko)
>>153101738Because the nature of her crime was not motivated by malice we sentence her to a reincarnation as a kumano nun, forever wandering just like her paramour Usagi around Feudal Japan, to warn sinners of the special jigoku that awaits women, such as the Bood Pool Hell where women are forced to drink from the aforementioned pool by yokai, or to bear witness to the sai no kawara, where children who die before their parents are punished for the sins their parents commit. If she does not diligently perform works in bringing salvation in her role as a kumano nun then we'll turn her into a fucking tree at the foot of the Tateyama mountains, where the Valley of Jigoku is.Sources: "The Visual Narratives Of The Kumano Nuns: Picturing Anxiety and Promising Hope."https://www.jstor.org/stable/27354461"An Introduction to the Tateyama Mandalas"https://tatehaku.jp/en/culture_and_history/tateyama-mandalas/
>>153102351It's a direct reference to the final showdown in Sanjuro. Which was indeed inspired by classic westerns' quickdraw duels.
>>153102373Truly, the brutality of Heaven is unmatched!
Welcome back to the death rattle tally! Here are the new scream found in today's storytime:>Geep!: 1>Gayah!: 1See attachment for total cry so far. As always, if you have any questions about the count, feel free to ask.
>>153100191>Mariko: Don't tell Jotaro you are his father.>Also Mariko: Don't tell Usagi you are his son.At first you think she is a tragic figure trapped in a loveless marriage with a Jerk, then you realize the one married to a jerk is Kenichi.
>>153102588What if shes just really stupid.
>>153102612What if she's just vindictive?
>>153100181evil witch
>>153102680>>153102711You know, it sort of makes sense, she resents Usagi getting her pregnant, she lashes out at Kenichi for not being Usagi, she Lashes out at Usagi for not being there for her, the poor kid gets hurt for being in the way.
>>153099402This is one of my favorite stories
>>153100030classic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkkF6Zz67TE
>>153099617That's literally what their boss told them to do, rush in once it seemed like the fighting stopped, and pretend like they helped. Pointless, but I guess it saves face to act like they did something besides sit on their hands.
>>153102918The action is so fast I'm having a hard time following it.Did Sanjuro pull the wakizashi out of his sleeve?
>>153100181This would have been so kino if it was Kenichi who told Jotaro.>He may be your father, but I'm your daddy
>>153103016No that's his main sword. Mifune is that good.
>>153099099Love him leaning into it here.
>>153102918Huh... somehow it had never really connected with me until just now that Sanjuro is doing the exact Usagi thing here of trying to get out of a fight he knows he'll win because he doesn't want to kill needlessly.
>>153103356that was like the plot of the ENTIRE MOVIE.
>>153103370Quiet, you!
>>153103406It wasn't even subtle. It has entire sequences where an old woman goes "You know I think Killing is pretty bad." and Sanjuro's all "You know what mam I think you're right." It wasn't all just blood geysers and humorous guards stuffed in closets
>>153099007These guys proportions and dialogue always make me thing of the Money for Nothing animation.
>>153103459>It has entire sequences where an old woman goes "You know I think Killing is pretty bad."All I heard was "I killed my own son, Sanjuro! He was evil! Now you have to kill me!"
>>153099156I like to imagine when they get older Jotaro and Gorogoro maintain this freindly rivalry as sparring partners. Also that Jotaro and Kiyoko have a kind of Lupin/Fujiko relationship going with Motokazu being the Jigen.
>>153099565>Hey Usagi, weird question, but how do you know intricate details of the internal politics of secretive ninja clans?
>>153103866Didn't she already see Chizu give him the Feudal Japan equivalent of a public blowjob? I think she knows how.
>>153103814>Goemoromoro
>>153103900Nope, Gen and Sanshobo have, but Chizu and Tomoe have never met.
>>153099248Weird how both Usagi and Katsuichi had a love interest named Kinuko. The Kinuko's even look similar.
>>153104008You'd think Gen would give Usagi more shit for going between Chizu and Tomoe
>>153099525>Dead Children: 10+(Villages)>>153099797>Orphans +1
Happy Easter
>>153104008Oh, right.
>TFW no Usagi OVA in the style of Ninja Scroll
>>153104401You know what? That makes me curious.Give me a minute.
>>153104401>>153104456Welp, an attempt was made.
>>153098881Love to see people actively avoid a Feudal Moment.
>>153098906I'm shocked someone actually got a hit on this dude.
>>153098936Quasimodo 2: The Return of Jafar
>>153102751So, a woman in other words
>>153099534I know it's supposed to be agony but Tomoe really looks like an >Oh no not again
>>153105009
>>153103900>Chizu give him the Feudal Japan equivalent of a public blowjob
Back on my bullshit
>>153098950>Come on down to Craaaazy Shunsuke's Used Katana Emporium. Folks, I'm so crazy I'll risk getting my head sawed off one agonizingly slow pull by pull by the shogunate's authorities just to get YOU the best deal possible!>>153103016What Sanjuro and Usagi are doing is they are using both hands to draw the katana from its sheathe to maximize the speed and out-draw their opponent. >remember, drawing your tachi with both hands is faster than reloading to your wakizashihttps://youtu.be/LF1miBgQFNA?&t=222
>>153105233Looking nice.
>>153098954>More of those creatureToday we just call them crackheads
>>153099059>Piker syndrome Usagi
>>153098844Usagi looks like he's been hitting the bottle in this cover.
>>153098897One thing I love about the original lone wolf and cub is that Daigoro is just as much of a menace as his dad is.
>>153102978No the way the boss phrased his instructions they were supposed to attack simultaneously. Of course the goons would hang back and let the Seven Swords do all the work but it was always supposed to be a combined assault. But then the boss wandered off and the goons, without their boss watching, wisely just hung back. But then they unwisely decided to charge in to "attack" someone they thought was already dead. So their dialogue doesn't make any sense.
>>153098844>>153100260goes hard as fuck
>>153099977>you passed that test beyond our expectationsNot really sure how Usagi passed their test. Katsuichi was the one who caught the knife >>153099872 , or was it because he didn't flinch at it?
>>153105233Wish these guys had survived and then gone on to face Big Boss Chizu. This is exactly the kind of 'people with weird powers or supernatural physiques' enemies that Merchant Kojima loves to use in Meddle Gear.
>>153105385See this panel:>>153099175"We'll let the seven blades handle those two. We'll hold back to conserve our numbers, then join in when the killings are done."
>>153105233Lmao, the thumbnail looks like the girl has an extreme wide jonklemouthNice art though!
>>153105435Who's to say they weren't saved by Kagemaru?Lett's go full Meddle gear in this bitch!
>>153105435There's plenty of weirdos in the assassin's guild for big kashira to fight
>>153099079Yeah, get his his ass, Jotaro!
>>153099089One last stoning for the road.
>>153105450 Fatman is the only one of the crew who doesn't have a death skull, so he could come back. Fan Girl gets assassinated later on.
>>153099125>>153099131Jotaro has better perception than his Uncle.
>>153099142It's always some no name thug with the delusions of grandeur.
>>153105436Ah...well, then.
>>153099250It also helps that Jotaro is essentially a slightly more mature version of Usagi as a kid. Unlike Usagi at that age, he does have a sense of humility that balances him out.
>>153099211These children are like karma amplifiers.
>>153099342I wonder if anyone chased a bell in a crowd expecting a prostitute amd discovered it was a cat, or vice versa.
>>153099181Dude, you're still getting 1250 Ryo from the deal, which is itself still a fortune.
>>153099384I think if he cut his face with his katana to cover the scratches would really show how unhinged he is, although that would be too edgy, wouldnt it?
>>153105589Oh god... I wonder if that's the original source of "a cat is fine too" thing...
>>153105621Nah that comes from a hentai book where a girl turns herself into a cat to escape a rapist, and then he corners her and starts undoing his pants, and says the line
>>153099620Jotaro seal of approval. Is that enough to push Tomoe above Chizu in the best girl rankings?
>>153105601Yeah, and he doesn't even have to intervene himself. It's ridiculous, but then he's clearly kinda insane as his henchmen discover here >>153099142>>153105417I think that's plural "you". "Your group passed that test beyond our expectations [by having another guy who's even faster and more perceptive].">>153105363It's because he's standing in for the hobo samurai, that's the cover for that issue.
>>153103016You can go frame by frame and see it rather clearly>grabs sword with left hand, begins to draw>throws hips back to push scabbard away from draw>immediately begins twisting blade edge towards opponent (which threatens to cut himself)>puts right hand on back of blade>gets sword free>immediately begins cut using right hand to provide extra forceHe more or less punches the blade into his opponent to make up for the lack of power and stroke distance he has from drawing and cutting with his left hand in the same motion.
>>153105647Yeah I know that, I was just wondering if the joke in hentai originated from some sorta Japanese precedent or if it was completely original.
>>153104721>>153104721I think every iteration of Gen is hard coded to sound like Jim Cummings.
>>153100181And here you go, second worst girlat this time you could argue she's worst but you will see
>>153105678I hear the 2003 voice, I'll see myself out.
>>153105601>>153105663The 7 Swords have made Boss Sanpei lose face. You know how these people are.
>>153105701You don't see Chizu or Tomoe doing that.
>>153102978>>153099617He did tell them to rush in when most of the killing was done. He forgot that there are only two real fighters and two children. The battle is half over when just one of them is dead then its a few seconds for the next guy is gone.Its also a good lesson to not run at people with your sword out. That sent the wrong message entirely!
>>153105701Kitsune edges out, but it’s close i’d say. At least Kitsune is cute
>>153105737I agree, she's cute when she wants to be.
>>153100267Because of my weight!!
>>153105233>>153105435I love weirdo boss groups. Bless Stan for giving us, like 3 or so in a single comic.
>>153100260Usagi and Jotaro look like they're about to drop the hardest track of the entire Edo era.
>>153105663>I think that's plural "you"Getting rid of "thou" and "thee" and just using the plural "you" as singular was a mistake
>>153105737>>153105701I dunno, I think this is worse than Kitsune, both because you could make the argument that Kitsune does what she does to survive(not a GOOD argument but still), and every so often pulls out a win for the forces of good. Mariko has never once foiled any kind of scheme.
>>153102373>where children who die before their parents are punished for the sins their parents commit.christ
>>153102373What the Hell Feudal Japan? Was there not enough suffering?>>153106062Just remember John 3:16
>>153099261Jotaro has better aim than Usagi.
>>153100048It's all in the reflexes
>>153105651Tomoe & Chizu should battle it out for Usagi's affection. Oiled Up & Nude.
>>153105987>because you could make the argument that Kitsune does what she does to survive(not a GOOD argument but still), and every so often pulls out a win for the forces of goodthose arguments fall apart later
>>153106220I prefer the other option, the better mom to Jotaro
>>153106096You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere. Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!!
>>153106242I wonder who'd be the better cook?
>>153099188Sinister rabbit bearing fish
>>153106277At least he's giving him a meal
>>153105674Mifune was so cool
Nothing to count this time although I had a few doubts and I hope it will stay that way for the next few threads, I'm going to be without a computer for the next two weeks but once I get back I'll try to catch up>>153099400I think Stan was just having fun with the background characters in this one, looks like another case of drawing a human and pasting on animal ears after the fact
>>153106257I'd think Chizu would be.
>>153099206>>153099211RIP morons.
>>153106508Heart too big to be a Ninja bossJust the right size to be a great mom
>>153102341I know, right? It's such an odd interaction, but I won't lie and say it isn't funny as hell.
>>153099239The hell is Sensei doing here?
>>153101331Lions have the most muscle mass compared to total body weight of any land animal.
>>153102341It's less "I don't care about you" and more "I know that you and your son both chew iron and shit nails, you guys will be fine."
>>153099248The Woodcutters have been around since Katsuichi's youth? How old are these people?!
>>153106518Their deaths are kinda hilarious.
>>153106220Tomoe would very much be the anime can't cook kind of girl. Chizu would cook well but also cook like a dude.
>>153105944Every action story needs a good quirky miniboss squad
>>153106532>Chizu in the Boss's outfit
>>153106574>How old are these people?!Eldest, that's what we are. Mark my words, my friends: Wood cutters were here before the river and the trees; We remember the first raindrop and the first acorn... we knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside
>>153106598Imagining Usagi, Tomoe, and Chizu being the main trio of an early 2000s romcom anime - Tomoe is the childhood friend who's not really exceptional at anything but has a long standing friendship with Usagi that can't be broken, and Chizu is the new girl in school who's exceptional but moderately autistic and doesn't really understand social interactions who nevertheless has a tremendous fixation on Usagi.Wait I basically just re-invented Muv Luv from first principles.
>>153106682I can't help but think Usagi would be Kenshin but with Tenchi harem hijinx in anime terms
>>153106682>Tomoe is the childhood friend who's not really exceptional at anythingI don't see it. She's a fantastic Samurai who's nearly on par with Usagi in fighting, and is actually a good and level-headed advisor. She's also one of the most sensible characters, though she's too idealistic to beat Gen for the top spot.>Chizu is the new girl in school who's exceptional but moderately autistic and doesn't really understand social interactionsAlso don't see it. She's compassionate to a fault, and more interested in people than the ninja clan's code and shit. She's more like an empath surrounded by mouthbreather ninjas obsessed with their autistic rules
>>153099872You know, now that I think about it, what the fuck would they have done if they just fucking killed someone in broad daylight in front of a huge crowd?
>>153107101Scram. This is feudal Japan. Closed circuit surveillance isn't a thing yet. They just have to be NO THERE when the cops show up. By the time word spreads they're already long gone.
>>153106532from her pretty good interactions with jotaro and general longing for a normal life I think chizu would make a top-tier momthe more I think about it, while I still like tomoe over all, chizu has really grown on me in that regard
>>153107101"Oh no, terrible accident, must be going now, you all saw how it was an accident!"
>>153106999Yeah I'd say Tomoe would be more prim proper and focused on business but tied up in her work and responsibilities and obligations to family and Chizu would be rougher but very soft-hearted and in a more cutthroat line of work that she eventually has to part with under bad circumstances
>>153099342>Nighthawk is a Jap term for prostituteOoooohhh. I'm going through a manga with that as the MC's code name, that explains a whole fucking lot.
>>153099417She's not a psychic dude, how the hell was she supposed to know this dude was dumb enough to pull this shit?
>>153107241I'm sure it's a reference to the painting. Or the router.
>>153107201Tomoe is Rin
>>153099361MENDOOOOZAAAAAAAAA!!!!
>>153107201Well now we've just entered Section Chief Shima territory with all this talk about work-related responsibilities and cutthroat office politics.
>>153099391Frankly this was an act of mercy. This idiot should consider himself lucky he got a swift end; if the girl's father got a hold of him he probably would've ended up getting crucified and tortured to death.
>>153105701Mariko is the worst girl. End of discussion. Kitsune and to a lesser extent, Chizu, are both aggravating, but neither one does anything that is this fucked up.
>>153106243>You sit there and you thump your Lotus Sutra and you chant Namu Amidha Buddha and it didn't get you anywhere. Talk about your Pure Land, talk about Soseki's koans....Enma's koan says I just whipped your ass!!
>>153099426Oh, they're in THAT part of town.
>>153099452Holy shit.
>>153099466Tomoe, my beloved.
>>153107433>Kitsune...[never] does anything that is this fucked up.I pray thee speak out of ignorance for her future bullshit
>>153099489>"You know them?"Kid, when Usagi says he knows everyone, he fucking means it.
>>153099507Wait, what the hell are Neko Ninja doing here? Panda Boy Noriyuki's an ally of Hikiji, isn't he? Killing him wouldn't benefit them at all.
>>153099525WHAT?!?!
>>153099534Jeez, getting a lot of Mendoza moments this storytime.
>>153107540>Noriyuki's an ally of Hikijilolno, Noriyuki supports the shogun while Hijiki schemes to make himself shoguntheir goals have merely aligned in the past when there were others who also wished to usurp the shogun
>>153099551I don't know whether to be relieved or feel like this is a bit of a cop out.
>>153107599it funny memes so take it for what it is
>>153099217You're just leaving your tricked out baby cart behind? Those can't be that easy to replace
>>153107540No they're diametrically opposed to each other. We get a flashback story a little later on where we see the Neko ninja being deployed by Hikiji to assassinate Noriyuki when he was just A BABY. The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy stands out as an outlier from when the two daimyo just so happened to have aligned interests, like >>153107568 says.
>>153104721Anon, please don't post slop in the storytime.
>>153106062Don't be fooled, children are ontologically evil. The meddler knows.
>>153099574These two really are made for each other, they even share the same braincell.
>>153099620Kid's got good taste.
>>153107629Probably couldn’t get it through the door, plus he’s got an arrow in his back
>>153106557I'm aware of that. It just kinda comes off funny, like the Mad Men elevator exchange.
>>153106626>the woodcutters are Izanagi and Izanami in disguise as mortalsI actually wouldn't even be very surprised by a reveal like this.
>>153107433>Kitsune>Not doing anything fucked upFirst time reader, huh
>>153107629Had to for the trap to work back at the cottage. If it hadn't been there Boss Sanpei's men wouldn't have thought the Lone Goat was still in there.
>>153099667>"that doesn't make sense"Jotaro's catching on fast, already brighter than his Uncle.
>>153099673I've said in the previous thread how narratively Jotaro sort of acts as Usagi confronting his childhood self, and never has that been more apparent than here. Usagi's trying to convince himself of what he's saying more than he is trying to convince Jotaro, who sees right through his bullshit.
I think this comic is turning me into a weaboo. I kind of want to buy a katana.>>153105959We've got to bring back "ye"
>>153104318Happy Eastern
>>153108135Its funny that Jotaro has all the parts that should make him an annoyance but never becomes one partly because he's competent and actually helps out and partly because we know for a fact kid usagi was a way bigger shithead than he was and even after seeing battlefields still didn't quite understand how shitty life was until he killed his first manMeanwhile jotaro is already realizing that, while swords are still cool, the life surrounding swords is dumb as fuck.
>>153104721Man, the more realistic you make animal people the freakier they become.
>>153099722Oh I'm definitely going to get some usage out of this.
>>153099736It's haunting how similar this feels to army vets in general. You could replace Watanabe with someone who survived Vietnam or any other war and the dialogue would fit perfectly.
>>153099753>>153102210This chapter is a master class in character writing. Every line of dialogue is so narratively dense it's insane.
>>153108260Objectively correctAs bad as martial led honor society was its better than rootless mercantile led society, at least when people died for nothing then it was a nothing that was personal to them, that they thought they felt every day of their lives
>>153099773Even in Feudal times, ACAB.
>>153099779>HE'S GOT A GUN!
>>153099797RIP Watanabe-kun, you were a real one.
>>153099820>He HAS been eating fishLmao.
>>153099824Usagi's seen enough bloodshed to not want to go through this shit when he doesn't need to.>>153102278Needs to be a good role model for lil' Jotaro, after all.
>>153099835I love those are almost certainly not even exaggerations. Usagi's world is just that fucking bonkers.
>>153099843Saimo is cute, CUTE!
>>153099859Oh what I would give to see this page in particular animated, the whiplash of emotions Usagi's going through is phenomenal.
>>153099877>he's the richest merchant in town, and has made many enemiesYou didn't have to repeat yourself there, bud.
>>153099939Katsuichi shutting down Usagi's meddling instincts quick.
>>153108432You mean Saiko. The psycho
>>153099977You're clearly mistaken, there's actually tons of long-eared Ronins in Japan.
>>153099998David and Goliath.
>>153100010Poor kid was not ready for this shit.
>>153100070Jotaro learned from the best.
>>153101182Hey, at least he lasted long enough to survive. In this series I consider that a win in itself.
>>153100107
>>153100170Wait what.
>>153100181WAIT WHAT?!?!?!
>>153100191Fuck, what a sucker punch to end a storytime on. I can see why people say that Mariko's worst girl now. Kitsune's got some stiff competition here.
>>153103062It would've not only not made mariko bitch supreme and made their unwillingness to tell each other more reasonable but also further improved Kenichi as a fundamentally good person despite being a dick to Usagi
>>153107433I can't see how Chizu ends up in this competition. She has her moments, but ultimately she's a good person stuck in a fundamentally shitty situation.
>>153100430Thanks OP, holy hell this was one of the best storytimes so far. Fitting we had it on Easter Sunday.
>>153108655Agreed, Chizu slander is crazy.
>>153105233Awesome work dude.
>>153101182Is worth remembering that in universe the koroshi are supposed to be some of the most dangerous assassins in the whole country, if they almost look like weaklings is because usagi and co are a blend of prodigies and legendary swordsmen(with a healthy coat of plot armor) the fact that he survived with minimal damage says a lot about his skills as an average samuraiKinda reminds me how Kaoru from Rurouni Kenshin is supposed to be at an olympic champion level, but that means jack shit in a world where people can pierce iron doors several inches thick with a sword
>560 replies>Page 10>it's 7:30 amTravels with Jotaro are second only to Grasscutter, it seems.
>>153100181
>>153108655Chizu had a number of moments where she had just cause to simply kill Kagemaru before it was too late. Especially for how zero tolerance ninja life is, she gave him too much leeway.
>>153108787Don't forget Kagemaru wasn't even the first fucker to try and usurp her authority as Jonin and take over the clan. She let that shit happen twice to her.
>>153108787If her only fault is being too nice and a bit naive, then I accept her as the unquestionable best girl.
>>153108787tbf, she gave everyone too much leeway. She just wasn't cut out for ninja life.
>>153108222>I think this comic is turning me into a weaboo. I kind of want to buy a katana.It's funny that it's better at this than any actual Japanese cartoon.
>>153108633>the poor fag will learn soon enough>*spits loudly*
>>153108772It's a great volume AND it has the start of Mariko seething.
>>153108787>Chizu's candidacy for being Worst Girl is based on her being too nice and naive to be a ruthless killer ninja chief with negative levels of human sympathy out of pointless devotion to an anti-bushidoI'm not... really following this logic *one hundred* per cent, Anon.
