“Even between good friends, there are things that are hidden.”
“That is the nature of friendship, but more is revealed over time.”
Stan Sakai has been writing, drawing, and lettering the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo for 38 years and counting. A ridiculous number of comics made almost entirely by a single individual.
Usagi stories first appeared in various anthology comics such as Albedo and Critters before he finally got his own ongoing series published by Fantagraphics. Sakai has found new publishers every so often, moving from Fantagraphics to Mirage, then to almost 30 years with Dark Horse before recently starting the fourth Usagi series with IDW.
I was going to attempt to begin with a summary of Usagi’s story, but I realize I can’t do any better than the summary that opens the first Dark Horse issue, meant to serve as a starting point for new readers.
So let’s just quote it.
The close of 16th century Japan is regarded as the age of civil wars, as feudal lords fought amongst themselves for land and power. It was during the Battle of Adachigahara that samurai Miyamoto Usagi lost his Lord Mifuné to the armies of Lord Hikiji.
Finally one leader rose above the others and was proclaimed Shogun <military ruler>. The Shogun’s peace came upon the land, and samurai warriors found themselves suddenly unemployed. Many of these ronin turned to banditry to survive; others found work with minor lords or the emerging merchant class. A small number, Usagi among them, traveled the Musha Shugyo <warrior pilgrimage> to hone their spiritual and martial skills.
Usagi has made many allies on his road–including Tomoe of the Geishu Clan, Gen the bounty hunter, and Zato-Ino the blind swordspig. There have also been many enemies. Chief among them is Lord Hikiji, who, with his secret army of ninja, plots to overthrow the new government and set himself as Shogun!
Usagi continues to wander alone across the nation– over mountains, deep into valleys, through towns and farmlands, and along rugged coasts–searching for harmony.
Through Usagi’s adventures, Stan often imparts to us a bit of knowledge about traditional Japanese culture.
We might learn a little about kite-making.
Or seaweed farming.
What’s impressive is that no scene is purely educational. It all ties into the drama and narrative, usually rather seamlessly.
Take this sequence about the making of Usagi’s swords. It’s a 7-page lesson in the craft of Japanese sword-making, from mining the ore to forging the sword to finding the right bearer of the sword.
While it could easily seem like an aside, the point of the rather long lesson is to help us appreciate just why Usagi is so angry when his swords are stolen.
That level of rage may not make sense to a modern audience. The short lesson and sudden transition from the history of the swords to Usagi’s rage underscores how special these blades are, both because of the precision and care needed in crafting them, and because of their spiritual significance. They are the soul of the samurai.
Usagi & Tomoe
It was way back in Albedo #3–the second Usagi story from 1985–where Uasgi met Tomoe, samurai retainer to Noriyuki, child Lord of the Geishu Clan. They quickly developed a mutual respect for each other’s honor and prowess, and became allies and friends.
Tomoe is partially inspired by the 13th century samurai warrior, Tomoe Gozen.
Usagi has met his share of ladies along his adventures. Mariko is his teenage sweetheart who ended up marrying his childhood rival, but who bears a child that resembles Usagi more than his own father. Kitsune is a thief and close friend to Usagi. Chizu is head of the Neko Ninja, often at odds with Usagi, but also possessing a clear affection for him. And Usagi meets no shortage of young ladies who find themselves smitten with his adventurous lifestyle.
But Tomoe is special. His friend and ally on many adventures, the occasional looks in their eyes imply they could be more to each other.
They shared an ordeal on the Mother of Mountains, imprisoned and enslaved by Tomoe’s evil sister Noriko. They escaped and ended up spending a lot of time together over the weeks that followed.
The precise status of their relationship is not made clear to the reader. But their mutual affection is.
However, thanks to the scheming of jealous rival Horikawa, the Geishu Lord is planning to order Tomoe into a politically advantageous marriage. Her first duty is to her Lord, which leaves no room for any affection she may have for Usagi.
Usagi understands duty and honor all too well, so decides it would be best if he take his leave and return to the road.
Before he leaves, Tomoe offers to host him in a tea ceremony.
Chanoyu
Let’s see the cover again.
I’d first like to note the falling autumn leaves in the background. We’ll see another autumn-themed cover in our next post.
Let’s look at Usagi. This comic was published in 2006 (not long before I started reading Usagi regularly). At this point, Stan had been drawing Usagi for 22 years and had the look down. His ears tied in a topknot (the image of rabbit ears in a topknot is what Stan often cites as the initial inspiration for Usagi and the reason he fell in love with the creation so).
There’s an asymmetry on the face. What could almost be mistaken for an exaggerated eyebrow above Usagi’s left eye. It’s not an eyebrow, but a scar. We know that scar came from Lord Hikiji himself at the Battle of Adachigahara, while Usagi was attempting to remove his fallen Lord’s head from the battle to prevent its desecration.
The crests visible on Usagi’s kimono represent Clan Mifune, and show Usagi’s continued loyalty to his fallen master.
Usually, Usagi is depicted carrying his two swords. We will see in this story that he left his swords outside the teahouse.
Here’s the inside front cover. It blows up a part of a panel from later in the comic. We’ll talk about that stone later. The style of this title page is very standard for the series, with the vertical text intentionally resembling Japanese text.
We begin. The first note is that Stan always wants to make things accessible. There’s no pretension; it’s about learning. He titles the issues “Chanoyu”, but adds a small note at the bottom to let those unfamiliar know that refers to the tea ceremony. The note impacts the aesthetic mildly, but clarity is Stan’s first goal.
Usagi is in a very large garden, following a path of stepping stones. At some point, there is a fork. One set of stones leads to a gate not yet open, and the other to a waiting area. Usagi heads to the waiting area. He sits solemnly. And patiently.
When Tomoe opens the gate to greet Usagi, they silently bow, and she shows him in. Notice the two stones by the gate. One is for her to stand on so he can get past her. The point is they only walk on the stones and don’t try to squeeze onto the same stone. The second stone allows her to step aside, so he can enter and she can close the gate behind him.
(Panel 2 looks to have one more stone which does not appear in panels 3 and 4. Even the most perfect of comics must have one flaw.)
Usagi makes his way to the water basin to wash his hands and cleanse his palate.
He follows the path to the teahouse. We will later see there was more than one path in the garden, but the path to the teahouse was the correct one. That’s what the stone was about.
Usagi leaves his swords and sandals outside and enters the teahouse. Something catches his eye. A flower and some calligraphy. Despite his normal diligence, Stan at this moment does not translate the Japanese for us. Usagi soon regains his composure and waits patiently again.
On Page 8, we get the first words in the entire comic (save the title and its translation on the first page). Very simple. “Enter with the water container.” We will see the tea ceremony play out, but the narrator will explain the motions.
We then get the first dialogue when Tomoe offers Usagi sweets. All dialogue in the tea ceremony is structured. No idle chatter, no speaking out of turn.
As an aside, I like to begin these posts with a quote from the comic, and was nervous that would be difficult in a comic with such scant dialogue. Fortunately, what dialogue there is delivers. I think it worked out.
We now get the explanation of the arrangement Tomoe had prepared. Usagi notes the plant and flower and what they represent, and that the scroll reads, “Welcome”.
Usagi deduces the calligraphy is from Tomoe herself. He has known her for years at this point, but was unaware of her talent in this area. Of course, Tomoe is humble about her own talents.
Over three pages, we see Tomoe prepare the tea, with the narrator explaining steps in meticulous detail, but no more words are spoken between Usagi and Tomoe. This is not the time for words.
Stan doesn’t do idle pencil lines. He knows how many strokes are needed to convey an effect, and tends not to add any more. Those lines on Tomoe’s face aren’t accidental. Nor are the motion lines. She’s giving a slight bow, and blushing with nervousness. We saw a similar reaction on her face as Usagi examined her calligraphy. She is proud to show off her work to Usagi, and wants him to be impressed.
The time for words again. But only within the structure. It is now appropriate that Usagi comment on the tea. And that Tomoe respond.
“The bitterness of life, to match its sweetness.”
At some point, you really wonder if they’re talking about tea at all.
This is perhaps my favorite page. It freezes a moment in time and shows us aspects of that moment, outside and in. The teahouse. The splashing of the water fountain. That stone. Usagi’s sandals. Usagi. Tomoe. Sitting in silence.
What images Stan chooses to highlight are interesting. On the one hand, they serve as a chronological reminder of the early parts of the story. Usagi washed his hands at the fountain, took the path through the garden designated by the stones which block incorrect paths, then removed his sandals and entered the teahouse.
But let’s consider each panel.
As Usagi and Tomoe are silent, the water is perhaps the only sound in the serene garden.
The stone. There is more than one path through the garden. Usagi was to follow the path he did, to the waiting area, to the fountain, to the teahouse. The stone is a guide to the correct paths, blocking off the other paths, the paths he was not to take. Stan explains this in his notes on the tea ceremony at the end of the issue. “A comment on the relationship between Usagi and Tomoe?” he suggests. “Perhaps.”
Soon, Usagi will put those sandals back on. And walk away. Out of Tomoe’s life again.
There are many similarities between the art of comics and the art of film. If you watch specials on the making of movies, filmmakers often comment on how they angle the camera to create the impression of dialogue. It’s common when people are talking for the camera to show one face at a time, alternating to focus on whoever is speaking. The camera doesn’t hit them face on, but at opposite angles. This creates the illusion of looking at each other.
Stan knows this well. It applies just as well in comics, when you show a panel of one character and then another. Stan’s chosen arrangement has the opposite effect; it makes it look like Usagi and Tomoe are facing away from each other. They aren’t. It’s an illusion created by the comic form; it’s the effect created by this framing.
Stan then moves the frame, pulling out to show both characters. Now it almost looks like they are facing each other. But they’re not quite doing that either. Usagi is in the foreground, Tomoe the background.
The final panel makes the layout clear. They were looking past each other. Until Tomoe turned in that second panel.
They exchange final words. “You are too kind,” are the last words she will say to him.
I’ve shown only a sampling of this issue above, which really doesn’t do the issue justice. You must read it yourself for the full effect. The pages above skip many details of the tea ceremony. But more importantly they skip many details about what’s really going on.
There are multiple layers to this story. Usagi and Tomoe are going through the motions of ritual. They each know their part well. They move as expected and say what’s expected. They don’t say what’s on their minds. They don’t say what they’re feeling. But what they are feeling is simmering so close to the surface. We get only brief panels where one loses composure to betray any feeling: Usagi first being impressed by the floral arrangement and calligraphy; Tomoe feeling pride as Usagi complimented the arrangement. For the most part, they maintain composure.
That dual nature of really every moment here is a huge part of what makes the series so impressive. It’s at once a lesson about an aspect of Japanese culture and an understated tragic romance.
Again, this blog can’t do it justice. By its nature, I’m fast-forwarding through a story that’s driven by its slow pace and quiet moments. Read the comic.
Usagi takes his leave of the ceremony. And of Tomoe.
And when he’s gone, the ceremony is over, and Tomoe is free to let the emotion fill her face and being.
The outside world shatters the peace of the garden. The page is still without word balloons, but we don’t need to see the words to hear the noise, the hustle and bustle. People yelling and laughing.
Usagi in the distance looks almost like a sketch in that last panel.
As does the city in the distance as Usagi gets further away.
The End.
The inside back cover is used to let Stan explain the history of the tea ceremony and his own experiences with it. This is also where he explains that stone to us, in case we didn’t get it.
The back cover is a pin-up of Tomoe.
It has been 16 years since this comic was published, a couple years in the life of Usagi. Usagi and Tomoe have not yet met again. Yet.
End notes
I love a great many Usagi stories that I’d happily spotlight when talking about great comics; so many of the best comic stories I’ve ever read are found in this series. But two stories stand out clearly above the rest. The epic Grasscutter arc that runs from #13-22, and this issue. Since I’m trying to spotlight single comics instead of 10-part epics, this issue was the clear choice for this blog.
Did Tomoe eventually marry the samurai her Lord chose? That story is yet to be told.
Stan is remarkably unhurried in his telling of Usagi Yojimbo. He knows there are things fans have waited decades to see. And they can keep waiting.
Usagi and Hikiji need to have a confrontation. Usagi and Jotaro need to talk about their relationship. Usagi and Tomoe need to talk about their feelings. I hope Stan will get to all these stories before he finally puts his pencil down. It’s 38 years we’ve been waiting.
Stan did give us one possible glimpse of what’s to come. A story called Senso is set several years into Usagi’s future. Usagi never told Jotaro the truth. Tomoe had indeed gone through with the arranged marriage and was indeed unhappy. And they were all engaged in the final battle against Lord Hikiji’s forces.
But I take this to be a possible future, rather than the canonical one. In particular, because the Martians from War of the Worlds show up, and Usagi has to fight the Martians. I think of it as a fun aside, not what Usagi’s story is actually building toward. So who knows the true fate of Tomoe and Jotaro and Hikiji? Only Stan, and he’s not telling.
Personal asides.
I started reading Usagi Yojimbo in November 2006, about 7 months after this issue came out. Issue 98 was on the stands. I didn’t start with the new comics, though. I found the first collection, and then bought the second. Over the course of a year, I bought the first 20 collections. I first read this story when the collection–Book 22–came out, summer 2008. I picked up the original comic only recently, with making this post in mind.
At one point, I decided the 40,000 comics in my collection were about enough and stopped buying new comics every month, preferring the collections these days. I used to buy 40-50 comics per month. Usagi Yojimbo is the only comic I still buy monthly as they come out.
This was my first attempt to scan a black & white comic for this blog. You’d think it would be easier. But I was very dissatisfied with how the images in my first draft of this post looked. I spent a lot of time thinking about different scanner settings, comparing how the pages turned out, then comparing to the original. The pages in my comic are off-white, as pages get. And that can easily show up in the scan and saturate the image. The scans I settled on (after way too long) make the backgrounds white, whiter than my comic, which I think is aesthetically pleasing. The cost is adding some contrast, which made the blacks blacker. So some panels appear a little darker to my eye than the original. The shading of Tomoe’s kimono in particular looks darker above than in my comic. I couldn’t find just the right setting. I don’t really know what I’m doing.
I like the softness of the first images, but not the saturation. But maybe these are the same thing. Either way, I settled on those second images. Feel free to tell me if I chose wrong.
Reading Great Comics
This is the fourth entry in our “reading great comics” series.
Really good post. I should give Usagi another shot.