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子連れ狼 [Kozure Ookami] #9
Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 9: Echo of the Assassin
Water, death, and angry ninja take the foreground in this exciting volume of the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub series! A pitiful ferryboat girl discovers the tragic ways of "A Wife of the Heart," as the Lone Wolf, Ogami Itto, stands against the man she loves. In "Wayward Swords," a rogue swordsman-for-hire learns a valuable lesson about Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, from the Lone Wolf. Afterwards, Ogami once again must face the treachery of the Kurokuwa ninja clan, then becomes a river porter to foil the secret plans of his enemy, the Yagyu clan, and in doing so declares war against them all! The Lone Wolf's actions lead to a nationwide manhunt and an epic, bloody battle unlike any in comics. Don't dare miss a volume of the series that belongs on every Lone Wolf and Cub.
This volume contains the following
Wife of the Heart
Wandering Samurai
Echo of the Assassin
Naked Worms
The Yagyu Prologue
This volume contains the following
Wife of the Heart
Wandering Samurai
Echo of the Assassin
Naked Worms
The Yagyu Prologue
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 1997
14 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Kazuo Koike
560 books292 followersKazuo Koike (小池一夫, Koike Kazuo) was a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.
In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.
In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 8, 2020
[9/10]
The usual cure for a reading / reviewing funk is to go back to a sure thing. For me such a reliable pick-me-up is the historical epic of the ronin Ogami Itto and of his son Daigoro as they wander across Edo period Japan in search of revenge against the powerful Yagyu clan, who conspired to bring the former personal executioner of the Shogun to ruin.
The reason I decided to write about this instead of the other ten or so novels I’ve read and still await reviews is the old adage that a picture paints a thousand words. I’ve been fascinated by the Goseki Gojima stark, dynamic black & white panels since the very first volume and I love to include samples in my reviews. The quality of the artwork is well served by the story itself, a combination of intense action, mostly sword duels and ninja ambushes, and in-depth descriptions of the customs and social organization of medieval Japan.
These are all details I’ve praised in previous reviews, and I strongly recommend readers tackle these comic books in order, since there is an overall story arc that links together the apparently independent sketches of life on the road to hell (meifumado) for the disgraced ronin and his son.
Wife of the Heart is one of those stories that focus on the brutal realities of living in a world where the local ‘daimyo’ lords are sadistic tyrants whose every whim must be satisfied and whose perceived honor can only be washed in blood.
A poor woman who accidentally spills a bucket of water on the clothes of such a lord faces instant execution, but is defended by a local samurai who offers to take the punishment in her place. When this man is crippled in the ensuing beating, the woman is forced to resort to prostitution on the local river, in order to take care of him. A secondary plot line, involves the same selfless man designing a bridge over the same local river, but being rejected by the daimyo for his previous transgressions.
As is customary by now, Lone Wolf intervenes in the case with his own brand of terminal brutality, swinging his trusted war blade and offering further insight into the inflexible code of the true samurai:
A ‘bushi’ should die for a master who knows wisdom. No good can come of protecting a fool ...
Wandering Samurai is another episode fleshing out the local social structure, describing a new class of mercenary soldiers called ‘watari-kachi’, a temporary and cheap alternative to a household samurai that are used by the daimyo when they are forced to make the obligatory visit to Edo, there to pay their respect and serve as hostages to the Shogun.
The problem with these ‘kachi’ is the fact that they do not subscribe to the bushido code of the true samurai, and are closer in nature to roadside bandits than to trusted servants. A couple of single women on the road are attacked and raped by these scoundrels, in yet another example of the dismal treatment of the fair sex in the series. It may be true to historical fact, but I do wonder sometimes at how often these encounters on the road end in abuse for the women involved.
In a repetition of the finale from the first episode of the collection, the role of Ogami Itto is to appear towards the end of the conflict as a sort of avenging angel of death, an enforcer of the bushido code.
The true ‘bushi’ is always ready to die for his lord. And thus he serves! To die attacking, to die defending! There is no difference to the purity of the spirit!
Echo of the Assassin is part of the main storyline, starting with a glimpse of the intimacy between father and son resting in a roadhouse, but soon taking him right into an ambush by a group of ninjas sent by his perennial adversaries, the Yagyu.
The episode offers us another staple of the series: a study of the exotic weaponry of the period and of the way they are used in battle, together with revelations about yet another clan of secret warriors that trade in political assassinations.
Naked Worms takes us to another river that is too wide and powerful to be spanned by a bridge. Travelers and goods need to rely on the help of the ‘hadaka-mushi’ clan of porters. These ruffians who carry travelers across the river abuse their position of trust by sexually assaulting vulnerable women (for the third time in this ninth volume!) or by blackmailing the men who try to protest. So why would Ogami Itto seek to join their guild and to go naked into the river to carry strangers or heavy ballots?
There must be something more behind the motivations beyond the dire financial straits he offers as a motive, which leads me to the short finale of the ninth book, a teaser trailer for an escalation in his open conflict with the Yagyu.
The Yagyu Letter: Prologue is fast paced and focused, both on the relay system of horse couriers who carry important news, and on the anger of the leader of the Yagyu, who promises total war against Ogami for his latest transgression.
I can hardly wait to find out what comes next!
The usual cure for a reading / reviewing funk is to go back to a sure thing. For me such a reliable pick-me-up is the historical epic of the ronin Ogami Itto and of his son Daigoro as they wander across Edo period Japan in search of revenge against the powerful Yagyu clan, who conspired to bring the former personal executioner of the Shogun to ruin.
The reason I decided to write about this instead of the other ten or so novels I’ve read and still await reviews is the old adage that a picture paints a thousand words. I’ve been fascinated by the Goseki Gojima stark, dynamic black & white panels since the very first volume and I love to include samples in my reviews. The quality of the artwork is well served by the story itself, a combination of intense action, mostly sword duels and ninja ambushes, and in-depth descriptions of the customs and social organization of medieval Japan.
These are all details I’ve praised in previous reviews, and I strongly recommend readers tackle these comic books in order, since there is an overall story arc that links together the apparently independent sketches of life on the road to hell (meifumado) for the disgraced ronin and his son.
Wife of the Heart is one of those stories that focus on the brutal realities of living in a world where the local ‘daimyo’ lords are sadistic tyrants whose every whim must be satisfied and whose perceived honor can only be washed in blood.
A poor woman who accidentally spills a bucket of water on the clothes of such a lord faces instant execution, but is defended by a local samurai who offers to take the punishment in her place. When this man is crippled in the ensuing beating, the woman is forced to resort to prostitution on the local river, in order to take care of him. A secondary plot line, involves the same selfless man designing a bridge over the same local river, but being rejected by the daimyo for his previous transgressions.
As is customary by now, Lone Wolf intervenes in the case with his own brand of terminal brutality, swinging his trusted war blade and offering further insight into the inflexible code of the true samurai:
A ‘bushi’ should die for a master who knows wisdom. No good can come of protecting a fool ...
Wandering Samurai is another episode fleshing out the local social structure, describing a new class of mercenary soldiers called ‘watari-kachi’, a temporary and cheap alternative to a household samurai that are used by the daimyo when they are forced to make the obligatory visit to Edo, there to pay their respect and serve as hostages to the Shogun.
The problem with these ‘kachi’ is the fact that they do not subscribe to the bushido code of the true samurai, and are closer in nature to roadside bandits than to trusted servants. A couple of single women on the road are attacked and raped by these scoundrels, in yet another example of the dismal treatment of the fair sex in the series. It may be true to historical fact, but I do wonder sometimes at how often these encounters on the road end in abuse for the women involved.
In a repetition of the finale from the first episode of the collection, the role of Ogami Itto is to appear towards the end of the conflict as a sort of avenging angel of death, an enforcer of the bushido code.
The true ‘bushi’ is always ready to die for his lord. And thus he serves! To die attacking, to die defending! There is no difference to the purity of the spirit!
Echo of the Assassin is part of the main storyline, starting with a glimpse of the intimacy between father and son resting in a roadhouse, but soon taking him right into an ambush by a group of ninjas sent by his perennial adversaries, the Yagyu.
The episode offers us another staple of the series: a study of the exotic weaponry of the period and of the way they are used in battle, together with revelations about yet another clan of secret warriors that trade in political assassinations.
Naked Worms takes us to another river that is too wide and powerful to be spanned by a bridge. Travelers and goods need to rely on the help of the ‘hadaka-mushi’ clan of porters. These ruffians who carry travelers across the river abuse their position of trust by sexually assaulting vulnerable women (for the third time in this ninth volume!) or by blackmailing the men who try to protest. So why would Ogami Itto seek to join their guild and to go naked into the river to carry strangers or heavy ballots?
There must be something more behind the motivations beyond the dire financial straits he offers as a motive, which leads me to the short finale of the ninth book, a teaser trailer for an escalation in his open conflict with the Yagyu.
The Yagyu Letter: Prologue is fast paced and focused, both on the relay system of horse couriers who carry important news, and on the anger of the leader of the Yagyu, who promises total war against Ogami for his latest transgression.
I can hardly wait to find out what comes next!
May 16, 2017
It’s volume 9 and things are starting to ramp up! Before we finish this volume we will find that Ogami Itto has not simply been wandering the countryside as an assassin aimlessly, he has had a plan to bring down the Yagyu and we will see him starting to undertake it in earnest. We also see more commentary on many of the ills of Tokugawa bushido society from the abuse of women, and free license of any man with the status and ability to take up a sword, to the ways in which many of the lower classes make use of the system to get back their own on their supposed masters.
‘Wife of the Heart’ tells the tale of a young woman running a ferry on the Omono river. We see that in this society she has not only to sell her service as a ferrywoman to her customers, but her body as well should they wish to take it. Her fellow ferrymen urge her to give up her ways and instead take a position they have found her…people are starting to talk and many will no longer have anything to do with her. She perseveres, however, in order to support a former samurai who had saved her from punishment and lost his position and health as a result. He has dreams of helping his Han by designing a bridge that could span the river and bring economic prosperity to his home, but will his former master, a harsh and ruthless man, listen? And what has brought the assassin Lone Wolf and Cub to the area?
‘Wandering Samurai’ shows how even those on the lowest rung of the samurai ladder are able to take advantage of their position to extort whatever they wish at the edge of their sword and escape the consequences. A group of watari-katchi, or wandering samurai who hire themselves out to local daimyo at certain times of year, attempt to rape a group of women and kill their sole male retainer. One of the group is still a man of honour (in the terms of bushido at least) and forces them to make amends according to the warrior code (which has dire consequences for their victims as well). Into the midst of this comes Itto who, upon being recognized by the watari-katchi, is asked to participate in a duel. In the end the wandering samurai asks for judgement from Itto, a warrior he can respect, upon the action that led him to become a watari-hatchi in the first place.
‘Echo of the Assassin’ brings to the fore the questions and issues many readers probably have regarding the fact that Itto has brought his three-year-old son into the midst of the life of a wandering assassin. Lone Wolf and Cub come across another traveller who helps them when they are attacked by Kurokuwa ninjas and, upon learning their identity, he cannot help but confront Itto on the life he has forced upon his son. Itto defends his choice, and confirms his belief that Daigoro equally chose this path, and we see that there is no end to the treacherous ways of Itto’s enemies in their quest to destroy the last of the Ogami clan.
‘Naked Worms’: In this tale we again see the importance of river crossings in feudal Japan. Due to the changeable nature of the Oi river ferries are not possible and instead there are men called Hadaka-Mushi (or Naked Worms) who carry travellers on their backs or bear palanquins across the waters. These men have sole ownership of this right of passage and use it to extort money or sexual gratification from their passengers. Itto comes into their midst and to their great surprise, for he is obviously a man of high rank, he petitions them to join their group and become a Hadaka-Mushi as well. What could be behind this decision that any other samurai would view as the basest subjugation of his honour?
‘The Yagyu Letter: Prologue’ answers the question posed by the previous story and we see how Itto’s path has led him to this precise spot. He learned a valuable secret from a former friend who had been investigating the Yagyu and died at their hands when Itto became Kogi Kaishakunin and Itto is now ready to leverage this information in the hopes of destroying the Yagyu forever.
‘Wife of the Heart’ tells the tale of a young woman running a ferry on the Omono river. We see that in this society she has not only to sell her service as a ferrywoman to her customers, but her body as well should they wish to take it. Her fellow ferrymen urge her to give up her ways and instead take a position they have found her…people are starting to talk and many will no longer have anything to do with her. She perseveres, however, in order to support a former samurai who had saved her from punishment and lost his position and health as a result. He has dreams of helping his Han by designing a bridge that could span the river and bring economic prosperity to his home, but will his former master, a harsh and ruthless man, listen? And what has brought the assassin Lone Wolf and Cub to the area?
‘Wandering Samurai’ shows how even those on the lowest rung of the samurai ladder are able to take advantage of their position to extort whatever they wish at the edge of their sword and escape the consequences. A group of watari-katchi, or wandering samurai who hire themselves out to local daimyo at certain times of year, attempt to rape a group of women and kill their sole male retainer. One of the group is still a man of honour (in the terms of bushido at least) and forces them to make amends according to the warrior code (which has dire consequences for their victims as well). Into the midst of this comes Itto who, upon being recognized by the watari-katchi, is asked to participate in a duel. In the end the wandering samurai asks for judgement from Itto, a warrior he can respect, upon the action that led him to become a watari-hatchi in the first place.
‘Echo of the Assassin’ brings to the fore the questions and issues many readers probably have regarding the fact that Itto has brought his three-year-old son into the midst of the life of a wandering assassin. Lone Wolf and Cub come across another traveller who helps them when they are attacked by Kurokuwa ninjas and, upon learning their identity, he cannot help but confront Itto on the life he has forced upon his son. Itto defends his choice, and confirms his belief that Daigoro equally chose this path, and we see that there is no end to the treacherous ways of Itto’s enemies in their quest to destroy the last of the Ogami clan.
‘Naked Worms’: In this tale we again see the importance of river crossings in feudal Japan. Due to the changeable nature of the Oi river ferries are not possible and instead there are men called Hadaka-Mushi (or Naked Worms) who carry travellers on their backs or bear palanquins across the waters. These men have sole ownership of this right of passage and use it to extort money or sexual gratification from their passengers. Itto comes into their midst and to their great surprise, for he is obviously a man of high rank, he petitions them to join their group and become a Hadaka-Mushi as well. What could be behind this decision that any other samurai would view as the basest subjugation of his honour?
‘The Yagyu Letter: Prologue’ answers the question posed by the previous story and we see how Itto’s path has led him to this precise spot. He learned a valuable secret from a former friend who had been investigating the Yagyu and died at their hands when Itto became Kogi Kaishakunin and Itto is now ready to leverage this information in the hopes of destroying the Yagyu forever.
January 19, 2019
Largely more of the same but with a particularly wordless bent. Punctuated with honor related killing, prostitutes, and even rape (which becomes a surprisingly common phenomena in this series) the garish is treated with a highly artistic brush. Smoothing out the nastiness unto something palatable and even aesthetic, Lone Wolf continues to amaze and inspire with its excellent talent behind the scenes.
However, what makes this particular compendium all the more interesting is that in lieu of its typical ephemera-like storytelling, these last few issues are not only internally coherent but well tie into the larger story as a whole. Favoring the meta instead of the typical throwaway approach, important developments are setting the stage for far greater reactions than mere self-contained tales would allow.
However, what makes this particular compendium all the more interesting is that in lieu of its typical ephemera-like storytelling, these last few issues are not only internally coherent but well tie into the larger story as a whole. Favoring the meta instead of the typical throwaway approach, important developments are setting the stage for far greater reactions than mere self-contained tales would allow.
April 20, 2021
El capitulo de la chica de la balsa del rio y el Samurai que quiere un puente, está interesante, presenta un buen dilema, aunque la opinion samurai sea mala.
Luego esta el del que trae un termo de Bambu, que se pone a platicar, y ya es el segundo que menciona sobre lo de que Daigoro este en el mismo destino. Y se saca una explicación de que el honor familiar, y que fue por decisión propia de Daigoro, como puse ya Patrañas, no hubo decisión, y aun si hubiera que decisión puede dar un niño de 3 años o menos.
Luego esta el capitulo de los cargadores del rio, que parece que obligara a que se mueva la historia.
3.5 star
Luego esta el del que trae un termo de Bambu, que se pone a platicar, y ya es el segundo que menciona sobre lo de que Daigoro este en el mismo destino. Y se saca una explicación de que el honor familiar, y que fue por decisión propia de Daigoro, como puse ya Patrañas, no hubo decisión, y aun si hubiera que decisión puede dar un niño de 3 años o menos.
Luego esta el capitulo de los cargadores del rio, que parece que obligara a que se mueva la historia.
3.5 star
January 31, 2016
Another fantastic volume from the Koike-Kojima tandem, one Echo of the Assassin's theme is morality and its inherent subjectivity. The volume presents characters who are either in doubt of whether they have done the right thing or the wrong one, or they themselves are the ones living broken in it.
It is also sad that women were treated bad during those times (or perhaps it is the author's idea of the past?). That is one main gripe of The Lone Wolf in general, that there is so much rape and women abuse happening. There are many imstances though, that women are portrayed to be strong and the ones who drive men towards things they would not normally achieve.
There's also a cliffhanger at the end which changes the battlefield of The Lone Wolf and Cub.
It is also sad that women were treated bad during those times (or perhaps it is the author's idea of the past?). That is one main gripe of The Lone Wolf in general, that there is so much rape and women abuse happening. There are many imstances though, that women are portrayed to be strong and the ones who drive men towards things they would not normally achieve.
There's also a cliffhanger at the end which changes the battlefield of The Lone Wolf and Cub.
September 6, 2020
This volume was mostly filler, but there was some main-plot story at the end. This volume served mostly to remind you that you don't want to be a woman in a Lone Wolf and Cub story. Your either a prostitute, sexually assaulted, and/or killed. You usually see one or two of these kinds of things happen in this series, but this volume had a higher than usual quotient. I also have a big complaint about how hackneyed the translation is. The use of stereotypical dialect-speak for poor or uneducated people is really annoying.
Like in the last volume, Goseki Kojima shines over the writing which is is very much to-formula.
Like in the last volume, Goseki Kojima shines over the writing which is is very much to-formula.
May 8, 2016
Things start getting interesting now that Ogami has stolen the Yahgü letter.
Another consistently fantastic volume.
Another consistently fantastic volume.
September 6, 2021
Ogami Itto abimizdir ama Daigorocuk? Daigoro bir tane ya. Suikastçinin Yansıması'nda Daigoro'nun kendi kendine kurulanıp giyinmesine bayıldım. Aynı hikayede Dr. Toyama Kikuma hislerime tercüman oldu. Zaman zaman söylüyorum Daigoro'nun böyle bir yaşam tarzına maruz kalması doğru mu diye. Ayrıca tarihi olarak ne kadar doğru bilemiyorum ama Dr. Toyama termosu bulmuş?!
Ayrıca Hadaka Mushi yani Çıplak Solucanların olduğu bölümü de çok beğendim. Ogami için söyledikleri şu sözlerde kahkahaya boğuldum.
Kıçı o kadar sağlam ki onunla ceviz bile kırabilir
Kelimelerin kifayetsiz kaldığı mükemmel bir seri.
Herkese keyifli okumalar.
Ayrıca Hadaka Mushi yani Çıplak Solucanların olduğu bölümü de çok beğendim. Ogami için söyledikleri şu sözlerde kahkahaya boğuldum.
Kıçı o kadar sağlam ki onunla ceviz bile kırabilir
Kelimelerin kifayetsiz kaldığı mükemmel bir seri.
Herkese keyifli okumalar.
August 14, 2020
I feel like the story's about to pick up at last. We take a break, at least, from the one-shot adventures, and begin with a longer arc. Things are coming to a head, and most likely kicking to an all new gear.
January 23, 2024
Volume 9 of Lone Wolf and Cub gets that extra star from me for its strong storylines, several of which are favorites of mine from the movies, especially the episode “Wandering Samurai” found in the third movie (Baby Cart to Hades) with the three watari-kachi rapists and the dishonored samurai traveling with them with whom Ogami Itto discusses bushido after besting him in a duel. The final episode, “Naked Worms,” is also a great one where Ogami joins a crew of hadaka-mushi river workers enabling him to intercept a message from the Yagyu clan, setting up events of the next volume.
May 4, 2017
El lobo solitario y su cachorro están a puntito de llegar al ecuador de su andadura en la estantería de casa, concretamente llegan al noveno tomo en un gran estado de forma. Veamos qué nos traen.
Éste volumen me ha dado la sensación de tener historias un tanto más largas que las de los tomos anteriores. No sé si es una percepción personal por llevar un tiempo sin acercarme a la obra, pero el caso es que me ha parecido que incluía menos historias (pese a ser el mismo tochal).
Las historias incluidas siguen las pautas habituales: encargos recibidos por el padre que le van acercando poco a poco a su objetivo como capítulos auto conclusivos que nos muestran más cosas de un Japón feudal retratado de forma exquisita. Son historia que no sólo nos cuentan alguna parte de la vida durante esa época, sino que pueden detenerse en cosas como el comportamiento del niño o la resolución del padre. Entre ellas me ha gustado especialmente una en la que el niño se queda en una casa de mercaderes y convive con un chico algo mayor.
Y luego están las historias de trama, aquellas en las que la lucha contra el enemigo es lo que ocupa el centro de atención. Éstos acostumbran a traernos capítulos más épicos y luchas contra varios rivales, pero es que no sólo pasa eso aquí. El autor consigue presentarnos a un par de personajes recurrentes nuevos dentro de la familia enemiga, dos personajes bien retratados y que prometen darnos grandes momentos en el futuro.
Por lo demás tenemos lo de siempre: un exquisito gusto para la narración, de esos reservados para los grandes genios y que transmiten con página tras páginas sin letras. Un gustazo total y absoluto.
Me queda mucho aún para terminar la obra, pero ahora mismo me tiene atrapado (pese a su sencillez).
Éste volumen me ha dado la sensación de tener historias un tanto más largas que las de los tomos anteriores. No sé si es una percepción personal por llevar un tiempo sin acercarme a la obra, pero el caso es que me ha parecido que incluía menos historias (pese a ser el mismo tochal).
Las historias incluidas siguen las pautas habituales: encargos recibidos por el padre que le van acercando poco a poco a su objetivo como capítulos auto conclusivos que nos muestran más cosas de un Japón feudal retratado de forma exquisita. Son historia que no sólo nos cuentan alguna parte de la vida durante esa época, sino que pueden detenerse en cosas como el comportamiento del niño o la resolución del padre. Entre ellas me ha gustado especialmente una en la que el niño se queda en una casa de mercaderes y convive con un chico algo mayor.
Y luego están las historias de trama, aquellas en las que la lucha contra el enemigo es lo que ocupa el centro de atención. Éstos acostumbran a traernos capítulos más épicos y luchas contra varios rivales, pero es que no sólo pasa eso aquí. El autor consigue presentarnos a un par de personajes recurrentes nuevos dentro de la familia enemiga, dos personajes bien retratados y que prometen darnos grandes momentos en el futuro.
Por lo demás tenemos lo de siempre: un exquisito gusto para la narración, de esos reservados para los grandes genios y que transmiten con página tras páginas sin letras. Un gustazo total y absoluto.
Me queda mucho aún para terminar la obra, pero ahora mismo me tiene atrapado (pese a su sencillez).
September 16, 2019
El noveno volumen introduce lo que parece ser una historia más larga. Desde el primer tomo sabemos que Itto Ogami y su hijo Daigoro están en Meifumado, el camino de la muerte, porque están buscando venganza del clan Yagyu. Aunque no lo atacan directamente, todas las acciones de Ogami parecen acercarlo a su objetivo. Tomos después nos enteramos que hubo una especie de tratado y mientras no se acerquen a Tokyo, no habrá un duelo. Aunque el clan Yagyu no respeta nada y en los últimos tres tomos hemos visto a ese clan emprender acciones ocultas y rastreras para matar a Ogami y su hijo. Parece ser que en este volumen, las últimas dos historias, son muy relevantes para lo que continúa y no sé si es muy pronto, sabiendo que esta historia toma 28 volúmenes me parece, pero parece que Ogami y Retsudo Yagyu se enfrentarán finalmente.
No me sorprendería si el siguiente tomo fuera una historia completa y no pequeñas historias como lo hemos visto hasta ahora. Independientemente las cinco historias de este tomo me gustaron mucho, siendo mis favoritas la que le da el nombre a este tomo y las últimas dos. Ogami vs Retsudo va a ser un duelo brillante.
A nivel artístico sigue siendo una historia impresionante con un arte envolvente que crea un aura que atrapa al lector. Este es el manga que más despierta mis sentidos. Algunas escenas se pueden escuchar, oler y sentir más allá de sólo ver los dibujos plasmados. El estilo cinematográfico sigue siendo de lo más impresionante en el manga.
No me sorprendería si el siguiente tomo fuera una historia completa y no pequeñas historias como lo hemos visto hasta ahora. Independientemente las cinco historias de este tomo me gustaron mucho, siendo mis favoritas la que le da el nombre a este tomo y las últimas dos. Ogami vs Retsudo va a ser un duelo brillante.
A nivel artístico sigue siendo una historia impresionante con un arte envolvente que crea un aura que atrapa al lector. Este es el manga que más despierta mis sentidos. Algunas escenas se pueden escuchar, oler y sentir más allá de sólo ver los dibujos plasmados. El estilo cinematográfico sigue siendo de lo más impresionante en el manga.
December 8, 2024
Read this in Omnibus form
Wife of the Heart - prostitution and bridge building. Not sure I'm sold on the bridge design being that significant, but I think I was supposed to be.
Wandering Samurai - Another complicated setup. A formerly upstanding samurai is now in a degraded state. And has to do deal with the behavior of his peers. Which changes based on what is said and what is witnessed. An awesome but somewhat confusing ending. Lone Wolf is asked what he would have done in some situation. What his answer means exactly feels like it has some nuance to it.
Echo of the Assassin - Lone Wolf gets attacked - this feels like a standalone - but it also feels like the tipping point for dealing with his enemies. There is a lot of conversation in this one - and questioning of Lone Wolf's parenting.
Naked Worms - This one is set around river crossing as done by paid bearers. The beginning part of the story is gross, awful but believable. And then Lone Wolf becomes a bearer - and we know he's got some secret purpose. And by the end of the story he acts on it. And it is a direct throw-down to what comes next
The Yagyu Letter: Prologue - A short intro to the next set of stories
3.5 leaning towards 4
Wife of the Heart - prostitution and bridge building. Not sure I'm sold on the bridge design being that significant, but I think I was supposed to be.
Wandering Samurai - Another complicated setup. A formerly upstanding samurai is now in a degraded state. And has to do deal with the behavior of his peers. Which changes based on what is said and what is witnessed. An awesome but somewhat confusing ending. Lone Wolf is asked what he would have done in some situation. What his answer means exactly feels like it has some nuance to it.
Echo of the Assassin - Lone Wolf gets attacked - this feels like a standalone - but it also feels like the tipping point for dealing with his enemies. There is a lot of conversation in this one - and questioning of Lone Wolf's parenting.
Naked Worms - This one is set around river crossing as done by paid bearers. The beginning part of the story is gross, awful but believable. And then Lone Wolf becomes a bearer - and we know he's got some secret purpose. And by the end of the story he acts on it. And it is a direct throw-down to what comes next
The Yagyu Letter: Prologue - A short intro to the next set of stories
3.5 leaning towards 4
January 19, 2021
The pacing is a beat slower than I expect, it feels like. Last volume I was thinking about when it would shift from a mainly episodic narrative to focus on the underlying/overarching storyline, which seems to be coming up in volume ten. I thought the artwork could use some more attention, next volume it gets some attention, I wonder about the seeming invincibility of Ogami Itto-dono and the conflicts become greater, I mentally criticise the constant death that's focussed on and other aspects of the narrative are brought to the fore, I think about how there's always a resolution and punishment and people go unpunished, victories appear that are bittersweet and occasionally, hollow. This seems to me either the mark of valid criticism being listened to and acted upon, or the work being looked back on by the author and artist and accurately evaluated; or, possibly, the result of a carefully planned and executed narrative that grows and becomes more complex as it progresses. Whichever situation it is I respect it.
February 13, 2022
The 9th volume of Lone Wolf and Cub, several of these stories focus on life on the lawless edge of society between prostitutes, swords for hire, and the men who carry travelers and goods across rivers. There is an interesting bookend of the main stories, Wife of the Heart and Naked Worms which both focus on Japan's waterways and need for bridges. Wandering Samurai examines how samurai fall into the life of mercenaries and barely features Ogami at all, though it is memorable. This series has never shirked away from showing the life of women in this time period, but questions of sexuality, abuse, and the subjugation of women is particularly prominent in this collection of stories.
Most of these stories are an examination of Tokugawa society where Ogami and Daigoro happen into them. However, Echo of the Assassin is the most interesting story when the titular pair meet a physician who questions the violent lifestyle to which Ogami subjects his son.
4/5 since I would read some of these stories again.
Most of these stories are an examination of Tokugawa society where Ogami and Daigoro happen into them. However, Echo of the Assassin is the most interesting story when the titular pair meet a physician who questions the violent lifestyle to which Ogami subjects his son.
4/5 since I would read some of these stories again.
June 9, 2020
Each volume I wonder when the series will lose it's charm, but not here. Impressively cinematic art, writing and direction. Every chapter is a new episode of the perfect samurai tv show that will never be made as well and beautifully as this. Goseki Kojima expresses more terror and subtlety with a few silent panels than others do with entire novels. The definition of a picture and it's thousand words, set in perfectly rendered Japanese stoicism.
June 5, 2022
Another superb entry in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" saga that represents a turning point in Ogami Itto's war with the Yagyu clan as he makes a direct action against them. Koike delivers another rich story with questions of honor and love while building on the overall narrative. It is matched by Goseki Kojima's crisp and realistic art, whether depicting epic samurai battles or crossing the river in barges. Remains one of the best manga series ever.
December 9, 2021
genjuro: hi my name's akami genjuro i would like a duel pls
ogami: dude why
genjuro: cuz like it'd be kinda fun and also i'd get super popular and maybe jeff from my economics class will think i'm a cutie
ogami: swords kill ppl tho
genjuro: I WANNA DUWELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
ogami: ok but there's like 19 more books in the series so idk if this is gonna go over well
ogami: dude why
genjuro: cuz like it'd be kinda fun and also i'd get super popular and maybe jeff from my economics class will think i'm a cutie
ogami: swords kill ppl tho
genjuro: I WANNA DUWELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
ogami: ok but there's like 19 more books in the series so idk if this is gonna go over well
August 2, 2022
En el camino del lobo solitario y su hijo Daigoro hemos encontrado samuráis caídos en desgracia, convertidos en ronin; viudas queriendo tomar venganza, mujeres indefensas en un mundo de hombres, sometidas y violadas.
Yagyu anuncia un ataque frontal y sin cuartel hacia Itto Ogami, jurando eliminarlo de una vez y para siempre.
Yagyu anuncia un ataque frontal y sin cuartel hacia Itto Ogami, jurando eliminarlo de una vez y para siempre.
July 9, 2024
More stories which feel like the writer wanted to show aspects of Japanese historical society and our protagonists just get thrown in. But in the end, Ogami Itto does something which kicks the flight with the Yagyu clan into the next gear, setting up something big for the next volume.
Always good writing and art.
Always good writing and art.
June 13, 2025
Another interesting volume, packed with information on Edo Period society structure and general historical information.
I think the practice of river crossing and defense through lack of bridges showcased in "Naked Worms" was fascinating, along with the inventive ways of pursuit in Echo of the Assassin.
I think the practice of river crossing and defense through lack of bridges showcased in "Naked Worms" was fascinating, along with the inventive ways of pursuit in Echo of the Assassin.
July 26, 2019
Another fantastic volume of LWaC. I've been reading these on Hoopla all year, and, of course, as soon as the Yagyu storyline starts to heat up, I find myself fresh out of downloads until the 1st of the month. Really good stuff in this one.
April 10, 2019
Ogami Itto makes his move against the Yagyu
August 28, 2019
Another brilliant outing.
November 26, 2019
Really good!
May 8, 2020
This is my third time reading this series. The last time I read it was probably a decade ago. It is still one of the best graphic novel series of all time.
August 19, 2020
Another great volume in the series. On to Volume 10.
September 22, 2020
Same as the first. Fantastic art, engaging action stories, not much to the characters.
May 20, 2023
Excellent set of episodes that really place the theme of bushido into question, especially as it is grounded in and defined by Japanese ideals of masculinity.
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