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Usagi Yojimbo [兎用心棒] #19
Usagi Yojimbo, Vol. 19: Fathers and Sons
Master storyteller Stan Sakai opens this brand-new collection with a deadly ambush on the fugitive Lone Goat Assassin and his child, Gorogoro. Lone Goat is victorious, but wounded-and his son is too young to help. Unable to seek proper medical attention, Lone Goat collapses in an abandoned house. What he needs is a knowledgeable ronin, and soon! Elsewhere, Usagi is in a desperate search for his young companion, Jotaro, who has eluded murderous kidnappers. His is a panic that only rises out of fatherly love, though he has kept the secret of Jotaro's parentage from the boy throughout their travels together. If they are able to continue on to Kitanoji Temple, will the rabbit samurai confess before they part ways? Featuring appearances by readers' favorite characters-including the deadly Neko Ninja.
Collecting issues #69-#75 of the ongoing series.
Collecting issues #69-#75 of the ongoing series.
184 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
5 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Stan Sakai
921 books374 followersStan Sakai (Japanese: 坂井 スタンSakai Sutan; born May 25, 1953) is an artist who became known as an Eisner Award-winning comic book originator.
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.
He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.
He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 14, 2021
(4,7 z 5 za velmi sympatické finále měsíčního putování Usagiho s Jotarem)
Otcové a synové jsou Usagi, jak ho mám rád. Krátké příběhy jako uzlíky v síti Usagiho světa. Jeho a Jotarovo putování je krásné intermezzo po předchozí sérii větších příběhů, které se pro změnu zaměřuje na vztah Usagiho a Jotara a budování pravé duše samuraje. je vidět že Stan má smysl pro humor i pro lidské drama. Také se mi líbí, že jednotlivé příběhy v rámci jejich putování nejsou jen prázdné nápady které začínají a končí na daném místě. Mnohé odkazují na jiný děj a mnohé zase zní příslibem, že se k nim či jejich důsledkům jednou v nějaké formě vrátíme. Což je jedna z výhod Usagiho světa - Stan Sakai vytváří něco "živého", co působí jako funkční svět, kde postavy a životy pokračují, i když opustí stránky příběhu. A to mě velmi baví a je to věc, co mi vždy po dočtení ponouká myšlenku, že bych hned měl otevřít další knihu.
Otcové a synové jsou Usagi, jak ho mám rád. Krátké příběhy jako uzlíky v síti Usagiho světa. Jeho a Jotarovo putování je krásné intermezzo po předchozí sérii větších příběhů, které se pro změnu zaměřuje na vztah Usagiho a Jotara a budování pravé duše samuraje. je vidět že Stan má smysl pro humor i pro lidské drama. Také se mi líbí, že jednotlivé příběhy v rámci jejich putování nejsou jen prázdné nápady které začínají a končí na daném místě. Mnohé odkazují na jiný děj a mnohé zase zní příslibem, že se k nim či jejich důsledkům jednou v nějaké formě vrátíme. Což je jedna z výhod Usagiho světa - Stan Sakai vytváří něco "živého", co působí jako funkční svět, kde postavy a životy pokračují, i když opustí stránky příběhu. A to mě velmi baví a je to věc, co mi vždy po dočtení ponouká myšlenku, že bych hned měl otevřít další knihu.
April 27, 2021
Unfortunately, I missed out on the HC reprint of Volume 1 of this series, so I decided to grab whatever I could from library so I could at least try this out.
Turns out I liked it. Japan and samurai are thing for me so it's right up my alley. Just in this one small volume, you get a little bit of Japanese history, various tenets of the samurai way, and even some father/son character drama with the main character. Some of the stories contain action that's easy to follow and makes sense, but isn't graphic by any means.
Now I have to decide whether to read more starting from this point, or wait and try to get the first volume and begin reading from number 1.
Turns out I liked it. Japan and samurai are thing for me so it's right up my alley. Just in this one small volume, you get a little bit of Japanese history, various tenets of the samurai way, and even some father/son character drama with the main character. Some of the stories contain action that's easy to follow and makes sense, but isn't graphic by any means.
Now I have to decide whether to read more starting from this point, or wait and try to get the first volume and begin reading from number 1.
October 4, 2021
This is a cumulative review of the 35 volumes of collected Usagi Yojimbo stories that have been published to date. They span a 37-year history, across the first seven volumes published by Fantagraphics, across the next 24 volumes published by Dark Horse, and finally across the most recent three volumes published by IDW, bringing us to Usagi Yojimbo v35: Homecoming, published in 2021. This review does not include the volumes Space Usagi, Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection, or Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis.
In a land very much like Japan, in a time very much like the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when legions of samurai suddenly found themselves out of work in a war-torn land trying to get back to normal, a masterless samurai - a ronin - named Usagi Yojimbo walks the path of a student-warrior. He goes wherever fate takes him, living by his honor, his swordsmanship and by the grace of the friends he makes along the way. On his endless adventures, Usagi confronts wicked bandits, cruel tyrants, sinister assassins, and dire supernatural fiends. He often encounters humble folk plying their trade in an often cruel and harsh world (and along the way, learns a bit about their work, like brewing sake or weaving tatami mats).
Along his way, he builds a vast cast of friends, allies and rivals, including the bounty hunger Gen, fellow samurai )and love interest) Tomoe, the ninja Chizu, the third Kitsune, the noble lord Noriyuki, the stalwart Inspector Ishida, and of course, Usagi’s own son (and chip off the old block), Jotaro. And just as well, he builds no small list of enemies, including the dire Lord Hikiji (the power-hungry lord who is the very reason why Usagi no longer has a master), the Neko and Komori ninja clans, the Koroshi league of assassins, and the demonic ronin Jei. Amid all this, Usagi strives to uphold the warrior ideals of bushido and find a sense of enlightenment on his journey.
The stories are often funny, exciting, smart, sharp, tight, and occasionally touched with tragedy. They offer an informed look at medieval Japan, and pay no small number of homages to all kinds of cultural references both ancient and modern, as a reflect of Sakai’s own journey to connect with his personal heritage and honor it with his stories. They are simultaneously suitable for adults and kids alike - despite all of the carnage, Sakai never descends into gruesome detail, and yet, the many scenes of battle never seem so sanitized that they lost their gravity.
The artwork is distinct and excellent. Sakai’s is a master of sharp lifework (as well as lettering), and since he writes, pencils, inks and letters every issue solo, there is a uniformity and consistency to Usagi Yojimbo that you just don’t find in many other comics or cartoons. Until the last few volumes, it is all B&W, but Sakai’s sense of depth as well as his supremely skilled panel composition, pulls you in so deeply that you forget if it’s in color or not. You are under Usagi’s spell from the first page, and along for the ride, however long it goes.
To get an idea of the length, breadth and depth of how beloved an impactful Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series has been, look no further than the introductions to each of the collected volumes published to date. There you will find a dazzling array of some of the finest talents in modern cartooning, who have a seemingly endless variety of ways to say how much they love Usagi Yojimbo, how impactful it has been on their own careers, and how great Stan Sakai has been himself as a goodwill ambassador for both cartooning as well as of the Japanese culture he so masterfully serves throughout his stories.
For those who have not yet enjoyed these stories for the first time, a wonderful journey awaits you. Usagi Yojimbo was created during those days in the 80s when anthropomorphic martial arts characters were all the rage. And yet, Usagi Yojimbo stood apart almost immediately. He might have been a rabbit ronin in a world of talking, walking animals, but he never seemed to be drafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or trying to comment on the martial-art zoo comic trend. From the beginning, Usagi Yojimbo, like its titular character, was determined to walk its own path, to be the best it could be, and to celebrate the things in life that are worth celebrating: devotion to one’s craft, honoring one’s family, upholding one’s obligations, serving one’s highest aspirations, accepting one’s limitations, and acknowledging one’s flaws.
The stories are largely episodic varying in length from just a few pages, to an entire collection. They often are self-contained, but just as often reference slowly building meta plots, or serve an entire, novel-length story on their own. Everything is delicately interconnected, and yet, without such a heavy continuity that one can not simply pick up any of these volumes and begin reading without skipping a beat. Such is this series, endlessly accessible and friendly to beginners, and endlessly rewarding to long-time fans for whom earned narrative developments deliver terrific dividends.
As with any series of this length, some moments in it won’t land as well with the reader as others. But there just are not that many lows with this - if you appreciate what Sakai is doing here, you’re likely to enjoy pretty much all of it. There are some volumes that really stand out, largely because they tell the biggest and most epic stories (v04: The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy, v12: Grasscutter, v15: Grasscutter II - Journey to Astuta Shrine, v17: Duel at Kitanoji, v19: Fathers and Sons, v28: Red Scorpion, v32: The Hidden, and v35:Homecoming all come to mind), but really, the entire catalog of worth enjoying on equal terms. It’s saying something indeed that the most recent volume of Usagi Yojimbo tells one of the most compelling and moving stories of the entire series. Some edges dull over time, but as a storyteller, Stan Sakai’s edge never does.
Usagi Yojimbo has been hailed as one of the greatest independent comics ever. And it is. But it is more than that. It is one of the greatest comics, period. Read every volume. You will be glad that you did.
In a land very much like Japan, in a time very much like the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when legions of samurai suddenly found themselves out of work in a war-torn land trying to get back to normal, a masterless samurai - a ronin - named Usagi Yojimbo walks the path of a student-warrior. He goes wherever fate takes him, living by his honor, his swordsmanship and by the grace of the friends he makes along the way. On his endless adventures, Usagi confronts wicked bandits, cruel tyrants, sinister assassins, and dire supernatural fiends. He often encounters humble folk plying their trade in an often cruel and harsh world (and along the way, learns a bit about their work, like brewing sake or weaving tatami mats).
Along his way, he builds a vast cast of friends, allies and rivals, including the bounty hunger Gen, fellow samurai )and love interest) Tomoe, the ninja Chizu, the third Kitsune, the noble lord Noriyuki, the stalwart Inspector Ishida, and of course, Usagi’s own son (and chip off the old block), Jotaro. And just as well, he builds no small list of enemies, including the dire Lord Hikiji (the power-hungry lord who is the very reason why Usagi no longer has a master), the Neko and Komori ninja clans, the Koroshi league of assassins, and the demonic ronin Jei. Amid all this, Usagi strives to uphold the warrior ideals of bushido and find a sense of enlightenment on his journey.
The stories are often funny, exciting, smart, sharp, tight, and occasionally touched with tragedy. They offer an informed look at medieval Japan, and pay no small number of homages to all kinds of cultural references both ancient and modern, as a reflect of Sakai’s own journey to connect with his personal heritage and honor it with his stories. They are simultaneously suitable for adults and kids alike - despite all of the carnage, Sakai never descends into gruesome detail, and yet, the many scenes of battle never seem so sanitized that they lost their gravity.
The artwork is distinct and excellent. Sakai’s is a master of sharp lifework (as well as lettering), and since he writes, pencils, inks and letters every issue solo, there is a uniformity and consistency to Usagi Yojimbo that you just don’t find in many other comics or cartoons. Until the last few volumes, it is all B&W, but Sakai’s sense of depth as well as his supremely skilled panel composition, pulls you in so deeply that you forget if it’s in color or not. You are under Usagi’s spell from the first page, and along for the ride, however long it goes.
To get an idea of the length, breadth and depth of how beloved an impactful Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series has been, look no further than the introductions to each of the collected volumes published to date. There you will find a dazzling array of some of the finest talents in modern cartooning, who have a seemingly endless variety of ways to say how much they love Usagi Yojimbo, how impactful it has been on their own careers, and how great Stan Sakai has been himself as a goodwill ambassador for both cartooning as well as of the Japanese culture he so masterfully serves throughout his stories.
For those who have not yet enjoyed these stories for the first time, a wonderful journey awaits you. Usagi Yojimbo was created during those days in the 80s when anthropomorphic martial arts characters were all the rage. And yet, Usagi Yojimbo stood apart almost immediately. He might have been a rabbit ronin in a world of talking, walking animals, but he never seemed to be drafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or trying to comment on the martial-art zoo comic trend. From the beginning, Usagi Yojimbo, like its titular character, was determined to walk its own path, to be the best it could be, and to celebrate the things in life that are worth celebrating: devotion to one’s craft, honoring one’s family, upholding one’s obligations, serving one’s highest aspirations, accepting one’s limitations, and acknowledging one’s flaws.
The stories are largely episodic varying in length from just a few pages, to an entire collection. They often are self-contained, but just as often reference slowly building meta plots, or serve an entire, novel-length story on their own. Everything is delicately interconnected, and yet, without such a heavy continuity that one can not simply pick up any of these volumes and begin reading without skipping a beat. Such is this series, endlessly accessible and friendly to beginners, and endlessly rewarding to long-time fans for whom earned narrative developments deliver terrific dividends.
As with any series of this length, some moments in it won’t land as well with the reader as others. But there just are not that many lows with this - if you appreciate what Sakai is doing here, you’re likely to enjoy pretty much all of it. There are some volumes that really stand out, largely because they tell the biggest and most epic stories (v04: The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy, v12: Grasscutter, v15: Grasscutter II - Journey to Astuta Shrine, v17: Duel at Kitanoji, v19: Fathers and Sons, v28: Red Scorpion, v32: The Hidden, and v35:Homecoming all come to mind), but really, the entire catalog of worth enjoying on equal terms. It’s saying something indeed that the most recent volume of Usagi Yojimbo tells one of the most compelling and moving stories of the entire series. Some edges dull over time, but as a storyteller, Stan Sakai’s edge never does.
Usagi Yojimbo has been hailed as one of the greatest independent comics ever. And it is. But it is more than that. It is one of the greatest comics, period. Read every volume. You will be glad that you did.
January 23, 2021
I am in tears
June 20, 2025
The adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, the rabbit ronin, continue as he travels with his son Jotaro (though Jotaro does not know that Usagi is his dad)...
Fathers and Sons--Usagi searches for his son while Lone Goat is on the run with his son Kid as wanted fugitives. Jotaro fell into a river and washes up near Lone Goat and Kid's hide out. Lone Goat was shot with an arrow during an attempt to capture him and he remains unconscious. Jotaro helps Kid care for his dad when two peddlers show up. They think something is going on and go to inform local authorities, hoping to get in on a reward. The story plays out from there in the usual fashion, with some nice moments between the two fathers and the two sons.
Bells--Katsuichi (Usagi's master) has a confrontation on a street that reminds him of his youth. At his swordsmanship school he fell in love with the daughter of a rival school's headmaster. She reciprocated while understanding the delicate nature of the situation. The ambitions of others turned their story into a tragedy. It's a touching tale.
Kill the Geishu Lord--Usagi and Jotaro cross a mountain pass that is blocked by an avalanche carefully picking their way through the boulders and snow drifts. A small village at the other side is very inhospitable. Usagi knows something odd is going on, especially when one villager tells him to keep going and not come back. He makes like he is leaving but doubles back to discover a procession headed into the town. The Geishu Lord was also going over the pass and has been delayed. He also gets an unwelcoming reception in the village. It's another exciting story and a meeting with an old friend that draws out Usagi's big problem--should he tell Jotaro that he is Jotaro's true father?
The Pride of the Samurai--Usagi still struggles with whether he should tell Jotaro the truth about their relationship. At the market, a boy steals a fish. Jotaro chases after him, all the way to a shanty under a bridge. A down-and-out samurai comes out of the shanty and confronts Jotaro, saying no thief is here and Jotaro is lying. Usagi finally catches up and de-escalates the situation. Usagi and the vagrant samurai become somewhat friends though the samurai has a hard time accepting his situation and raising his son who is stealing to keep them both alive. This is another aspects of the fathers/sons dynamic that have been in the past few stories and ups the ante on Usagi's struggle.
Hokashi--Reunited with Katsuichi, Usagi's former mentor and the current mentor for Jotaro, the group goes to a temple to get blades bequeathed to Jotaro. On the way, they see a Hokashi troupe perform in a town, though Usagi thinks he recognizes the sword performer (and the feeling is mutual). A stray knife almost hits Usagi though Katsuichi snatches it from the air. Once they leave the town, the samurai run into the troupe again, with some explosive consequences. The story ends with Usagi and Jotaro separating. Usagi does not have the nerve to tell Jotaro that he is Jotaro's father. Usagi wonders if he has made the right decision. In a powerful coda, Jotaro tells Katsuichi that he did not have the courage to tell Usagi that he is Usagi's son. Like father, like son, carrying a hard burden.
This series of stories is fun and poignant.
Recommended, highly for Usagi fans.
Fathers and Sons--Usagi searches for his son while Lone Goat is on the run with his son Kid as wanted fugitives. Jotaro fell into a river and washes up near Lone Goat and Kid's hide out. Lone Goat was shot with an arrow during an attempt to capture him and he remains unconscious. Jotaro helps Kid care for his dad when two peddlers show up. They think something is going on and go to inform local authorities, hoping to get in on a reward. The story plays out from there in the usual fashion, with some nice moments between the two fathers and the two sons.
Bells--Katsuichi (Usagi's master) has a confrontation on a street that reminds him of his youth. At his swordsmanship school he fell in love with the daughter of a rival school's headmaster. She reciprocated while understanding the delicate nature of the situation. The ambitions of others turned their story into a tragedy. It's a touching tale.
Kill the Geishu Lord--Usagi and Jotaro cross a mountain pass that is blocked by an avalanche carefully picking their way through the boulders and snow drifts. A small village at the other side is very inhospitable. Usagi knows something odd is going on, especially when one villager tells him to keep going and not come back. He makes like he is leaving but doubles back to discover a procession headed into the town. The Geishu Lord was also going over the pass and has been delayed. He also gets an unwelcoming reception in the village. It's another exciting story and a meeting with an old friend that draws out Usagi's big problem--should he tell Jotaro that he is Jotaro's true father?
The Pride of the Samurai--Usagi still struggles with whether he should tell Jotaro the truth about their relationship. At the market, a boy steals a fish. Jotaro chases after him, all the way to a shanty under a bridge. A down-and-out samurai comes out of the shanty and confronts Jotaro, saying no thief is here and Jotaro is lying. Usagi finally catches up and de-escalates the situation. Usagi and the vagrant samurai become somewhat friends though the samurai has a hard time accepting his situation and raising his son who is stealing to keep them both alive. This is another aspects of the fathers/sons dynamic that have been in the past few stories and ups the ante on Usagi's struggle.
Hokashi--Reunited with Katsuichi, Usagi's former mentor and the current mentor for Jotaro, the group goes to a temple to get blades bequeathed to Jotaro. On the way, they see a Hokashi troupe perform in a town, though Usagi thinks he recognizes the sword performer (and the feeling is mutual). A stray knife almost hits Usagi though Katsuichi snatches it from the air. Once they leave the town, the samurai run into the troupe again, with some explosive consequences. The story ends with Usagi and Jotaro separating. Usagi does not have the nerve to tell Jotaro that he is Jotaro's father. Usagi wonders if he has made the right decision. In a powerful coda, Jotaro tells Katsuichi that he did not have the courage to tell Usagi that he is Usagi's son. Like father, like son, carrying a hard burden.
This series of stories is fun and poignant.
Recommended, highly for Usagi fans.
October 9, 2023
Miyamoto Usagi and Jotaro continue their journey together in "Fathers and Sons" (collecting issues #69-75) though both dread the looming end to their time together as they approach the month's end. Fatherhood continues to be the major theme here, with stories like "Fathers and Sons" and "The Pride of the Samurai" depicting the bond between a father and son and how both will sacrifice their lives in defense of the other. The "Fathers and Sons" tale is yet another reunion with the Lone Goat and Cub, with Jotaro befriending the young Gorogoro as they defend the injured Lone Goat together. Similarly, "Pride of the Samurai" is about the son of a vagrant samurai doing his best to protect his father's honor at the cost of his own childhood leading Usagi to mull the idea of the cost of honor over family.
Other great stories include "Bells", a short story which fleshes out Sensei Katsuichi's tragic past. "Kill the Geishu Lord!" follows Usagi and Jotaro coming to aid of Tomoe Ame and Lord Noriyuki's guard as they are ambushed by the Neko Ninja, who hope to regain Lord Hikiji's favor now that they've deposed Chizu. Throughout this ordeal, Usagi ponders revealing that he is Jotaro's father to the boy, but fears that it will ruin the happiness of an already settled family.
The culmination of Usagi's and Jotaro's journey takes place in the "Hokashi" story where the pair are reunited with Katsuichi at Kitanoji, marking a month of travels together. The adventure doesn't quite end with the group ends up in a scuffle with the Koroshi Assassins Guild, and Jotaro shows his growth as a warrior under Usagi's tutelage. The Usagi and Jotaro parting at the end is one of the more heart wrenching moments for the series, and a demonstration of how Sakai's decompressed storytelling style can pay off emotional beats so well.
Other great stories include "Bells", a short story which fleshes out Sensei Katsuichi's tragic past. "Kill the Geishu Lord!" follows Usagi and Jotaro coming to aid of Tomoe Ame and Lord Noriyuki's guard as they are ambushed by the Neko Ninja, who hope to regain Lord Hikiji's favor now that they've deposed Chizu. Throughout this ordeal, Usagi ponders revealing that he is Jotaro's father to the boy, but fears that it will ruin the happiness of an already settled family.
The culmination of Usagi's and Jotaro's journey takes place in the "Hokashi" story where the pair are reunited with Katsuichi at Kitanoji, marking a month of travels together. The adventure doesn't quite end with the group ends up in a scuffle with the Koroshi Assassins Guild, and Jotaro shows his growth as a warrior under Usagi's tutelage. The Usagi and Jotaro parting at the end is one of the more heart wrenching moments for the series, and a demonstration of how Sakai's decompressed storytelling style can pay off emotional beats so well.
August 29, 2022
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Hi. It's me, Dustin. Back with another Usagi Yojimbo review. We've just completed Volume 19 and it is still one of the best on-going graphic novel series of all time! Seriously, read my other eighteen reviews and you can see that, from the start, I've at minimum appreciated what Sakai was doing, at maximum I've fanboyed hard.
Fathers and Sons is probably the most adorable of the volumes thus far. As the name suggests, this volume is all about Usagi and Jotaro as well as other characters related in similar ways. We get the return of Lone Goat and Kid, a tragic story of a crazed samurai and his loyal son, and even a fun Kitsuichi backstory called Bells.
It might have been the music I had playing in the background at the time, or it might have been my fragile emotional state at the time, but those last few panels of the last story nearly got me! We've been building up to a very important conversation between Usagi and Jotaro for many volumes now and, although we haven't quite reached resolution, we have definitely made some major progress. I love their relationship and can't wait to see what Sakai takes it from here.
And also, give Sakai all the medals. His artistry is out of this world.
---
Hi. It's me, Dustin. Back with another Usagi Yojimbo review. We've just completed Volume 19 and it is still one of the best on-going graphic novel series of all time! Seriously, read my other eighteen reviews and you can see that, from the start, I've at minimum appreciated what Sakai was doing, at maximum I've fanboyed hard.
Fathers and Sons is probably the most adorable of the volumes thus far. As the name suggests, this volume is all about Usagi and Jotaro as well as other characters related in similar ways. We get the return of Lone Goat and Kid, a tragic story of a crazed samurai and his loyal son, and even a fun Kitsuichi backstory called Bells.
It might have been the music I had playing in the background at the time, or it might have been my fragile emotional state at the time, but those last few panels of the last story nearly got me! We've been building up to a very important conversation between Usagi and Jotaro for many volumes now and, although we haven't quite reached resolution, we have definitely made some major progress. I love their relationship and can't wait to see what Sakai takes it from here.
And also, give Sakai all the medals. His artistry is out of this world.
February 10, 2021
I love all of these Usagi volumes but this one might be my favourite. It ends with such an emotional punch in the gut I will not soon forget it.
A summary:
- Jotaro is separated from Usagi but finds Gorogoro the Kid from Lone Goat and Kid who needs help because his father is wounded
- Together Usagi and Jotaro must find a way to save the life of Lone Goat and his son
- In Bells we flash back to the early life of Usagi's Sensei Katsuichi and his early love
- In Kill the Geishu Lord we get an assassination attempt on Usagi's old friend Lord Noriyuki and a brief kiss with Noriyuki's protector Tomoe Ame
- Usagi and son run into a run down Samurai who places too much pride in being a Samurai and neglects his duties as a father
- And finally we reunite Usagi, Jotaro and Katsuichi for a neat adventure tale where they run into a band of assassins
So much adventure, and so much heart in all of these stories. Right to the tear-jerking last panel. Loved it.
A summary:
- Jotaro is separated from Usagi but finds Gorogoro the Kid from Lone Goat and Kid who needs help because his father is wounded
- Together Usagi and Jotaro must find a way to save the life of Lone Goat and his son
- In Bells we flash back to the early life of Usagi's Sensei Katsuichi and his early love
- In Kill the Geishu Lord we get an assassination attempt on Usagi's old friend Lord Noriyuki and a brief kiss with Noriyuki's protector Tomoe Ame
- Usagi and son run into a run down Samurai who places too much pride in being a Samurai and neglects his duties as a father
- And finally we reunite Usagi, Jotaro and Katsuichi for a neat adventure tale where they run into a band of assassins
So much adventure, and so much heart in all of these stories. Right to the tear-jerking last panel. Loved it.
August 4, 2021
Eat your heart out, everyone! I have a signed copy of this book and, if you know Stan Sakai, you know he does more than just sign his name when he autographs a book.
I don't know how he does it, but Usagi is sexy, strong, honorable, and someone I wish was in my life. I really loved these stories, especially the one when Usagi teaches his son what makes a samurai different from anyone else. My favorite is the tragic romance between the daughter of the owner of one dojo and a student at another dojo. There is an arc connecting some of the stories, but others are independent.
These stories can be read in any order and I highly recommend them.
I don't know how he does it, but Usagi is sexy, strong, honorable, and someone I wish was in my life. I really loved these stories, especially the one when Usagi teaches his son what makes a samurai different from anyone else. My favorite is the tragic romance between the daughter of the owner of one dojo and a student at another dojo. There is an arc connecting some of the stories, but others are independent.
These stories can be read in any order and I highly recommend them.
December 25, 2021
Sakai manages a neat trick here, by juxtaposing Usagi and Jotaro against Lone Goat and Kid, to show how the relationships in the two pairings are similar and different, all the while providing a fairly taut thriller of a story. The other stories are good too, and it ends with a poignant moment as the pairing separates, powered by a perfectly executed dramatic irony that manages to recontextualize events from several previous volumes. All of that along with action, excitement, and even humor just go to show how much a master Sakai is of this character, genre, and series.
May 4, 2017
Stan Sakai's comic series "Usagi Yojimbo" tells an ongoing tale that would leave you captivated and on the edge of your seat. Join the characters on an ongoing adventure to gain power and and eliminate the enemies as you reach your way to the top, while not being afraid to get your hands dirty.
January 18, 2025
This was a really good volume, with a huge focus on the theme of the title. My personal favorite story was the one with the Ronin and his son who lived under the bridge in poverty, but the ending reveal was also super solid.
August 6, 2021
Stan Sakai partiendonos el corazón. El camino y el honor del samurai es duro y lleno de decisiones difíciles.
September 15, 2022
A bit weaker than the series standard. Lot of fighting that gets boring quickly, some stories without a real "story" element (the carnies wtf). After a great books this sure went down.
March 20, 2018
Nineteen books into the series, and Usagi Yojimbo remains as fresh as it's ever been. This serial is, hands down, the best adventure-based comic book series of the past two decades. Usagi is the pinnacle of what all-ages comics should be. It's fast-paced and action-filled, yet still emotionally engaging and constantly challenging. Whether you are 7 or 47, Stan Sakai is giving you something to chew on. The research that Sakai puts into the series pays off in spades, creating a powerfully believable world (and his end-notes in this volume support how even the little details are grounded in the reality of the time period).
In this particular volume, we follow Usagi and Jotaro during their travels together. Almost all Usagi volumes are extremely accessible to new readers - and an intelligent reader could figure out everything that s/he needs to know if they picked up this book, but Fathers and Sons does pick up after a fairly dramatic cliffhanger in the previous volume, Travels With Jotaro. I say this only in the interests of full disclosure. Read this book, and I promise that you'll understand everything that you need to know about Usagi's relationship with, for example, Tomoe, but simply reading the hitch in her dialogue when she discovers that Usagi has a son.
Yes. Usagi's son, Jotaro. Father and son, travelling together, except there is a catch. Jotaro does not know that Usagi is his father (the why and how is revealed in a prior volume, but again, Sakai gets new readers up without bogging old readers down in clumsy or heavy exposition), so our ronin rabbit is left with the heavy, heavy question weighing on his soul - should he reveal his son's true parentage and potentially ruin the boy's relationship with his adopted father, a good man in his own right?
Before Usagi can make a decision, he gets to see the dynamics of family played out in several different ways. From a meeting with the deadly but honorable assassin, Lone Goat and Kid (a homage to the brilliant Japanese series, Lone Wolf and Cub) to an encounter with a spiritually broken samurai and his child, Usagi sees the power of the bond between father and son. The young Lord Noriyuki and his faithful retainer, Tomoe, also stop by for a dramatic and traumatic look at the bonds of honor and duty, echoing the familial ties of Usagi and Jotaro.
And, just to bring it all to a head with generational conflict, Usagi, Jotaro and Usagi's sensei Katsuichi run afoul of a family of assassins. Not too many comic book fights give me a total geek thrill, but Usagi and Katsuichi BOTH gave me spine-chilling moments during the final battle.
Include an excellent flashback showing a young Katsuichi's lost love and a charming introduction to this volume by Matt Wagner, and you've got a book that hits a home run on any level.
Sakai's cartooning is beyond reproach. He is an excellent storyteller, moving the camera around in consistently engaging fashion, and his pacing and lettering set the mood for every page. Stan Sakai's been setting a very high standard for a very long time now. And somehow, someway, he seems to actually raise the bar with each new book.
In this particular volume, we follow Usagi and Jotaro during their travels together. Almost all Usagi volumes are extremely accessible to new readers - and an intelligent reader could figure out everything that s/he needs to know if they picked up this book, but Fathers and Sons does pick up after a fairly dramatic cliffhanger in the previous volume, Travels With Jotaro. I say this only in the interests of full disclosure. Read this book, and I promise that you'll understand everything that you need to know about Usagi's relationship with, for example, Tomoe, but simply reading the hitch in her dialogue when she discovers that Usagi has a son.
Yes. Usagi's son, Jotaro. Father and son, travelling together, except there is a catch. Jotaro does not know that Usagi is his father (the why and how is revealed in a prior volume, but again, Sakai gets new readers up without bogging old readers down in clumsy or heavy exposition), so our ronin rabbit is left with the heavy, heavy question weighing on his soul - should he reveal his son's true parentage and potentially ruin the boy's relationship with his adopted father, a good man in his own right?
Before Usagi can make a decision, he gets to see the dynamics of family played out in several different ways. From a meeting with the deadly but honorable assassin, Lone Goat and Kid (a homage to the brilliant Japanese series, Lone Wolf and Cub) to an encounter with a spiritually broken samurai and his child, Usagi sees the power of the bond between father and son. The young Lord Noriyuki and his faithful retainer, Tomoe, also stop by for a dramatic and traumatic look at the bonds of honor and duty, echoing the familial ties of Usagi and Jotaro.
And, just to bring it all to a head with generational conflict, Usagi, Jotaro and Usagi's sensei Katsuichi run afoul of a family of assassins. Not too many comic book fights give me a total geek thrill, but Usagi and Katsuichi BOTH gave me spine-chilling moments during the final battle.
Include an excellent flashback showing a young Katsuichi's lost love and a charming introduction to this volume by Matt Wagner, and you've got a book that hits a home run on any level.
Sakai's cartooning is beyond reproach. He is an excellent storyteller, moving the camera around in consistently engaging fashion, and his pacing and lettering set the mood for every page. Stan Sakai's been setting a very high standard for a very long time now. And somehow, someway, he seems to actually raise the bar with each new book.
October 8, 2007
The hero, Usagi, is a ronin (unattached samurai) in a historical Japan after the great wars. As such, he is in the midst of a time of change, which much conflict, but most of it is not in the open. The social order is changing, and Usagi is finding his place in it. Along the way, he is joined by his son, Jotaro. But Jotaro does not realize he is Usagi's son, and knows Usagi as an uncle.
In this volume and volume 18 they travel through Japan to Jotaro's new teacher (who was Usagi's teacher). Along the way they meet many of Usagi's friends, encounter those who are also trying to carve out places for themselves in a new Japanese society (some of them through intimidation and violence), and other fathers, who are also trying to provide for and teach their sons the ways of the world and their place in it. One recurring bit of amusement occurs when Usagi's friends and others that encounter them along the way identify Jotaro as Usagi's son, even as they are introduced to Jotaro as a nephew, as they observe how they interact with each other.
Stan Sakai creates an engaging world with characters that are rich in motivation and backgrounds. Many lessons are taught and learned. Many mistakes are made, and there is even nobility and courage. And when you are done, you wish them well, those that continue their journey, and those that are left behind.
There is a strain of the arts that presents the purpose of the arts is to present the human condition, in its richness, grandeur, and in the mundane. And this is a fine example of this.
In this volume and volume 18 they travel through Japan to Jotaro's new teacher (who was Usagi's teacher). Along the way they meet many of Usagi's friends, encounter those who are also trying to carve out places for themselves in a new Japanese society (some of them through intimidation and violence), and other fathers, who are also trying to provide for and teach their sons the ways of the world and their place in it. One recurring bit of amusement occurs when Usagi's friends and others that encounter them along the way identify Jotaro as Usagi's son, even as they are introduced to Jotaro as a nephew, as they observe how they interact with each other.
Stan Sakai creates an engaging world with characters that are rich in motivation and backgrounds. Many lessons are taught and learned. Many mistakes are made, and there is even nobility and courage. And when you are done, you wish them well, those that continue their journey, and those that are left behind.
There is a strain of the arts that presents the purpose of the arts is to present the human condition, in its richness, grandeur, and in the mundane. And this is a fine example of this.
May 23, 2009
Another collection of our favorite masterless rabbit samurai in feudal japan by Stan Saki.
I'll just add that this excellent volume of tales by Stan Saki is best read after you are already familiar with the characters. Many Usagi Yojimbo volumes are mostly able to stand on their own, but readers will appreciate this tale of Usagi and his son (who doesn't know he is his son) and their adventures is best served if you've read previous volumes, especially number 18. There's a twist on the last tale that lends the volume a re-read, as it changes the context of the Usagi and son's interactions throughout this volume.
I'll just add that this excellent volume of tales by Stan Saki is best read after you are already familiar with the characters. Many Usagi Yojimbo volumes are mostly able to stand on their own, but readers will appreciate this tale of Usagi and his son (who doesn't know he is his son) and their adventures is best served if you've read previous volumes, especially number 18. There's a twist on the last tale that lends the volume a re-read, as it changes the context of the Usagi and son's interactions throughout this volume.
February 17, 2013
Dans ce tome, Usagi termine son voyage avec jotaro. Et évidement, la question de la paternité de l'un vis-à-vis de l'autre sous-tend tous leurs échanges verbaux ainsi que leurs passes d'armes face aux maraudeurs, brigands de autres chemins et autres assassins qui traînent.
Read
October 25, 2013Usagi Yojimbo Fathers And Sons was creasted by award winner Stan Sakai.
This graphic novel features Usagi a ronin or unemplyed samurai and his nephew Jotaro. Usagi reunites with his home town and him and Jotaro are seperated, or are they?
This graphic novel features Usagi a ronin or unemplyed samurai and his nephew Jotaro. Usagi reunites with his home town and him and Jotaro are seperated, or are they?
September 12, 2021
Retroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): Please see my review of the series
here
under the first volume.
June 28, 2013
Always great, but the end of this one tugged at the heartstrings more than I was expecting. Stupid heartstrings.
October 11, 2013
Well handled.
June 19, 2014
This one was a bit emotionally wrenching. Awesome, but wrenching.
January 12, 2015
It's not tears-in-your-eyes stuff, but it is affecting. In particular, Sakai ended the Jotaro thread commendably.
March 1, 2017
I really enjoyed Usagi and Jotari together and am sad to see them split. I also really enjoyed the Katsuichi stuff and would love to see more about him.
May 27, 2012
Usagi is always a winner
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews