Hitomi

Hitomi #1-5

by H.S. Tak, Isabella Mazzanti (Artist)

In Feudal-era Japan, a drifter with no prospects begins training in secret under Yasuke, a once-famous and now-disgraced warrior, as she struggles to find her place in a society entrenched in discrimination and violence.

Combining the historical sweep and elegance of Kurosawa with the visceral action of Tarantino, this saga follows the trials and tribulations of a young female warrior who travels the country-side unendingly working to gain the rank of Samurai, a title no man, monster, or myth can give to her, but one that she will have to take.

For fans of The Witcher, Old Man Logan, Lone Wolf and Cub, Usagi Yojimbo!

Collects Hitomi #1 - #5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Japan, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Japanese Literature

140 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this historical fiction, a young Japanese woman presses Yasuke -- a real man from Mozambique (or possibly Sudan) who ended up in Japan and came to be known as the Black (or African) Samurai -- into training her so she can eventually take revenge on the warrior who killed her family during a time of war.

The first couple of chapters are actually fairly good as they come together and solve a couple of problems for some local villagers, but I found my interest flagging as they part ways for a time due to a looming war and the creators' desire for a big flashy battle for the climax.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Hitomi #1-5.

Contents: 1. Ghost -- 2. Wolf -- 3. Hawk and Panther -- 4. War -- 5. Daughter -- [Cover Gallery] / Clark Bint, Steven Russell Black, Valentina Napolitano, Isabella Mazzanti, Carlos Lopez, Peach Momoko, Amancay Nahuelpan, Uko Smith, Alan Quah, Brent McKee, Ashley Wood, and Jason Muhr, illustrators

[Prozaiczna °★]

Jest to naprawdę ładnie zilustrowana opowieść samurajska, ale z niewykorzystanym potencjałem. Oparta jest na wielu dobrze już znanych motywach pokroju poszukiwanie zemsty, relacja mistrz-uczeń, odmienność itp. Jednak pomimo tej szablonowości, sam koncept fabularny kupił mnie od razu.
Protagonistka szkoli się u zabójcy własnej rodziny, tak by w odpowiednim momencie móc mu dorównać i pomścić bliskich. A przynajmniej w teorii, bo dość szybko zapomniałam jaki cel tak właściwie jej przyświeca.

W komiksie pojawiają się momenty stanowiące zalążek czegoś więcej, ale nigdy on nie kiełkuje. Wszelkie ciekawe kwestie moralne są jedynie momentami o których zapomina się po chwili. Dosłownie STRONĘ po najciekawszym fragmencie całego komiksu, w którym powstaje gigantyczna wyrwa między bohaterami, idą sobie na żarcie!!!!

Prócz tego, mnóstwo ciekawych, ale pozostawionych samopas wątków; uproszczenia fabularne, na które przymykam oko i dla mnie, mało satysfakcjonujacy finał.
"Hitomi" jako komiks czysto rozrywkowy sprawdza się naprawdę dobrze, ale mając z tyłu głowy ten przedsmak czegoś więcej, ostatecznie mnie zawiódł.

[Steven Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts really well but by the time I got to issue 4 my interest was going. I feel like we was on a solid path and then we had a big change for the worse in my opinion. Art style isn’t for me either but I can look past that.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars. This started better and more interesting than it finished, which felt rushed and predictable.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO Good!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Great storyline, great characters and art work was pretty cool.

[Dominik Zięba · Rating 2 out of 5]

historia bez szału, ale ilustracje bardzo mi się podobały.
[2.5] idealnie w połowie. wróciłem tu po paru godzinach i bardzo średnie to było.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

What a wonderful graphic novel. Stunningly drawn, with movement and grace and gore; and stunningly told, with grief and loss and love. This almost instantly became one of my favourites graphic novels and all round stories mere pages into reading. Faithful and honouring classic Samurai stories, dipping into speculative history around the Black samurai Yasuke, and imaginative and vibrant in its original characters and folkloric plot lines, this is easily one of the best rendered and most masterful tales out there.

[Kytana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise behind this mini-series comic being about the origin story of Hitomi, a young Japanese female wanting to be trained as a samurai, and the creative take on Hitomi's master/sensi Yasuke, who historians argue was a real (not myth or legend) man of African origins who became a Samurai to Daimyo Oda Nabunaga in Feudal Japan. This standalone volume did a great job of laying out a foundation to address issues of feudal Japan and its many wars that affected the nation's economy, social cast, and gender inequality. It also hints via dialogue, the long-term racism or prejudice Yasuke might have faced due to Japan being a homogenous society.

With all that being said, this mini-series reads more like a prequel. The pacing/plot was rushed, which made major revelations and other scenes not as impactful or simply confusing. This also meant the opportunity to truly unpack the above-mentioned themes and the samurai code in relation to the injustice Hitomi & Yasuke face along their tumultuous journey was missed.

So, 3.5/5 ⭐️ because this had the makings of a uniquely layered story, visually highlighted by a beautiful art style reminiscent of that of Japanese illustrator Yuko Shimizu but again the comic needed more issues to unpack its themes and narrative.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing especially if you like Mulan or heroines like her stories and ancient Japan.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh take on the lone wolf and cub trope, with some of the most gorgeous artwork I have ever seen in a graphic novel. I can’t wait to find out where Hitomi and Yasuke go next.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

De un tiempo a esta parte, la figura histórica de Yasuke ha encontrado un gran interés en las obras de ficción que pueden terminar de engrandecer una arquetipo más legendario de lo que fue una anécdota a pie de página en la historia despótica y beligerante del Japón Feudal. Desde la reinvención más pasada de vueltas de AFRO SAMURAI que alcanzó un sucesor espiritual en el anime homónimo de Netflix de hará unos años que también impulsaba un conjunto de fantaciencia. Hasta ahora con el último videojuego de la saga Assassin´s Creed que intenta ver un poco más a fondo su figura histórica (evidentemente distanciándose en cómo encimbrar su faceta de samurai de la corte de Oda Nobunaga). Y con HITOMI, Yasuke vuelve a tratar de rencontrarse con sus raíces más históricas y sopesadas. Eso sí, recurriendo a una trama arquetípica de venganza por la cual una joven de ascendencia mongola, trata de encontrar al samurai de piel azabache al responsabilizarle del asesinato total de su familia. El caso es que Yasuke hace ya tiempo que dista de ser ni un mísero ronin. Forma parte de un grupo itinerante de luchas de sumo del que más pronto que tarde también se distanciará, dejando de postergar el abandonar la isla de Japón. Los azares del destino hacen que la joven se cruce con Yasuke e inicien un viaje en común en el que la chica apela al viejo honor del guerrero para que la acoja como discipula. Esperando a poder cruzar aceros de forma justa y cobrarse su sangrienta venganza. Un camino largo y serprenteante les espera, donde desgracias e injusticias mayores empiezan a mellar el espíritu salvaje de la joven y vuelven a hacer partícipe a Yasuke de un deje de responsabilidad.

H.S. Tak comprime en 5 entregas una trama que bien podría haberse aupado más en su facetal trascendental que en los dejes de acción y aventura en el que el talento gráfico de Isabella Mazzanti cumple (pero a regañadientes). Teniendo más afinidad en los momentos de "sosiego" y diálogo cruzado entre la joven y Yasuke. Esto notándose además en cuanto Tak trata de "engrandecer" el conjunto con cosas como esa guerra territorial a la que hacen partícipe a Hitomi y que deriva en ese atolondrado climax del que se descubre la revelación de la verdad tras esa acusación inicial de la chica a responsabilizar a Yasuke de la masacre de su familia. Algo que debía haberse planificado mejor a expensas de suprimir pasajes como la de esas "figuras endemoniadas" vengándose del heteropatriarcado nipón.

HITOMI dista mucho de pasar de una olvidable curiosidad. Algo doloroso por la parte visual.

[Yoshiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

POPKulturowy Kociołek:
Komiks Hitomi autorstwa HS Taku i Isabelli Mazzanti zabiera czytelników w podróż do feudalnej Japonii, gdzie fikcja miesza się z historią, a w tle rozgrywa się brutalna zemsta. Wydawnictwo Lost In Time po raz kolejny ma więc w swojej ofercie coś, co zdecydowanie powinno przykuć uwagę fanów Dalekiego Wschodu.

Akcja albumu przenosi nas do roku 1590. Widzimy, jak młoda Hitomi szuka czarnoskórego samuraja. Jej celem jest dokonanie na nim zemsty. Zanim jednak do tego dojdzie, musi ona stać się mu równa, co wcale nie będzie takie łatwe. U boku znienawidzonego Yasuke przechodzi ona potrzebny trening, aby w końcu pomścić rodzinę i dać ukojenie swojej duszy.

Autor serwuje nam tu opowieść łączącą akcję, przygodę, emocje, fikcje i historię (drobne odniesienia do prawdziwej historii Japonii). Motywem przewodnim scenariusza jest wspomniana zemsta, ale to nie ona jest najważniejszą częścią komiksu. Tytuł czerpie pewne inspiracje zarówno z twórczości Tarantino, jak i dzieł Kurosawy.

Hitomi to przede wszystkim historia o dorastaniu, walce z własnymi słabościami i poszukiwaniu swojego miejsca w świecie. Autor porusza w nim również ważne tematy takie jak dyskryminacja, zemsta i honor. Zmieniające się i ewoluujące relacja między Hitomi a Yasuke stanowi serce opowieści. Początkowo pełne napięcia, nieufności i wrogości, z czasem przeradzają się w silną więź wzajemnego szacunku i zaufania.

Pierwszoplanową rolę odgrywają tu więc przede wszystkim różnorakie emocje. Pojawiają się również sceny walk (dość brutalne), ale one są tylko dodatkiem do reszty. Jeśli więc ktoś liczy na mocną dawkę krwawej samurajskiej treści, może być trochę rozczarowany scenariuszem....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/hitom...

[Dillon Braeges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dang good, if not groundbreaking. If you've seen a samurai drama, you know this story. It's a simple revenge tale, which I'm always a sucker for, and this one is very well told. The artwork is gorgeous, the dialogue is snappy, and the plot moves ahead at a decent clip without feeling rushed. In fact, I kind of wish it had taken it's time a touch more. I think it would have benefited from a few more standalone chapters, go full Lone Wolf and Cub with it.

It's elevated a bit by featuring one of the most fascinating people in Japanese history, the black samurai Yasuke. We don't really know that much about him beyond his servitude to Oda Nobunaga, which this story takes full advantage of. It recasts him as a washed up ronin, lost after the death of his lord and finding new purpose as a teacher.

All in all, highly recommended.

[Yani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an impulse pick at the library. The art style was pretty and it seemed interesting.

And it was. The tale of an orphaned girl and an African ronin who teaches her to be a samurai. Not your usual fare.

I will admit to being a little confused about who the girl was supposed to be searching for throughout the book. I assume the ronin, but, it's a little unclear. It certainly reads that way, but they never have an actual conversation about it, so...

It also feels very much like the start of a series, but it was only published this year, so that might come in time.

It's worth a look though.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hitomi, Tak etc
Japanese orphan girl pursues the Samurai who murdered her family.
#1- Ghost - Winter. 1590. Japan. "I am looking for a Samurai." - Hitomi
#2- Wolf - "I can hunt wolf in my sleep." - Hitomi
#3- Hawk and Panther - "Looks like a warning." - Yasuke the Samurai
#4- War - Northern Woodlands, Mozambique. One day in the 16th century, long forgotten. "Riders and horses!" - young Yasuke
#5- Daughter - "NIGHTMARE. I saw you fighting once, at a distance. Discarding men like a deep sea wave scattering shells across the sand." - Lord Riu

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork was my favorite part of this graphic novel, but the story not so much. This was the independent book club selection for my graphic novel club, and we all came to similar consensus. Overall, this story was jumbled and some issues were better than others. It had lots of great potential, but the story was utterly forgettable. As I described it, the story seems like an idea a student had in a creative writing class, and they missed the lesson on storyboarding and editing. Only reason why it received 2 stars was for the beautiful art.

[Niniane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire originale et sympathique ! J'ai aimé cette vision du personnage de Yasuke, errant dans un pays qui n'est pas vraiment le sien (car oui, l'histoire de Yasuke a énormément de potentiel narratif, surtout car le reste de sa vie est plongé dans l'obscurité). Hitomi est une héroïne féroce et déterminée. Forcément, deux marginaux qui trouvent un refuge l'un auprès de l'autre, c'est une recette très efficace.

Quelques bémols : ce qui touche à la mort de la famille d'Hitomi est vite expédié, l'intrigue est parfois décousue et la fin est très abrupte.

[Kerry]

Hitomi (volume 1) by H. S. Tak tells of a determined, young orphan bent on revenge for the murder of her family and neighbors during an unnamed, feudal Japanese war. She’s targeted a dark-skinned samurai, but first she must train. To do so, she must disguise her gender and intent. This first volume lays the foundation for a compelling story.

This graphic novel features stunning artwork by Isabella Mazzanti.

[RSC_Collecting · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. A girl who saw her family murdered seeks out the samurai who did it. Searching for revenge, she ends up befriending the old Ronin. Requesting he take her under his wing and teach her to become a samurai. It was pretty good. Plenty of battles and little dramas. Some small twists and turns to keep things interesting. I enjoyed it overall. The art was good too. Dark and sketchy with plenty of blood and emotion. Good stuff.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hitomi offers a satisfying Lone Wolf and Pup remix with a black samurai and an angry orphan girl. They trek across Japan, taking on various tasks, often chaffing against the rigid rules of Japanese society. The artwork is soothing and the storytelling crisp. I would happily accept several more volumes with these characters.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. An enjoyable read with different and attractive illustrations.

I enjoyed the story and my only complaint is that it could have been twice as long.

For me it scrapes the fourth star because it's definitely better than your average graphic novel.

I would recommend this book to readers who are also fans of Akira Kurosawa movies.

[Daniela Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um novel gráfico com potencial mas gostava que fosse maior.

Apesar de ter gostado bastante da história gostava de ter tido mais tempo com as personagens mas acredito que a segunda parte deste livro nós dê a profundidade que desejava.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Rorscharch71 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4
Art 4

Very interesting new artist !!!

[Rae Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: 3.5
Art: 5/5
“Tomorrow is simple. You live or you die.”

[Julia Pika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork & compelling story!

[Paulina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is lovely but the dialogue and story is a bit stilted. The end felt quite abrupt. A fun short read.

[Chels · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful art, meh story. Too rushed.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely art and a compelling story. Well worth a read for anyone who is a fan of samurai stories.