Book Review: Usagi Yojimbo Book 7 by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo Book 7: Gen's Story by Stan Sakai

More adventures of the masterless samurai Usagi Yojimbo:

Kitsune--Usagi meets a fascinating street performer named Kitsune who is a master of magic tricks. She can balance a top on the edge of her fan, among other gimmicks. Usagi gives her a nice tip for her performance; she lifts his wallet because she is "a girl doing what she can to get by." After he discovers the theft, Usagi runs into an old opponent and has another encounter with Kitsune as they head out of town. The story is a little episodic but fun none-the-less.

Gaki--Young Usagi trains with his master who is teaching him to be more aware of his surroundings, mostly by bonking Usagi on the head when he isn't looking. Usagi decides to return the favor while the master is napping, but his over-enthusiasm leads to an oozing helmet. Usagi passes out and is pestered by the vengeful ghost (Gaki) of his master. The ending is obvious and enjoyable.

Broken Ritual--Usagi wanders into a town frightened by its recent history. During the last war, one of the commanders of Usagi's lord fled to the town and tried to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) before the enemies overtook him. The timing was off and the townsfolk were unhelpful, so now the town is haunted by the general's ghost. Much more serious than Gaki, this story is a touching ghost story.

The Tangled Skein--After the battle in which his lord dies, Usagi flees to a forrest known as the Tangled Skein. He hopes to hide from his enemies there. He winds up at the hut of a witch where he's put in jeopardy and saved by a very unlikely source. A fine, short tale.

Gen--The backstory of Gen, Usagi's best friend among the wandering masterless samurai, is given. The plot involves a poor old woman who has spent twenty years looking for vengeance. Her husband was assassinated by a loyal retainer. The retainer fled and she has been in pursuit, though she has run out of resources. Usagi and Gen try to help her. The story was exciting and touching, developing the character of Gen quite well.

The Return of Kitsune--Usagi and Gen run into Kitsune, who charms Gen with her schtick. She winds up on the bad side of some locals and Gen insists on helping her out of her jam. The tale is a lot of fun, developing even more of the relationship between Gen and Usagi.

The Last Ino Story--Ino is the blind swordpig with a wooden nose who supposedly died many issues ago. Turns out he's been in hiding, living a peaceful life with a good woman. That life has been disrupted by some bandits he fought. He has a serious arrow-wound and is near death. Usagi and Gen seek shelter in the hut where Ino's wife is trying to save him. They help Ino recover. Gen had faked Ino's death in hopes that he'd have a better life as an anonymous peasant. That was true until now. An owl keeps swooping by, which Gen takes as a harbinger of death. He doesn't want Ino to die, since sparing him was one of Gen's few good deeds. It's another touching story and has a nice ending.

Highly recommended--these stories are well-written and the art perfectly captures the tone of the storytelling.