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子連れ狼 [Kozure Ookami] #14
Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 14: Day of the Demons
As the flames draw nearer, the fire gets hotter. Ronin assassin Ogami Itto seeks to learn what's written on the secret messages from the corrupt Yagyu clan to the Shogun, and leaves a river of blood in his path. Elsewhere, a shamed woman attempts to force her husband to name his own child, but his job and honor stand in the way. Daigoro makes a new friend in another samurai fated to seppuku — ritual suicide — and defends the honor of a young playmate. The world keeps turning as the Lone Wolf and his Cub wander the land seeking revenge and answers, the questions to which are written in blood and ink.
This volume contains the following
One Rainy Day
O-Shichiri Man
The Kyushu Road
Day of the Demons
This volume contains the following
One Rainy Day
O-Shichiri Man
The Kyushu Road
Day of the Demons
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
11 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Kazuo Koike
562 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 39 reviews
March 17, 2021
[9/10]
The former samurai Ogami Itto is back on the road, carrying his three years old son Daigoro in a wooden cart, along back roads and half-forgotten temples, plotting their revenge against the powerful Yagyu clan, the ones who conspired to bring Itto down from his high position as the official Shogun executioner. This is just about the halfway point on their Road to Hell, or Meifumado, the path father and son are sworn to follow until death or until their enemies are defeated.
I will continue to write short reminders about each story included in the volume, helping me track this long, epic journey that, including the episodes not directly connected to the main plot, paint a comprehensive picture of an era and of the prevalent attitudes towards honour, duty, family and tradition, as codified in the samurai code of conduct ‘bushido’.
Since I already mentioned the richness of historical detail, the incredible talent of the authors for plotting a twisted, yet compelling path for vengeance and the cinematic, intense battle sketches balanced by detailed panels of landscape, architecture, weaponry, I will refrain from going into details about plot and artwork, preferring to include my choice images extracted from the album. Credits of course go to Kazuo Koike si Goseki Kojima.
One Rainy Day is the first of a couple of side-stories that have very little to do with the journey of Ogami Itto and Daigoro. Mostly they are witnesses to unfolding events, the little boy as a wide-eyed and silent lost soul and his father as a black angel of justice, passing judgement on the way of the samurai.
A man who is himself another incarnation of the Lone Wolf idea, a samurai who represents the villagers dying of hunger on a rich lord’s domain, goes one rainy day to his lord’s castle, proceeds to kill all his bodyguards, declaims a powerful condemnation of the said lord’s venality and indifference towards his subjects, and then kills him!
Accepting responsibility for is actions and trying to protect the peasants from being punished for rebellion, this man is granted the right to ritual suicide by the shogun’s representatives. As he waits for the heavens to decide the day of his ‘sepukku’ in a secluded garden, the man meets Daigoro, playing by himself around trees and insects and brooks. The boy offers friendship and makes the waiting easier.
As I have by now come to expect, every connection the little boy tries to develop with the outside world is crushed by an implacable Fate, and he is left crying in the rain.
O-Sichiri Man is another side quest that doesn’t involve Lone Wolf much. The title can be translated as ‘The Running Man’ or ‘The Postman’ and describes the method used for fast transmission of important letters, which are given to trusted servants that benefit from samurai privileges for right of way and license to use violence in the performance of their duty, but are not considered in the same class as the honoured warriors.
Such a man has been running back and forth for years between two important postal stations. People get out of his way when they see him coming, all afraid of crossing him or delaying him in his task, with the exception of his former wife, who keeps haranguing him for abandoning her and her newborn son, who died very young from neglect.
Is the woman justified in her quest for revenge against the man she accuses of killing the child and then refusing to even acknowledge him? This is where Ogami Itto finally shows up in order to explain to us the finer points of duty coming before family.
The Kyushu Road is the longest and most important story in the volume and the one that actually pushes the main plot forward. Itto is attacked on the high road by a group of masked assassins. He recognizes them as servants of a powerful country lord, but why are they hiding their faces and why are their master aligning himself with the Yagyu?
After a prolonged and very difficult duel with the best fighter from this lord, Itto takes the fallen man’s mask and goes to the lord’s castle to demand an explanation. This explanation involves more duels, including a very well drawn battle between sword and arrow and, finally, some revelations about the importance of the Yagyu letter, the secret one that Itto has been carrying around for five or six albums.
Day of the Demons is a coda that brings the story arc back to the beginning of the album, and shows Daigoro striking a friendship with a little girl during a folk festival in Nagasaki.
The location is important because it marks the place where the Shogun sent his goons to persecute and kill Christian converts that have fallen under the spell of Western missionaries. Daigoro witnesses scenes of horrifying abuse and slaughter, and appeals to his father to try to do something for the downtrodden.
There might be a continuation of this storyline, as the Lone Wolf and his Cub go back on the road.
>>><<<>>><<<
The former samurai Ogami Itto is back on the road, carrying his three years old son Daigoro in a wooden cart, along back roads and half-forgotten temples, plotting their revenge against the powerful Yagyu clan, the ones who conspired to bring Itto down from his high position as the official Shogun executioner. This is just about the halfway point on their Road to Hell, or Meifumado, the path father and son are sworn to follow until death or until their enemies are defeated.
I will continue to write short reminders about each story included in the volume, helping me track this long, epic journey that, including the episodes not directly connected to the main plot, paint a comprehensive picture of an era and of the prevalent attitudes towards honour, duty, family and tradition, as codified in the samurai code of conduct ‘bushido’.
Since I already mentioned the richness of historical detail, the incredible talent of the authors for plotting a twisted, yet compelling path for vengeance and the cinematic, intense battle sketches balanced by detailed panels of landscape, architecture, weaponry, I will refrain from going into details about plot and artwork, preferring to include my choice images extracted from the album. Credits of course go to Kazuo Koike si Goseki Kojima.
One Rainy Day is the first of a couple of side-stories that have very little to do with the journey of Ogami Itto and Daigoro. Mostly they are witnesses to unfolding events, the little boy as a wide-eyed and silent lost soul and his father as a black angel of justice, passing judgement on the way of the samurai.
A man who is himself another incarnation of the Lone Wolf idea, a samurai who represents the villagers dying of hunger on a rich lord’s domain, goes one rainy day to his lord’s castle, proceeds to kill all his bodyguards, declaims a powerful condemnation of the said lord’s venality and indifference towards his subjects, and then kills him!
Accepting responsibility for is actions and trying to protect the peasants from being punished for rebellion, this man is granted the right to ritual suicide by the shogun’s representatives. As he waits for the heavens to decide the day of his ‘sepukku’ in a secluded garden, the man meets Daigoro, playing by himself around trees and insects and brooks. The boy offers friendship and makes the waiting easier.
As I have by now come to expect, every connection the little boy tries to develop with the outside world is crushed by an implacable Fate, and he is left crying in the rain.
O-Sichiri Man is another side quest that doesn’t involve Lone Wolf much. The title can be translated as ‘The Running Man’ or ‘The Postman’ and describes the method used for fast transmission of important letters, which are given to trusted servants that benefit from samurai privileges for right of way and license to use violence in the performance of their duty, but are not considered in the same class as the honoured warriors.
Such a man has been running back and forth for years between two important postal stations. People get out of his way when they see him coming, all afraid of crossing him or delaying him in his task, with the exception of his former wife, who keeps haranguing him for abandoning her and her newborn son, who died very young from neglect.
Is the woman justified in her quest for revenge against the man she accuses of killing the child and then refusing to even acknowledge him? This is where Ogami Itto finally shows up in order to explain to us the finer points of duty coming before family.
The Kyushu Road is the longest and most important story in the volume and the one that actually pushes the main plot forward. Itto is attacked on the high road by a group of masked assassins. He recognizes them as servants of a powerful country lord, but why are they hiding their faces and why are their master aligning himself with the Yagyu?
After a prolonged and very difficult duel with the best fighter from this lord, Itto takes the fallen man’s mask and goes to the lord’s castle to demand an explanation. This explanation involves more duels, including a very well drawn battle between sword and arrow and, finally, some revelations about the importance of the Yagyu letter, the secret one that Itto has been carrying around for five or six albums.
Day of the Demons is a coda that brings the story arc back to the beginning of the album, and shows Daigoro striking a friendship with a little girl during a folk festival in Nagasaki.
The location is important because it marks the place where the Shogun sent his goons to persecute and kill Christian converts that have fallen under the spell of Western missionaries. Daigoro witnesses scenes of horrifying abuse and slaughter, and appeals to his father to try to do something for the downtrodden.
There might be a continuation of this storyline, as the Lone Wolf and his Cub go back on the road.
>>><<<>>><<<
November 15, 2017
‘One Rainy Day’: a rather moving tale that has only a tangential relationship to the main characters, it nonetheless highlights the way in which the lives of our heroes can often intersect those of others for good as much as evil or violence. It also allows the authors to once again highlight some of the most egregious flaws in the political systems of the day that were built on the way of bushido. In the end we see how one man can exemplify all that is best in that code while he stands staunchly against all that is worst in it and pays the ultimate price for his conviction.
‘O-Shichiri Man’: It seems apparent to me that one of the main themes running through the saga of Lone Wolf and Cub are ruminations on the role of the bushido philosophy, and the political structure that was built upon it, in the lives of the people of feudal Japan. Whether this is seen from the inside in the lives of the warrior elite themselves, or from the outside from the point of view of the peasant class upon whose backs the entire regime was grounded, the idea of an aristocratic warrior society built upon ties of obligation and honour obviously deeply affected any individual’s personal and societal relationships. In this story we see how far some members of the warrior elite, even on its lowest rungs, were willing to take their feudal obligations even in the face of the more visceral ties of love and family. Lone Wolf and Cub become drawn into the affairs of a husband and wife whose lives were tragically affected by just such a tension between the personal and the political and the judgement of who was right and who was wrong is left very ambiguous in the end (much more so than the initial trajectory of the tale would at first lead one to believe).
‘The Kyushu Road’: Lone Wolf and Cub are set upon by new enemies: a clan who hope to gain political ascendancy by means of the instability brought about by the feud between Itto and the Yagyu clan. Lone Wolf dispatches the assassins sent to kill him with relative ease and takes the fight to the clan leader himself in the hopes of uncovering the secret behind their interference. In the end both the mysterious Yagyu letter upon which Itto seems to have pinned his hopes of success and a deep secret of the Kurokuwa clan and its insidious ties to the other noble houses of Japan become central to the resolution of the situation.
‘Day of the Demons’: A story in which Koike and Kojima look at the treatment of early Japanese Christians that were persecuted for their faith. Daigoro befriends a little girl who is part of this alien sect to whom he feels bound by an act of kindness on her part. His father admires the boy’s tenacity and spirit of loyalty in the face of opposition and agrees to help him meet the letter of his obligation to his newfound friend, though in actuality it proves to be something of an empty gesture. Both this tale and the first one act as appropriate bookends to this volume in which Daigoro’s actions (and empathy) play centre stage and both tales definitely pull at the reader’s heartstrings.
‘O-Shichiri Man’: It seems apparent to me that one of the main themes running through the saga of Lone Wolf and Cub are ruminations on the role of the bushido philosophy, and the political structure that was built upon it, in the lives of the people of feudal Japan. Whether this is seen from the inside in the lives of the warrior elite themselves, or from the outside from the point of view of the peasant class upon whose backs the entire regime was grounded, the idea of an aristocratic warrior society built upon ties of obligation and honour obviously deeply affected any individual’s personal and societal relationships. In this story we see how far some members of the warrior elite, even on its lowest rungs, were willing to take their feudal obligations even in the face of the more visceral ties of love and family. Lone Wolf and Cub become drawn into the affairs of a husband and wife whose lives were tragically affected by just such a tension between the personal and the political and the judgement of who was right and who was wrong is left very ambiguous in the end (much more so than the initial trajectory of the tale would at first lead one to believe).
‘The Kyushu Road’: Lone Wolf and Cub are set upon by new enemies: a clan who hope to gain political ascendancy by means of the instability brought about by the feud between Itto and the Yagyu clan. Lone Wolf dispatches the assassins sent to kill him with relative ease and takes the fight to the clan leader himself in the hopes of uncovering the secret behind their interference. In the end both the mysterious Yagyu letter upon which Itto seems to have pinned his hopes of success and a deep secret of the Kurokuwa clan and its insidious ties to the other noble houses of Japan become central to the resolution of the situation.
‘Day of the Demons’: A story in which Koike and Kojima look at the treatment of early Japanese Christians that were persecuted for their faith. Daigoro befriends a little girl who is part of this alien sect to whom he feels bound by an act of kindness on her part. His father admires the boy’s tenacity and spirit of loyalty in the face of opposition and agrees to help him meet the letter of his obligation to his newfound friend, though in actuality it proves to be something of an empty gesture. Both this tale and the first one act as appropriate bookends to this volume in which Daigoro’s actions (and empathy) play centre stage and both tales definitely pull at the reader’s heartstrings.
January 23, 2019
Highly experimental on the level of narrative, unequal parts tragedy and comedy are continually punctuated with an uncountable number of sword thrusts and their accompanying dropped bodies. With a whole host of eye-popping decisions which are most exemplified in the introductory tale, which features an ostensibly schizophrenic narrative (truly a bizarre mish-mash of bloodletting and child play – all within the confines of decidedly un-protagonist-centric approach) can either be redeemed or ignored depending on your subjective take on the matter. With an abrupt ending, anything approaching a satisfyingly emotional conclusion is questionable here.
April 16, 2016
Volume 14 deviates from the usual chapter plot of contract killings. Instead, Ogami did not take any life as an assassination assignment, yet still manages to leave a lot of dead bodies in his wake.
The highlight of this volume is The Kyushu Road, where the Yagyu letter, a plot device that has never really developed since the all-out war of the Yagyu clan against the Lone Wolf has its secrets almost been revealed.
The other chapters are as engaging as The Kyushu Road. There's even one chapter where Ogami Itto was never seen in any panel, and his involvement in the story is left for interpretation. Another chapter has something to do with an o-shichiri runner (they are sort of official messengers, samurais who can run pretty fast) and his unrelenting dedication to his task. Lastly, Christian Japanese who went hiding their true beliefs, those who are called Kirishitan were also given a story in this volume.
One theme that I think is central to all the stories in this volume are the characters' reverence and obedience to the one they believe in. These beliefs, be it bushido, kirishitan or meifumado are more important than their lives.
Now I am halfway towards the end of the whole Lone Wolf and Cub. It has been a great journey so far.
The highlight of this volume is The Kyushu Road, where the Yagyu letter, a plot device that has never really developed since the all-out war of the Yagyu clan against the Lone Wolf has its secrets almost been revealed.
The other chapters are as engaging as The Kyushu Road. There's even one chapter where Ogami Itto was never seen in any panel, and his involvement in the story is left for interpretation. Another chapter has something to do with an o-shichiri runner (they are sort of official messengers, samurais who can run pretty fast) and his unrelenting dedication to his task. Lastly, Christian Japanese who went hiding their true beliefs, those who are called Kirishitan were also given a story in this volume.
One theme that I think is central to all the stories in this volume are the characters' reverence and obedience to the one they believe in. These beliefs, be it bushido, kirishitan or meifumado are more important than their lives.
Now I am halfway towards the end of the whole Lone Wolf and Cub. It has been a great journey so far.
April 11, 2022
Her zamanki gibi çok özlemişim ve çok muhteşemdi. İtiraf edeyim seriye başladığımda siyah beyaz bir çizgi romandan keyif alır mıyım diye biraz endişelenmiştim. Yalnız Kurt ve Yavrusu hikayenin renklerin çok ötesinde olabileceğini kanıtladı bir kez daha.
Yağmurlu Bir Gün çok tatlı bir hikayeydi. Karakalem bir çizimde yağmurun bu kadar güzel betimlenmesi gerçekten inanılır gibi değil. Ve O-Shichiri ile yine bir tarih dersi aldık. Sıkıcı ders kitaplarını zorla ezberlemek yerine keşke Osmanlı tarihi de objektif bir bizimde tarafsız yazarlar ve çizerler tarafından Yalnız Kurt ve Yavrusu gibi anlatılsaydı.
Yarıya gelmenin üzüntüsü, kalan tüm ciltlerin kitaplığımda okunmayı beklediğinin sevinci içerisindeyim.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
Yağmurlu Bir Gün çok tatlı bir hikayeydi. Karakalem bir çizimde yağmurun bu kadar güzel betimlenmesi gerçekten inanılır gibi değil. Ve O-Shichiri ile yine bir tarih dersi aldık. Sıkıcı ders kitaplarını zorla ezberlemek yerine keşke Osmanlı tarihi de objektif bir bizimde tarafsız yazarlar ve çizerler tarafından Yalnız Kurt ve Yavrusu gibi anlatılsaydı.
Yarıya gelmenin üzüntüsü, kalan tüm ciltlerin kitaplığımda okunmayı beklediğinin sevinci içerisindeyim.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
May 18, 2019
Acho que é o primeiro volume em que a arte de Goseki Kojima me desagrada de forma digna de nota: o bebê morto na p. 27 tem o aspecto de um boneco de pano e a mãe vingativa da segunda história, "Oshitiri-san - O mensageiro", tem os mesmos traços de outras mulheres protagonistas de volumes passados (a ponto de, folheando, eu ter tido a ilusão de que a história era sobre o retorno de uma delas).
June 17, 2021
Lobo Solitario 14
Buenas historias alternas, y avance en la historia principal, secreto de la carta.
4.3 stars
Me gusto mucho la historia del Ronin que en lo que espera recibe visitas de Daigoro.
Todo lo del clan Kuroda, que al final se relaciona con la historia principal, very interesting.
También interesante lo del capitulo de la persecución religiosa.
Buenas historias alternas, y avance en la historia principal, secreto de la carta.
4.3 stars
Me gusto mucho la historia del Ronin que en lo que espera recibe visitas de Daigoro.
Todo lo del clan Kuroda, que al final se relaciona con la historia principal, very interesting.
También interesante lo del capitulo de la persecución religiosa.
March 24, 2020
Wow. Cada que pienso que el formato de historia corta auto contenida, se está haciendo tedioso y repetitivo. El maestro Koike nos entrega historias desgarradoras, llenas de cultura japonesa y con mucha carne para reflexionar sobre el honor, la justicia, el orgullo y la muerte.
Como es costumbre tenemos cuatro historias, que ligeramente se conectan con la trama más larga. A diferencia de otros tomos anteriores, podría decir que las cuatro me gustaron bastante, quizá la segunda fue la más débil (la del mensajero y su esposa) pero también fue bastante emotiva.
Las cuatro historias contenidas están llenas de emoción, la primera nos muestra a un samurai en sus últimos días y cómo elige el día de su muerte. Además vemos a Daigoro interactuar con este personaje de una manera hermosa.
La tercera historia conecta a Itto con su plan contra los Yagyu y su mensaje. Se descubren algunas cosas y aunque no es tan emotiva, avanza la historia hacia adelante lo que es muy importante porque el maestro Koike ha utilizado un ritmo muy lento para avanzar su historia. Además que la razón por la cuál Itto decide qué hacer con el mensaje de Yagyu, me parece impresionante y difícil de entender para alguien occidental.
La cuarta historia fue mi favorita. Aborda el catolicismo en Japón y como fue perseguido. Si viste la película del Silencio con Andrew Garfield y Liam Neeson, no te sorprenderá esto. Pero increíblemente, es una historia de Daigoro, mis favoritas, y no concluye en este capítulo. El tomo se queda en una especie de cliff hanger y si es abordado de manera correcta en el siguiente tomo, podría haber un cambio de status para los personajes bastante interesante.
El arte del maestro Gojima sigue siendo sumamente impresionante, envolvente y único en el arte de hacer manga.
Vamos a la mitad de tomos de esta historia y espero que a partir de ahora, el ritmo aumente un poco y nos acerquemos más al enfrentamiento de Itto contra Yagyu.
Como es costumbre tenemos cuatro historias, que ligeramente se conectan con la trama más larga. A diferencia de otros tomos anteriores, podría decir que las cuatro me gustaron bastante, quizá la segunda fue la más débil (la del mensajero y su esposa) pero también fue bastante emotiva.
Las cuatro historias contenidas están llenas de emoción, la primera nos muestra a un samurai en sus últimos días y cómo elige el día de su muerte. Además vemos a Daigoro interactuar con este personaje de una manera hermosa.
La tercera historia conecta a Itto con su plan contra los Yagyu y su mensaje. Se descubren algunas cosas y aunque no es tan emotiva, avanza la historia hacia adelante lo que es muy importante porque el maestro Koike ha utilizado un ritmo muy lento para avanzar su historia. Además que la razón por la cuál Itto decide qué hacer con el mensaje de Yagyu, me parece impresionante y difícil de entender para alguien occidental.
La cuarta historia fue mi favorita. Aborda el catolicismo en Japón y como fue perseguido. Si viste la película del Silencio con Andrew Garfield y Liam Neeson, no te sorprenderá esto. Pero increíblemente, es una historia de Daigoro, mis favoritas, y no concluye en este capítulo. El tomo se queda en una especie de cliff hanger y si es abordado de manera correcta en el siguiente tomo, podría haber un cambio de status para los personajes bastante interesante.
El arte del maestro Gojima sigue siendo sumamente impresionante, envolvente y único en el arte de hacer manga.
Vamos a la mitad de tomos de esta historia y espero que a partir de ahora, el ritmo aumente un poco y nos acerquemos más al enfrentamiento de Itto contra Yagyu.
February 17, 2025
Read as part of Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus 6
One Rainy Day - Another awesome setup. With believable characters. And Cub gets to be cub. But again this is a book of death. This one is beautiful though until it wasn't.
O-shichiri Man - A piece of Japan that I'd not heard of - basically a messenger service of runners.
And we get to see honor and dedication. And some nudity. And how far someone might go to do their job. Even name their dead son. Lone Wolf and Cub are really just watchers in this one.
The Kyushu Road - A longish story. It does have some nice art work. And reference to another family that could be interesting but won't be. And maybe we finally know the secret of the Yagyu letter. Though it feels like something might have gotten lost in translation.
Day of the Demons - The repression of Christianity in Japan. And Cub being cub. This is definitely a story we haven't seen before here. Lone Wolf is mostly an observer in this one.
3.5 of 5
One Rainy Day - Another awesome setup. With believable characters. And Cub gets to be cub. But again this is a book of death. This one is beautiful though until it wasn't.
O-shichiri Man - A piece of Japan that I'd not heard of - basically a messenger service of runners.
And we get to see honor and dedication. And some nudity. And how far someone might go to do their job. Even name their dead son. Lone Wolf and Cub are really just watchers in this one.
The Kyushu Road - A longish story. It does have some nice art work. And reference to another family that could be interesting but won't be. And maybe we finally know the secret of the Yagyu letter. Though it feels like something might have gotten lost in translation.
Day of the Demons - The repression of Christianity in Japan. And Cub being cub. This is definitely a story we haven't seen before here. Lone Wolf is mostly an observer in this one.
3.5 of 5
March 27, 2022
This is the 14th volume of Lone Wolf and Cub and there isn't anything plot relevant in these stories. Ogami and Daigoro take a backseat to the many interesting people of Tokugawa Japan. One Rainy Day tells the story of a samurai who prevents a peasant uprising. O-Shichiri Man is about the foot messengers with high level correspondence. The Kyushu Road is about the political ambitions of a family who send masked assassins after Ogami. Day of the Demons depicts the persecution of Christians.
These stories are tragic and fascinating, but I don't see myself revisiting any of them.
These stories are tragic and fascinating, but I don't see myself revisiting any of them.
July 31, 2019
I own ALL of the Lone Wolf and Cub volumes. All of them. I LOVE the series for so many reasons. HOWEVER, if you are just trying to follow the Itto/Yagyu conflict, avoid this volume. There is only one story that plays into the general story line and even it is throw away.
Still, great art, historical accuracy, and wonderful one offs, this is a great comic that should not be avoided for any reason other than following the Itto/Yagyu storyline.
Still, great art, historical accuracy, and wonderful one offs, this is a great comic that should not be avoided for any reason other than following the Itto/Yagyu storyline.
February 10, 2023
Questo volume è sicuramente uno dei più belli che ho letto finora della saga, e lo consiglio caldamente a chiunque sia un fan del manga o dei samurai. La storia è coinvolgente, le immagini sono potenti e la combinazione di entrambi crea un'esperienza di lettura che non si dimentica facilmente. Se sei alla ricerca di una lettura emozionante e visivamente affascinante, questo volume di 'Lone Wolf and Cub' è sicuramente una scelta eccellente.
December 1, 2024
A man who looks exactly like Ogami Itto breaks the rules to fight for his land. A message runner mist fight off his estranged wife. A very lengthy story of another house willing to pursue Ogami Itto to get in the good graces of the Yagyu clan, but Itto kills them all until they decide to act with honor. And a story showing how Japanese Christians were treated in feudal Japan.
June 21, 2017
Sólo por esa técnica de lucha katana-contra-lanza se merece las cinco estrellas. La trama por fin avanza con el capítulo, larguísimo para lo que nos tienen acostumbrados, del clan Kuroda. El resto de historias ponen el listón muy alto con sus retazos poéticos. De los mejores tomos hasta ahora.
September 30, 2019
Three-and-a-half. Again, just like the previous volume, I feel like this is ramping up to something, and the stories are not quite as self-contained and entertaining as in previous volumes. Hopefully the next one is more enjoyable.
January 24, 2021
Better artwork again; it's not leaps and bounds just slow steady improvement - I think it's more time spent rather than skill increase.
Not sure what to say other than I'm grateful to learn more about Samurai culture and history/daily life of people in Japan.
Not sure what to say other than I'm grateful to learn more about Samurai culture and history/daily life of people in Japan.
May 14, 2021
Same as the first. Fantastic art, engaging action stories, not much to the characters. At this point, the series has pushed Ogami Ittō and Daigorō aside in favor of focusing on new secondary characters with each story and is much better for it.
December 17, 2022
Bu serideki şu ana kadar okuyup beni etkileyen en duygu dolu hikayeler bu ciltteydi sanırım. Ogami'nin kiralık kontratları ve ana hikayeye pek bağlı değil bu bölümde anlatılan hikayeler ve bu böyle uzun bir seri için güzel bir mola olmuş.
August 1, 2023
Another superb entry in the classic manga series as Ogami Itto and his son, Diagoro, continue on their quest for revenge while engaging in some solo adventures along the way, from helping a condemned assassin to a bereaved wife. Koike continues to mix in the world of feudal Japan and samurai society, with its strict code of honor that guides Itto. His writing is matched by Goseki Kojima's crispy realistic yet action packed art. One of the best manga series ever.
June 23, 2025
This was a good volume. The history behind the letter runners and Christian persecution is interesting, and the display of faith in the last story was depicted in a strong way. Otherwise, the first chapter of this book, "Rainy Day," is perhaps one of the most bittersweet of the whole series.
March 11, 2018
es una de esas entregas más aclamadas pero como aportó a la historia. Eso sí, ya comienza, finalmente, a perfilarse todo de como será el tamaño del final o al menos de que lo estará por llegar.
February 20, 2020
This one was really good.
May 27, 2020
Been enjoying how Daigoro has gained more attention recently
October 19, 2020
Great as usual. The ones I give 4 stars are still great but the 5 stars ones are more memorable.
January 11, 2022
I wish I had the determination and leg muscles and lung capacity to be like the secret mailmen in this book, my gosh.
February 13, 2022
Still smashing it.
June 14, 2023
Excellent
March 1, 2013
Erneut brilliante Bilder
Die Geschichten dieses Bandes, bis auf "The Kyushu Road", die den Hauptteil des Bandes einnimmt, sind eher unzusammenhängend mit der Hauptstorylinie.
Vor allem beeindruckend wiederum ist die visuelle Qualität: Auch hier, gerade in "The Kyushu Road", sind wieder einige kinowürdige Elemente drin, die einen Staunen machen (hierbei möchte ich insbesondere die Stelle ansprechen, in der ein Zoom auf ein gezeichnetes Bild sich hin zu einem Szenenwechsel entwickelt: Spitzenklasse). Aber auch die pastoralen Szenen, in denen Daigoro durch wunderschöne Landschaften zieht und mit Kaulquappen und Käfern spielt, sind wunderbar gelungen.
Minimal störend empfinde ich die in diesem Band stellenweise leicht schlechtere Reproduktionsqualität in Bezug auf Graustufen, die etwas körnig geraten sind.
Fazit: Insgesamt nicht so gut wie einige der Vorgängerbände; dies bedeutet aber bei diesem hohen Niveau nicht viel. Die vier Sterne spiegeln diesen Sachverhalt also wieder: Sie sind deutlich mehr wert als 5 Sterne bei anderen Titeln.
Die Geschichten dieses Bandes, bis auf "The Kyushu Road", die den Hauptteil des Bandes einnimmt, sind eher unzusammenhängend mit der Hauptstorylinie.
Vor allem beeindruckend wiederum ist die visuelle Qualität: Auch hier, gerade in "The Kyushu Road", sind wieder einige kinowürdige Elemente drin, die einen Staunen machen (hierbei möchte ich insbesondere die Stelle ansprechen, in der ein Zoom auf ein gezeichnetes Bild sich hin zu einem Szenenwechsel entwickelt: Spitzenklasse). Aber auch die pastoralen Szenen, in denen Daigoro durch wunderschöne Landschaften zieht und mit Kaulquappen und Käfern spielt, sind wunderbar gelungen.
Minimal störend empfinde ich die in diesem Band stellenweise leicht schlechtere Reproduktionsqualität in Bezug auf Graustufen, die etwas körnig geraten sind.
Fazit: Insgesamt nicht so gut wie einige der Vorgängerbände; dies bedeutet aber bei diesem hohen Niveau nicht viel. Die vier Sterne spiegeln diesen Sachverhalt also wieder: Sie sind deutlich mehr wert als 5 Sterne bei anderen Titeln.
September 9, 2020
This series is magnificent. This volume contains one of my favorite stories so far _One Rainy Day_. BUT. It also contains another problematical bit of self contradiction. In earlier volumes it is speculated that Lone Wolf puts up a certain sign to attract clients for his services. Later, when he is putting up a different sign looking for Daigoro, this is explicitly confirmed. In _The Kyūshū Road_ this is reversed. We are now told the client posts the sign to contact Lone Wolf. That Lone Wolf only posts one to challenge another assassin. ?!? Really? Argh.
"When the assassin Lone Wolf and Cub HIMSELF put up the talisman... It was a CHALLENGE- from ONE assassin to ANOTHER!"
"And so that Father now posted pictures to his child, where once he had pasted the talismans of Meifumadō to invite in clients of death and assassination." ( Vol. 11, Road to Hades)
"When the assassin Lone Wolf and Cub HIMSELF put up the talisman... It was a CHALLENGE- from ONE assassin to ANOTHER!"
"And so that Father now posted pictures to his child, where once he had pasted the talismans of Meifumadō to invite in clients of death and assassination." ( Vol. 11, Road to Hades)
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