Thread 149070722

Because we didn't do it yesterday, I'm stepping up today. So sit down and bump if you're reading.

Urg. Just out the gate and I'm already having issue with file sizes.

AND LOW AND BEHOLD COLOR! NOT SHIT COLOR!

Shut up Oriver.

Can't stay mad at Chizu.

What did he mean by this?

Usagi seems to be putting on some weight

Metal gear surprise sound dot wav

what did he mean by that?

You're not fully clean till your bushidoly clean

uh oh

And now that we're all comfortable, a frank discussion of religion.

THE ARISTOCRATS!

Oh hey it's the guy the story is named for.

WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE CHECKPOINTS!?

CHIBI TIMU!

:)

:(

well that's my earlier question

next cover. I do wonder how Usagi will react to the face of an actual miracle and some more overt Kirishitan imagery

I do question what Stan's views on this whole thing is. Personally. He seems to have some strong takes both positive and negative.

Here's some reading for you.

Some photos

man you get a lot of pages in an Usagi book.

Ant that's it. Always fun this Kirishitan stories. Anyways I hope you enjoyed reading. Or actually read it. I'd love to see someone's thoughts on the coloring here.

Usagi's disbelief in Christianity makes a lot of sense once you realize he's seen with his own eyes essentially the entirety of Japanese shintoism, mythology, and supernatural beings.
Makes me wonder how the Kirishitans can believe in monotheism unless they've been living pretty safe lives.

>>149071269
Well a lot of it boiled down to how you actually defined what a god was. A lot of the early conversation practices basically tried to effectively retcon previously believed deities down to other such super natural entities. Though I do wonder what Sasuke would think of all of this.

>>149070785
Possible shogun spy spotted.
Bottom panel, left.

>>149070826
Terrible disease like leprosy? He's actually a woman?
I'm trying to think about if we've actually seen him naked.

>>149070826
He got the shrinky dink from the yuki!

>>149071458
There was a brief thread before and we concluded it's either Yukichi being sick and hiding it, a werecat curse starting to affect him (he got scratched), him being really a her or he's hiding a cross of his own. The fact that Usagi did not recognize Yukichi's voice immediately here >>149070895 makes you wonder about the "secret woman" theory.

>>149071007
Also the nickname of Stan's late, mentally challenged brother. Who also apparently became a millionaire during his life. I swear, him and his family deserve a multi part documentary.

>>149070980
Technically, these are teh cathuuliks.

>>149070755
>NOT SHIT COLOR!
eeehhhhhhhhh let's not be so bold kemosabe

>>149071093
Guy is just doing the stairs meme down that mountain.

>>149070867
what a moron lmao

>>149071458
Him actually being a woman would be a strange ass pull at this point.
I'm guessing he has some sort of tattoo. Possibly received as a form of punishment since that is what they did in that era.

>>149071151
These guys don't have the sake glass mon. Maybe they are bandits?

>>149071559
>Also the nickname of Stan's late, mentally challenged brother. Who also apparently became a millionaire during his life. I swear, him and his family deserve a multi part documentary.

Goddamn, the more I hear the more I want an actual biography.

>>149071615
I TOLD YOU ABOUT BUSHIDO BRO!

>>149071559
very weird to see my art posted and edited like that lol

>>149071601
Nah, it's fine. Good in some places, even. Water still looks like baha blast, but it's miles ahead of the IDW run and doesn't physically hurt the eyes. I can see Emi Fuji's influence in how coloring is done.
But everything is somehow still worse than the first IDW TMNT crossover, which is extra weird when you remember it started the poorly colored IDW run.

>>149071559
Wait, how many brothers does Stan have? Because I remember Stan saying he got into comics because of his older brother.

>>149071205
>>149071186
Well, this explains a lot of anime

I missed this year's storytime. :-(

>>149071772
It was rough going this year for a lot of reasons

>>149071772
>>149071788
Yeah, it was a rough one. Obviously because of the hack. I do wonder how Enmaon is doing although

>>149071688
Yes, haha, how funny.

I only added eyelashes. If you do it with the original comic art, he looks even more girly.

>>149071721
Eh, agree to disagree. It's better than early IDW sure, but I still don't think it's doing anything really

>killed by a rival

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Akechi Mitsuhide was no rival but a vassal of Nobunaga that Nobunaga bullied so hard that he snapped and decided to kill him in the honnoji temple.

>>149071836
Despite different opinions on the current coloring quality, I think we can both agree that a return to B&W would be the best solution.

>>149071853
That is correct but it's a very succinct description so don't take the rival part so literal

>>149071853
Maybe he is interpreting it as Mitsuhide as a sort of "secret rival."

>>149071935
It just means enemy. Stop getting hung up on stupid shit.

>>149072124
You’re saying that to people who got hung up on backpacks

>>149072124
>Stop getting hung up on stupid shit.
Take is easy!

I was going to ask while posting, but I do wonder why this is still counted as part of the Plum story. I mean I get we're writing for trades now so that's probably the simple answer but I do wish we'd get back to regular numbering.

>>149072967
I think the theme has to do with healing, either spiritual healing or physical healing. The plums in the first arc were useful for healing ailments as do the tears from the shrine in this one.

>>149073005
Yeah I suppose that makes for some good parallel theming

>>149070755
Amazing

>>149072967
Do you think the label change is a factor?

>>149071650
>commit a crime
>get a sweet tat
I do wonder though. Jei didn't kill him so maybe he did commit a terrible crime.

I'm going to guess that he was drafted into Hijiki's army, deserted because he found out they were conspiring to overthrow the shogun, and probably had to kill a commanding officer. Being a technically dishonorable traitor, deserter, and murderer would probably make you alright in Himeko's and Jei's books.

>>149070906
If there were pickles, Gen would come crashing through the wall

>>149074524
Sanity check me here, what the fuck IS Jei's deal?
Does he just let psychopaths pass? I mean, his adoptive niece or whatever didn't really have a rap sheet before she joined him, but she didn't give a fuck about her parents getting murked, if I'm remembering right.
Yukichi being an actual psychopath but not an especially immoral one makes sense to me.

>>149071559
>The fact that Usagi did not recognize Yukichi's voice immediately here >>149070895 makes you wonder about the "secret woman" theory.

Man, that puts an entirely different spin on Jei being confused by Yukichi, It's not just that Yukichi lacks world experience because he's been cloistered his entire life at home and then at the sword school but because Jei is actually sensing the same sort of innocence that he saw in Keiko.

>>149074784

Jei didn't kill Keiko's grandfather, bandits did,

.

>>149071559
The girl theory is not impossible. Blue Eye Samurai has Mizu tie down her chest and keep her hair short to disguise herself

>>149074996
It also puts a new spin on that time Chizu kissed him

>>149075260
Girls pretending to be men is old as hell. Even happened in real life with real life tomboy crossing dressing samurai heart throb Nakazawa Koto! also Last Blade 2 had Kojiroh (Kaori) Sanada.

>>149075306

Also how Kitsune thought he was handsome.

>>149075347
Weirdly enough I don't think he's handsome enough to be a woman in disguise. They also tend to be depicted more dashingly. Also I wouldn't really read more into Usagi not recognizing his voice. He wasn't shown to have been slipping up and it's more likely Usagi was just more in thought because of that whole Kirishitan thing.

>>149070773
Oriven not doing any favors to himself

>>149071826
>>149071688
>>149071559
Plot twist, Stan actually browses these threads and this is him giving subtle hints to his fans while retaining plausible deniability.

>>149071559
I'd be very surprised if Yukichi turned out to be a woman in disguise, because it wouldn't be in keeping with his naivete and lack of worldliness. If Yukichi were in such a disguise, it'd be to avoid the limitations and dangers of being a woman in Feudal Japan, but such things are exactly what Yukichi overlooks. Moreover, Yukichi when appears in Wherewhen, he's still referred to as a man.

>>149075680
I mean that really is all stuff we already covered with Tomoe. Frankly I don't think it's really a likelihood and this is very much just a case of /co/ thinking with it's dick and running a joke into the dirt. As usual.

Missed the end of the annual storytime and can't find any threads in the catalog. Did anon post translations of that Usagi Doujin this time around?

>>149075912
Missed the end of the annual storytime and can't find any threads in the catalog.
>>148545961
c'mon man
> Did anon post translations of that Usagi Doujin this time around?
He did not

>>149075945
>He did not

>>149074827
man, she really likes that flute

>>149075912
>Did anon post translations of that Usagi Doujin this time around?
>>149075945
What doujin anons? Was is posted in this year's storytime? If someone posts it I might be able to translate at least. Assuming it is in japanese.

>>149070785
>>149071365
Not every hobo is a shogun spy

>>149070867
>>149071616
Man I'm surprised this guy has survived so long.

>>149071559
It has to be a tattoo, the chapter is called Tabu and tattoos where tabo in japan.

>>149070980
They believe in insane things like not killing peasants or committing suicide can you believe that? Suicide is forbidden how is a good feudal Japan person going about their life if they can't commit suicide for no particular reason.

>>149071123
Oh how sweet, now I'm really worried.

>>149076173
The story is called tabO.

>>149075616
This is suspiciously Stan like.

>>149071559
Stan's childhood nickname was Masa, so he's writing himself into this story too.

>>149071123
>Child
I just thought he was a short geezer

>>149076126
But every one could be one, especially since the last story featured glowies

>>149072967
Many factors. Apart from story themes, it's also caused by inflation. Trades now collect 5 issues instead of 7 (or 8 on special occasions) like they used to, the price is the same. So 5 issues long "chunks" make sense. Collecting is easier for new readers as well.They also kept the IDW (original comic) size, the original B&W DH trades were scalled down and less pricy to print.

>>149075790
We will jokingly run our dicks into the dirt and you cannot tell us otherwise.

>>149070826
My guess is that Yukichi caught the infamous foreign lung disease.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjYLY3BGDY4

For whatever reason he hasn't coughed until now.

>>149071772
>>149071788
>>149071821
Hiro's shitty april fools was one thing, the hack being the other.
>spoiler
I hope he's doing ok.

>>149074784
My guess is Jei doesn't punish you if your karma is neutral.

>>149076061
Here you go.
https://mega.nz/folder/Dsd31LiR#grnO0n2INCHplEWo4nOCYQ/folder/bpNUkTDK

>>149076243
Don't worry, Feudal Japane will get them sooner or later.

>>149070722 (OP)
Thanks Usagibro but why does this look blue filtered?

>>149071054
Here we see the Kirishitan syncretism after they kinda lost track of dogma without proper priests etc
I was expecting him to say the statue looks like Kannon but is really of Mary wink wink
How many years has it been since Christianity was outlawed?

>>149079536
According to Stan's notes >>149071205
persecution went into top gear at 1596.
Last canon date we got was 1605 back in Grasscutter part 1, which I think is safe to say, 1-2 years ago from Usagi's current point of view.

>>149070867
Fucking kirishitans!? IN MY HOT SPRING!? REEEEE!

>>149079722

The timescale in Usagi basically slides around with a 30ish year range; some things happen later there than they did in real life while others are earlier.

Sendai, for instance, was only founded in 1600 while it was around decades earlier in Usagi Yojimbo.

>>149078092
The death rate for untreated TB is around 70% within ten years of infection, with 50% dying in the first 2 years. While spontaneous recovery has been recorded, it is rare. So unless Stan is splitting the timeline of the main story from Where When (where we see Oliver alive and healthy for a while anyway), I'd say the hidden kirishhtian symbol/criminal tattoo or disguised girl theories would hold more water. If he did have TB, he wouldn't be going near crowds or sharing meals with others, and we'd see him coughing at times.

>>149081223
Maybe he does have TB or some other disease and ends up being the only guy to get some mommy kannon tears.

>>149081223
>>149081270
My bet is he has a particularly bad scar somewhere on his body that he's ashamed of because bushido, maybe kwannon will heal him but considering this chapter is named for Stan's dead brother I kinda doubt anyone is getting healed.

>>149081516
>Everyone is getting Feudal Japaned
Yeah, that's the most likely outcome, no second chance for Tiny Timu.

>>149070785
>bottom panel left
It's looks like Usagi at the tea ceremony...

>>149081920
This sake reminds me...

>>149074996
>bandits
A нy, чики бpики и в дaмки

>>149070785
She may have nearly brought them to their deaths over fake evidence, but at least she pays generously

>>149082612
>What amount of money do you think justifies our safety...*looks in the bag* wow that's it to the ryo.

>>149070962
Kirishitans who didn't want to be martyred just stepped on them when ordered to, and spent the rest of the year doing penance

>>149083113
Cunning bastards figured out the great stealth strategy if LYING.

>>149083708
It's a genuine problem when the lying involves besmirching your faith, and your faith doesn't have a proviso about that- at least Islam (IIRC) does have a "if you need to to survive you can fake-shit on this" clause

>>149070826
Yukichi is actually female and would be found out if they go to the onsen together.

Explain yourselves.

>>149084121
Pic related

>>149084967
Guys, I think Stan might be gay.

>>149084997
i hate to put out this theory, but Yukichi's secretly gay, even though it's not seen as completely abnormal in Feudal Japan

>>149075680
It's entirely likely that Usagi never learns Yukichi was actually a girl.

>>149087348
>implying he'd have a problem with that

>>149082168
>it was not a compliment

>>149076466
Didn’t he already do that in the stone jizu maker story?

>>149090975
He can self insert if he wants to. He can leave Jizo statues behind.

>>149074996
I just don't find it plausible, for a number of reasons
>Stan don't draw women like animals most of the time
>There area already a number of samurai women who actively fight so is not like is a big no no

>>149091234
>there is already a lot of females fighting
What if you are pretending to be somemone you aren't in order to gain admission to a fencing school? What if you lived the lie for so long it became your true nature?
I think that "girl Yukichi" is just a silly "whay if" theory, but it's not like it's totally implausible.

>>149091316
Stan really likes his detailed samurai armors

>>149083113
But if you seemed to hesitate too much, you were arrested anyway

>>149091661
You seemed to step on it too fast. Almost like you were hiding something....

>>149091678
Your moves seemed perfectly timed. It's like you were training for this...

>>149091234
>>There area already a number of samurai women who actively fight so is not like is a big no no

It most certainly is.

Noriyuki of all people let Horikawa sit there and say it was improper for Tomoe to act as a Geishu retainer and she's saved his life a bunch of times.

Plus pretty much her entire backstory is her father saying "Look, I know your brother is an untalented dumbass compared to you but he's still getting the school because you're female" with her getting shoved into inappropriate roles until Noriyuki's mom noticed her obvious talent with weapons.

About the only swordswoman that people took seriously from the start was Noriko and that was because she was a terrifying murder machine; even
inazuma kept getting underestimated because she was female and she was one of the most skilled with a blade in the entire series.

I don't know if I subscribe to the "secret woman" theory, but Yukichi is super cute. Recently even more than usual.

>>149092172
I agree with everything, except:
>inazuma (...) was one of the most skilled with a blade in the entire series
She was THE best, full stop. An almost supernatural talent, a flash in the pan, one in a hundred million. Gen was being dominated. Usagi was shocked by her abilities. She could go between Koji and Katsuichi and slap the bushido out of both. If not for the supernatural possession bullshit, she'd slice Jei to pieces.

>>149092172
This, was going to bring up Inazuma. She had to plead with her husband to train her, as the allure of a competent swords woman would surely draw in curious crowds. But once she proved to be a far superior swordsman and show artist, he started becoming jealous and resentful. However, after she cleaned out the gambling house, you can see it's typically groups of 4 or more bounty hunters trying to take her all at once, showing that at least they understand that even though she's a woman, she's also extremely dangerous.

>>149092157
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxSDWre3nXk

>>149092275
I stand by my opinion that Jeinazuma was the worst idea Stan has ever had and it wasted a great character while giving little back.

>>149070722 (OP)
thanks anon.

>>149093190
I dunno anon, he could have pushed it a bit further back but I don't see how Inazuma was gonna get out of her situation of being the most wanted person in all of Japan.
Also, giving her a happy ending similar to Zato Ino's, would make Ino's ending stand out less.

>>149093190
>>149093953
The bullshit part that sticks out is Jei tanking wounds while Inazuma can't, plus you could say Jei fights without regard for wounds because he heals, so that led to her death

>>149093953
Tragic death was always in the cards for Tomiko, but taking away her agency only to do nothing of significance with her and then instantly kill her off the moment she returns to being herself feels cheap. Jeification should never had happened to her and there should have been more stories about her before she died.
She could (and should) have had the same emotional ending, dying in her brother's arms moments after learning that her family (her father in particular) still loves and cares for her. But instead of bleeding out in a shed with Jei in her head, she could have died from multiple wounds after killing the guy who put a bounty on her, whose place she would raid in a desperation, to either clear her name or at least stop the waves of assassins. Her death would have SOME meaning. And if there were more stories about her - the real her - beforehand, her death would have been even more impactful. Inazuma deserved better.

>>149093953
Tragic death was always in the cards for Tomiko, but taking away her agency only to do nothing of significance with her and then instantly kill her off the moment she returns to being herself feels cheap. Jeification should never have happened to her and there should have been more stories about her before she died.
She could (and should) have the same emotional ending, dying in her brother's arms moments after learning that her family (her father in particular) still loves and cares for her. But instead of bleeding out in a shed with Jei in her head, she could have died from a grave wound after killing the guy who put a bounty on her, whose place she would raid in desperation, to either clear her name or at least stop the waves of assassins. This way, her death would at least have SOME meaning. And if there were more stories about her - the real her - beforehand, her death would have been even more impactful. Inazuma deserved better.

>>149094080
Jei can tank hits because souls of the bodies he possessed had fully surrendered to his control. While Inazuma was possessed unwillingly, and her soul was constantly fighting for control, occasionally breaking through and gaining control for a minute or two before Jei could force her back down.

>>149094188
Justice for Inazuma

>>149070773
Kappa injury still bothering him, I see.

>>149071123
Surely this will not end in some sort of horrible tragedy or bitter twist.

>>149092195
I don't get the people calling Yukichi "Cousin Oriver." He's a pretty likeable dude and his naivete creates an interesting dynamic with Usagi.

Usagi is normally the goody two-shoes next to characters like Gen and Stray Dog, but now he's the cynical one and Yukichi's the goody two-shoes.

IIRC though don't we know that Inazuma was always intended to become Jei? I think I remember Stan talking about how he'd considered bringing Jei back by having him possess Tomoe but then he didn't want that tragic end for her, so he made a new character. The problem with Inazuma is just he did too good a job setting her up and too bad a job paying her off. We should've gotten years' worth of stories of Jeinazuma

>>149081516
This is what I would suspect the most. He seems too naive to get a tattoo or have any clue about Kirishianity, and was a big believer in Bushido before setting out into the world. He's gone too far through life to have gotten away with a cross dressing act for so long. Chizu would have probably seen right through it, especially considering she kissed him.

>>149096025
The kappa broke his sword arm

>>149097154
AND kappa medicine is supposed to be overpowered so I'd expect the arm fully healed by now

>>149094188
>>149096942
I concur and not just because she has the largest booba of all UY girls
She didn't appear that often, Jei or not, and she jobbed to mud and rocks

>>149096573
I think most people calling him "Oriver" do so as a joke, but I agree with you. At his worst, Yukichi's inoffensive, at his best he offers an unique perspective and serves as a yard stick on how far has Usagi's disillusion progressed. Even during those "recap" stories where old plot points and characters are brought back for new readers, his involvement adds something fresh for the "old guard". The way his mere presence changed how Usagi interacts with Kitsune was pure gold. And the part in >>149070773 ? It serves as a recap, but their banter makes it sound natural.
I will miss Yukichi once Mr Sakai's Feudal Japan Fun Ride finally catches up to him. Wherewhen does not count.

>>149096573
You're probably young then. It's a long standing sitcom joke where when they run out of ideas to introduce a newer younger cuter character. Most famously Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch. They're usually more a symptom than a cause if we're being fair. But as says
>>149097895
It really is mostly just a joke based on HOW he was introduced which in all honesty felt a bit silly. I myself don't particular dislike him but I won't say he's my favorite either and perhaps this is just the stance of somehow who's been with the book sine the 90s a lot of it feels like Jotaro 2 feudal boogaloo and I don't really need the introductions. Especially since IDW era just already did a lot of introductions anyways.

>>149091316
>An official Stan Frank

>>149098222
>After returning from the land of the tigers, from a war launched by Taiko Hideyoshi
>Hatamoto Franku takes his family out in the beautiful suburbs of Edo
>His wife and child are cut down by roving Ronin, who also destroy his family tea set, causing him to lose face and getting exiled from his clan
>Now Ronin himself, Franku walks the path of revenge
>So begins the tale of Panisshā

>>149098712
Lone Wolf and Cub is basically the Punisher

>>149098222
>>149098712

Here's an original panel that Stan revised in later editions

bumping for readers

>>149096573
Aww Yukichi-chan is so cute when she's flustered

>>149101793
>No! We can't do this Kinuko! It's...historically inaccurate.

>>149101793
I miss when things were being corrected or changed for the trades. Apparently coloring makes it much more difficult.
Next storytime, we should use the original Mirage color run instead of the revised B&W version to mix things up. Same with Space Usagi (and then use the modern coloring of SU, which does NOT suck, for comparison).

>>149105858
I miss BW

>>149107704
Apparently Sakai is getting more money with color, but at what cost...

>>149071163
>I do wonder how Usagi will react to the face of an actual miracle and some more overt Kirishitan imagery
Usagi sees supernatural stuff all the time and it's not overtly Kirishitan, it's a bodhisattva.

>>149091316
The good thing about feudal Frank is that nobody gives him shit for killing thousand of people.

>>149070848
>>149070867
A hot springs episode? I can't believe Stan has to resort to fanservice baka baka

>>149109443
Does feudal Furanku get a permission slip from the shogun or does he just walk the meifumado?

>>149111478
It depends.
If he is called in to fight alongside Kumo-man and Tetsu-man against some monsters, he gets a slip. Otherwise he walks the road to meifumado.

>>149076061
>>149078366
Well anon? Were you able to translate it?

>>149100168
Amazing

reading for bumpers

>>149070755
Hey, that IS a lot better!

>>149071322
Tbf the eastern conception of a "god" tends to be very different from a western one. Godhood was something that could be achieved or granted, and gods were frequently mortal or little more then magical beasts depending on context. There is a good case Kami should be translated in many cases as spirit.

>>149117575
Yeah they're practically entirely different concepts.