Miyamoto Usagi is a ronin, a masterless samurai, who encounters all kinds of villagers, monsters and eccentrics as he wanders the countryside of feudal Japan. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that Usagi happens to be a rabbit? Usagi is Japanese for rabbit and Yojimbo can be translated as bodyguard, hence these are the tails—urm, tales—of the “Rabbit Bodyguard.”

Not Just a Funny Bunny

Created by writer/penciller Stan Sakai, Usagi and his anthropomorphic cohorts are not merely disney-fications of Japanese myth and history. Sakai’s cast of animals are imbued with a rich array of traditions that stem from the two forms of storytelling that Sakai draws upon most: traditional japanese folklore and chambara films. Usagi’s adventures do involve a great deal of humour, occasionaly even becoming tongue in cheek about the animals themselves such as with the Mogura Ninja clan¹. But in “The Goblin of Adachigahara” and “Lone Rabbit and Child”, the two stories that lead-off this graphic novel, Sakai draws heavily from the chilling and violent² tones prevalent in his major influences. Yes, the animals are funny and charmingly drawn as well. Yet, Stan Sakai’s talent for drawing so much narrative depth and attention to detail into his stories is what really makes Usagi Yojimbo a charming read.

Ronin Tails

Book one collects the first twelve tales of Usagi’s wanderings, providing us with clues to his background, “The Goblin of Adachigahara” and “Homecoming”, and planting many seeds for the Ronin’s future exploits, “Lone Rabbit and Child”.

My favourite two stories involve his encounters with Gen, a jovial bounty-hunter who is Sakai’s homage to the legendary Toshiro Mifune’s character in Yojimbo. Usagi and Gen are a perfect samurai odd-couple and the interplay between the reserved rabbit and the roguish rhino makes “Bounty Hunter” and its sequel delightful treats to read.

Beyond Black & White

Sakai’s pencils are clean and remarkably expressive. With the exception of the book’s fierce cover art, Usagi Yojimbo is drawn entirely in black and white. At times, such as with the comedic “A Quiet Meal” and “Horse Thief”, the art is quite simple and cartoon-like. Meanwhile, within the darker contexts founds “The Confession” and “Village of Fear”, Sakai frames the tense intrigue in the shadows and backdrops appropriate for tales of suspense. The effortlessness with which Sakai depicts Usagi’s emotions and Japan’s 17th centuary landscape is a feat in itself. Unlike with full colour art, black and white cannot disguise a penciller’s shortcomings. Hence, Sakai’s imaginative use of everything from Usagi’s rabbit ears tied into a topknot, to his full-page renderings of the rural countryside, provides that extra bit of brilliance that makes Usagi Yojimbo a truly special comic.

¹ Mogura is Japanese for mole and these all-mole assassins possess a fondness for subterranean surprise attacks.

² There is a panel in “Lone Rabbit and Child”, where Usagi swiftly decapitates an assailant in one smooth movement, that made me feel like I’d just witnessed a scene that was Kurosawa-like in its surreal ferocity.