Kozure Ookami

I have tried to like this manga, I have tried to force myself to keep going because I know it's a classic. A part of me is even disappointed in myself for dropping this series but I have to be honest with myself, nothing can please everyone.

I respect this manga. I respect the art, it's fantastic. I respect the themes, not everything is as simple as good and bad. I respect the amount of research that was done to create an authentic feudal japan setting.

My biggest issue with this series is the episodic format. I understand this is a completely subjective thing and from an objective point of view this is a really bad reason to not be a fan of something, but personally I prefer a consistently flowing story. I dropped this series after the 19th chapter and have been told that eventually it reaches a continuous arc, but that is apparently near the end of the series. Some information flows through between chapters but it's very minor and you will basically be dealing with the same two main characters the whole way through. These are also long chapters, eventually some reaching over 50 pages. So to continuously have to slog through these long chapters for some self contained story that doesn't even matter in the grand scheme of things is not a good pay off in my opinion.

There was a chapter or two about the MC's past and why he does what he is doing now, they were easily the best chapters I managed to read. You will get bits and pieces of character development flowing through but it's very minor.

If you're like me and don't care much for episodic series, then you might not be a fan of this. It definitely has good qualities, don't get me wrong. If you like episodic series then by all means please give it a try, you will probably enjoy it.

Lone Wolf & Cub is more than my favorite manga, it's one of my favorite literary productions of any kind. The brutality and horrendous violence presented here manages to deliver some of the most poignant, meaningful stories I've ever encountered. Many of the quick vignettes just make you think or are entertainingly witty, but some (primarly those focusing on young Diagoro) can be down right tear jerking. Watching these small stories come together to weave the arching narrative is beautiful to behold.

I intend to be reading this title for years to come, and have it impacting my life for long after that. Most the time -- I read manga because it's fun. LW&C though, I read because it moves me.

Lone Wolf and Cub was my introduction into manga. It was my first and to this day remains my favorite. It showed up one day at my local comic book store in 1987 and the first 10 issues the covers where done by Frank Miller.Well that first publishing only had one chapter per book as opposed to the 4 or five per a Japanese volume and it only lasted 43 chapters. Those 43 chapters were so good I dropped 90% of the American comics I had been reading and went on the hunt for more Manga, it was the start of my love for manga.

I had to wait 10 years for Dark Horse to pick it up and then in August in 2000 they started issuing English volumes. This manga was that good, it made me pursue it for 10 years.

Keep in mind 1987 was back in the day where internet access was via dial up only and for a lot of people that number was a long distance call too, so the Manga scan culture was not really that big if it even existed back then. By 2000 I had high speed access and there was a manga scan culture and community but it was not nearly as dynamic and large as it is now.

Lone Wold and Cub is a fantastic story, and has wonderful art and blew away anything the American comic book shelves had to offer. Frank Miller saw this and even did the first 10 covers a wrote an introduction.

This is a classic, if you like action and good art this is a must read.

There are many anime and manga that can rightly be considered classics for one reason or another. Of these, only a few can surpass this status and truly be considered masterpieces in the purest form (and when I say a few, I mean exactly that). Supreme amongst these titles is a manga that is considered the single most influential piece of literature (and I do not use that word lightly), to come from Japan during the 20th Century.

That manga is Lone Wolf and Cub.

The creation of writer Koike Kazuo and artist Kojima Goseki, the story tells of Ogami Itto, the Kogi Kaishakunin (Shogun's Executioner), during the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He returns home shortly after the birth of his son, Daigoro, to find his wife and retainers brutally murdered, and himself suddenly named as a traitor who is expected to commit seppuku. Instead, he gives his 1 year old son, the only survivor of the attack, the choice between a ball and a sword. Should his son choose the ball, then he will be sent to his mother's side. Should he choose the sword however, then he will join his father on the road of blood and vengeance, of slaughter and heartless cruelty.

Thus begins the legend of Lone Wolf and Cub.

To say that the story is breathtaking would be an understatement. There are very few words that can truly convey the depth of the individual tales, or the depth of one's emotions as you join Ogami and Daigoro on the road to meifumado (the buddhist hell). This is a work that will evoke almost every emotion you'd care to name, from righteous fury to heartwrenching sorrow, from earnest hope to blind hatred. The complexity and detail of the plot reveal a level of sophistication that many have tried to copy over the decades since its release, but none have managed to better. The episodic format of the series allows the reader a greater degree of accesibility to the story, whilst losing nothing in terms of character development. If anything, the format actually enhances the various roles, with a number of characters being far more "real" in just one appearance than many lead characters in other stories.

The artwork of Kojima Goseki is nothing short of exquisite. The style adopted throughout the series has a certain gritty realism to it, whilst retaining an expressionist form reminiscent of traditional Japanese art. Kojima's simple, yet evocative, style allows for a greater degree of expression than can normally be found in manga, with the characters themselves retaining a feeling a reality. The quality of the artwork, together with Koike's gripping storyline, allows for a suspension of disbelief that is difficult to match by any other series.

The characters are wonderful in their uniqueness, style and personality. Ogami is a truly complex and many layered character. An assasin with a strong sense of nobility, a "demon" who is a loving father and husband, a symbol of hope for some, terror incarnate to many. Daigoro, on the other hand, is how one would expect a child to be, innocent, playful, and with very few cares in the world. One of the most wonderful things about the series is the how it addresses the bond between father and son, and in many stories Ogami bets his life on the strength of this bond. In a very real sense, he is trusting his 3 year old child to "watch his back", and this leads to some truly astounding development between the two, especially at the end of the series, with it's truly awe-inspiring climax.

There are many other characters who appear throughout the series, however the majority will only appear in one story or another. However, this does not impact on their level of realism, as many of the characters with only one appearance possess an enormous amount of depth from the start.

In the case of Lone Wolf and Cub, enjoyment is purely a specualtive term. The level of realism in the series is breathtaking, and the various action sequences will often leave you speechless, with the most exhilerating being the 178 panel sequence (you'll know it when you read it) - possibly the longest fight ever portrayed in manga. The scope of the series is of epic proportions, with each panel searing white-hot across one's mind, and unlike many other long running series, this never gets old or stale. I first read this back in 1989, and 20 years later I still get chills whenever I pick it up again. This is a series that you will find yourself re-reading for years to come.

This masterwork of the storyteller's art has had incredible and lasting influence both inside and outside of Japan. As well as spawning 7 movies and various TV movies, the series has also been adapted into two TV series and four plays. In terms manga and anime, one need look no further than Rurouni Kenshin, Hokuto no Ken, Black Jack, Vampire Hunter D, Mushishi, etc. In addition to this, the influence on Western media has been just as great. Comics and novels such as Sin City, Cable, The Road, Ronin, Road to Perdition and Waylander all pay homage to the series, with additional references being found everywhere from Final Fantasy and Samurai Jack, to Usagi Yojimbo and Kill Bill.

Lone Wolf and Cub is a work that has truly crossed the boundary between popular media and true literature. The style, pace, artwork and characterization throughout the series are the benchmarks by which many mangaka set their standards. The global popularity and influence of the series crosses the boundaries of age and gender, with many fans of the series being uninterested in other manga and anime.

Lone Wolf and Cub is, by any measure, a true masterpiece. Even now, as I close off this review, I still feel I haven't done it justice.

Yes, it IS that good.

Lone Wolf and Cub - A Family Murderer

Every comic book reader has his "sin". That classic CB (comic book) that is acclaimed, indispensable and for some reason you ended up never reading it.

I have some of these sins, but perhaps the greatest of them is never to have read Lone Wolf and Cub, a true landmark in manga history and considered one of the best comic books ever, an influencer of legends like Frank Miller, and responsible for the arrival of the expansion of manga in the West.

The problem is that since then, Lone Wolf and Cub didn't have any republishing and the manga ran out quickly, becoming a collector's item. The version I read contains luxury finish, offset paper and cover with "ears". A new chance for comic book collectors may say.

First, it is important to keep in mind that this manga was originally published in Japan between 1970 and 1976, accurately depicting the Shogunate Era when samurai existed on the hills, and corresponded to the period from 1603 to 1868. This is because some may strange to the characteristic art of the manga of the time, accustomed to more recent publications that bring the theme, such as "Blade of the Immortal", or even the famous shonen manga, "Rurouni Kenshin". Unlike these two, Lone Wolf and Cub is extremely more grounded in realism, with a raw, dynamic beauty and that portrays with as much of verisimilitude as possible the Edo Period to which the plot corresponds.

Kazuo Koike's script and the art of Goseki Kojima bring the story of Itto Ogami, a mercenary known as Lone Wolf, who travels through Feudal Japan offering his services with his sword, while carrying his son - the little Daigoro - in a baby carriage. This concept, by itself, is already one of the highlights of the manga. It is impossible to not see all the beauty of the scenes where Itto and Daigoro walk towards the sunset, father, and son walking along a bloody path called by the Itto - the meifumadou. That is, "the errant way of the world of the dead."

During much of the manga we are introduced to this path traveled by Itto and Daigoro, while the ronin performs his missions and always let us know that even though he is a mercenary who kills for money, he is even more honored than practically all the other samurai who they cross their path in the course of the plot. This narrative, despite having chapters that bear little relation between them, and only try to show random "missions" of Itto, begin to make us interested in the past of this character and question what would have made someone so honored to travel through world by offering his sword in exchange for money while supposedly putting his own unborn child at risk.

It is only in the last chapter of the first volume that we are lightly presented to Itto's past and we understand part of what made him decide to become a wandering ronin. The interesting thing is that even bringing the character's past, the chapter still leaves some questions open, keeping the reader's curiosity about the volumes that will come next. At the same time that we understand the reason for the current life of Itto, we still don't know exactly what happened to arrive at the point where the chapter begins.

To conclude, what I can say of Lone Wolf and Cub is that reading this manga made me extremely happy. Not only by finally being able to lay hands on what is considered by many to be the ultimate work of manga or not because I've always been curious about this manga but by something much simpler: that indescribable feeling of when we perceive that we are before a pleasant, perfect reading, that immerses us in the pages and transports us to a completely new world. And nothing beats that feeling.

Story: 10 | Art: 10 | Character: 10 | Enjoyment: 9
Score: 10/10

Personal Note: I have never learned so much in a single volume, honestly time makes the reader appreciate better readings in life.

One of the few masterpieces out there, a very poignant reflection of the harsh realities of revenge and the lengths people go through in order to achieve it. I really thought the art was wonderful and each chapter was as gracefully written as the next. I also thought the fight scenes were superb, the frames were so well tied in with each-other it was very easy to visualize.

The story was a simple enough one but beautifully told, and the characters were incredibly complex, it was such a thrilling manga!

Irregardless of what I say, this will go down as one of the best pieces of manga in history and you have a golden opportunity to be part of it.