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Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Satsuma Gishiden




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dandelion_rose



Joined: 12 May 2012
Posts: 657
Location: Kuala Lumpur
PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 7:44 am Reply with quote
I was about to 'meh' this title -- I like my ronin and samurai romantic, melancholic or heroic.

Then I saw that Yukio Mishima was a fan, and I was like (eek! Squee! Eee!). I shamefully confess that I haven't read anything by him yet, but a number of people and art I like find inspiration from Yukio Mishima, so I can't help but be excited at his mention.

Will I pick up this manga? Maybe, maybe not. But the Yukio Mishima link is a great boost.

As usual, great writing! This is one of my favourite columns on ANN.
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Gilles Poitras



Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 478
Location: Oakland California
PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:59 am Reply with quote
One of my favorite manga. Great story, great artwork.

Even if the US edition is missing the last two volumes what you get is more than worth the purchase.

And the next time someone chimes in about "manga style" art you can hand them a volume.
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Snomaster1
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Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2907
PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:01 pm Reply with quote
I'm afraid that "Satsuma Gishiden" isn't the manga for me. Too bloody. I tend to like more funnier mangas than this.
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hyojodoji



Joined: 08 Jan 2010
Posts: 586
PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:10 am Reply with quote
dandelion_rose wrote:
Then I saw that Yukio Mishima was a fan, and I was like (eek! Squee! Eee!).

Oh, you are a fan of Mishima Yukio? How about having a go at a text by Mishima in the original, if you learn Japanese? ^__^

Mishima Yukio wrote:
 私は今みたいに一流新聞や一流誌が劇畫を問題にするずつと以前からに親しんでをり、今みたいにきれいな印刷や紙質のツルツルしたポケット版の劇畫などを見ると、何か却つて淋しさとはかなさを感じるのである。昔アメ橫の卸店などでしか手に入らなかつた時代の、貸本專門の劇畫には、野性も活力も、力强い野卑も、殘酷も、今の十倍ほどもあふれてゐた。それはまだ「惡書」に屬してをり、私はとりわけ平田弘史の時代物などに、そのあくまで眞摯でシリアスなタッチに、古い紙芝居のノスタルジヤと、「繪金」的幕末趣味を發見してゐたのである。

The latter half is equivalent to the sentences quoted in 'Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga Satsuma Gishiden'.

Mishima was also a fan of Akatsuka Fujio.
Mishima Yukio wrote:
 いつのころからか、私は自分の小學生の娘や息子と、少年週刊誌を奪ひ合つて讀むやうになつた。「もーれつア太郞」は每號缺かしたことがなく、私は猫のニャロメと毛蟲のケムンパスと奇怪な生物ベシのファンである。このナンセンスは徹底的で、かつて時代物劇畫に私が求めてゐた破壞主義と共通する點がある。それはヒーローが一番ひどい目に會ふといふ主題の扱ひでも共通してゐる。


Dr Keene Donald, who was a close friend of Mishima, frowned upon Mishima's reading manga/gekiga, though.


Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga wrote:
The pay-library comics that once could only be purchased in the flea markets of Ueno

Mishima Yukio wrote, '昔アメ橫の卸店などで' in the original article.
Though there was a black/open-air market in Ueno, which would become AmeYoko Shōtengai Rengōkai, in Ueno there were also wholesale houses that specialised in books for hire. Probably what Mishima was referring to is those wholesale firms. In fact, he used the term '卸店' in the article. So, I'm sorry to say this, but 'purchased in the flea markets of Ueno' would be a somewhat inaccurate translation.

Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga wrote:
a sensibility in the manner of the violent warrior prints of the late Edo period

Mishima wrote, '「繪金」的幕末趣味'. So, though Mr Thompson' article has the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshitoshi in the 'violent warrior prints' part, actually, the artist whom Mishima mentioned is Ekin, which is a nickname for Hirose Kinzō.

It is said that, when Mishima likened Hirata Hiroshi to Ekin, Hirata objected to Mishima's notion, however.


Speaking of Satsuma Gishiden, didn't you write about Jigen Ryū in The Anime Companion 2, Mr Poitras?
 
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Gilles Poitras



Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 478
Location: Oakland California
PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 9:12 am Reply with quote
hyojodoji wrote:

Speaking of Satsuma Gishiden, didn't you write about Jigen Ryū in The Anime Companion 2, Mr Poitras?
 


Yep. Looking at the volume I realize it is the only entry for the letter J in The Anime Companion 2.

I have been adding to the supplement for the Anime Companion books. The topical index for that is at:

http://www.koyagi.com/ACPages/subjects.html

There are a few other Satsuma Gishiden related entires there.
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hyojodoji



Joined: 08 Jan 2010
Posts: 586
PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:08 pm Reply with quote
Thank you for the reply, Mr Poitras.


Gilles Poitras wrote:
Looking at the volume I realize it is the only entry for the letter J in The Anime Companion 2.

So, to partly borrow Ray Bradbury/Hagio Moto's words, J is for Jigen-ryū? ^__^

I'd like to suggest to you that you should also study about Nodachi Jigen-ryū, which is a 'cousin' of Jigen-ryū.
Nodachi Jigen-ryū was practiced mainly by lower-class bushi in the Satsuma han.


Speaking of lower-class bushi, if you watch the NHK Taiga drama Ryōma-den, you can also see some 'upper-class bushi versus lower-class bushi' matters.

And if you watch the NHK Taiga drama Taira no Kiyomori, you can see some 'high-ranking noblemen versus low-ranking noblemen who specialise in military affairs' things.
 
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