If you were to ask most people what they think of when they hear the word “Japan”, it’s likely that the word Samurai will pop up pretty quickly. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of manga that centre around these warriors and I thought I might take a look at some of the more important and significant samurai manga.
Easily one of the most important and significant samurai manga of all time, and the first one that I think of when I think of samurai manga, is the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub. Running from 1970 to 1976, the story follows Ogami Ittō, a former executioner for the Shogun who has been falsely accused and disgraced by the Yagyu clan, as he travels Japan with his three year old son to prepare for his vengeance. The series has been critically acclaimed with the manga often considered to be one of the greatest manga of all time for its storytelling, characters, worldbuilding and incredible artwork and has been adapted into several live-action adaptations.
Another fantastic samurai manga series comes from the same authors as Lone Wolf and Cub, Samurai Executioner. Running from 1972-1976, Samurai Executioner follows Yamada Asaemon who serves as a sword tester and executioner for the Shogun. The series is told episodically with each chapter following a character who is either going to be executed or is associated with someone who is going to be executed and learning their stories over the course of the chapter. While not as famous or influential as Lone Wolf and Cub, it’s an enjoyable series which serves as an excellent period piece.
Probably the best-selling samurai manga of all time is Vagabond, a series written by Takehiko Inoue who is best known for creating Slam Dunk. Vagabond is based on the real life samurai Musashi Miyamoto as he travels and develops his skills as a swordsman. Vagabond has won numerous awards and, as I mentioned before, has been very successful financially. However, it’s worth noting that the series has been on hiatus since 2015 and has yet to reach its conclusion.
While a bit awkward to talk about due to the author, Nobuhiro Watsuki, possessing child pornography, no discussion of the most significant samurai manga can be complete without bringing up Rurouni Kenshin. An incredibly successful and well-received manga, Rurouni Kenshin is set after the Bakumatsu in a changing Japan where the samurai have been disbanded and a ronin called Himura Kenshin comes across a dojo owner called Kamiya Kaoru who offers him shelter. The series is masterfully written and, while the artwork starts out a little rough, the art eventually becomes crisp and beautiful. The series has also served as an inspiration for numerous series and been adapted into an anime series, several live-action films and stage plays.
As a Japanese medium, manga is uniquely positioned to provide stories about something as specifically Japanese as samurai and I always find it fascinating whenever I get a chance to read one of them. Let me know your thoughts on some of the most significant samurai manga, if you have read any of these titles, whether you like them or dislike them, other significant samurai manga that you have encountered and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk and amazon.com for all of your needs!