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sakeriver's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This has kickass women with swords, a very good horse, and it made me laugh out loud. Truly, everything I wanted it to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, and Death of parent
balletbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was reminded that I had a galley of this when Liberty mentioned it on AtB so picked it up on Blufire.
This is a zany comic with a Yojimbo-meets-Nimona vibe (like, think Shogunate Japan but they all have Twitter? It's a hoot, loved it) but it's also quite violent and dark at times. Tatsuo self-medicates and blames herself for the death of her best friend and is quite reviled, despite being an excellent samurai, for being not only the only woman samurai but also for not following tradition after the death of the daimyo lord she served (i.e. taking her own life with the rest of his retinue). Hero-worshipping Chihiro is also a skilled swordswoman, so goes off to hire Tatsuo in her father's stead (there's a bit of a Mulan-like rehash where her father is no longer able to fight...and also some icky ableism from other characters) to fight a child-eating monster. And also (spoiler bc it came out of left field)Chihiro's family is murdered over the course of the book so grief is a major component of the story for both MCs. Both Tatsuo and Chihiro are teenagers - 19 and 16, respectively - and the book is aimed at the YA market, but it is quite violent at times, even by adult standards, so ymmv.
Also, sexism is the worst. Glass ceilings deserve to be shattered.
This is a zany comic with a Yojimbo-meets-Nimona vibe (like, think Shogunate Japan but they all have Twitter? It's a hoot, loved it) but it's also quite violent and dark at times. Tatsuo self-medicates and blames herself for the death of her best friend and is quite reviled, despite being an excellent samurai, for being not only the only woman samurai but also for not following tradition after the death of the daimyo lord she served (i.e. taking her own life with the rest of his retinue). Hero-worshipping Chihiro is also a skilled swordswoman, so goes off to hire Tatsuo in her father's stead (there's a bit of a Mulan-like rehash where her father is no longer able to fight...and also some icky ableism from other characters) to fight a child-eating monster. And also (spoiler bc it came out of left field)
Also, sexism is the worst. Glass ceilings deserve to be shattered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Violence
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Chihiro has always dreamed of being a samurai. Her father was a well-known samurai until he got injured, and Chihiro is obsessed with Tatsuo Nakano. She is the only woman accepted into Kesi Academy, a samurai academy.
When Chihiro’s father is conscripted into service, Chihiro takes his place. Especially when she gets the chance to work with Tatsuo. Their mission? Kill the yamauba demon that is killing children from a local village. But Tatsuo isn’t what Chihiro expected she’d be. Will they be able to work together to save the village?
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced copy of The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall to review! I always enjoy Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s work, and I was excited to see a new graphic novel from her. And it didn’t disappoint!
This is a fast-paced, violent at times graphic novel that kept me hooked from the very beginning. Both the writing and art work together beautifully to tell this story. The characters are expressive, and the panels are composed really well. Plus, I always enjoy the whole “grumpy mentor” story arc. We get to see Tatsuo's background and understand why she is the way she is, and this was written so well.
Also, if you love expressive animal sidekicks, you’ll definitely enjoy Tatsuo’s horse. Wonderful addition to a story that is a bit dark at times. This story does flip between events in the present and the past, which is noted by different color palettes. Always useful in the graphic novel format!
My only complaint is that the inclusion of phones felt a bit out of place to me, but not enough to take me out of the story, honestly. By the end, it was kind of fun!
All in all, if you like fast-paced graphic novels featuring strong female leads, definitely pick this one up!
When Chihiro’s father is conscripted into service, Chihiro takes his place. Especially when she gets the chance to work with Tatsuo. Their mission? Kill the yamauba demon that is killing children from a local village. But Tatsuo isn’t what Chihiro expected she’d be. Will they be able to work together to save the village?
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced copy of The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall to review! I always enjoy Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s work, and I was excited to see a new graphic novel from her. And it didn’t disappoint!
This is a fast-paced, violent at times graphic novel that kept me hooked from the very beginning. Both the writing and art work together beautifully to tell this story. The characters are expressive, and the panels are composed really well. Plus, I always enjoy the whole “grumpy mentor” story arc. We get to see Tatsuo's background and understand why she is the way she is, and this was written so well.
Also, if you love expressive animal sidekicks, you’ll definitely enjoy Tatsuo’s horse. Wonderful addition to a story that is a bit dark at times. This story does flip between events in the present and the past, which is noted by different color palettes. Always useful in the graphic novel format!
My only complaint is that the inclusion of phones felt a bit out of place to me, but not enough to take me out of the story, honestly. By the end, it was kind of fun!
All in all, if you like fast-paced graphic novels featuring strong female leads, definitely pick this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, and Violence
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Bright and energetic storytelling with messy, but lovable characters.
Thoughts
This has so much "webcomic from the 2000s energy," and I am here for it. The story is fast-paced, and energetic, moving quickly between fun comedy beats and some distinctly emotional hits. It's also packed with tongue-in-cheek anachronisms, namely the use of internet and cell phones, that all play into the story fairly well. The dual leads are both messy, imperfect, and a joy to watch interact as they stumble through from one fight to the next. Art is complementary to the story - sincere, poppy, and bright, with distinct character designs and the world's most expressive horse. Fight scenes tend to be a bit simplified, but they're still readable. If you're looking for a fun and earnest read, give this one a shot.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Bright and energetic storytelling with messy, but lovable characters.
Thoughts
This has so much "webcomic from the 2000s energy," and I am here for it. The story is fast-paced, and energetic, moving quickly between fun comedy beats and some distinctly emotional hits. It's also packed with tongue-in-cheek anachronisms, namely the use of internet and cell phones, that all play into the story fairly well. The dual leads are both messy, imperfect, and a joy to watch interact as they stumble through from one fight to the next. Art is complementary to the story - sincere, poppy, and bright, with distinct character designs and the world's most expressive horse. Fight scenes tend to be a bit simplified, but they're still readable. If you're looking for a fun and earnest read, give this one a shot.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, War, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, and Alcohol
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