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| THIS IS AN MANGA ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING BEYOND THIS CHAPTER. ---------------------------------------- Man... I find it impossible to give this story a proper review without mentioning spoilers. What I loved about this story is way all the little mundane details can be interpreted in another manner. For example, Okita could be simply seen as a retired veteran who stubbornly refuses to eat the meals that are set before him. On the other hand, one could also view him as a man whose poor appetite reflects his lack of desires or passions. By the end of the narrative, food gains a special meaning due to its close association with purpose. This story shows that life requires not only the means but also meaning for sustained existence, and Okita’s pitiful state is the result of him depriving himself of both. This runs contrary to the common tragedy wherein a person’s downfall is brought about by ambition and hubris. Rather than featuring a man who is full of himself, the main character is better described as “empty”. When Yoshida of Choshu is defeated by Okita, he laments: ”Your skills… If they are due to your loyalty to the Tokugawa, then it truly is a shame…” But when he realizes that the man who killed him had been fighting for no cause at all, he breaks into tears. |
YuunagiMar 9, 2009 5:49 PM
| A good way to show people who simply think of the death of Okita Souji as something unreasonable and flat that there are other possibilities (although, I don't think such a romance was present, unfortunately, at that very moment) Good manga and a must for everyone who likes the shinsengumi-themed stories. Especially for fans of Peacemaker. Oh! - GREAT ART! Exactly what I wanted to see and wth a great quality. |
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| Everything Makoto Yukimura has written has impressed me so far. He has a true feel for depicting deep yet unpretentious characters and he subtly asks questions of the reader. This one shot was breathtaking in it's simplicity and purpose. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| I wasn't all that impressed by this one-shot tbh. |
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| i fee little sad but well.. that how samurai end |
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| This one-shot was impressive. I like it. |
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| meh, yukimura can do better than this. |
| :v |
| Part 1 Read at back of Vinland Saga vol. 1. Hot damn, the first page's artwork is very impressive. That's hella depressing. The battlefield doesn't sound like an improvement to sickly Soji if they are fighting on empty stomachs. Interesting fact: The Kanji 誠 on the back of coat can be read as "Makoto", the author's given name. So is this thread for one long chapter? Or only the first part at the end of Vinland Saga Vol. 1? Part 2 Since MAL considers this 1 long chapter, I'll add my thoughts for the subsequent parts here. The katana is no match for the machine gun. Blood-coughing Souji does not envy the samurai who get to be outside (and subsequently die on the battlefield), he is humble and thinks they would envy him being tended to by his sister. Part 3 Kondo of the Shinsengumi's execution; with the introduction of firearms to Japan, a Samurai who is an expert in swordsmanship like he is is left with no meaning in life. Part 4 I can see the DNA of what becomes VS emerging. Are these Samurai really taking up the sword against each other because of genuine loyalty to their cause, be that the Shogunate or the Emperor, or because they want a taste of war? Part 5 Such is the fate of the executor. He now joins Kondo-dono. |
Fortress_MaximusDec 7, 2023 12:29 PM
 Novels I have read/am reading pending approval: since November 10 2022 |
| most one-shots are a little disappointing, but this wasn't. I really liked it. |
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