Title: The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls: Revenge of the Hori Clan Vol 6
Based on the Story by: Futaro Yamada
Manga by: Masaki Segawa
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 9780345504227
May Contain Spoilers
Ugh. This series continues to have some of the most degrading and heartless depictions of violence against woman. I think one of the reasons that I keep reading along is so that I can cheer on each and every gruesome death as the Hori women exact their revenge against the odious Aizu Seven Spears. I am just on the edge of my seat waiting for the death and dismemberment of Lord Akinari – if ever there was a man deserving to be drawn and quartered it is he. He preys upon helpless individuals with the glee of a cat playing with a cornered mouse, and you can only hope that one day his victims will magically develop a major set of teeth and turn on him, ripping him to shreds.
Jyubei has managed to put the fear for god into Akinari, and he is cleverly playing mind games with his enemy. He has the Seven Spears seeing threats everywhere as they beat a hasty retreat to Aizu, Akinari’s stronghold. The Hori woman are split into two groups and are dogging Akinari’s footsteps, disguised as harmless monks. Will they be able to avoid detection and earn their revenge?
There is a rift developing between the remaining members of the Hori clan as they vie for Jyubei’s attention. I found this plot twist a little demeaning, because it makes the Hori women seem even more frivolous than normal. They have never been depicted as strong or determined, and instead they all come across as fairly simpleminded and childlike. Personal development has never been a strong point in any of the Ninja Scrolls manga, so I am just trying to roll with the insulting way the women are portrayed. The books are better known for the action than for the character growth, and I am not the target market for the series, anyway. But come on, guys, why do the girls have to be so dumb and passive. They are trying to kill the seven most evil warriors in Japan, so you’d think they would be a little more forceful and certainly they should be a lot more aggressive.
Anyhoo, Masaki Segawa continues to render the strangest looking humans that I have ever seen, and I wonder who he uses for his models. The character designs are so bizarre and unattractive, but you can tell right away who the bad guys are by how deformed and distorted their features are. The art is very unique, and the odd looking characters provide some interesting visuals, especially during the fighting sequences.
For an action fix that doesn’t require much brain power, The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls provides an exciting journey down the path to vengeance. Despite some flaws, it pairs memorable character designs with high energy battles, yielding a roller coaster ride of excitement.
Grade: B
Review copy provided by Del Rey
November 16, 2009 at 7:58 am
[...] Biased Manga) James Fleenor on vol. 1 of World of Warcraft: Death Knight (Anime Sentinel) Julie on vol. 6 of The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls: Revenge of the Hori Clan (Manga Maniac Cafe) Erica Friedman on vol. 18 of Yuri Hime [...]
November 23, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I am a huge fan of thin manga (after the fifth volume I ordered 6-11 from Japan because I couldn’t wait for Volume 6 to come out in English. I always love reading what other people think of them, and your reviews are especially interesting because you are not, as you say, the target audience.
I do have to disagree with your assessment of the Hori women. They DO come across as strong and setermined, and they willingly throw themselves into danger’s path. In the fourth volume they all demand to accompany Jyubei to the Kato mansion even though he tells them that they may die in vain. They may not be as strong, but they are as brave and determined as any samurai.
And as for falling for Jyubei… well, it only makes sense. Be realistic–seven women, all of whom have lost all the men they once loved, are being trained by a handsome, legendary swordsman. They’ve spent 3 quarters of a year living with him. They’re bound to develope at least some swort of an attraction. And the way they become jealous of Okiie for all the attention she gets… that’s entirely normal. I mean, why wouldn’t they? There’s seven of them and Jyubei seems to be paying more attention to one than the rest. Guys can be the same way — humans can get weird when the opposite sex is involved. You think women can be bad, but men can be far more immature about jealousy than you might imagine.
Or maybe you can imagine. Point is, the Hori women are not frivolous and weak.
But yeah, keep up the reviews! Volume 7 comes out in English tomorrow. I’ve pre-ordered it (even though I have it in Japanese) and eagerly await to hear your take on it. The story takes a drastic turn in the next volume, and the plot gradually becomes more and more complex all the way up to Volume 11’s glorious conclusion.
I hope you like it.
November 23, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Thanks for stopping by and making so many thoughtful comments. I agree that the Hori women are strong – heck, they are all learning how to fight to avenge their slaughtered husbands – but in this particular volume, I thought that their ambitions were trivialized as they vied for Jyubei’s attention. You have a very valid point though; he is strong, charismatic, and handsome, and yeah, I can certainly see how any woman would fall for him.
Now I am dying to read the next volume – thanks for the heads up!