Title: The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls: Revenge of the Hori Clan Vol 7
Story by: Futaro Yamada
Manga by: Masaki Segawa
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 9780345504234
May Contain Spoilers
I can’t believe it! This volume introduces a character who is every bit as vile and despicable as Akinari! His lover, Oyura, is his soul mate, because this cruel woman delights in sexual perversities and relishes torturing helpless young women. She even implores her lord to “suck the life” out of her before willingly sticking her tongue down his throat. Yuck! The thought of someone actually wanting to kiss that hideous mug makes me queasy.
This volume finds Akinari and the Seven Spears firmly back in Aizu territory, where they mercilessly control the lives of their powerless peasants. Ruling through brutality and terror, they prey upon the villagers in their domain, stealing away the beautiful young daughters of the men who work the land. Once the girls enter Aizu Castle, they never come back out again. Not in one piece, at any rate.
We learn a little more about Takuan, the high priest of Tokai Temple. He actually has a lot of political clout, enough to make even Akinari hesitate to harm him even after he tries to enter his lands. The priest of the Shogun, he isn’t one to be lightly trifled with. So begins a game of cat and mouse between Takuan and the rulers of Aizu; they know that Takuan is assisting the Hori women, but they don’t know what to do about it without getting into hot water with the Shogun. It’s not worth risking their wealth and lands to antagonize the priest, at least not openly. Instead, they plot and scheme, seeking to draw the truth from the wily old priest.
The relationship between the impossibly beaked Dohaku and the priest to Ieyasu, Tenkai, is explained, as well as the secret to their incredibly long lives. As long as one lives, the other can not die. Thinking they have an ally within the Shogun authorities, Akinari and Dohaku ponder how to rid themselves of the Hori women, Takuan, and the Hanya Mask. These two certainly know how to make themselves a few enemies!
Now I would like someone to explain how Dohaku keeps that nose of his warm on those bitterly cold winter nights. I am grateful that I don’t have to expend the brain cells trying to figure out who the bad guys are, because just one glance at a character makes it very obvious who is going to cause trouble for the Hori women. I mention the character designs every time I write about a Masaki Segawa title, but I can’t help it. They are so bizarre and so unique that I marvel at the exaggerated facial features whenever I read one of his manga. I would be very hesitant to ask him to draw a caricature of me for fear of what it would end up looking like!
Grade: B
Review copy provided by Del Rey
December 14, 2009 at 8:52 am
[...] Next Door) Johanna Draper Carlson on Tsubasa Album de Reproductions (Comics Worth Reading) Julie on vol. 7 of The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls: Revenge of the Hori Clan (Manga Maniac Cafe) Lori Henderson on the December issue of Yen Plus (Manga Xanadu) Sarah Boslaugh [...]
December 18, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I KNEW you were going to mention Oyura kissing Akinari. XD
By now it should be clear who the true enemy is, and it is not Akinari after
all. Akinari may be the Daimyo, but Ashina Dohaku holds the true power in
Aizu. I find him terrifying; he looks
like a raven, and his very presence is ominous. As the series goes on,
you’ll see what a great (though undoubtedly wicked) character he is.
But you made no mention of the final confrontation with Ichiganbo? I
thought the atmosphere was beautiful despite the tension, with the falling snow
and whirling leaves.
As with Basilisk, the ugly characters have shorter life spans than the good
looking ones. I figured that Koshichiro and Ginshiro, being the only two
handsome villains (Though they still look evil), would be among the last
survivors. (Well, Oyura too, but she
doesn’t count because she’s new.)
What
REALLY astonished me – and I was certain that you would mention this as well,
but I was wrong – was the fact that Ashina Dohaku (Who actually does bear
fatherly love toward Oyura, as you’ll see in later volumes—that’s not a
spoiler, btw) would just stand around casually while his lord is having sex
with his daughter less than four feet away.
>_<
December 23, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Ugh – I was trying to forget about that! Yeah, that was just too much for words.