Meifumado and the Rejection of Bushido 520https://78.media.tumblr.com/793e356779a66092896bcb69363f0a06/tumblrocc1o3Lbwv1rs6hqwo11280.jpg Considered as one of the quintessential works in the medium of manga Lone Wolf and Cub tells the story of a rnin and his son as they travel to different places in order to attain revenge against those who have wronged them. The manga follows the same basic structure for each chapter. The rnin accepts money most of the time to kill people and things almost always end in bloodshed. The story is one that is quite bloody and sexually explicit in nature and the protagonist is basically depicted as an unmatched warrior. The manga does offer qualities which make it a literary epic but to conclude it at that however would be too reductive of an act because the most interesting aspect that arises in the story of Lone Wolf and Cub is the examination of bushid and the presentation of the dichotomy in the ethics of those who follow the code and those who do not. 320https://i.ur.com/kX3rI95.pngSon for hire sword for hire The most important question to answer first is what is bushid? Bushid is essentially the precepts of knighthood which were fundamental in dictating the ways of the warrior. Core to this code of bushid is a set of virtues which called for warriors to strive for in active living and sacrifice much like a religion itself. These virtues are righteousness courage benevolence respect honesty honor and loyalty. Bushid back then was in a sense a transactional system under a feudal one. Samurai would receive benefits for their duties given by their lords and to go against or fail the given duties would result in suicide or otherwise known as Seppuku or Harakiri. But bushid was not a code that embraced quid pro quo rewards as samurai often valued loyalty over wealth. 220https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblrm6hjdaZtDT1ra5iqeo1500.jpg 235https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblrm6hjdaZtDT1ra5iqeo3500.jpgSeppuku as depicted in paintings Bushid is not the only way of life present in Lone Wolf and Cub. In fact the protagonist Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro follow a path that may at first seem not so different from bushid. That path which is called Meifumad is the path of hell. It was coined in the manga as something of a Buddhist term and it differentiates from bushid in that it frees the follower from the restraints of duty and fealty allowing Itto and Daigoro to kill whomever theyd like to kill. The choice to follow this path was a result of the culmination of events that led to a tragedy. Itto who was once an esteemed executioner was framed for the event and told to commit seppuku but he refused. He instead chose the path of the meifumad and so too did his son. 320https://78.media.tumblr.com/42f42a8c743602c89168091785bc0c43/tumblrnn1zu7PvGP1tbue3fo11280.jpg Throughout the story we are given episodic tales that often end in bloodshed or are about the virtues of bushid. Stories like that of a feudal lord who is indifferent to his people because he hoards their food and water and a tragic romance between a prostitute and a rnin are what makes this manga interesting. But the stories that stain the code of bushid are the ones that elevate the story to another level. What is so interesting about certain stories in this manga are the ways in which the characters in them stain the code of bushid yet preserve the virtues in a way that thereby perfectly exemplifies them. A chapter entitled Cloud Dragon Wind Tiger is a good example of this. In it Itto is tasked to kill a rnin named Makabe who has been living by the river for four years after his lord had died. Not wanting the resting place of his lord to be sullied Makabe kills those who go against his wishes. What is odd in this case is that Makabe should have already committed seppuku in order to follow his lord in death but he did not do so and thus gets mocked for it 520https://i.ur.com/di9oxaZ.png 520https://i.ur.com/i9ivGxZ.png Makabes disloyalty lies not only in his refusal to follow in his lords death but also in the fact that he refused his lords request to kill Itto in a duel four years ago. The duel was the lords last request to Itto and Makabe before his execution and so if Makabe had killed Itto then it would have resulted in a battle between clans. Yet for the lord to even die before the battle would be dishonorable therefore leading to Makabes refusal to kill Itto. 520https://i.ur.com/L5n1Ef0.png This disloyalty rejection of the status quo and social order ultimately transcends to become a perfect manifestation of loyalty. It is one of many tales in the manga that depicts how complex bushid is as even though samurai had a high regard for veracity interpretations of the code were not merely viewed as simplistic all the time. Furthermore even Itto himself becomes a great manifestation of the set of values that he antagonizes. Itto is someone who is willing to protect the lives of strangers no matter their social class even it meant endangering his own life. Like Makabe Itto himself is still a samurai who exemplifies the virtues of bushid even if he rejects it. In a certain chapter entitled Black Wind Itto assumes the life of a farmer in order to pay honor and respect to an innocent woman he had killed. But for a samurai to assume the life of a farmer would mean degrading ones self to a level in feudal society that is deemed to be very low. Yet Itto did it anyway out of an act of honor and respect even it also meant going against those two virtues. Throughout his epic journey Itto faces other warriors who like Makabe challenges the ethos of the warrior and puts into question the intrinsic nature of bushid and what exactly each virtue means. While most warriors do end up dying at the hands of Itto the story is deeply layered in that it presents us with character views that differ from Ittos even if some of those views juxtapose with the protagonists to form the same identity like the differing notions on what exactly honor means. Should you read it? If youre fine with a lot of sexual content and bloodbaths then YES Ive talked so much about Itto that I almost forgot about his son Daigoro. Hes also a very important character in the story as we get to see him go on individual journeys and his father also counts on him to watch his back. I cant recall him saying anything else other than Papa and he doesnt even speak that much so it can sometimes come as a surprise when he does. He has that eerie death stare like his father but hes still generally depicted as being innocent for large portions of the manga. That innocence and largely observant nature that is characteristic of Italian Neorealism are interesting aspects that he adds to the manga so again it can come as a surprise when he sidesteps away from an observant role and participates in things like bloody battles. 320http://4.bp.blogspot.com/YzuwAV6H6yA/SZdjDjSslI/AAAAAAAAAtY/xmHFgAAOA/s400/LW26C14267.jpg 220https://www.rocketcitymom.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/03/LWC5108.jpg Also the art is gorgeous Coupled with a sense of gritty realism mostly due in part to the use of thick lines is a style of framing that seems to have been inspired by the cinematography of Akira Kurosawa a director who was known for the style of movementshttps://www..com/watch?v=doaQCS8de8 in his filmshttps://www..com/watch?v=jZSRxpdJQt=652s. 200https://78.media.tumblr.com/cf6ad97c8ccc0f901ec5921e434f914b/tumblrn107d6Jkqh1rkf7sao1500.jpg 213https://78.media.tumblr.com/2627f5eb7bfa174a485c23812fb0123d/tumblro0oamusdQu1v0l7xro11280.jpg 204https://78.media.tumblr.com/2d4cf24b6398ce9d71a30e3f0782996d/tumblrmw50xjO6xW1s3rlr2o11280.jpg While Itto is seen as a demon by many characters in the manga and has a death stare that would fit him well into a Western filmhttps://www..com/watch?v=BdK0jaLuJL8 his actions are undertaken not because he simply wants to kill but because of other more complex reasons. He and his family are victims of a corrupt feudal system that has taken the lives of many and political intrigues mar in a good way the manga in both its episodic tales and the incredible finale. Lone Wolf and Cub is not just merely an epic journey of revenge. It deals with politics spirituality and ethics in order to tell a story of not just Itto and Daigoro but also others in various sectors of society who were all under the Japanese feudal system of the 17th century. What do you think of farmers? You think theyre saints? Hah Theyre foxy beasts They say Weve got no rice weve no wheat. Weve got nothing But they have They have everything Dig under the floors Or search the barns Youll find plenty Beans salt rice sake Look in the valleys theyve got hidden warehouses They pose as saints but are full of lies If they smell a battle they hunt the defeated Theyre nothing but stingy greedy blubbering foxy and mean God damn it all But then who made them such beasts? You did You samurai did it You burn their villages Destroy their farms Steal their food Force them to labour Take their women And kill them if they resist So what should farmers do? Kikuchiyo Seven Samurai