Seinen Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki

[v5point0]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

That's it, I finally received the last volume (15) of this beautiful series. Below is a spoiler that indicates the winner of the fight between Fujiki and Irako in the tournament organized by the shogun Tokugawa Tadanaga.

Spoiler

This volume by closing the story where it began, namely the confrontation between Gennosuke and Fujiki Irako Seigen during the tournament at Castle Sunpu. The confrontation is rather quickly compared to the first, and in relation to the size of this last volume. Regarding the fight, the winner is Gennosuke Fujiki. After this fight, Iku killed herself, and Mie, the daughter of Iwamoto Kogan, killed herself too. But on this point, I'm not categorical, since on the page after, we see Fujiki and Mie walking hand in hand.


Which leaves me a bit on my end is that we don't know what happens to some minor characters that have been presented in various volumes that make up the second part (from Volume 7 until the end), which helped 2 heroes or anti-hero of this serie and participating in the tournament

Spoiler

Seems like they wrapped it up quickly. Also why did Mie take her life? Unless she was still harboring some emotions for Irako or she just doubted Fujiki's capabilities and couldn't stand to watch him get slain.

 

[gphjr14]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Actually, the RAW of the whole last chapter from the volume 15 is in the internet. One guy has got it from the japanese tracker, and he shared it with me.

If you want you can download the raw here

Spoiler

http://www.mediafire.com/?vts72esd90k9db0

(the quality is not that good, that is why it is only 3.2 Mb, even though there are 30 pages).

However, I'm warning you, it is a huge spoiler, and the ending can shock you, because it is very unexpected.

P.S. I don't understand japanese, so I don't know what is said in this chapter. Will be waiting for english translation after October 20th

Thanks, I understand some Japanese enough to type the furigana but unfortunately as you stated the quality is too bad when enlarged for me to be able to accurately read it.

 

[Krabar]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Volume 15 has finally been spread to internet! To all, who wants to download it, you can do that using the link below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hvvtvdbjutnn201

P.S. I was kind of late though, had no time to upload it)

 

[gnut]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

^
i can't get this file open,does anyone have scans yet?please help...i'm about to cream my jeans in anticipation...lol.just kidding i have just been waiting to loooong for this ending.
thanx ahead of time.....

 

[agent0fnothing]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Volume 15 has finally been spread to internet! To all, who wants to download it, you can do that using the link below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hvvtvdbjutnn201

P.S. I was kind of late though, had no time to upload it)

I downloaded that, but it was in Japanese. I have no ability whatsoever to understand Japanese, have completed up to volume 14 and am highly anticipating reading the final volume. If someone can please prodive a link or message me with one for volume 15 in English I'd appreciate the hell out of it.

 

[Krabar]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

I downloaded that, but it was in Japanese. I have no ability whatsoever to understand Japanese, have completed up to volume 14 and am highly anticipating reading the final volume. If someone can please prodive a link or message me with one for volume 15 in English I'd appreciate the hell out of it.

I've never said it is in English. I don't know Japanese eather. However, there is no English version yet. The translation of volume 15 is in process, so we all have to be patient and wait for it.

 

[gnut]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

still no news guys on english scans?

 

[DrPepperPro]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

v15 in english: http://www.mediafire.com/?2h770zuzaimq4u1

higher resolutions will be uploaded kinda soon:
http://anonymousstem.blogspot.com/

 

[gnut]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

thanx DrPepperPro...thanx alot,seen the gantz movie last night and now you give me this treat on a friday.it's going to be a good weekend...thanx again.

 

[frostious]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Spoiler

Also why did Mie take her life? Unless she was still harboring some emotions for Irako or she just doubted Fujiki's capabilities and couldn't stand to watch him get slain.

Spoiler

She was still alive at the point that Gennosuke was ordered to cut off Irako's head, so it couldn't have been her not daring to see the outcome of the battle.
Way I see it, she noticed that Gennosuke's nose started bleeding, which was a symptom of him having to do something incredibly painful and objectionable, in this case cut of Irako's head. And yet he went and did as he was told, which reminded her of the time he held her down despite not wanting to, and realized that Gennosuke was still just a puppet, unable or unwilling to go against the orders of higher-ups, unlike Irako who refused to be manipulated or ordered around.
Mie probably just realized that she didn't want to spend her life with a puppet, and possibly felt guilty for having had a part in the death of the only uncompromising man she had met.
That's the way I see it. I could be wrong, of course.

 

[Roflkopt3r]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Just wondering a while already, how can Shigurui be a Shonen?
The pure amount and quality of explicit display of any kind should be enough to make it a Seinen already, as well as the extreme portrait of certain samurai families as mafia-like patriarchies and psychic pressure resulting from it.
Sure, it doesn't have an overly complex plot, but is this type of display really for minors?

Other than that, I loved Shigurui both as manga and as anime. The anime really had a huge advantage over the manga imo in terms of atmosphere. This extreme calm and slow observations of environment combined with the extremely fast and brutal fighting scenes transported a lot of the old japanese samurai atmosphere imo. While the manga obviously contains the complete story, is makes it much easier to grasp the time line and characters and is beatifully drawn (while the anime looks so very good as well).

I liked the feeling of the Kogan family specifically. As I said, it resembles a mafia clan so much in this patriarchic structure. An unquestioned head of the clan, extreme servants of him who won't ever question his lead, have a super strong focus on honor and responsibility for the clan and no qualms of killing and other crimes for the sake of the clan.
A rare insight into samurai families I think, and an especially very good one.

 

[Revenant J J]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Hey guys very new this being my first post. If this post is it in the wrong thread please let me know and are move it.


Just a quick question I own the anime on blu-ray and I'm a massive fan ! won't go on about how much I like it otherwise are be here for ever

But where should I start reading the manga from? The story is vivid in my memory having watched the series again recently. But has the anime missed anything out or retold it in a slightly different manner. Basically I would like to know if I can pick it up from where the anime ends.

Thanks

 

[gnut]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

i think it's around chapter 54 or 55...not for certain...but somewhere in the 50s....

 

[mossydemon]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Hey guys, I signed up just to discuss the rushed, inconclusive ending that was Shigurui. I just have a few questions...

Spoiler

Ok so why did Mie-sama kill herself, or did she? I understand she had issues with Gennosuke's obedience, but she admits herself that she experienced feelings with him she'd never had in her life, and it is suggested they are deeply in love. So if she killed herself, why? To me that's the ultimate insult to Geenosuke's tribulations, was she in love with Irako? Was her only reason for living to see Irako slain? I'm confused. Also what happened to Frogman?

I am very disappointed in the way the manga was rushed and finished, if you're reading this manga currently, get ready for a let down

 

[Roflkopt3r]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Hey guys, I signed up just to discuss the rushed, inconclusive ending that was Shigurui. I just have a few questions...

Spoiler

Ok so why did Mie-sama kill herself, or did she? I understand she had issues with Gennosuke's obedience, but she admits herself that she experienced feelings with him she'd never had in her life, and it is suggested they are deeply in love. So if she killed herself, why? To me that's the ultimate insult to Geenosuke's tribulations, was she in love with Irako? Was her only reason for living to see Irako slain? I'm confused. Also what happened to Frogman?

I am very disappointed in the way the manga was rushed and finished, if you're reading this manga currently, get ready for a let down

Rushed? Oh no, I don't think so. The ending went very deep into the characters, and

Spoiler

the shortness of the fight was necessary for the tragedy. The point is, that everything ended so disgraceful. Fujiki and Irako and the according women had so much hopes, connected all of their dreams t it. It seemed that whoever would win, would be a great victor and have a good life.
Instead it is a tragic ending. Fujiki overcame any kind of rage, he finally went so far to accept Irako and even felt some kind of pride for him, and then it ends in such a way that he's supposed to humiliate Irako after death.
And the duel of the two greatest swordmen was eventually degraded and despised by the unknowing audience. Fujiki's great trick wasn't detected by them, they thought he'ld just be too weak to swing his sword. He triggered a response from Irako in a masterful way, but as they couldn't see that they thought Irako just had failed because he can't see. Both of them were seen as weak by the visitors...

To be honest I don't fully understand the suicide of Mie either so far, perhaps I should read it a second time (long time passed before I finally read the last volume, just now).
It might have been an act of empathy to Fujiki even. Fujiki had to sacrifice his beliefs and pride on the battlefield, perhaps she couldn't bear that anguish. Perhaps she developed the same respect towards Irako like Fujiki did and couldn't stand what happened.

I am severely impressed by this kind of ending. Absolutely great and deep. It's very conclusive to me.

Again, I'm wondering how this can be a Shonen. Explicit in every regard, deeply tragic, an absolutely adult and cruel world, very deep characters which are not easy to understand. More than enough to make it a Seinen in my opinion. I wonder how it made it into a Shonen magazine. German youth protection would plaster it with "18+" stickers at the very least...

 

[Son'O]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

I found that frostious gave a good analysis of the end of this manga.

At the first reading of Volume 15, this may appear quite surprising even disappointing to some, but it is consistent with previous volumes and history of Mie-domo.

 

[gphjr14]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Rushed? Oh no, I don't think so. The ending went very deep into the characters, and

Spoiler

the shortness of the fight was necessary for the tragedy. The point is, that everything ended so disgraceful. Fujiki and Irako and the according women had so much hopes, connected all of their dreams t it. It seemed that whoever would win, would be a great victor and have a good life.
Instead it is a tragic ending. Fujiki overcame any kind of rage, he finally went so far to accept Irako and even felt some kind of pride for him, and then it ends in such a way that he's supposed to humiliate Irako after death.
And the duel of the two greatest swordmen was eventually degraded and despised by the unknowing audience. Fujiki's great trick wasn't detected by them, they thought he'ld just be too weak to swing his sword. He triggered a response from Irako in a masterful way, but as they couldn't see that they thought Irako just had failed because he can't see. Both of them were seen as weak by the visitors...

To be honest I don't fully understand the suicide of Mie either so far, perhaps I should read it a second time (long time passed before I finally read the last volume, just now).
It might have been an act of empathy to Fujiki even. Fujiki had to sacrifice his beliefs and pride on the battlefield, perhaps she couldn't bear that anguish. Perhaps she developed the same respect towards Irako like Fujiki did and couldn't stand what happened.

I am severely impressed by this kind of ending. Absolutely great and deep. It's very conclusive to me.

Again, I'm wondering how this can be a Shonen. Explicit in every regard, deeply tragic, an absolutely adult and cruel world, very deep characters which are not easy to understand. More than enough to make it a Seinen in my opinion. I wonder how it made it into a Shonen magazine. German youth protection would plaster it with "18+" stickers at the very least...

I'm going back and looking and it does seem it was rushed considering the arcs that were set up. You have the toad looking guy who was determined to win his master's daughter, theres the entrance of the famed Date Masamune, as well as the guy who was proficient with the spear. Unless I'm missing something there were several people in the tournament that just disappear. I'm inclined to agree with the assessment that it was rushed to conclusion.

 

[Roflkopt3r]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

I'm going back and looking and it does seem it was rushed considering the arcs that were set up. You have the toad looking guy who was determined to win his master's daughter, theres the entrance of the famed Date Masamune, as well as the guy who was proficient with the spear. Unless I'm missing something there were several people in the tournament that just disappear. I'm inclined to agree with the assessment that it was rushed to conclusion.

Yeah that's right, those storylines just were cut at a certain point. I don't see that as necessarily bad though. Not every side story has to be ended and concluded in my opinion.

It gives an author much more freedom to digress from the main plot and show something different, interesting going on in the world, when an end isn't necessary to it. If he had to end these side lines, it would massively blow up the complete work and perhaps give more importance to it than it needs.

 

[gphjr14]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Yeah that's right, those storylines just were cut at a certain point. I don't see that as necessarily bad though. Not every side story has to be ended and concluded in my opinion.

It gives an author much more freedom to digress from the main plot and show something different, interesting going on in the world, when an end isn't necessary to it. If he had to end these side lines, it would massively blow up the complete work and perhaps give more importance to it than it needs.

Yeah... I'm thinking this was more of a $$ issue than some means of expanding upon the main storyline. There was a break in releases then all the sudden multiple samurai appear before Tadanaga, theres another pause and suddenly its the main event. To me these are signs of creative constraints rather than taking a different route in telling the story.
I wanted to at least see what Date was gonna do

I fear this will happen to Berserk since it takes forever for an issue to come out and it was made back in the late 80's.

 

[sakurasakuran]

Re: Shigurui by Yamaguchi Takayuki & Nanjou Norio

Remember this is based on a novel, or rather, the first chapter of a novel. The end of the manga is the same as the original. In the original, it's a lot more clear that Mie is still in love with Irako the whole time. A lot of the secondary characters in the manga like Shuusaburou, Tsukioka, and Gannosuke all have their own matches in the tournament in the original novel. It is too bad Yamaguchi decided not to illustrate the whole novel, because he included those characters, now we want to see what happens to them. Also Fujiki's story doesn't really end here, he appears in the last two chapters of the novel as well. But Yamaguchi has moved on to a new title, and it doesn't look like there will be more Shigurui. Ah, too bad.