4 out of 5

Well dang, the hits keep coming.  While the layouts here go back to a simpler format, it’s fitting for the bleakness of the tale, involving a Spanish emissary who’s abusing his role as a visitor to push the local lord into promises he shouldn’t have to make – such as requiring the tea master, a respected figure, to commit Seppuku.  The linework still maintains the new firmness, though, so that the final moments really stand out against the stark conclusion, which, as I’ve noted in a previous review, is compelling emotional shift in the recent Usagis.

There’s not quite enough room to fully explore the impact of what’s occurring here – this would’ve been an acceptable story to push to two parts, exploring the role of the lord and the tea master a bit more – but as it stands, Sakai has proven his skill with compressed storytelling and we certainly understand the abbreviated versions of the misled lord and dishonorable visitor.  This also, for me, is one of the first times I recall seeing a clearly identified foreigner, so that was an interesting “culture shock” within the confines of the book.