She spells out revenge with strokes of gushing blood. Her name is Yuki, Japanese for “snow.” Born to be a child of hell, walking the path of vengeance…

Product History

“Is this something to do with your revenge?”

Some may know of the 1973 Lady Snowblood movie, but most don’t realize that the film is based on the 1972 Manga of the same name. Writer Kazuo Koike, of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, creates his ultimate revenge epic, with Kazuo Kamimura drawing the art. The manga series had never been published in English before despite the pop culture influences of film (Kill Bill for example), probably because of its hyper-violent and hypersexual adult content.

The title character of the series is Syura-Yuki Hime, a cold-blooded assassin-for-hire, who lives only to find and kill those who destroyed her family. Her dark adventures take place during an interesting era in Japanese history called the Meiji Period (1868-1912). It is a time of drastic change as old, traditional customs are torn away by western influences. The age is analogous to the Victorian Era or the old west. The film The Last Samurai would be a good visual frame of reference, note, I say “visual.”

Although her name, Syura-Yuki Hime, is translated as Lady Snowblood, it has several deeper meanings as with all things Japanese. Syura is another way to say cursed or wicked. Snowblood can also be seen as an inverse of Snow White, as her life is the opposite of a fairy tale. A fitting moniker for a woman who carves a bloody course through the Japanese gilded age.

Layout

“A trained body and a hidden weapon”

Lady Snowblood Vol.1 is a 288 page, 5x7, b/w soft cover, manga book published by Dark Horse Comics. It contains five stories, called episodes, and has a two-page glossary at the end. It is read from right to left, so what would be the back cover of a western book is the front. Lady Snowblood has been translated from Japanese except for the kanji sound effects which are accompanied on the page by English sound effects. Oh… and it has one of those Parental Advisory stickers.

Impressions

“Despite your pretty face, you play dirty”

I had rented the movie a few years ago but I wasn’t quite prepared for how shocking the Lady Snowblood manga would be. It’s a violent, and highly sexual tale, of Yuki, a woman whose dedication to vengeance is exceeded only by her capacity for cold-blooded murder (whoa), and she’s the hero of the story. While her world is a male dominated place, Yuki’s tale isn’t about women’s lib. She is a tool, an instrument of her dead mother’s curse, and if assassination keeps her employed until she gets her revenge, so be it. She is exceedingly devious, very attractive, and as hard as nails. She’ll kill any who get in her way with her downward pointed fighting style. In one scene she carves up about 14 people (maybe more), while fighting nude for most of the onslaught. Lady Snowblood usually poses as a naive girl to spring her traps and will go anywhere to accomplish her missions, like gambling dens, whore houses, and fashionable ballrooms. She is a shocking character, but an intriguing one all the same. I didn’t root for her, but rather I was interested in how events would play out.

One of the bonuses of the Yuki’s adventures is that readers learn about the eclectic Meiji Period. Ancient fighting styles are used alongside six-shooters. One amusing scene involves Yuki revealing that she’s wearing bloomers, and a pimp gets so turned-on he has his people recreate the new garment for his lesbian sex show. Another, story has Yuki, painting rickshaws with traditional art, while she frames a mob boss for treason. The episodes have an urban survival mood similar to Victorian stories, but with a deadly marital arts edge. From Hell naturally comes to mind but Yuki isn’t demented like Dr. Gull, and maybe that’s why she’s so scary. There is no redemption for Lady Snowblood, there is only gory heaps of corpses. The Japanese don’t like happy endings and there isn’t one here.

Something to keep in mind is that Yuki’s quest in Lady Snowblood Vol.1 is not resolved by the end of the book. In fact she hasn’t even found any of the people she’s ultimately after. This volume contains her tragic origin and the beginning of her gruesome career. So, the longer narrative is incomplete. Readers will have to pick up future volumes to see her final revenge. Additionally, Kazuo Kamimura’s art is slightly cartoony, if compared to Goseki Kojima’s very realistic work in Lone Wolf and Cub, but the art actually helps the reader stomach the more grim scenes.

Pros

“When a heart is impaled hardly any blood comes out”

Lady Snowblood is a hardcore look at revenge and is not censored in any way from the original Japanese comic. Kazuo Koike’s tale doesn’t shy away from violence and sex. It is brutally honest and paints a bloody portrait of Japan and the human condition that not everyone can stand. Lady Snowblood herself is a compelling protagonist despite the fact she’s driven by an evil purpose. The time period is very interesting and the art is a nice mix of modern and traditional influences. The glossary in the back is helpful.

Cons

“It’s bad. If this gets out it’ll be the end of us”

This is NOT for kids or the easily offended. It is very violent and has adult content galore. The Japanese have fewer taboos when it comes to what’s OK to print, including rape, and it is very apparent here. Lady Snowblood is a killer and so one tends to appreciate her skill and daring rather than having much empathy for her as a heroic figure. The art is good but not as good as Lone Wolf and Cub.

Who would find it useful?

“She’s a tasty one”

Adult manga fans, people interested in historical, crime, or realistic comics, Those interested in Japanese culture or history, those looking for ideas for their Asian or modern role-playing campaigns, people seeking a strong female character, folks who enjoy Victorian stories, folks who like martial arts action-adventure, Lone Wolf and Cub fans, and voyeurs.

Conclusion

“I say she’s a child of Syura… a child of Hell”

Kudos to Dark Horse for printing Lady Snowblood Vol.1, I know Marvel and DC wouldn’t have the balls to do it. It was groundbreaking for its time and it’s finally available in English. If revenge is a dish best served cold, then Lady Snowblood Vol.1 is a big helping of frozen, blood-spattered entrails. This comic is not for everybody but it’s well written and terrifyingly engaging. Somewhere between art and entertainment is Syura-Yuki Hime, holding a bloody sword that drips on the snowy ground.

“If you don’t want to die… do as I say”

NOTE: One last reminder, this is NOT for kids. Check out the movie on DVD as well.