Lady Snowblood, Vol. 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Kazuo Koike (Author), Kazuo Kamimura (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2005

From the pen of Kazuo Koike, of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, comes Lady Snowblood, the manga that eventually would become an inspiration for director Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill blockbuster films. A story of pure vengeance, Lady Snowblood tells the tale of a daughter born of a singular purpose, to avenge the death of her family at the hands of a gang of thugs, a purpose woven into her soul from the time of her gestation. Beautifully drafted and full of bloody, sexy action, Lady Snowblood lives up to its title and reputation.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Set in the 1890s, some 200 years later than writer Koike's samurai-and-child-for-hire epic one Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood features a beautiful woman whose martial artistry, like Lone Wolf's, is her meal ticket. Although she doesn't have a child, Yuki has a raison d'etre as compelling. The spirit of her mother, who died shortly after her birth, possesses Yuki's heart and drives her to avenge the double murder and rape that destroyed her mother's earlier life. While awaiting opportunities for vengeance, Yuki keeps her skills honed by being the best hit woman money can buy. Since capitalism and gangsterism are rampant in rapidly Westernizing Japan, businessmen and yakuza alike can just afford her. Crucial to Yuki's lethality is her sexual allure, and nothing gets her victims to drop their guard like her dropping her clothing. Much more than in the Lone Wolf team's later Samurai Executioner stories, gritty sex and splashy violence are staples here. Artist Kamimura, if slightly less sophisticated than Lone Wolf's and Executioner's Goseki Kojima, easily meets these stories' visual demands. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (October 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593073852
• ISBN-13: 978-1593073855
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Original Returns., March 23, 2006

By 

Tina Anderson (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Snowblood, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

Lady Snowblood is a classic reminder that all daughters are their mother's legacy.

Once upon a time a village woman named Osayo lost everything she had in life to four complete monsters [the woman Okono Kitahama and her evil cohorts Tokuichi Shoei, Hanzo Takemura, and Gishuru Tsukamoto] and years later, while serving a life sentence in an Meiji-era prison, she decides to get herself pregnant and gives birth to a child for the sole purpose that this child will exact revenge. Osayo does not survive the birth, but her daughter, Yuki, grows to become Lady Snowblood. Sound like a riveting `chick movie' plot? Guess again, this is Seinen manga at its best. Book 1 contains some notable Lady Snowblood shorts, like "Sumida River Loincloth Cutting Board" [Champloo fans will pick up on Fu's obvious homage to Yuki when they see her die-rolling scene in the gambling den!] as well as the poignant story of Yuki's birth in "Love, Hate, String of Blood, and Confession." The most erotic story in this volume is the "Stylish Woman and Umbrella Over Rain of Blood." You'll never look at marital aids the same again... Now my personal favorite is "Rokumeikan Murder Panorama" because it features one of the best `sensei' style characters named Kiku of Tajire, a no-nonsense woman who shows Yuki the tricks of curbside larceny.

The artwork is stellar and certainly NOT for children nor for young teen readers IMHO, as there are scenes of lesbian sex, rape, and brutal fighting violence-all of which is beautifully illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura, and no where near exploitive or overdone as one might expect. Once again writer Kazuo Koike delivers a believable anti-heroine in a genre where women aren't the usual focus unless they're victims. Peppered throughout the story are informative comments meshed so well within the story the reader never loses focus.

It's obvious I love this series, so I'll stop fangirling and just highly recommend it. It's worth the $13 price tag because the book's been printed by Dark Horse this outing so despite how many days you spend with it open, you can still retire it to your shelf when finished, minus embarrassing spine ware.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling storytelling and artwork in the tradition of "Lone Wolf and Cub", January 21, 2006

By 

Brian Camp (Bronx, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady Snowblood, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

Long after the Lady Snowblood movies arrived here and long after the "Lone Wolf and Cub" manga was published in English, we finally have the manga version of "Lady Snowblood," which preceded the movies. And what a magnificent manga series it is. If you loved "Lone Wolf and Cub" and are a fan of hard-edged historical Japanese manga with vengeful, single-minded heroes (and heroines), swift, bloody violence, and illicit sex, you'll love this as well. The artwork (by Kazuo Kamimura) is sharp, elegant, beautifully designed and quite cinematic. Every page has breathtaking images. The storytelling (by Kazuo Koike, who also wrote "Lone Wolf and Cub") is concise, exciting, and dramatic.

If you've seen the two Lady Snowblood movies, LADY SNOWBLOOD and LOVE SONG OF VENGEANCE (both reviewed on this site), you'll be somewhat familiar with the lead character, an orphaned woman named Yuki, who was born in prison and raised by an ex-con and grows up to avenge the death of her mother (and that of her mother's murdered husband--not Yuki's father) in Meiji-era Japan. The revenge mission is telescoped into the first Snowblood movie, while the manga basically tells self-contained stories of her exploits as a hired assassin who uses her beauty and cunning to gain access to crime bosses, greedy businessmen and corrupt, high-placed officials for the purpose of neutralizing them one way or the other. (She doesn't always need to kill them herself.)

Of the five stories contained in Volume 1, one is devoted to the origin story of Yuki's birth in prison, another is devoted to her month-long training to become a skilled pickpocket (to carry out a specific mission), and the other three all detail separate jobs she's been assigned. I look forward to reading future volumes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Painting the Town Red, August 8, 2007

By 

J. Sherman "The Critic" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Snowblood, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

From the creator of the acclaimed "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Path of the Assassin" manga series comes yet another tale of revenge that is one of the inspirations behind Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films. The story follows Yuki, a child of hell, trained since birth for the sole purpose of avenging the family she has never known. And for the price of a thousand yen, she is also an assassin serving the Japanese underworld. To carry out her tasks, Yuki assumes many occupations: a dice dealer, a street performer, an artist, and a noblewoman. And she's not above dropping her kimono if it makes her enemies drop their guard. Anything goes as Yuki sharpens her skills in anticipation of her ultimate goal.

Created in the 70's and published 2 years ago by Dark Horse Comics, Lady Snowblood keeps Kazuo Koike's promise of a gripping story in Japan's Meiji era while Kazuo Kamimura's artwork nails every graphic detail. And `graphic' it is, showing everything from sex to stabbings. The manga also poses as a historical piece, summarizing the growing westernization of the country in those early days (e.g.: Yuki's one of the few Japanese women who wears bloomers). Taking a break halfway through, the spotlight shines on Yuki's dying mother who, after giving birth to Yuki in prison, tells of the chain of events leading to Lady Snowblood's creation. To sum it all up, "Lady Snowblood" is great read for the hack-and-slash crowd, as well as action and drama buffs.

This comic is rated M for Mature: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Language, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content.