Lets write a samurai or ronin character in a fantasy setting

Let’s Write a Samurai in Fantasy Stories

Writing a samurai or ronin character in fantasy stories takes the legendary figures of real-world Japanese history and placing them against a magical world.  They are defined by their skill with the blade and the discipline it takes to get that skill.  The warrior is …

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what is Ninja Ninja in Afro Samurai

Afro Samurai: What is Ninja Ninja?

In the Afro Samurai (2007) mini-series by Gonzo, Ninja Ninja is a figment of Afro’s mind that has partial existence in the real world.  He is connected to the Number 2 Headband and acts as a narrator of the silent hero’s thoughts and fears. Ninja …

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princess Mononoke wolf spirits forest spirts

Princess Mononoke Wolves, Forest Spirits and Mythology

In 1997, Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki released the epic, supernatural story Princess Mononoke.  Pulling from familiar Japanese folklore, mythology and Shintoism, Miyazaki creates his own fairy tale with stunning animation and giant wolf gods.  These wolves are crucial to the crux of the …

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samurai champloo who is the samurai who smells of sunflowers?

Samurai Champloo: Who is the Samurai Who Smells of Sunflowers

In many ways, Samurai Champloo is the spiritual successor to Shinichiro Watanabe’s popular Cowboy Bebop anime, sharing similarities in philosophy, style-fusion and character building.  The plot is driven by 3 characters: Fuu, the teenage girl in search of a “sunflower samurai”, and 2 diametrically opposed …

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