LW+C: Omnibus Editions (2013-16)
Author: Kazuo Koike | Illustrator: Goseki Kojima | Page Count: LOTS (12 x 720 approx)
"Good fortune and ill, twisted together like a rope..."
LW+C is the story of the swordsman Ōgami Ittō and his young son, Daigoro. Ōgami was once the Shogun's loyal executioner, a position both respected and feared by others, but now he's a hunted rōnin (a sword for hire). Together, man and child travel a path beset on all sides by enemies; it's a path of vengeance that'll take them directly into a specific kind of Hell.
Structurally it's episodic. Ōgami roams from village to village, contract killing for money that he uses to buy food and pay for temporary shelter, but the bigger picture is never forgotten: the hunt for revenge is the reason he moves that way and he won't stop until it's achieved.
The target of his ire is the Yagyū clan, headed by the bitter Retsudō. Even when not explicitly stated in the text, Retsudō and his followers are never far from Ōgami's thoughts!
Creator Kazuo Koike's storytelling is masterful. His every word has purpose. Ōgami is a man who says very little, who speaks only when necessary, so we know to sit up and pay attention when he does choose to say something. He's also a superb tactician and lateral thinker, as quick with wits as with sword. Even when all around is death and fury, his concern for Daigoro remains paramount. The bond between them is unshakeable and always relevant, even when separated.
The story occasionally jumps back in time to offer insight into earlier times. It's not until Volume 02, for example, that we understand why Ōgami and Daigoro are on the road to begin with, what sparked the quest for retribution, and what happened to the young boy's mother.
Kazuo lets Goseki Kojima's amazingly kinetic black and white visuals carry the story along much of the time. There's often page after page without dialogue, but the imagery speaks volumes.
It's not the clean-lined, big-eyed style you may picture when you hear the word 'manga'. It's grittier, with deft strokes of the pen. When the blood starts to fly, Goseki captures the intensity better than any other manga artist that I've ever encountered. He can follow a two-page spread of excessive bloodshed and fury with a single branch of cherry blossom suspended over a still pond and it won't seem out of place. Instead, it'll seem like the most natural progression ever.
Furthermore, the ease with which he's able to convey what young Daigoro is thinking deserves the highest praise I can give. Daigoro is just three-years-old, so he speaks even less than his taciturn father, but his simple, heartfelt expressions mean we're consistently privy to the Cub's thoughts. It's often subtle, but the child's all-important worldview is never neglected.
There are occasional shifts of perspective in some chapters, making Ōgami more of a bit player, but it never feels like an intrusion in the arc. And it has the added effect of further opening up the world, showing how other citizens live, which invariably helps in how we view Ōgami. Some chapters even have Daigoro as main character, which is more enthralling than it may sound.
The different regions that father and son pass through are often characterised by the number of hungry poor contrasted with rich patrons eager to satisfy vices. I don't think it's a cliché that the poor people are more often than not the kindest of all. I think that's a universal truth in any era.
The format changes somewhere in the last third (around Omnibus 09, iirc). Chapter length is the same, but the focus shifts as Koike sets up what's needed for the final confrontation between Ōgami and Yagyū, between the wolf and the snake. The training and experience that has shaped Daigoro thus far becomes ever more relevant, as Ōgami prepares for what he must do. It becomes more about one linear story, as opposed to many little ones with an overarching theme. Many chapters don't feature Ōgami at all, but the quality of writing and art are as strong as ever.
The final confrontation is amazing, cementing my feeling that LW+C is the best manga that I've ever read - or probably will ever read. It's easy to see why it's considered so influential.
- Retsudō, head of the Yagyū clan -
I'm happy to report that publisher Dark Horse chose not to attempt to translate Japanese words and terms that have no direct English equivalent. Instead, they included a short but informative glossary of terms at the back of each book to explain the meanings. It's simple to access when reading an actual paper book. I imagine it's a pain in the ass if you're reading digitally.
Originally released in individual volumes, the Omnibus editions lesson the number of books needed to complete the collection from 28 slim to 12 fat, although it won't make much difference to the shelf space needed. I'd to give them a full shelf of their own (75 cm).
NOTE: Cover art on the pictured Dark Horse editions (below) is by American artists Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, so aren't representative of the dramatic B+W artwork inside. They're also in a different order to how they appeared on the single volume editions.
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