Book Review: 47 Ronin 

By Mike Richardson 

5 Stars

47 Ronin is a graphic novel created by authors Mike Richardson, Stan Sakai and Kazuo Koike. This story is based on real events that took place in early eighteenth-century Japan. The story begins with Lord Asano, a daimyo, leaving for the Shogun’s palace to partake in Sankin Kotai. As Asano arrives, he is taught proper etiquette in the Shogun’s palace by a man named Kira Yoshinaka. However, Kira asks for money in return for teaching him when it is his duty to do so, and Asano refuses. The next day, when it is time for the daimyos to gather, Kira calls out to Asano and insults him, to which Asano replies by unsheathing his sword, which was a hefty crime at the time, and attacks Kira. This causes Asano later to be given a death sentence. As Asano’s retainers hear the news of how Kira belittled their lord and insulted him, they gather and create a plan to avenge his death and honour. This story is very well written and truly depicts the samurai and how much honour and loyalty mean to them. Not to mention, the art style is amazing as every character is drawn uniquely to show their personality and motives. The panels are also very detailed and have a cartoonish style to them. The action and fight scenes are also great because there isn’t much violence. Overall, I would give this graphic novel a 5/5, and I highly recommend reading this if you are into action graphic novels.   

Reviewed by Aryan

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