Where did the name "Yojimbo" come from?

[timlara]

Can't sleep tonight, so I was just curious to know who came up with the name "Yojimbo" for the eagerly awaited new MBC knife, and where did they get the idea? (I think it's an ingenious name, by the way.)



A Google search came up with this definition:



<i><b>Yojimbo</b>: "Bodyguard." The name given to a masterless samurai (ronin) who hired themselves out as professional bodyguards.</i>



OK, Makes sense.



Or was it inspired by this movie:



<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055630/" target=blank>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055630/</a>



Anybody know?



Man, I need to get some sleep! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>



Edited by - timlara on 6/15/2004 2:19:06 AM

[Rob]

Maybe both <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

If you haven't seen the film yet, I can recommend it (like anything else from Kurosawa)! It is very good.

Cheers, Robert

[DAYWALKER]

Ahhhh...Usagi Yojimbo. One of the greatest Japanese swordsman.

Don't know about the name designation, but yes, Kurosawa flicks are great! Lucas wouldn't be where he is now if they sucked! LOL!

Oyasuminasai timlara-san!

God will put you over...if you let Him! John 14: 13,14...try it, it WORKS!

[Pyrochazm]

That movie sounds like Last man standing w/ Bruce Willis. Yojimbo is probably where last man standing came from.

"My parents dropped acid back in the sevendies in an attempt to "Expand their conciousness" and then turned around and gave me Ritalin in the nineties to supress mine"

[silverback]

Daywalker:
Nice to see a fellow consumer of quality comics on this forum.

For the others:
"Usagi Yojimbo" translates as "rabbit bodyguard" and is one of the best comics around.
The author, Stan Sakai, does very detailed research for his stories and nicely brings medieval Japan to life.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
The main character is roughly based on Miyamoto Musashi and has all kinds of adventures as a wandering ronin.
Make no mistake, this is not kid's stuff but aims at a mature audience!

As great and even more serious is "Lone Wolf and Cub" by Kazuo Koike, a Manga that made the jump to moving pictures in a short series of movies by the same name.

Both are a must read for the Japan enthusiast!

Timlara:
Sorry to hijack your thread, but I couldn't stop myself.
Maybe you can read the comics when you're up late again.<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week. -George Bernard Shaw

[HoB]

Yup, both "last man standing" and "high noon" are copies of Yojimbo. Including the scene and the line with the coffins. It is a great film but quite difficult to watch. Most copies out there are in terrible condition (black and white I should mention) and have subtitles that are impossible to read (white on white background). In a perfectly restored version is is something to watch!

[Jimmy_Dean]

The movie Yojimbo si quite something. You can see it as a Japanese Western. The way some scenes were shot remind me of some Charles Bronson films. It's great. And if Ronin means masterless warrior, the Yojimbo could possibly describe the guy in the movie. By the way, HMV has a fully restored version on DVD.

-Dean

[samosaurus]

I enjoyed Korusawa's rendition of "Yojimbo" it was really funny! I mean great humour.. "Sanjuro" was the next Mifune-Kurosawa outing.. Awesome! <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Sam

have knives will travel...

[argyll]

Michael Janich, the designer of the Yojimbo is a fan of the movie. In this thread http://www.spyderco.com/forum/Topic.asp ... _title=MBC he explained that "The name means 'bodyguard' and I thought had a nice sound to it."

Best regards,

Argyll

Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit -- Ovid (He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow)

[timlara]

AHA! Thanks, argyll! Now I can sleep. <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

(Actually, I zonked out right after starting this thread. I am impressed that I managed to insert <b>bold</b> text AND a hyperlink in my comatose state!)

Daywalker & Silverback:
Thanks for the knowledge! I have a friend who owns a comic shop that I haven't been in touch with for a long time, so checking out "Usagi Yojimbo" will be a good excuse to catch up. Definitely NOT a hijacking of the thread by any means!

HoB:
I actually checked out the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... d&n=507846" target=blank>Criterion Edition DVD</a> from the good ol' public library on Sunday, and I guess I got lucky because in that version, they seem to have cleaned up the subtitles nicely. The film is in letterboxed widescreen format and the subtitles are actually on the "unused" part of black screen at the bottom (white on black) so they don't interfere with the picture at all. It was a great flick -- I will have to check out more of Kurosawa's work soon...

[HoB]

I saw it on VHS, seems they have greatly improved the quality, when they ported it to DVD, need to check it out, thanks.

If you are into the Western style movies, I would suggest "seven samurai" and a little bit different "throne of blood". Seven samurai" was the bases for "the magnificent seven"

Mmmh, yes it looks like a nice restoration indeed:
transferred from a new 35mm composite low-contrast print in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Telecine Lab: TVR, NYC. Film Restoration: Mathematical Technologies, Inc., RI. Audio Restoration: Michael W. Wiese. DVD Compression/Authoring: EDS Digital Studios, L.A. DVD Menu Design: Fernando Music, Harmony Hasbrook.

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha again!

silverback, I love all of that stuff...

Samosaurus...re: Sanjuro; How was that last quick draw scene!!! Mifune was an early practitioner of edge UP eh?! Glad I had it on tape...I blinked the first time and missed it!

God will put you over...if you let Him! John 14: 13,14...try it, it WORKS!

[samosaurus]

DayWalker ~ The last scene between Mifune and Nakadai was indeed a Kurosawa masterpiece.. "Thwack.." and it was all over.. Sanjuro is somehowhat "darker" that the Spaghetti-Western like Yojimbo.. It dabbles with clan loyalty and politics.. I really enjoyed the swordplay in Sanjuro! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> Now, for inspiration, I caught up with "Chusingura" or the 47 Loyal Retainers.. Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki who also helmed the "Samurai" Trilogy starring Toshiru Mifune as Takezo @ Miyamoto Mushashi.. You've got to catch "Chusingura".. The lead guy who played "Oishi Kuranosuke" is admireable.. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> Othe Korusawa classics in my Criterion DVD collection include : Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Sanjuro and Yojimbo.. And of course, "Kagemusha" which was jointly funded by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola.. *heh-heh!*

Sam

have knives will travel...

[Little claw]

I saw a film called 'Twilight Samurai' recently.

Highly recommended.

[dialex]

Ahhh, Kurosawa, one of my very favorites... <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
There is a remake after Yojimbo with J. C. van Damme. In fact, at the end of the movie (after he finished with the bad guys, naturally), he sais something like "there is a movie callen "Yojimbo" at the cinema, let's go and see it" <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>

[DAYWALKER]

Howzit samo!
Yeah, it was a cool one. Have you seen Sword of Doom? The guy who is referred to as the "tiger" in Sanjuro is the lead sword slinger in it. Very interesting.

Another one of my favorites was that samurai movie "Heaven and Earth"...the scenery was absolutely beautiful! Most of the scenes were taken in Europe somewhere...

Hey Alexandru the Great, if you haven't seen Heaven and Earth yet, I HIGHLY recommend it!

God will put you over...if you let Him! John 14: 13,14...try it, it WORKS!

[samosaurus]

Aloha Daywalker! And Mahalo for the leads! Haven't been watching too much Japanese films especially on the Samurai genre of late.. As a contrast, also check out these China-made films : "Emperor and the Assasin", "Emperor's Shadow" and of course : "Warriors of Heaven and Earth", I think that was shot in Western China.. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Sam

have knives will travel...

[DAYWALKER]

Howzit samo!

Ney, you REALLY must see "Storm Riders". Man, the effects are COOL, and it is a Chinese film, but Sonny CHIBA plays the lead bad guy! It was interesting to see him "speaking" Chinese! Also, A Man Called Hero...Trippy Swordplay. These two kinda have "Matrix" like effects!

Thanks also for the suggestions! God bless!

God will put you over...if you let Him! John 14: 13,14...try it, it WORKS!

[silverback]

For a refreshing change you might want to check out "Samurai Fiction" with Tomayasu Hotei, who also provided the music; director Hiroyuki Nakano used to do video clips.
It's funny and serious at the same time.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week. -George Bernard Shaw

[samosaurus]

Aloha Daywalker~ Yeah, "Fung-Wan" "Storm Riders" I remember watching this one at the cinema years back.. Nice FX for a Hong Kong made flick.. If you like Hong Kong movies directed by Tsui Hark, I highly recommend : "Swordman", "Once Upon A Time in China", (The first part) and "Iron Monkey". These are the best periodical flicks on Chinese Martial Arts.. A bit tacky with all them aerial summersaults, but entertaining.. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> And also, if you are a fan of Kazuo Koike who penned "Lone Wolf and Cub", check out the screenplay version of this Japanese movie about Itto Ogami and his son Daijiro.. <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Sam

have knives will travel...