MANGA REVIEW | "Yaiba: Samurai Legend" - Volume Two
When Yaiba: Samurai Legend goes all in on the stupid fun, it showcases its truest strengths. In its second omnibus volume, not only does Gosho Aoyama’s first hit deliver some huge laughs, but it also manages to have some super impressive fights. Where Case Closed is Aoyama’s Sherlock Holmes, Yaiba is his Kung Fu Hustle. By that, I mean it knows how to be both hilarious and badass all at once.
Much of the second volume focuses on Yaiba’s training. As he attempts to get better with his blade, Yaiba and his comrades find themselves going head-on against many of Onimaru’s generals. And while it was easy for them to convince the Frog General to side with them, the same can’t be said for the other generals. Not only have they sworn allegiance to Onimaru, they’ve also got rocks for brains.
Fortunately, stupid villains require stupid plans. And when Yaiba and his friends deliver some stupid techniques, it results in plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. When going up against the Snake General, our heroes seem to take pages straight from the book of Looney Tunes. For the Spider General, they use his hatred for loud noises to shake him up in a wacky manner. Meanwhile, the Slug/Snail General just can’t seem to avoid either being hit by salt or becoming escargot.
That’s not to say all of Onimaru’s generals are Grade-A idiots. Mr. Bat gives Yaiba a run for his money, and when the giant winged foe sinks his teeth into the young warrior, he…turns him into a werewolf? (Wait, how does that even work?!) It then leads to others being bitten, thereby creating a wild chain reaction of werewolves and crazy situations. While Yaiba does find a solution to deal with Mr. Bat, it’s when he goes up against another warrior when it gets a little bit tricky.
But first, before that, Yaiba: Samurai Legend gives readers a nice relaxing hot springs break. That means some comfy baths, plenty of eats, and good old-fashioned fan service thanks to a pervy dad and even a couple of Onimaru’s generals. Yes, it may seem weird to have poor Sayaka be the one everyone has their eyes on, but it does demonstrate not only her warrior strength, but also her mental strength on how to deal with Onimaru’s foes. All it takes is, to quote Rhys Darby, some “leggy leggy leggy”, and not hers!
It then leads to Onimaru’s biggest trick up his sleeve: Kojiro Sasaki. Bringing him back from the dead is easy peasy, and when he goes up against Yaiba, he winds up being a formidable opponent. His battles with Yaiba are pretty impressive for the eyes, as Aoyama frames every serious moment like he’s drawing a Kurosawa film. But of course, there’s bound to be some silliness thrown in there, and it involves Kojiro’s weakness: cute women!
Yaiba: Samurai Legend is a hoot! Even with its 450+ page count, Volume Two makes for an easy read thanks to its near-perfect mixture of comedy and action. Although Conan Edogawa is Aoyama’s most iconic character, room should be made on his pedestal for this spiky-haired samurai. While Yaiba: Samurai Legend may not be as well-known as the likes of Ranma ½ or Dragon Ball, Volume Two demonstrates why it absolutely deserves to be inserted in the same conversation as Takahashi and Toriyama’s most famous works.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
