No Need for Bushido

No Need for Bushido is a webcomic started on April 11, 2002, on Keenspace (now Comic Genesis). The comic is drawn by Alex Kolesar and written by Joseph Kovell. Its content and title are based on various influences from such anime and manga as "Tenchi Muyo!" (which has a series of volumes titled "No Need for Tenchi") and "Rurouni Kenshin", a famous manga/anime series which "No Need For Bushido" parodies at many points. Kolesar's artistic style is influenced by, but not restricted to, the manga and anime styles, while Kovell's writing style is humorous, unique and random. The series is a mixture of anachronism, exaggerated action, veiled drama, and comedy based in a parodied feudal Japan.
Story.
No Need for Bushido begins with the announcement of an arranged marriage between Eijiro Wataro and Ina Senshin. Their respective clans are among the most powerful in Japan, and the ambitions of Hirotomo Wataro, the ruthless head of the Wataro clan, for total dominion of Japan has the two clans on the brink of war. The marriage is supposed to serve as both a means to avoid war and unite the two great clans into one.
However, when Ina hears the news she is horrified both by never being consulted about this and at the thought of marrying a member of the brutal and cruel Wataro clan. The headstrong princess runs away from home rather than go through with the marriage, and soon finds herself traveling with a band of odd characters while other events and rising tension between the Wataro and Senshin clans seem to point towards a coming war.
Style.
The art style in No Need for Bushido has undergone multiple updates throughout its archive ranging from "cartoonish"
to Manga-like.
The comic's fight scenes seem heavily influenced by action movies.
Plot Details.
Chapter 1: The Epic Beginning
Ina discovers that her father, Masuhiro Senshin, has formed a peace treaty with the war-like Wataro clan. To avoid the arranged marriage, Ina runs away in middle of the night.
Chapter 2: Off to Adventure
Ina soon runs into a small group of bandits who threaten to kidnap her. These bandits are stopped when Yorikiro Wataro, the idealistic elder son of Hirotomo Wataro who has left his clan to live as a wandering samurai, appears to save Ina. Yorikiro manages, through luck, to kill two of the four bandits, but his katana is broken in the process. With no means to defend himself, Yori picks up Ina and attempts to escape. The two are forced to jump off a cliff and into a river below. After gaining consciousness from the fall, Ina grudgingly accepts Yorikiro's offer to follow her as a body guard. During introductions, both characters, for different reasons, avoid mentioning their clan names.
Chapter 3: Ninja Death Inn
The two find a small village inn and stay for the night. Ina and Yorikiro switch rooms when Ina finds a rat in her own. Later that night, two ninjas, upon locating Yori's original room on the Inn's register, break into Ina's room by mistake. Yori, alerted by Ina's scream, breaks into her room. Without a working sword, Yorikiro is forced to use his sheath to knock out the first ninja. The second, however, is able to counter his attack and kicks him through a wall into the next room. Yorikiro lands upon Cho Teko, a blind Taoist priest, who offers his assistance. Cho, a martial arts expert, quickly dispatches the second ninja. Yori and Ina leave the inn to avoid further trouble. Cho, lacking any particular goal, decides to join them. Here it is revealed that he is part of a prophecy that states a Christian, Hindu, and blind Taoist priest walk into a Japanese bar, and the world ends. Unfortunately, Cho had managed to accidentally go to Japan. As a devout follower of fate, however, Cho resigns himself to his role in the end of the world.
Chapter 4: Daimyo Switcharoo
Masuhiro Senshin, Ina's father, decides that the best way to avoid war with the Wataro clan is to journey to meet Hirotomo Wataro, personally explain about Ina running away and attempt to continue negotiating peace between the two clans. He appoints his brother in law Yukizane, a skilled strategist and diplomat, to lead the clan in his absence and takes a small group of bodyguards and retainers with him, hoping to make better time that way.
Chapter 5: New Friend or Foe
Yori, Ina, and Cho enter a new town where they plan to stop for the night. Upon entering the town they stop by a tea stand with a long line. Here they meet Ken, a disgruntled Ronin with a large Zanbatō sword. After entering the town, Yori runs off to buy a new blade for his broken sword at a "one yen" store. While the shop keeper attaches the blade, Yorikiro discovers a wakizashi with a retractable blade. He absent-mindedly pockets this item and leaves the store with his new sword. By the time Yorikiro meets up with Ina and Cho, it has been decided that there is only enough money for one room. Yori is left outside to find shelter for himself.
Chapter 6: It's All in the Past
Two bandits (unrelated to those found earlier in the comic) find Ken laying motionless in middle of a small wood outside town. Believing him to be dead, they attempt to steal from him, but soon find that he is quite alive and eager to fight despite their attempts to leave peacefully. The noise alerts Yori who comes to the aid of the clearly outmatched bandits. Yorikiro accidentally reveals his clan name, Wataro. Ken explains that his own clan had been wiped out by Yorikiro's and he intends to get revenge. The bandits are able to run away in the confusion, leaving Yori to face Ken alone. (The resulting fight is one of the first obvious parodies of Rurouni Kenshin). As the fight continues, Yorikiro's sword is broken a second time. He is then slammed against a tree and loses consciousness. When Yori recovers, he mentions that his former trainer Genchu would not wish to see him lose here. Ken is shocked to hear that Yori had known Genchu, a man who had saved him from the destruction that met the rest of his clan. In the process, Genchu had fought General Nataku, the man leading the invasion, and had cut off his pinky finger. Yori explains that he hopes to redeem his clan. Ken decides to join Yorikiro in hopes of obtaining his revenge specifically on General Nataku.
Chapter 7: Ninja Ambush
On his travels, Masuhiro is ambushed in a narrow mountain pass by a group of ninja who slay all his retainers. Masuhiro fights back skillfully, but eventually at the hands of the ninja band's female leader Suzuka, who cuts him with a drug laced weapon. Just before falling into unconsciousness, she reveals that she has been hired by the Wataro clan.
Chapter 8: Politics Suck
Eijiro Wataro visits the Senshin clan to meet his bride to be. Yukizane and Kagome (Masuhiro's wife) manage to excuse Ina's disappearance under the pretenses of illness. Furthermore, Yukizane is surprised to find that Eijiro did not meet Masuhiro while travelling. Eijiro leaves with a warning to the Senshin clan, and reports to his father that, as suspected, the bride has disappeared. He also informs Hirotomo that Masuhiro has gone missing as well, and that Eijiro has located Yorikiro's location. Upon hearing this, Hirotomo summons his four most trusted warriors, the Demons of the Sorrow, and sends them after his Yorikiro.
Chapter 9: Send in the Ninjas
As Ina, Yori, Cho, and Ken travel through a rock quarry, they are accosted by the somewhat incompetent ninja Bunzo, who specializes in rock jutsu. However, his skills seem to primarily involve throwing any available rocks at his opponents, and seem to be no match for Cho, and even less trouble for Ken. After Bunzo runs out of rocks to throw, he decides to make his retreat, but not before revealing that he is a member of the Izuma ninja clan, as well as his threat to throw Mount Fuji itself on his opponents. Bunzo walks away, muttering to himself, and the others find a sign giving them the way to Kyoto.
Meanwhile, Masuhiro is found in a prison, alongside the two surviving bandits from the first chapter. After a brief discussion, Masuhiro manages to free the three of them from the ninja cave. He sends the bandits to find Yorikiro Wataro and warn him about the ninja's intentions, and goes himself to find Suzuka for more information. He finds her bathing, and she manages to get the upper hand on him again, drugging him with another needle, sending him right back into the prison.
Chapter 10: Kyoto Kaos
Chapter 11: Yori's Dead!
Chapter 12: Think Like a Ninja
Chapter 13: Demons vs. Ninjas
Chapter 14: Kabuki Katastrophy
Chapter 15: Brothers in Arms
Chapter 16: Bridge
Chapter 17: Deals in the Dark
While Suzuka confides with the bound Masuhiro that her employer may not be completely trustworthy after all, Masuhiro manages to escape again and be recaptured by Suzuka. The ninja clan, with hostage in tow, meet up with their employer, who turns out to be Eijiro himself. He reveals that he has hired the ninja without his father's knowledge, and that with Masuhiro's death, war will break out between the two clans, and the Wataro clan will take what it deserves without the need for a peace treaty. After the deal is made, Suzuka instructs Ayane to send Masuhiro back to the Senshin clan for a price.
Upon returning to his camp, Eijiro is sent to Nataku, who informs Eijiro that he has been aware of Eijiro dealing behind his father's back. However, Nataku sides with Eijiro, saying that his actions are in the best interest of the Wataro clan.
Chapter 18: Choices
In this flashback chapter, Nataku tells Eijiro of the story of Genchu's return to the Wataro castle. Genchu fights his way past the guards, and eventually makes his way to Hirotomo himself, and the two of them face off. Genchu tells Hirotomo that he intends to kill him, and make Yori the new daimyo.
Meanwhile, Yori and Tadashii, having returned from a study session for a few weeks, find that their soldiers in ruin. The fight between Genchu and Hirotomo continue on, with Genchu the winner. However, Yori and Tadashii happen in on the fight, which distracts Genchu long enough for Hirotomo to turn the fight around.
Hirotomo now has Genchu at his mercy, until Yori pleads with his father to spare Genchu's life. Hirotomo agrees, but only on the condition that Genchu is to be completely forgotten and never brought up again, except in mentioning that he is a traitor.
Characters.
Demons of Sorrow.
Ex. "Slaughter bloody flame?" "Rage burning hellfire!" "Blood flesh burning massacre."
History.
On October 5, 2003, the comic left Keenspace and started a new site, www.noneedforbushido.com.
"No Need For Bushido" has a history of sporadic updates. At the height of some summers, "NNFB" could have as many as four updates in a week, all in its full-color style. Less often updates have a history of coming once a month. At of the end of March 2006, "NNFB" has a twice weekly update of a single page on Mondays an "unofficial" single page on Wednesdays, and often releasing an alternate script on Fridays.
On September 16, "No Need for Bushido" contributed a page to the Webcomic Hurricane Telethon, hosted by Blank Label Comics.
"NNFB" reentered the buzzComix Top 100 in September 2005, and is typically high ranking on TWC.
In 2006, early pages were re-written, correcting misspelled words and altering dialogue.
On December 3, 2007, "No Need for Bushido" moved hosts to Keenspot.
In January 2008, the first issue of "No Need for Bushido" was released for download at WOWIO.
Recently, due to conflicts with his other work, the artist has moved to a once-every-two weeks schedule, to general fanbase support.
Subcomics and Flash Animations.
No Need for Bushido also has a section of subcomics. One section of these subcomics is the NNFB Remix! (formerly called the Alternate Strips), made with existing pages with new dialogue substituted in. These are written by usually Joe, but Alex has also written one of these. Also included in this section are two flash animations using 'Paper-cuts outs' of the NNFB characters. There have been 2 of these made so far. More may be created.
In addition, an April 1, 2006 No Need for Bushido created a parody 'gamer' strip, No Need for a Player's Guide. At first it was an April Fools joke, but now runs as an extra addition to the site. There are currently seven of these in total.