Sword of the Stranger
by Masahiro Andō (2007, Japan)
Set in Japan’s Sengoku (aka “Warring States”) era, Sword of the Stranger begins with the escape of a young boy named Kotaro from a burning monastery. Left to fend for himself with his trusty canine companion Tobimaru, Kotaro makes his way through the Japanese countryside, surviving as best he can while trying to make his way to a distant temple.
Eventually, Kotaro’s path crosses that of a nameless ronin (masterless samurai). Which proves quite convenient when a group of Chinese and Japanese soldiers corner Kotaro, seeking to capture him for some nefarious purpose. The swordsman quickly dispatches the villains and the headstrong Kotaro hires the swordsman, first to help heal the wounded Tobimaru, and second to protect them until they can make it to the temple, where the monks will give them sanctuary.
Not surprisingly, Kotaro and the ronin begin to bond, though both prove initially headstrong and defiant towards each other. But both have something in common: they’re running from the something. Kotaro is obviously running from the Chinese and Japanese seeking his capture, though he doesn’t know why they’re after him in the first place; the nameless ronin is running from a past that occasionally reappears in his nightmares, and may have something to do with his disabled sword.
