History Manga / LadySnowblood

The ''Lady Snowblood'' manga series was created by Kazuo Koike while the artwork was drawn by Kazuo Kamimura. First published and serialized in 1973 in the ''Weekly Playboy'' magazine in Japan. The manga series didn't get translated into English until 2005 by Dark Horse Comics.

The manga itself was popular enough to be adapted later into a 1973 live-action film of the same name directed by Toshiya Fujita, starring Meiko Kaji as Oyuki. The film created a cult following, resulting in a sequel, ''Film/LadySnowblood2LoveSongOfVengeance''. Quentin Tarantino was inspired by the film, which resulted in the creation of ''Film/KillBill''.

* YouBastard: There's a bit of exposition on the scientific theories of the late 18th century, where one guy suggests that the Japanese should start having children with Europeans and generally open up to the Western world. The narration goes on to ponder on if this had happened, maybe Japan wouldn't have become the jingoistic nation it was, avoiding its expansionist policies and involvement in WWII... and you, the reader, wouldn't be holding this book right now.

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!!Tropes found in the 1973 film:

* AnachronicOrder: The film starts with Oyuki's birth. The rest of the movie continually switches back and forth between an adult Oyuki pursuing her revenge, and flashbacks to Sayo's backstory and the training of little Oyuki.
* ChekhovsGunman: Kobue, daughter of Oyuki's first victim, who is pretty much forgotten about until the end when she shows up and stabs Oyuki in the stomach.
* DeathByAdaptation: In the manga, Oyuki frames Okono for murder rather than actually kill her. In the film, Okono hangs herself when it becomes plain there's no escape from Oyuki.
* DutchAngle: How the onlookers are portrayed during Sayo's rape scene.
* FixingTheGame: Takemura is caught cheating at cards in a gambling den. Oyuki intercedes and stops the gamblers from killing him--so she can kill him.
* HighPressureBlood: Whenever someone is stabbed their blood tends to shoot out as a high-pressure jet.
* TheKenBurnsEffect: The film includes occasional sequences with stills and drawings, doubtless as a tribute to the manga, complete with pans and zooms.
* LatexPerfection: Oyuki kills Tsukamoto, only to notice a mask afterwards and discover that it was really a mook.
* MadeOfIron: Oyuki gets shot in the gut by Tsukamoto and then stabbed in the gut by Kobue, eventually collapsing into the snow. She is alive and struggling to get up the next morning when the film ends.
* MadeOfPlasticine: Oyuki slices Okono in half at the waist with one swing.
* {{Narrator}}: Tells Oyuki's story.
* OutWithABang: How Sayo kills Tokuichi. She pulls out a hidden knife and stabs him in the back while he's on top of her humping away. After an unpleasantly surprised Tokuichi dismounts, she stabs him in the gut a few more times just to make sure.
* PragmaticAdaptation: Much was cut from the manga. Elements that were not included in the film: the lesbian stripper plot (and all the other lesbian sex), Oyuki getting trained as a pickpocket, and several contract murders carried out by Oyuki (the film does include one, in the opening sequence). Additionally, the final violent confrontation between Kobue and Oyuki does not happen in the manga.
* TrainingMontage:
** The opening credits of the movie roll over a montage of Oyuki refining her combat skills.
** Later the movie shows a pre-teen Oyuki going through rather brutal training with Dokai the monk.

The manga itself was popular enough to be adapted later into a 1973 live-action film of the same name starring Meiko Kaji as Oyuki. The film created a cult following, resulting in a sequel. Quentin Tarantino was inspired by the film, which resulted in the creation of ''Film/KillBill''.

* PragmaticAdaptation: Much was cut from the manga. Elements that were not included in the film: the lesbian stripper plot, Oyuki getting trained as a pickpocket, and several contract murders carried out by Oyuki (the film does include one, in the opening sequence). Additionally, the final violent confrontation between Kobue and Oyuki does not happen in the manga.

* TrainingMontage: The opening credits of the movie roll over a montage of Oyuki refining her combat skills.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Done by Okono Fujishima.

The manga itself was popular enough to be adapted later into a live-action film of the same name starring Meiko Kaji as Oyuki. The film created a cult following, resulting in a sequel. Quentin Tarantino was inspired by the film, which resulted in the creation of ''Film/KillBill''.

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* CruelMercy: Oyuki doesn't kill Okono, leaving her to face the ruin of her business and the angry clients.

* PsychoLesbian: Quite a few, resulting in GirlOnGirlIsHot scenes.

* CruelMercy: Oyuki doesn't kill Okono, leaving her to face the ruin of her business and the angry clients.

The manga itself was popular enough to be adapted later into a live-action film of the same name starring Meiko Kaji as Oyuki. The film created a cult following, resulting in a sequel. Quentin Tarantino was inspired by the film, which resulted in the creation of ''KillBill''.

* YouBastard: There's a bit of exposition on the scientific theories of the late 18th century, where one guy suggests that the Japanese should start having children with Europeans and generally open up to the Western world. The narration goes on to ponder on if this had happened, maybe Japan wouldn't have become the jingoistic nation uit was, avoiding its expansionist policies and involvement in WWII... and you, the reader, wouldn't be holding this book right now.

->"I am a vehicle of retribution who roams in search of my mother's sworn enemies"