History YMMV / LoneWolfAndCub

* {{Narm}}: Some moments can come off as unintentionally humorous for how serious they're played. For instance, the mercenary Kanbei getting into a fight with Itto being mortally wounded and totally unpromptedconfessing his life story, ending by shouting "Tell me, Ogami Itto! ''What is Bushido!?'' He has never met Itto before.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Some villains intended to be sympathetic sometimes simply ''aren't''. Take Kanbei, one of the Watari-Kachi mercenaries, who takes no part in his comrades attempting to rape a pair of noblewomen, interferes only when they accidentally reveal their employer to the women's enraged servant when he saves them, then kills the servant and the women both. There's very little by way of sad past that can possibly excuse him for this, let alone any code of supposed honor.

* {{Macekre}}: In ''Shogun Assassin'', all mentions of the complicated clan warfare that drives most of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". Most of the footage comes from the second ''Lone Wolf & Cub'' movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic The replacement score by W. Michael Lewis and]] [[Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders Mark Lindsay]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic is pretty good, though.]]

* Pop-CultureIsolation: The manga is much more well known among fans of western comics than among manga fans.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Many have read or watched ''Manga/MadBull34'' and/or ''Manga/CryingFreeman'' and wondered how Kazuo Koike could go from making this seminal masterpiece to them. Well, many of those readers are probably [[MainstreamObscurity more familiar with the series' reputation than its reality]]. ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' features many of the same elements that critics have eviscerated those stories for: ridiculously over-the-top action, pulpy and unrealistic story beats, a juvenile and borderline-misogynistic sexuality with regard to almost all the female characters, scatological humor, ridiculously, even hilariously evil villains. But, ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' did a better job of landing its dramatic and personal stories, grounding the [[{{Narm}} excess]] so that it [[NarmCharm still comes across effectively as human drama]]. It was also set in a distant, violent past, rather than a contemporary setting, and was often heavily-researched in contrast to the ridiculous depictions of New York or the Chinese triads.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Many have read or watched ''Manga/MadDog34'' and/or ''Manga/CryingFreeman'' and wondered how Kazuo Koike could go from making this seminal masterpiece to them. Well, many of those readers are probably [[MainstreamObscurity more familiar with the series' reputation than its reality]]. ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' features many of the same elements that critics have eviscerated those stories for: ridiculously over-the-top action, pulpy and unrealistic story beats, a juvenile and borderline-misogynistic sexuality with regard to almost all the female characters, scatological humor, ridiculously, even hilariously evil villains. But, ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' did a better job of landing its dramatic and personal stories, grounding the [[{{Narm}} excess]] so that it [[NarmCharm still comes across effectively as human drama]]. It was also set in a distant, violent past, rather than a contemporary setting, and was often heavily-researched in contrast to the ridiculous depictions of New York or the Chinese triads.

** Series AntiHero Ogami Itto is a stoic, charismatic warrior unjustly [[FrameUp framed]] by the Yagyu clan. On the run with his three year old son Daigoro, Itto constantly showcases his strategic genius in his assassinations. In one instance, he allows himself to be captured by the enemy to get close to a target, revealing that the warning they received was written by him. In another, he uses Daigoro drowning as bait to trick a target's bodyguard into trying to save him so Itto can kill him. Itto singlehandedly brings down the powerful Yagyu clan on his own, showing why he is a man who walks the road of demons, the Path of Meifumado.
** The series BigBad Yagyu Retsudo is a charismatic old man with the soul of a samurai that contrasts with the hard ruthlessness of an assassin. After the Yagyu lose the post of Shogun executioner to Itto, Retsudo uses a seemingly innocuous sparring match to trick Itto into knocking his staff into a man who could pose a threat to him, leading to the man's death. Later framing Itto for treason, Retsudo is revealed to be manipulating the entire Shogunate from the shadows and even when exposed for this, manages to connive his way back to power, having his rival, the poisoner Abe no Kaii, eliminated by setting a fire on a date that will force Kaii [[DrivenToSuicide to commit seppuku]]. Retsudo then uses a legion of ninja to face Itto, having them focus on breaking Itto's infamous sword, so he has the advantage for their final battle. A ruthless genius, Retsudo continuously shows why he is Itto's greatest enemy.

* EarWorm: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi4VTkNHKq8 main theme]] from ''Shogun Assassin''.

* EarWorm: The main theme from ''Shogun Assassin''.

* TheWoobie: Daigoro, often. [[spoiler: The worst moment being what happens to his dog.]]

* {{Macekre}}: In ''Shogun Assassin'', all mentions of the complicated clan warfare that drives most of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". Most of the footage comes from the second ''Lone Wolf & Cub'' movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction. [[AwesomeMusic The replacement score by W. Michael Lewis and]] [[Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders Mark Lindsay]] [[AwesomeMusic is pretty good, though.]]

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy

* MagnificentBastard: Yagyu Retsudo.

* {{Macekre}}: In ''Shogun Assassin'', all mentions of the complicated clan warfare that drives most of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". Most of the footage comes from the second ''Lone Wolf & Cub'' movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction. [[AwesomeMusic The replacement score is pretty good, though.]]

* {{Macekre}}: In ''Shogun Assassin'', all mentions of the complicated clan warfare that drives most of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". Most of the footage comes from the second ''Lone Wolf & Cub'' movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction. [[AwesomeMusic The new score they gave it is pretty good, though.]]

* {{Macekre}}: In ''Shogun Assassin'', all mentions of the complicated clan warfare that drives most of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". Most of the footage comes from the second ''Lone Wolf & Cub'' movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction.

* {{Squick}}: Abe-no-Kaii and then some, bordering on Film/PinkFlamingos territory towards the end.

* MagnificentBastard: Yagyu

* {{Macekre}}: All mentions of the complicated clan warfare making up much of the driving point of the plot is removed in favor of vague references to "The Shogun". The film footage is actually comprised of most the second Lone Wolf & Cub movie, ''Babycart at the River Styx'', with the first twelve minutes of the first movie, ''Sword of Vengeance'' bolted on to the front as an introduction.

* TearJerker: Quite common. In one particularly notable example, Itto gets an assignment to take down a female fighter who has gone on a killing spree through the ranks of a feudal lord. During the encounter, Itto finds out that she is killing the many samurai in order to draw out a samurai officer who previously raped her. Even though he is bound by contract to kill the woman, Itto compares her quest to his own and stands back, allowing the woman to kill her tormentor, getting her revenge. Out of respect she then faces Itto in formal duel, even though the [[CurbStompBattle result is obvious]]. After having [[KillTheCutie slain his target]], Itto states that she can finally be at peace "in a place where nobody will ever harm her again". He then grants her a warrior's funeral and sheds ManlyTears.

* {{Squick}}: Abe-no-Kaii and then some, bordering on PinkFlamingoes territory towards the end.

* TheWoobie: Daigoro, often. [[spoiler: The worst moment being what happens to his dog.]]

* TearJerker: Quite common. In one particularly notable example, Itto gets an assignment to take down a female fighter who has gone on a killing spree through the ranks of a feudal lord. During the encounter, Itto finds out that she is killing the many samurai in order to draw out a samurai officer who previously raped her. Even though he is bound by contract to kill the woman, Itto compares her quest to his own and stands back, allowing the woman to kill her tormentor, getting her revenge. Out of respect she then faces Itto in formal duel, even though the [[CurbStompBattle result is obvious]]. After having [[KillTheCutie slain his target]], Itto states that she can finally be at peace "in a place where nobody will ever harm her again". He then grants her a warrior's funeral and sheds ManlyTears.

* Squick: Abe-no-Kaii and then some, bordering on PinkFlamingoes territory towards the end.