Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles (Netflix Series)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/comicbook.com/anime/amp/news/netflix-usagi-yojimbo-animated-series-samurai-rabbit-usagi-chronicles/

I don't know if we have a thread for this, so I'm making one. Anyway, last year, a new Netflix series was announced called Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. The show is produced in collaboration with Gaumont, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Atomic Monster.

"The series takes place in the far future, set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, on his epic quest to become a true samurai. But he isn’t alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes – including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard – as he battles depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!"

Stan Sakai, who created the original comics, is attached to the series, with Doug Langdale and Candie Langdale attached as showrunners and executive producers. Ben Jones is the supervising producer.

Keone Young said how he's doing some voice work for Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. I believe he was also in the Samurai Rabbit episodes of the 2012 TMNT series, though I don't remember who he played.

https://twitter.com/keoneyo/status/1458901447781715968?t=YCbiBShpMoBVOhN4lSV8Kw&s=19

Well, looking forward to this. I remember Usagi's appearances in TMNT shows and it'll be fun to see what they do with him on the headlines.

Yeah he was pretty friggin' cool in 2003 TMNT.

Surprised this isn't in Paramount+

Eh, pretty sure it's because of some factors:

• This was announced before Paramount+ was ever a thing.
• Despite Usagi Yojimbo's close association with the TMNT, Usagi is actually not owned by Viacom like the Turtles. He's creator-owned by his writer (and main artist?) Stan Sakai. Sakai, being pals with one of the TMNT creators (I think Eastman? Or both Eastman and Laird?) gives permission for the TMNT stuff to crossover with Usagi Yojimbo.

Keone Young was Jei, the Big Bad of the Usagi episodes in the 2012 TMNT series.

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Nov 13th 2021 at 9:53:40 AM

Ahh true.

Oh yeah, has Usagi appeared in Rise? My favorite outing of him is still 2003.

Edited by Ookamikun on Nov 14th 2021 at 6:18:08 PM

Mine too.

Man the Nexus Tournament arc was so cool.

I don't think he appeared in Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He probably could have appeared if the show wasn't cancelled.

Yeah. That's the only series I think Usagi hasn't appeared in?

Do we know any other the other cast. For both allies like Tomoe and Gen and villains like Lord Hikiji, Jei and Noriko.

Jesus imagine the badass sword fights Rise could have done with him.

Edited by slimcoder on Nov 15th 2021 at 2:14:37 AM

I don't think so but the original pitch alluded to other characters that might be from the comic directly - "roguish bounty hunter" seems a accurate description of Gen for example but it could be a new character who it also fits.

Strangely despite being the Big Bad of that comic. I think Hikiji has never actually appeared in even Usagi's TMNT appearances.

The 2003 series used his goon Lord Hebi while Jei was in the 2012 series.

That's probably because Hikiji doesn't really show up in the Usagi Yojimbo comics, either. He's usually a faceless menace whose machinations Usagi sometimes gets involved in, but they've never met in person, save for one brief moment in the backstory.

Heck, we don't even know what Hikiji really looks like, as his face has been framed in shadow since almost the series' beginning — if memory serves, the only time we've seen his face was his very first appearance, due to Early Instalment Weirdness.

Finally, a trailer!

Huh it's not about Usagi but his descendant instead?

Yeah, a bit of a hiccup IMO, but what can you do?

Maybe they thought original Usagi was too violent? It does take place in the Sengoku Period after all.

Tbf have you seen some of netflix's animated works. Those are more extreme than what happens in the OG comics. Or at least on par.

Edited by miraculous on Apr 3rd 2022 at 4:19:10 AM

Yeah, but this show looks like its aimed at children.

It reminds me of the Kung Fu Panda spinoffs, like Paws of Destiny.

And, I mean, I like those spinoffs, but I like them because they're spinoffs. This is basically the first Usaji Yojimbo adaptation ever, so instead of being a fun kid focused spinoff of a growing franchise, it comes off as another property that an adaptor gutted to make more kid friendly, like what nearly happened to Bone.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Apr 4th 2022 at 3:13:17 AM

Yeah this is a weird one.

Haven't read a Usagi comic but I did do enough research to know he's more a lone ronin-adventuring across the land ala Samurai Jack.

This really doesn't look like it.

Except its not about Usagi, its about his descendant.

Also, not the first time something like this was planned. 2003 TMNT Fast Forward was planned to have an episode called "Space Usagi" where they meet his descendant.

Space Usagi was apparently optioned around for a pilot way back when, but nobody went for it.

That's the point. They went out of their way to make an adaptation of Usagi that wasn't an adaptation of Usagi.