It really made me happy to begin a project that has been on my mind for a while.

https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/adventvoice/ezo-funk I really feel with the images highlighting certain aspects of the song a vynal EP cover could be made or a really flashy live action animation connected to "the-grimlords," vision.

https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/adventvoice/astriod-blues

His support of the art goes a long way for me. There is so much more I would like to bring to the table of creation, so many other directions this story can go but I really wanted to focus on the idea that the Samurai as a people might not be seen any more, the swords where burried in the past, but there is something that can not be erased in referance to the Samurai, it is transcendant and timeless. "The Drive to Survive."

As I was doing the project, I remembered a conversation that reminded me of 19th century Japan. The Hakkaido where too far from main land Japan to be of any use to the governemnt, they were annexed and told to disarm because of "modernization," an ideal of wanting to be more like the "British," in order to compete militarially against invaders. Those in supporting islands such as Hakkaido did not believe such modernization to be nesscary and an afront to the ideals of Bushido. They were angered by the Imperial ordiance that not only left them defenseless against invaders but made them equal to peasents, in there estimations. After the reformation, everyone in the royal army was equal, anyone could use a gun. Not everyone could use a bow, or katana, or sword and their was a ranking structure to the feudal system that made one with a sword, duel natured. He with the sword could aid or harm. Could defend or kill. Protect the ruling class or watch them fall. It paid well to be a Samurai and for the government of Japan to simply ignore this idea was rather costly.

 So much so that they tried to include this philosophy later in WW2 with the  kamikaze fighters, which proved to not be as effective as the days of bushido. It is hard to engage people to take up a mindset which was perviously considered "obsolete."

With the split that occured in Japan at that time I can't help but to remember my own time in America when I was made to carry a sword cane. It was an interesting time in which fire arms where considered removeable by all offical police officers. Anyone caught with a fire arm and not able ot produce papers of registration would lose it, hard to have registration papers, while back packing. So I carried a sword cane for self-defense. Living in the present, fast fowarding to 2011 when there is no threat of war in peaceful America, I found it interesting that I was seemingly living in a reforming time period. Stuck in a grey area of social reform when guns are nearly outlawed, self-defense is predicated on how well you can use your hands and the sword.

  I bumped into an officer that had a very keen eye and noticed my cane was not "normal" and wanted it.

"You would take away a man's only defense as he travels, while gangs, are shooting people and selling their family memebers into sex slavery, and the police kill without a second thought. You would leave me defensless, while I still aim to head west by foot, over mountains and snow, dessert and wild coyotes be it man or beast is waiting to eat the defensless?" I allowed him to carry away my cane. With this on his mind.

  A few days later he found me. I thought that was interesting. In the big city he found me while I was eatting breakfast in a main street diner and he returned my sword cane. He told me his wife made him do it.

 "I had that cane sitting in on my mantel, sure as I was born that I did the right thing. Sure as I was born that the world is safer because "You," don't have a weapon the defend yourself with. Then my wife asked me where I got  the cane from and I told her your story and how I met you and all, and she slapped me. She looked me square in the eye and said if I am not going to drive you where you need to go to find work, or food or shelter, to give you back your swrod.

I will never understand that woman. But I am doing it and I hope you stay safe...just do me a favor and weld the sword shut and never use it on a person, please."

  I never did use it on a person, but I did defend mysefl from time to time and I loved his wife ever more.

For though she was American she understood the battle that is waging in the land, the paradox between the right to carry a fire arm, verses the sword and the right of a man to defend himself at all.