‘Ronin’

Ukigumo

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15 Mar 2025

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It's interesting how, in the West, the term 'ronin' has been and is used widely in the names of dojo, fight arts clubs, sew on patches etc. It has connotations of a strong-willed individual, pushing against the status quo, doing what's right in the face of institutional corruption; the lone wolf (and cub ) if you will. And yet, in reality, weren't they simply unemployed soldiers? That unemployment might've been due to incompetence, incompatibility with the group, shameful behaviour and minor crimes and misdemeanors (as well as the sociopolitical climate). So are they really a group of people to which to aspire? How did this situation arise.? Eji Yoshikawa's 'Musashi'? Various chambara? (written by Japanese authors who should've know better!)

 

Ukigumo

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• #2

 

mdchachi

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Yes, I agree with you. We also have rebels who are often celebrated in books and movies but generally not celebrated in real life.

 

Ukigumo

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Yes, I have a very interesting and delightfully written book called 'Underdogs of Japanese History: 11 tales of iconic characters who prevailed against the odds... or didn't' Kyota Ko which highlights some of these rebels.

 

Hiroyuki Nagashima

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18 Jan 2005

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• #5

The term rōnin is often misinterpreted. It's not meant to be a positive or honorable title.

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

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Donor

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• #6

Hollywood sure loves a foreign term it can hang a story on.

I actually enjoyed this film for a number of reasons. Playing fast and loose with linguistics wasn't one of them


Keanu owed someone a big favor


I'd never even heard of this last one. The title font looks the same as the 47 ronin, so a sequel maybe?

 

Last edited: 25 Jul 2025

Ukigumo

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I was almost an extra on Reeves's 47 Ronin. They needed lots of people who looked convincing with swordplay for some battle scene or other. It was to be filmed in Romania during May, if memory serves, but that was exam season at work and I had several to set up, not least three complex anatomy 'circuses' and to mark them of course, so I couldn't take up the offer. Good job since it's the worst film I've had the misfortune to see and I'm glad I wasn't part of it, even in the smallest of ways.

 

thomas

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I quite enjoyed the movie. Disregarding the title and viewing it as pure fantasy, I found the cultural and historic syncretism quite interesting. Perhaps a bit overstuffed, but definitely more appealing than any Harry Potter flick or Lord of the Rings movie.

 

Ukigumo

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• #9

thomas said:

I quite enjoyed the movie. Disregarding the title and viewing it as pure fantasy, I found the cultural and historic syncretism quite interesting. Perhaps a bit overstuffed, but definitely more appealing than any Harry Potter flick or Lord of the Rings movie.

Click to expand...

They shouldn't have called it 47 Ronin but something completely different and maybe I'd've been more receptive to it.

Harry Potter's for children who can't get through the very dull LotR!