Tribute to Yoshitoki
*I know full well that the rider is Taro...^^
About Yoshitoki
Yoshitoki is the son of a poor couple. When he was young, his
father died; and when he grew up, his mother died as well. His older brother was
forced to marry a girl not much richer than he just to survive. Somehow or the
other, Yoshitoki became a messenger for the lord Akiyama himself, the third
eldest, and met Murakami Harutomo, then known as Taro. He and Taro at first, got
off to a fairly rocky start. Yoshitoki had caught Taro escorting an elderly
peasant for free; it was then that he taught Taro the evils of virtue.
Yoshitoki ad Taro become fast friends from that point on, and the two proceed to brave many trials together. Being the only remaining messengers after others are sent away, Yoshitoki and taro are dispatched on a mission. It is here they earn their first swords, which Yoshitoki quickly employs to defeat beandits later on. Yoshitoki and Taro then meet en elderly man, later revealed a ghost, who can read the future; Yoshitoki stubbornly asks his future but the man pretends not to know for he sees death and does not want to deter the boy,
Yoshitoki, being older than Taro, joins the cavalry. He and Taro converse, and Yoshitoki reveals his insecurity as he say he wishes that someone in the world cared whether or not he lived. Taro assures him that he very much prefer his friend alive.
Yoshitoki is portrayed as a giving young man that would rather be a friend to others than have many friends. Unfortunately, he is shot and killed in a battle against Oda Nobunaga, sent out to aid Takeda Katsuyori as an elite cavalry soldier.
About This Site
When I read The Samurai's Tale, I liked the
story enough but as soon as I got to Yoshitoki's debut I knew I would love the
book for certain. I thought he was the perfect, ideal character, his modesty and
intelligence were very enviable traits. I was absolutely shattered by his death,
but I won't lie and say I burst into tears or something like that. What I will
say, however, is that the book seemed a lot less worthwhile after he left.
I probably would have considered stopping had it not been a required book to read...I was somewhat annoyed at Taro's drooling over Aki-hime and Yoichi's drooling over Taro. Seriously, Yoshitoki, at first, was what made those particular parts bearable to me.
Graphics
I don't really have anything to put
here...but if you're a Yoshitoki fan like I am you can feel free to use these!
^^ Note: Some codes were made on paint, so they pretty much look awful....the
more ornate ones were made on Photoshop.
//Without Border...
Extra
Links
These are some extra links to my sites
other sites you may find interesting if you like The Samurai's Tale,
specifically Yoshitoki.
{X} Calm of the Storm
{X} Samurai Warriors 2
-
This link may be confusing to some of you...Samurai Warriors 2 is a video game produced by Koei (which also produced Dynasty Warriors, definitely up there in one of my absolute favorite pastimes), which is based on the events of Feudal Japan. I haven't actually played Samurai Warriors 2; only Warriors Orochi in which the SW2 characters cross over with the DW characters. (My favorite Dynasty Warriors Character is Sun Shang Xiang and my favorite SW character is Kanetsugu Naoe.)