I have enjoyed Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s work before so I was looking forward to this. It’s not what I was expecting, but that’s not a bad thing!

I think I was expecting it to remain light and humorous all the way through and while it did achieve that there were darker elements that were important parts of the story. For me, they were balanced well.

The world building was also so interesting and I’d love to see more of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review.

Solid if somewhat familiar concept here. The specifics are unique. I like the blend of the Samurai culture with the modern technology. It makes for some unique details. The general thrust of the plot is pretty much what you'd expect but the individual moments are well plotted. The art and text work together well.

This is such a great graphic novel about the power of girlhood, friendship, perseverance, hope, and love.

Chihiro is desperate to be a samurai--the best one in fact! She's not good enough (yet!) to be accepted into Kesi Academy, a samurai school not known for choosing girls to study there. When Chihiro's father is conscripted for royal service, Chihiro takes his place, ready to prove herself. She becomes the sidekick to her hero, Tatsuo Nakano, the only female samurai admitted to Kesi. The problem? Tatsuo is nothing at all like what Chihiro imagined. She's rude, angry, and a drunk. Regardless, Chihiro and Tatsuo set off on their mission-kill a demon that's been terrorizing a village. Chihiro realizes there's much more to being a samurai, a friend, a daughter, and a hero than she thought. This graphic novel has great characters, laugh out loud moments, beautiful lore and world building, and would be great for fans of Nimona.

What the heck did I just read and why am I back on page one to read it again!?

Picked it up for the Nimona comp, stayed for the completely original blend of samurai and modern age tech. From the art to the story itself, you're lured in by the humor, the reluctant mentor/mentee character interactions, and exciting monster-hunting adventure. But the story truly shines when it surprises you with deeper topics, such as politics, war, societal and gender expectations. The only downside is that it felt too short and I wanted even more time with our samurai heroes. I have my fingers crossed that there's a sequel in the works, and I really wouldn't mind an animated series as well. Recommending this to everyone.

[Netgalley ARC]

I wouldn't have thought that an action-packed samurai story could include feminism, pacifist undertones, bloody fight scenes, quests for revenge, and smartphones and tvs, and still be a cohesive story, but it all somehow works. The anachronistic technology didn't take me out of the story as much as I would have thought it would, but did bring an extra element of relatability to the setting for contemporary readers, and also sorta bridges the gap between the apparent historical time period and the casual modern dialogue. I also didn't think I would come away from a story with as much killing as this one - much of it done by the protagonists - and still feel like the overall takeaway was that the societal structures and leaders that demanded/necessitated all of that violence were bad. Also, with the similarities in the premises (young girl sets out to fight in place of her injured old father), I thought this might go in the direction of Mulan and have that girls can fight just as well as boys brand of feminism, and I was very glad to see that it went deeper than that. Overall, this was an all around pleasant surprise for me, and I'll be looking for opportunities to recommend this one and use it in library programming. There's some strong language, quite a bit of drinking by a 19 yo, and of course a lot of violence, but I still think many middle school readers will enjoy this one, as will high schoolers.

The Worst Ronin critiques loyalty and may be an example that we shouldn't meet our heroes. With some action packed training and battle scenes, The Worst Ronin balances modern and traditional. If you love stories about jaded older mentor and young ambitious up and coming warriors, this is for you. Like many stories about power, it explores what happens when we think our destiny is denied. Seeing some perspectives from then allows us to witness the character growth and the journey we have to being the 'worst'.

Sixteen-year-old Chihiro Ito's father is a famous samurai; she's eager for the chance to get into the prestigious samurai school, Keisi Academy, to follow in her father's footsteps - and meet Tatsuo Nakano, the first woman to be accepted into the school. Chihiro logs a lot of fangirl time on social media following Tatsuo, but what Chihiro doesn't see is that Tatsuo isn't as picture-perfect as her socials would indicate. Flashbacks enrich Tatsuo's story and help readers understand her belligerence, alcohol use, and swearing. Tragedy strikes and Chihiro, bent on revenge, joins forces with Tatsuo. A buddy comedy enveloped in a samurai adventure, Tokuda-Hall and Schaffer's combined talents give readers a smart, funny story with depth. Schaffer brings Tokuda-Hall's incredible worldbuilding to colorful life and the action sequences will have readers white-knuckling through the pages. Don't miss this one. Give this to your Nimona fans (and add Nadia Shamas and Sara Alfageeh's Squire to the pile, while you're at it).

Thanks to NetGalley for the Ebook.

This is a great story for older teens and adults. Several F Bombs, but they are well placed and are acurate to the setting and the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this graphic novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I liked this in terms of it combining modern elements with the samurai history and elements. I also like how it tackled sexism with samurai and tradition. It did also explain a bit about folklore, but I think it needed more world building especially with why a certain twist/plot point happened which then created more issues within the novel.

The art style is fantastic and the humor reminded me of Nimona at some points. A good, quick read.

From Chihiro's determination and unbridled enthusiasm to Tatsuo's prickly indifference to the frequent side-eye from Tatsuo's horse, Tokuda-Hall and Schaffer's story and art combine beautifully to tell a tale that will have readers laughing and gasping out loud, and sharing panels and pages with their friends who will require copies of their own!

4.5 stars

Chihiro has always dreamed of being a samurai. Her father was a well-known samurai until he got injured, and Chihiro is obsessed with Tatsuo Nakano. She is the only woman accepted into Kesi Academy, a samurai academy.

When Chihiro’s father is conscripted into service, Chihiro takes his place. Especially when she gets the chance to work with Tatsuo. Their mission? Kill the yamauba demon that is killing children from a local village. But Tatsuo isn’t what Chihiro expected she’d be. Will they be able to work together to save the village?

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced copy of The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall to review! I always enjoy Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s work, and I was excited to see a new graphic novel from her. And it didn’t disappoint!

This is a fast-paced, violent at times graphic novel that kept me hooked from the very beginning. Both the writing and art work together beautifully to tell this story. The characters are expressive, and the panels are composed really well. Plus, I always enjoy the whole “grumpy mentor” story arc. We get to see Tatsuo's background and understand why she is the way she is, and this was written so well.

Also, if you love expressive animal sidekicks, you’ll definitely enjoy Tatsuo’s horse. Wonderful addition to a story that is a bit dark at times. This story does flip between events in the present and the past, which is noted by different color palettes. Always useful in the graphic novel format!

My only complaint is that the inclusion of phones felt a bit out of place to me, but not enough to take me out of the story, honestly. By the end, it was kind of fun!

All in all, if you like fast-paced graphic novels featuring strong female leads, definitely pick this one up!

Rating: 4
Genre: Historical / Science Fiction
Thank you HarperAlley for providing an e-copy through NetGalley.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Chihiro is a budding samurai who is itching for some action. But with overprotective parents and Kesi Academy - a prestigious samurai school - only accepting boys for students, she is stuck training and fangirling over Tatsuo Nakano, a renowned samurai and the only girl accepted into the Academy. Nowadays, though, Tatsuo is a drunk ronin, picking fights with locals and scraping up cash in any way she can with little dignity left, unknown to Chihiro. Fate will have these two samurai meet when Chihiro’s father is constricted for service, sent to rid a village of a monster, and Chihiro volunteers to go in his stead. The same village just happens to be Tatsuo’s hometown, and when the two stumble upon each other, Chihiro begs Tatsuo for her help. With great reluctance, the samurai-turned-ronin agrees, and the dysfunctional pair set up on an epic quest with demons, conspiracies, and bloodshed that will force Tatsuo to face her grief-filled past, Chihiro the horrors of war, and both the journey of moving forward to a new day.

What I Liked: The Worst Ronin is a historical science-fiction graphic novel set in feudal Japan, where samurai and smartphones exist at the same time. Readers will follow our two protagonists, the eager, enthusiastic Chihiro and the grumpy, drunk Tatsuo as they make a journey to becoming better samurai, facing their troubled pasts and uncertain futures head-on. The juxtaposition between the girl’s external and internal conflict is well paced and written: They are both fighting wayward or betraying samurai bent on destroying their homes, but are also fighting the horrors of wars on the inside, Tatsuo with past grief and Chihiro with present loss. Their character development works well side-by-side. Chihiro starts cheery and naive and ends more mature and sensible, while Tatsuo starts negative and hopeless and ends sober and hopeful. Watching the two opposite characters slowly mellow out and come closer together in personalities and experience - so that they are less opposite at the end - is a cool way to show character growth and progression. The art is cartoonish and fun, which can be a strange contrast to the seriousness of the story, especially toward the end. This is definitely a YA graphic novel as there is strong language, blood, and violence throughout. Overall, a great read for teens interested is a genre-bending story with samurai, fighting, and Japanese history.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing

Recommend to: Teens who like historical fiction (with a twist), Japanese history, samurai, and graphic novels.

Review Date: March 20, 2024

If you grew up watching classic 90's and early 2000's Cartoon Network, I think you'll also enjoy this. While the use of technology is a little weird at first, the use of sunglasses in a bunch of frames makes up for it.

Two female samurai fighting against a world made for men, and monsters (was that too repetitive?).

This was a cute tale! I’ve enjoyed most of Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s other work and this was no exception. The illustrations, by Faith Schaffer, were expressive and dorky at times in the best way. I do wish it was longer, and I felt like some parts could’ve been expanded on.

The Worst Ronin is out May 21, 2024.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. To be honest, I didn't love the art or the use of anachronisms. It had all the vibes of a good old school Japanese flick. Critiques aside, I wanted to keep reading. The relationship between the two MCs was great.

Although this graphic novel was not my favorite of the genre it has a lot of positive aspects. I am glad the artist drew a phone on the cover which hints that this is not a realistic historical setting because they have phones, texting, modern expressions, TV shows, and sunglasses like modern times. These elements are part of the silly/humor that balances well with the emotional dramatic parts of death and loss. We have two "girl power" characters who are very different. One is young and represents hope and justice wanting to be a hero and do the right thing, she searches for the help of an older Ronin, a loner and drunk samurai who has quit her values and will to do the right thing. Once they are paired they learn from each other a lot. I liked the end.

The whole story/adventure is funny and anime, and manga fans will enjoy it.

Fast-paced, entertaining, and not heavy on text. A fun story. The horse is hilarious.

Thank you, publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc.

I loved this story. It was a little weird to have cell phones in the story, but ultimately it works in the end : )

Chihiro dreams of being a samurai like her idol, Tatsuo Nakano, the first and only female student Kesi Academy and her crush Kazuo Mirimoto. But meeting her online heroes is a huge wake up call but through hard work and sheer force of will this young girl is determined to prove herself worthy of serving the emperor. This is a charming tale of badass female samurais, breaking stereotypes in a world created for men, all the while saving their own little pocket of the world in this graphic novel of Mulan meets modern technology. It did take a little bit to get into the story but once it got rolling, I had a blast. It was both funny and endearing. I loved how both women grew to care for each other in spite of their differences and opposite goals.

(+) bisexual Jewish Japanese American author, feminist themes, discussions on grief

tl;dr
Bright and energetic storytelling with messy, but lovable characters.

Thoughts
This has so much "webcomic from the 2000s energy," and I am here for it. The story is fast-paced, and energetic, moving quickly between fun comedy beats and some distinctly emotional hits. It's also packed with tongue-in-cheek anachronisms, namely the use of internet and cell phones, that all play into the story fairly well. The dual leads are both messy, imperfect, and a joy to watch interact as they stumble through from one fight to the next. Art is complementary to the story - sincere, poppy, and bright, with distinct character designs and the world's most expressive horse. Fight scenes tend to be a bit simplified, but they're still readable. If you're looking for a fun and earnest read, give this one a shot.

Sixteen-year-old Chihiro dreams of being accepted into Kesi Academy and becoming a samurai. Despite being able to defeat her former-samurai father, she lacks the discipline required, always on her phone following her idols especially Tatsuo Nakano. Tatsuo was the first woman to be accepted into Kesi Academy, but has since become a drunken laughingstock. Chihiro seeks out Tatsuo to
help her defeat a mythical beast stealing children. Will the two women succeed in defeating the beast? Will Chihiro ever become a real samurai?