What is your opinion 'bout samurais

Alltgear · Post by **Alltgear** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:19 pm

What do you think about samurais? Express your opinion no matter what....

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:20 pm

I think they are very good with a light tomato sauce and some cheese, perhaps a melted Swiss or Gruyere.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:22 pm

Samurais are like ninjas. They flip out ALL the time and they kill people ALL the time, but they dont wail guitars, they prefer drums

Hahahaha...

Not really, as Fable said, they're good with cheese.

Ops, not yet.

Now, I dont really know enough about Samurais to talk about them... But I'm interested, since I think they are neat.

Alltgear · Post by **Alltgear** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:22 pm

Why is that fable? Do you hate samurais?

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:25 pm

I guess Fable thinks your question is a bit too wide open. Maybe you could help us decide what you mean about liking samurais, and what you feel about samurais. Can ye?

Alltgear · Post by **Alltgear** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:26 pm

Well I think that samurais were honoured warriors and very proud because the way they were brought up was not the best one. So, with a tough way of living, then they will be tough always.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:32 pm

[QUOTE=Alltgear]Why is that fable? Do you hate samurais?[/QUOTE]

Now why should I do that? I think tandoor chicken is a very fine dish. Does that mean I hate chickens, and wish to their race eradicated from the face of this good green Earth? You asked for my opinion of samurais, no matter what that might be. It seems you really didn't mean that; you only wanted to hear opinions of samurai that agree with yours.

Next, you'll be telling us that economic conditions in 14th century Granada weren't bad, that Trinitarian religious beliefs weren't relatively late, and that Weasel isn't evil. It's a long, slippery slope downwards when you start requesting opinions only to argue them, and it can never end well.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:35 pm

[QUOTE=Luis Antonio]I guess Fable thinks your question is a bit too wide open.[/quote]

Shucks, Luis. You remove all my fun this way!

I honestly don't know what he wants. Does he mean he wants us to discuss the samurai code at some point in history? After all, it has changed quite a bit. Does he man he wants us to discuss the way samurai were treated before or after the Meiji Restoration by the government? Social aspects of clan life in Japan? The way samurai are depicted in the films of Kurosawa, or perhaps the more realistic, cynical view of Mizoguchi? Tactics in wartime?

If you're confused by this, think how I feel.

Lestat · Post by **Lestat** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:38 pm

Bit like knights in the West. Nice honour code, but hey, general oppressing of the non-noble populace, fighting amongst yourselves and threatening the stability of the realm is so much more fun.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:38 pm

That's the Fablepedia. Wikipedia is for wankers and losers, Fablepedia rules all

Fable, really, I envy your knowledge.

But I'll reach ya someday!

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:43 pm

Shuckins. I'm just a boring old pagan kinda guy who finds many facts interesting. And you're an economist, aren't you? Think of all you know that I can't even touch! Why, I still have trouble figuring out a 15% tip in a restaurant.

Cuchulain82 · Post by **Cuchulain82** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:45 pm

[QUOTE=fable]Why, I still have trouble figuring out a 15% tip in a restaurant.

[/QUOTE]

I hear that. That's just another reason to tip 20%- just multiply by 2 and move the decimal point over one spot to the left...

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:46 pm

[QUOTE=Cuchulain82]

I hear that. That's just another reason to tip 20%- just multiply by 2 and move the decimal point over one spot to the left...[/QUOTE]

Yes! I know that one.

Somehow, my 15% often turns out as 1.5% or 150%. I have applied myself diligently to this, but I still can't always get it right, and my wife has to smother a laugh when I don't. It's all very disturbing.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:47 pm

A handy waiter has always a calculator nearby to help the client

I'm working on a consultant company for restaurants and pubs

And no, you're not and old blah blah blah, you're a Babylonian God. May your sandals roam the earth many times!

@Cuchu: Yes, yes, that's easier

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:56 pm

Thank you, Luis. You're always extremely kind.

By the way, Mizoguchi's Ugetsu has been released in an excellent version on DVD. It's set during the period of warring factions, and shows the samurai as warlike leeches (not literally, mind you!) who take what they want as they do their lords' bidding--much the same as armies, everywhere, for the longest time. Really focuses on two men and their two wives, poor potters; and how the men's dreams give them what they want, only to find it is not worth the price. Visually one of the most stunning films I've ever seen, and a work of great and moving humanity. Check out Criterion Films, if you're interested.

Lestat · Post by **Lestat** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:08 pm

[url="http://www.receptjes.be/EN/recipe_samurai_sauce.html"]For Fable[/url]

Any other (samoerai)films you can recommend by Mizoguchi?

Phreddie · Post by **Phreddie** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:15 pm

I do enjoy samurai and ninjas, yet now nothing about them, any one can offer some extra hints or sites fo good reading?

and i do believe, yes, yes, we have another spamming landmark, If im not mistaken, and all evidence points to the fact that Im not, on the first page of this thread may have been Fables first double post!

Juniper · Post by **Juniper** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:23 pm

[QUOTE=Phreddie]I do enjoy samurai and ninjas, yet now nothing about them, any one can offer some extra hints or sites fo good reading?
[/QUOTE]

http://www.realultimatepower.net

:laugh:

Fiberfar · Post by **Fiberfar** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:16 pm

[QUOTE=Luis Antonio]
And no, you're not and old blah blah blah, you're a Babylonian God. May your sandals roam the earth many times!
[/QUOTE]

I think I would prefer if Fable was roaming together with his sandals, and not just the sandals alone

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:37 pm

[QUOTE=Lestat][url="http://www.receptjes.be/EN/recipe_samurai_sauce.html"]For Fable[/url][/quote]

I couldn't eat that! I'd think I was consuming some horrific reduction of Toshiro Mifune.

Any other (samoerai)films you can recommend by Mizoguchi?

Sansho the Bailiff involves samurais and the samurai code, but its peripheral to the concerns of one family. The 47 Ronin is of course a very celebrated tale, but in its traditional way more like watching a chess match than the kind of action flick people expect. The first may only be on VHS. Both are in pretty poor prints. Ugetsu is only the first Mizoguchi to make it to DVD in an excellent print--lets hope there's more.

Inagaki's trilogy about Musashi has been transferred to DVD rather well, though I've only seen part 1, and didn't care for writing. There's also a collection of four samurai films from the 1960s recently offered as a box set: Kobayashi's Samurai Rebellion (nicely filmed, but trite), Gosha's Sword of the Beast (not seen), Shinoda's Samurai Spy (not seen), and Okamoto's Kill! (inferior attempt to do what Kurosawa did with Yojimbo).

Yojimbo is certainly worth seeing, as are Sanjuro and The Seven Samurai, all by Kurosawa. They aren't really about samurai, but they're still great fun, and by one of the finest directors of any nation.

Hope that helps.