The big picture
- Mariko Yashida, one of Wolverine
most notable love interests in the
X Men
comics, was inspired by
Shogun
it's Lady Mariko. - Although
X Men
Not as well written as her inspiration, Mariko is a strong, compassionate and morally wise woman fighting to protect her family's legacy. - Except like 2013
The Wolverine
thoughtfully subverting the tropes surrounding Mariko, Wolverine's dynamic with Jean Gray has overshadowed Mariko in most adaptations.
Within X Men universe, few relationships are more immutable than the love triangle between Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. Wolverine adores Jean. Jean, depending on the situation, adores Wolverine and Cyclops equally. Cyclops wants to punch Logan, and the feeling is mutual. Apart from 2019 X Men run implying that the three resolved their dilemma through polyamory, this relationship loop is inescapable: except for a defining outlier on Wolverine's part.
During an interview with Chris Claremont i John Byrne for the June 2004 issue of Previous Issue: The Ultimate Comic Book Experiencethe influential writer and artist dissected his contributions to Wolverine's evolution from supporting character to leading man. Their discussion includes who inspired Logan's greatest love other than Jean. For those familiar with FX Shogun series, the answer is in the name.
The Wolverine
Based on the 1982 comic event “Wolverine,” The Wolverine takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand and follows Logan on a trip to Japan at the behest of an old acquaintance. Living isolated after the world-changing events of the previous film and haunted by the death of the woman he loved, Logan finds himself and is asked to travel to Japan to meet a man named Ichiro, who had saved during World War II. At the end of his life, Ichiro offers Logan the chance to break free of his healing abilities and finally die taking them for him. However, Logan soon learns that Ichiro's intentions for immortality are far less honorable than expected, leading him to struggle to confront a former ally.
- Publication date
- July 26, 2013
- Execution time
- 126 minutes
- catchphrase
- When it is most vulnerable, it is most dangerous.
Who is Mariko Yashida in 'X-Men'?
For that Back problem interview, John Byrne revealed the origins of Mariko Yashida. One of the most important figures in Wolverine's life, Bryne testified, “Mariko was mine. I was just reading Shogunwhich Chris had not read at the time. I just wanted to steal this characterit just shamelessly steals the character.”
Author James Clavell's Shogun The novel was published in 1975 and became a cultural watershed moment. Mariko Yashida debuted in 1978 The Incredible X Men issue 118. Although he is a minor character and therefore not instantly recognizable as Jean Grey, a founding member of the X-Men, Wolverine adored Mariko enough to marry her. The pair meet in Japan when the X-Men team up with Mariko's cousin Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire to defeat an unknown threat. Before the inevitable fights break out, Wolverine finds Mariko in the garden of her mansion.
An elegant and refined woman, Mariko is the head of the Yashida clan in the absence of her father Shingen. She is intelligent, empathetic and reserved, which makes her similarities ShogunLady Mariko is clear. Future plot points do the same with her marriage to an abusive man she doesn't love, forming a doomed romance with the alien Wolverine and her untimely death. Before that, Logan and Mariko feel an instant spark. She brings out a surprising gentleness in him, a demeanor that his peers notice. Logan even gives Mariko a white chrysanthemum before leaving Japan.
How do Wolverine and Mariko Yashida fall in love?
Their tentative courtship progresses when they accidentally cross paths in New York. After they separate again, they keep their long-distance relationship active by exchanging love letters. Mariko's father Shingen then reappears. Until now, he didn't know that his father, whom he presumed dead, was a Yakuza crime lord. Shingen again assumes control of the family's assets and orders Mariko into an arranged marriage to settle a debt. Since Mariko is dedicated to duty and honor, she reluctantly obeys. Once a demoralized Logan learns the truth, he intervenes on Mariko's behalf, only for her to verbally reprimand him and Shingen into defeating him in a duel.
How Claremont and Byrne present their Mariko also demonstrates their differences with the Shogun text. The former is not so deeply drawn even compared to James Clavell's Eurocentric and Orientalist novel. According to John Byrne, “She was made to die,” but not before challenging people's ideas about Wolverine. Chris Claremont explained:
“We wanted to do something that played against type. We wanted to use him to illustrate that readers weren't the only ones who had misconceptions about the character, that there were levels to him, that he wasn't just this one-dimensional machine. to kill […] What kind of girlfriend would he have? You made a list of possibilities, and with Mariko, we basically wanted to overcome all of those preconceptions and just say, “Ha, ha! This is the girl he chooses to fall in love with: the absolutely, impossibly unattainable vision of purity”.
John Byrne added: “I know it got a little tougher after I left. But it was supposed to be the delicate flowerthe porcelain doll that he totally falls in love with because she's everything he's not.”
How is Mariko Yashida different from 'Shogun' Mariko?
This limiting concept does Mariko a disservice. She does not exist independently of Wolverine, her life and death framed through the demands of promoting her character. Still, Mariko shows flashes of complexity beyond stereotypes. The father who returned is not the man she remembers fondly. Why should she honor her will by staying married to a cruel man, especially since Shingen traded her as an object? Still, with her family's legacy at stake, Mariko hesitates. After witnessing Shingen's cruelty firsthand, she resists, declaring that his actions dishonor the name of Yashida that she strives to uphold. Mariko's moral center is absolute and formidablejust like his muse.
Famke Janssen gives very MCU answer on whether she'll appear in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'
“I mean, I didn't expect to come back after I died as Jean Grey.”
Mariko challenging Shingen frees her to marry Wolverine, almost. Master Mold, the Sentinel enemy of the X-Men, he manipulates her into leaving Logan and taking up her father's criminal ties. It's part of a larger plot to take down the X-Men. The disguise fails, leaving Mariko devastated but vowing to redeem Yashida's legacy. Only once he has atoned for his sins can the marriage continue. It's a long wait, but Logan's dedicated patience endures.
In the end, the Hand grows tired of her interference and murders Mariko with tetrodotoxin. Logan mercy kills his beloved at her request. The powers that be unfairly condemn Mariko to Hell, and she is forced to torture Logan during his brief stay in the fiery abyss. Aside from alternate universes where the two find happiness (or vice versa, when the Hand resurrects Mariko as the brainwashed Scarlet Samurai in Old man Logan), Mariko's story concludes with her soul trapped in eternal torment.
'The Wolverine' is the best version of Mariko
Despite her importance, Mariko is largely absent from screen adaptations. His most notable and successful output is the underrated one The Wolverine. Logan director and writer James MangoldIt's Wolverine's first time at the helm gives the character of Mariko the life she deserves. Played by Tao Okamotofalls in love with Logan (Hugh Jackman) without it being a trophy, a damsel or a motivator. Your goals belong to you. She doesn't die either; their breakup is unfortunate but mutual. And who plays Mariko's father, you ask? Hiroyuki Sanadathe modern ShogunLord Toranaga. Talk about coincidence.
In Back problem, Chris Claremont stated that Mariko's arc would not have happened without the Dark Phoenix event preceding it. For a while, Jean Grey's death was permanent. They introduced Mariko as a romantic choice for Wolverine in the same way that Madelyne Pryor emerged as Scott Summers' new love interest. “Then [Jean] came back and things got complicated again,” Claremont aptly summed it up.
Japanese cinema and culture influenced 'X-Men's' Wolverine
Aside from transposing Mariko from Shogun a X Men, Toshiro Mifunedirector performances Akira Kurosawamovies of I swear i Yojimbo – Mifune also played Lord Toranaga in 1980 Shogun miniseries — influenced Claremont and Byrne's approach to Wolverine's moral code. While samurai culture leans toward appropriation, the unintended result is that Logan echoes John Blackthorne's characteristics: an emotionally conflicted warrior. Claremont explained:
“[Wolverine’s] The strength of character should be so extreme, intense, formidable, the claws should be the last thing to come out […] Drawing of the samurai sword – this is not a casual thing. There should be an air of gravitas about him, in the sense that he walks into a bar and can calm the place down, clean it up, with just one look. Not because he's doing something horrible or bad or harassing someone. It's just that if you're standing in a bar and a saber-toothed tiger walks into the room, you run for it.”
How Back problem notes, the collaborations of Claremont and Byrne make them the most significant creative pair of the X Men world after the creators Stan Lee i Jack Kirby. Byrne's contributions in particular saved Wolverine from irrelevance. She shared: “Chris told me at one point”We're going to write Wolverine because we don't know what to do with him.' […] I stomped my little foot and said there was no way I could spell the only Canadian character. And so I made him mine.”
The rest is history (or days of the future past). 20th Century Fox's X Men The franchise made Wolverine's profile inseparable X Men media and boosted Hugh Jackman's career. From next 2024 Deadpool and Wolverine, Jackman has played the role eight times, less cameos. As far as we know, Mariko won't be joining Deadpool's party. At least we have it Anna Sawaivolcanic performance to fill the void.
The Wolverine is available to stream on Disney+ in the US
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