here's a shot of datu talim with his samurai buddies. one of my favorite characters is shintaro katsu's zato ichi. ever since i saw the tv reruns as a kid, i've wanted to do a story in japan. that exotic locale has always been facinating to me. so naturally i would have our boy visit the land of the rising sun, as a mercenary. his japanese adventure would happen before his sojourn to the fabled silk road. talim would have a lot of local (meaning south east asia) stories that would show his abilities not only as a martial artist but also as a man who can adapt ot any culture he encounters. kind of handy considering where i'm taking him.
