First, sorry about the length … I’ve been busy these past few days. Also, I'm thrilled to be able to discuss this show with other passionate people ... No matter how wrong I may think you are.
And now for something completely different.
opcorn
Thankfully there hasn't been a glut of Samurai zombies! :lol
Ain’t that the truth! :lol
Seriously though, I'm okay with her sword use because this is many months, almost a year after the dead started eating people. She'd either have figured it herself, maybe even snatched a few DVDs of sword techniques, or she'd be dead. She's alive, so clearly she figured it out somehow. We don't have to see her entire life story here. We don't question where Darryl learned to use his crossbow every time he uses it. We don't ask just where Glenn learned his awesome mac ability on Maggie. We don't even ask where Carl learned his ability to sneak out of houses when no one is looking.
It's all good.
I don’t need to see every second of her past, but a “Kill Bill” style flashback at least eluding to some sort of training would satisfy my angst. I welcome the juxtaposition of a katana and modern firearms, but so far there's nothing that leads me to believe that a black woman in the middle of Georgia has "da will of a warrior". It's a horrible stereotype, I know, but the writers need to give us more than glares and pursed lips to convince me shes acquired the skills displayed.
Daryl - the show already explained that he grew up hunting and tracking. Crossbows are very easy to use, so it’s no stretch for him to become proficient in a short time.
Glenn - Didn’t have awesome mac ability. He was literally the last available guy in her age group. Add in life threatening situations and youthful hormones … Bam! She’s got a warm fuzzy for him.
Carl - Is a kid. When not watched kids wonder off, and Lori was too busy trying to screw Shane and Rick.
A crossbow is good but it has one distinct drawback and that it's slow to reload. So it's good when you only have to deal with one or two walkers that are a good distance away but if you're dealing with many more and are closing in on you that slow reload rate could cost you your life.
That’s why I used the qualifier “range weapon”. There’s 2 basic categories for individual weapons - Ranged and Melee. To survive in the TWD world you’ll need both. (Michonne notwithstanding)
That's what I always thought too, the katana is a cut and thrust sword. I could be wrong but isn't the tip designed the way it is specifically for thrusting and against an armored opponent to be exact?
The typical way ancient weapon design worked was … You build something then figure out how to use it.
The tip of the katana came about when swordsmiths tried to optimize the blades strength, hardness and ability to hold an edge. The only aspect they specifically incorporated into the blade for thrusting was the blood groove. Early blade designs didn’t have these and when thrusted into a body a hydrolock would form around the blade making it difficult to withdraw. The blood groove allows for an air pocket to prevent this.
Oh, and to the person who posted about needing to save more people.. I think it was sir angus? sorry.. lots of posts! I wanted to comment on that. I think that is a HORRIBLE idea..
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t read the comics and believe the show (despite telling a similar story) should stand on its own without referencing the comic.
With that said, I may be empathetic to the backpacker but I’m no fool. He would’ve been searched, handcuffed and left locked in the car. However, much like Tyreese’s group, every person Rick pushes away weakens his group. I’ve been a leader of men in combat … There are always “bad apples” but a good leader knows how to effectively control and use the people under their command. The Gov rules by instilling fear. Rick used to lead with compassion.
On the katanas: yes, they are a cut-and-thrust blade. But katanas are not the best for thrusting because of the curvature of the blade (okay for punching through a little bit of armor into armpits and things, not so great for punching all the way through the thickest part of the skull and deep through the brain to the brain stem) and are certainly not what you want to use for thrusting if you're an amateur. So I stand by my earlier statement. If you have no experience with a bladed weapon and plan on stabbing things, do not use a katana. They suck. Use an arming sword made for thrusting. Or better yet, realize that stabbing things is a bad idea and use the katana for slashing only until you find a grandmaster or an instructional DVD that tells you how to stab properly otherwise.
I’m not sure where you get your information, but it’s not very accurate.
The curvature of the blade is a product of the forging process and when done correctly in no way hinders the blades use. If you use a cheap sword expect poor results.
Okay I was going to continue to debunk your post but honestly I can’t be bothered. Suffice it to say your conclusions are wrong.
Besides, this show doesn't even bother keeping to its own continuity: the part of the brain that needs to be destroyed is at the back of the head. Damaging only the frontal lobes is not gonna stop a zombie.
I believe the precedent is any brain damage stops a zombie.
-- Side note: If your goal is to ever actually use a sword, CAS Hanwei/Paul Chen is generally considered garbage. You’d be better off getting a “practical” sword and put an edge on it.
This is why the Katana is not a good weapon in the Zombie apocalypse;
KATANA NOT GOOD ZOMBIE WEAPON
This article (like most of the website) is a joke. I see very little by the Zombie Research Center that qualifies as expert survival advice. The same holds true for Max Brooks. If you really want to survive then learn from military training programs and our own human history. Learn as many skills as you can.
Here’s how weapons work … In an emergency, anything can be a weapon. Beyond that if you want to trust your life based on the quality of a mass-produced Chinese display, then go ahead, but eventually every weapon fails.
I know (based on most foreseeable events) how I will protect and defend myself. Those primary weapons have backups and those have backups and so on … I won’t be carrying them all but you can bet I know how to replenish when needed.
