What is your opinion?
Unexpected and Brutal
"I like stories that are unexpected, and somehow brutal. Your story has both. Although it begins with the classical "misterious underdog facing a well know master", there is a "plot twist" well justified by the character's past. Not a single paragraph or sentence was there just to fill the story, you were direct and quick, just like a sword (and gun) fight should be. I would like to see more of this stranger. Best"
Ironic
"First I like the contrast of the serene cover with the violent subject. The description of the stranger made one think first that he was a pacifist, like we've seen in other stories and the reveal that that wasn't the case, he was spoiling for the fight was a great twist."
Great twist
"The twist is great. I didn't see it coming, and the build up to the moment was fantastic. I loved the focus on details before the twist occurred, which obviously lent it that much more power when it happened. In this case, the power of that twist is all about the build up. It's done quite well. There could be some work done on the transitions between the subjects, however--the switching between discussing the master and the stranger is a bit confusing and requires a lot of focus to keep them separate as a reader. Great work! Keep writing!"
East is East, West is West, and Never the Twain Will Meet...
"This is a clever little gem--a nice commentary on East vs. West at at time when the "East" was quickly succumbing to Western colonialism. It echoes themes we find in movies such as The Last Samurai as well as the early 20th century tales of Lafcadio Hearn, a British/American writer who fell in love with Japan and lamented the loss of its ancient culture. The way the author sets the scene is masterly, a face-off between a master and a lazy, arrogant Western "stranger." He also nicely contrasts the skewering of the rose petal with the ugly weapon that lacks all art and delicacy: it merely kills. The ending makes its point well and leaves us very much on the side of the East--maybe stacking the deck a little to do so, but it certainly works. I think this little vignette would work even better as part of a larger work, particularly in a work that develops the master's character more so his death is seen as a great tragedy as well as an insult. There are also a few small lines where you might think about what you mean by a given word, such as "unsavory tension." Tension is always unsavory, or at least unpleasant, so "unsavory" doesn't add anything concrete. Maybe a word instead of "tension"? I only notice little things like this because most of the writing is so strong and evocative. This aside, a wonderful little story that dramatizes the price the world paid for the expansion of Western values. You should read--if you haven't--Hearn's collection of Japanese legends, Kwaidan (there's also a Japanese movie from the 60's adapting some of these legends). He puts his own spin of them, but toward the end the East vs,. West theme emerges clearly. Great story and a wonderful addition to the contest!"
