Samurai of Legend - Out Now!

[MatteoN]

Since SoL's setting is Japan during the Heian period, I think Osamu Tezuka's very cool Book of the Sun (last narrative arch in the Phoenix series) may be inspirational:

Sun

(太陽編 taiyō-hen) Published in The Wild Age, 1986-1988. This is the longest story, and was the final volume completed before Tezuka's death.[5] It centres around Harima, a young Korean soldier from the Baekje Kingdom whose head is replaced with that of a wolf by Tang Dynasty soldiers following the defeat of the joint Baekje-Yamato force at the Battle of Baekgang. He then escapes to Japan where he becomes the feudal lord Inugami and becomes caught in the middle of the Jinshin War, as well as joining a greater battle between supernatural forces and time-travelling to a bleak future world ruled by a theocracy that claim to have captured the Phoenix. This chapter stands in stark contrast to the earlier historical Phoenix stories, which tended to de-mythologize the mythical characters therein, for instance in Dawn, many Shinto gods are portrayed as mere humans. In this chapter, however, various Youkai, Oni, Tengu and other mythical creatures are shown fighting against Bodhisattva.

[lawrence.whitaker]

This is the longest story, and was the final volume completed before Tezuka's death.[5] It centres around Harima, a young Korean soldier from the Baekje Kingdom whose head is replaced with that of a wolf by Tang Dynasty soldiers following the defeat of the joint Baekje-Yamato force at the Battle of Baekgang.

George R R Martin should steal this for his 'Song of Ice and Fire' saga.