Tsuru

“A samurai was ordered to eradicate all monsters in the empire, but hesitated when he saw himself in the monstrous crane, then an unlikely bond is formed.”

The story was inspired by the Japanese folktale "Tsuru no Ongaeshi", The Crane Wife, but I twisted the narrative and thought... What if I rewrote the true story behind the legend, what if the crane didn't have to marry the farmer to return the favour of saving its life? I tied the story to my narrative by thinking from the perspective of how tales and legends are passed down, many details are lost along the process. Hence, those who speak of the legend of The Crane Wife must have misunderstood the relationship between the man and the crane. That's how I came up with the lighthearted story of Tsuru, featuring the bond of two characters with contrasting personalities.