
Personally I'm a big fan of feudal Japan, but I prefer works of fantasy set in a feudal Japanese, or similar oriental setting. Though finding works of this type can prove a bit vexing (oriental fantasy novels can be hard to find, and there aren't any role-players that I really like that have a good selection of oriental source material) and even reference books relating to Japanese mythology can prove scarce, it is still my favorite genre, and one of a few that I seem never to tire of. I suppose my fascination with Japanese fantasy settings stems from my preoccupation with mythology in my youth. I used to voraciously digest any book on mythology I could get my hands on, but as time elapsed I eventually grew tired of the stables of Greco-roman and Norse mythology that were the only things readily available in most bookstores. When I found my first book on Chinese myths I was elated. It was remarkably different from the myths I was accustomed to reading, but it was not so unrelatable or simplistic as to prove off-putting. This in time lead me to seek out books on Japanese mythology, which I found even more absorbing than those of China, and eventually this interest in its myths lead me to study the history and culture of feudal and contemporary Japan. Needless to say, I'm hoping OVA does well enough to allow an oriental fantasy supplement to be released.
Unsurprisingly my favorite Archetype is the Samurai. Whether a grim ronin bandit; a quick-witted, sharp-tongued swordsman courtier; or a naginata wielding samurai-ko; I find myself drawn to the samurai's juxtaposition of art and savagery, poetry and tactics, honor and ruthlessness, and to the philosophies and sword-arts they traditionally espoused. It also helps that I prefer the aesthetics of the katana to those of most European blades.