Amazing art done by  Nenana-uso. Thanks so much!

So Kamigawa Neon Dynasty came out this last Friday. AND I LOVE IT.
I grew up playing Magic during its relatively early days, but took a break for several blocks. I came back during the end of Odyssey block and stayed ever since. Onslaught block was fun, Mirrodin was cool, especially with all the new artifacts and interesting new setting, but it was Kamigawa that really got my attention.
The plane of Kamigawa was based on the (very embellished and stylized) history and culture of feudal Japan. The spirits, or kami of the plane went to war with the physical realm after a selfish lord stole a piece of the most powerful kami and used it to empower himself. With long, flowery names and beautiful art, Kamigawa was, while FAR from perfect as it was both a bit of a flop mechanics-wise and non-Japanese/weebs missed out on the importance, symbolism, or references on cards, not to mention it did nothing to stop Mirrodin from being stupidly overpowered in Standard, still remains a set that was near and dear to my heart.
When they announced they were returning to the plane, but in modern times, over a thousand years after the events of the Kami War, I was both excited and skeptical. There was a LOT that could go wrong. The set at first glance looked cool, very cyberpunk with a Kamigawa flair, but if the aesthetics only went skin deep, then it would have fallen flat yet again.
Fortunately (in my opinion) the managed to deliver not only a beautiful set, but one that is a lot of fun to play. It's not overpowered, but it is complex, compelling, and absolutely gorgeous.
On Kamigawa all the different races evolved with the times. The rat-like Nezumi, it seems, didn't stray far from their bandit roots and were revealed to have become organized biker gangs.
...

*deep breath*
Tangent time.
So Akira has been one of my favorite movies ever since I saw it and could comprehend not just how fun the concept was, but how beautifully animated it was, especially in a time when computer animation was only a fantasy and everything was hand-drawn. I'd been a sucker for cyberpunk dystopian biker gang aesthetics ever since.
*end tangent*

Also, as stated before, Marrow-Gnawer and the Nezumi are one of my favorite decks to play, so for that reason alone I was over the moon to find out they became so cool.

Then they revealed Okiba Reckoner Raid.

Not only was it a cool card. Not only did it show the Nezumi in badass light. But the ART. THE ART.
*fanboys*
I just, I couldn't not love it. It's just a perfect piece and the card fits wonderfully. Biker jackets tell stories, and that's the whole concept of Sagas in MTG. They tell stories. So it's a slam-dunk mechanics-wise, flavor-wise, and art-wise. It is my absolute favorite card from the set.

Anyways, bringing things back around to this amazing piece here. I was inspired by said card and had to see my dear Kuro in those clothes. So here we are.

Kuro, the Nezumi ninja, had been brought forward in time after his Master had managed to win his loyalty through a combination of hypnosis and love. On modern Kamigawa Kuro reconnected with his roots, for the time joining the Okiba Reckoners as an enforcer. Walking over to his bike one night in the rain, he notices you staring at him. Discreetly drawing a kunai, he glares at you, daring you to make a move.

"..."

What do you do?

Kuro is mine,
The Nezumi are © WotC
Art again done by
Go fave the original here.