Playing Ronin reminded me of watching Kung Fu, the television series starring David Carradine. My run through the game also felt like the first season of a television series, the ending having the sense of a transition point for season two, hinting the continuation of the series.
My character's story was more about a man trying to figure out where he stood in the world and trying to move on after a tragedy. Not a vengeance story. Only one of the villains had anything to do with his family's death, and they were just a grunt following orders. The Final Villain ... I never learned why she wanted my character dead. She was a super mysterious ninja lady that manipulated an ally of mine into attacking my character. I thought I killed the ninja lady once, then she cropped up again with her previous disguise dropped. I'm not even sure she actually died in our second duel! I'm tempted to continue this character's story with another game system for a longer campaign.
The mechanics of Ronin were easy to learn. There are pictures for inspiration and reference. Which helps with techniques and weapons for the unfamiliar. You have everything you needed, but it was a guided story. You are on rails, even if the details can be shaped by the player. My preferred style of play is sandbox games, where I have freedom to do what I want and go where I want. However, this is a good guided experience for someone just getting into solo RPGs, or RPGs in general. It introduces you to using random generation tables and game loops without complicating things.
I enjoyed my time with Ronin and could see myself playing it again in the future. Thank you for sharing it.