What do you think?
Rate this book
半蔵の門 [Hanzou no Mon] #2
Path of the Assassin, Vol. 2: Sand and Flower
It's not easy being Hattori Hanzo. If he's not teaching Leyasu, the young, future shogun, how to love, then he's behind the scenes, teaching Leyasu how not to die in case of a momentary lapse of protection. If you thought you had a tough job, try taking a pudgy, protected youngster, and making him into the leader who will unite Japan under his single rule. From the creators of Lone Wolf & Cub comes a series about two young men bound to a nation's potential future at a time when Japan was in transition from a warlike feudal state into an era of bureacracy and infighting. Another quasi-historical tale from the masters of Japanese samurai culture, Path of the Assassin shows a side of feudal Japan that entertains with action as well as political drama. FOR MATURE READERS.
312 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
14 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Kazuo Koike
564 books296 followersKazuo Koike (小池一夫, Koike Kazuo) was a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.
In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.
In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 6, 2016
Volume two introduces more historical characters who will later be big shot people of Japan during its warring states era. Now there are four of them! There's Hanzo and Tokugawa, then there's Nobunaga and Hideyoshi.
While the skirmishes here are fun to read, with all the Japanese-style exposition and discussion of techniques, a lot of volume 2 is devoted to the development of Path of the Assassin plot to a full-scale battle. This is therefore a sneak preview of what is yet to come.
Now, when will the sex scenes stop (not that I am complaining)? I just felt that Koike has a penchant for awkward sex conversations and other unnecessary indecencies. Like seriously, I don't want to read something about wang sizes and how to make your woman sexually satisfied. Show me some more ninja moves and action!
While the skirmishes here are fun to read, with all the Japanese-style exposition and discussion of techniques, a lot of volume 2 is devoted to the development of Path of the Assassin plot to a full-scale battle. This is therefore a sneak preview of what is yet to come.
Now, when will the sex scenes stop (not that I am complaining)? I just felt that Koike has a penchant for awkward sex conversations and other unnecessary indecencies. Like seriously, I don't want to read something about wang sizes and how to make your woman sexually satisfied. Show me some more ninja moves and action!
January 27, 2015
On Volume 2 we can see the first appearance of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi on this historical fiction manga. We'll see the first serious intrigue, and Ieyasu's first battle.
In my opinion, Hideyoshi stole the show of this volume although appeared only as a guest star. The story presented Hideyoshi as a wise and cheerful character. A larger-than-life character indeed in the end of Muromachi Period.
In my opinion, Hideyoshi stole the show of this volume although appeared only as a guest star. The story presented Hideyoshi as a wise and cheerful character. A larger-than-life character indeed in the end of Muromachi Period.
March 10, 2023
Good story, great artwork...
January 30, 2024
Hattori Hanzo does a great job training Ieyasu and Ieyasu really changes throughout. First a pretty silly seemingly dimwitted character he really comes into his own in this volume.
The first half has a lot of political talk that I found hard to follow. It's difficult to remember all these names of characters and cities and factions. There's a lot of factions contending to rule and Ieyasu starts to show how he's going to do a great job being a leader.
Hattori leaves his wife - and fights the 3 wives of the 3 men he killed in the previous volume. Ieyasu invades another castle during a storm and has Hattori burn the castle from the inside as his men pelt it with flaming arrows. Everyone thinks Ieyasu is a complete idiot for using fire during a storm, but his plan pays off.
The first half has a lot of political talk that I found hard to follow. It's difficult to remember all these names of characters and cities and factions. There's a lot of factions contending to rule and Ieyasu starts to show how he's going to do a great job being a leader.
Hattori leaves his wife - and fights the 3 wives of the 3 men he killed in the previous volume. Ieyasu invades another castle during a storm and has Hattori burn the castle from the inside as his men pelt it with flaming arrows. Everyone thinks Ieyasu is a complete idiot for using fire during a storm, but his plan pays off.
October 20, 2017
The story of two teenage boys, one who is to become an important ruler and the one who serves him in the dark, continues. This volume finds our portly hero learning more about how to please his wife, and the art of warfare.
As always, Koike weaves a wonderful and expertly paced tale. While some may say it moves too slow, there is not a single wasted panel in the entire manga. More importantly, while the future is hinted at, readers will have no idea what is in store for them, but if this volume is any indication it will be spectacular.
As always, Koike weaves a wonderful and expertly paced tale. While some may say it moves too slow, there is not a single wasted panel in the entire manga. More importantly, while the future is hinted at, readers will have no idea what is in store for them, but if this volume is any indication it will be spectacular.
December 15, 2019
The second volume of the Path of the Assassin finds the reader getting to know the two characters and how they are becoming intertwined as Hanzo is teaching the future shogun about the ways of life even though as a Suppa his job is only to serve his master and therefore has no time to enjoy life
May 29, 2022
This was better than the first volume. I am enjoying the relationship that is developing between the two main characters. I think I will continue with this series a while. It is getting more interesting.
May 15, 2020
Story is starting to develop nicely.
3.5/5
3.5/5
May 10, 2022
Great art and parts of the story are fantastic. Violence towards women is graphic.
June 18, 2013
Die erste Prüfung für den Shogun-in-spe
Wie es schon bei Lone Wolf and Cub der Fall war, ist es auch hier: Einzelne Bände dieser Reihe sind schwer zu bewerten, denn ihre ganze Kraft entfalten sie erst durch ihre Gesamtheit. Auch wenn ich mich hiermit etwas aus dem Fenster lehne, so wage ich zu behaupten, dass trotz des gleichen Autorenduos hier nicht die Kraft entwickelt wird, die das oben erwähnte Meisterwerk so durchschlagend und gewaltig macht. Aber so etwas ähnliches hatte ich auch in meiner ersten Rezension für Band 1 für Kozure Okami gesagt, also ist diese Aussage vielleicht am Ende der Reihe wertlos.
Es ist fraglos interessant und unterhaltsam, den Werdegang des endgültigen Gewinners der Sengoku-Ära Japans zu betrachten - wie sagt das berühmte japanische Sprichwort? "Nobunaga zerstieß den Reis für den nationalen Kuchen, Hideyoshi knetete den Teig, und Ieyasu aß den Kuchen." Die Geduld, die Ieyasu für sein auf Abwarten basierendes Endgame brauchte, wurde ihm zum Teil, wenn man dem Manga glauben darf, von Hattori Hanzo eingeimpft.
Persönlich der Star dieses Bands ist aber für mich das "Äffchen" Hideyoshi - gewiss eine der faszinierendsten Persönlichkeiten Japans, wenn nicht der Welt.
Die Werke Koikes und Kojimas sind ein Wunder an Charakterisierung und subtiler Erzählkunst, und Dark Horse präsentiert sie in einer Weise, die dem Werk angemessen ist, mit tollem Papier, schönem Druck, der auch die Leserichtung und Soundwords erhält, sowie einem durchgängigen Coverdesign.
Wie es schon bei Lone Wolf and Cub der Fall war, ist es auch hier: Einzelne Bände dieser Reihe sind schwer zu bewerten, denn ihre ganze Kraft entfalten sie erst durch ihre Gesamtheit. Auch wenn ich mich hiermit etwas aus dem Fenster lehne, so wage ich zu behaupten, dass trotz des gleichen Autorenduos hier nicht die Kraft entwickelt wird, die das oben erwähnte Meisterwerk so durchschlagend und gewaltig macht. Aber so etwas ähnliches hatte ich auch in meiner ersten Rezension für Band 1 für Kozure Okami gesagt, also ist diese Aussage vielleicht am Ende der Reihe wertlos.
Es ist fraglos interessant und unterhaltsam, den Werdegang des endgültigen Gewinners der Sengoku-Ära Japans zu betrachten - wie sagt das berühmte japanische Sprichwort? "Nobunaga zerstieß den Reis für den nationalen Kuchen, Hideyoshi knetete den Teig, und Ieyasu aß den Kuchen." Die Geduld, die Ieyasu für sein auf Abwarten basierendes Endgame brauchte, wurde ihm zum Teil, wenn man dem Manga glauben darf, von Hattori Hanzo eingeimpft.
Persönlich der Star dieses Bands ist aber für mich das "Äffchen" Hideyoshi - gewiss eine der faszinierendsten Persönlichkeiten Japans, wenn nicht der Welt.
Die Werke Koikes und Kojimas sind ein Wunder an Charakterisierung und subtiler Erzählkunst, und Dark Horse präsentiert sie in einer Weise, die dem Werk angemessen ist, mit tollem Papier, schönem Druck, der auch die Leserichtung und Soundwords erhält, sowie einem durchgängigen Coverdesign.
January 24, 2016
In this volume, we get to see Nobunaga. And Hideyoshi!
This time Hideyoshi is still a needle-peddler, a spy, a suppa for Nobunaga. His power is much different from Hattori, because he doesn't have combat techniques. His power is whatchacallit, talk-no-jutsu. And insight-no-jutsu. He can see a hundred years ahead.
He's a master of premonition and negotiation.
Well, I always like him better as a character above Nobunaga and Ieyasu.
Ieyasu felt that he must kill Hideyoshi (but too late for that), because the man is much better than him (or Hattori) at seeing the future ahead. He was right, of course.
This time Hideyoshi is still a needle-peddler, a spy, a suppa for Nobunaga. His power is much different from Hattori, because he doesn't have combat techniques. His power is whatchacallit, talk-no-jutsu. And insight-no-jutsu. He can see a hundred years ahead.
He's a master of premonition and negotiation.
Well, I always like him better as a character above Nobunaga and Ieyasu.
Ieyasu felt that he must kill Hideyoshi (but too late for that), because the man is much better than him (or Hattori) at seeing the future ahead. He was right, of course.
Want to read
June 14, 2016FALSE
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews