Samurai Executioner, Vol. 9: Facing Life and Death

首斬り朝 [Kubikiri Asa] #9

by Kazuo Koike

For a stoic ronin such as Kubikiri Asa, a samurai assigned to test the Shogun's sword and behead prisoners, the moment before death is of great importance. Because of this, Asa will often listen to the stories of those about to be executed and pay respect to the lives of these often unfortunately maligned prisoners. Sometimes scary, often quirky, and occasionally very sweet; it goes to show how people of different walks of life can meet the same brutal, yet graceful end, at the hand of one of the finest masters of bushido and swordsmanship.

Samurai Executioner tells the stories of these people, from the perspective of Asa, an honorable, highly skilled ronin.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Historical, Japan

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2006

About the author

Kazuo 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.

Reviews

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is in its quieter moments that this volume of Samurai Executioner shines. The last volume might not be the best chapter for me, but definitely it is the one that stays in my mind the longest. The calm wisdom of the old man taught a great lesson to Asaemon in his executions, given that he was still an unprepared samurai.

Unprepared for what? Having read Lone Wolf and Cub, I know what will be of Asa's fate, so this particular chapter adds a feeling of poignancy to me, a sad foreboding of what will unravel in the last volume.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that fishing and cutting off heads has so much in common? In both cases you have to understand your purpose and your target. This volume is full of thoughts on human nature. If by this point in the series you still think it's about a guy who cuts off heads, then you missed the point. Go back to volume 1 and read it all again! :)

A couple of store owners who can't get along are shown what can happen to them in prison. An artisan who has worked all his life with wood wants proof of Yamada's sword's sharpness and Yamada's skill. If only he could see his own head flying off his body.

A woman who tried to commit suicide with her lover only managed to disgrace herself. When faced with Yamada, she asks that the scar her lover made on her neck be hidden by a bandage. Yamada convinces her that it's best to remove it, so her lover can recognize her in the afterlife.

A group of friends decide to hook up two loners. The setup fails, they don't speak to each other, only exchange a smile. It's enough to seed an infatuation for each other, but never enough courage to get together. The thought of not being with her leads the man to violence and then the chopping block.

Handling women is as difficult then as it is now. Kasajiro is less experienced and resorts to anger and fighting - those two get pretty riled up. A friendly colleague teaches him how to patch things up with his wife and how to make her even more faithful to him. Though their latest fight has Kasajiro convinced that she will leave him, his colleague's advice is invaluable and his predictions as to their result are on point. The two lovers were never closer.

The intense heat of May is making the Tenma prison unbearable. The warden worries about the disgruntled convicts losing control if an execution is scheduled. Still, it can't be helped, if the law is to be upheld. When the convicts explode into an uncontrollable rage, it's the very man who is supposed to be executed who calms them down. He was a festival drummer. He dies with the drumming in his heart.

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Di S.E. mi stupisce sempre la struttura narrativa profondamente “morale”, che però riesce a dare sempre forza al racconto, piuttosto che impoverirlo. Merito di una serie di personaggi, compreso in primis Asa il tagliagole, che sanno vivere di conflitti interni che li rendono tridimensionali e attraenti.
Uno degli esempi massimi finora nella serie è stato per me il dittico di apertura di questo numero: Shinko la donna Kappa e Una coppia di ombrelli si inseriscono a pieno titolo nella dinamica del saggiatore di spade, ma sanno al contempo definire la nascita di un amore con una delicatezza che mi ha colpito.
Gli altri due racconti non sono altrettanto efficaci: in entrambi la risoluzione della vicenda è il ravvedimento dell’antagonista, e ne “Il miserabile butterato”; ma pure (anche se meno) nel più riuscito “Kageuy il demone” questa conversione in extremis mi è suonata un po’ frettolosa. In entrambi i casi, comunque è sempre una bella lettura.
I disegni, liquidi e fitti di tratteggi, continuano bene a rendere le atmosfere soffuse di questa interessantissima serie.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series. Amazing research into the feudal era of Japanese history, re-created in exquisitely believable manner. The codes of conduct and ways of life are presented fairly and honestly, and the art is terrific.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta obra de Koike y Gojima es una obra de arte, y si agregamos las columnas de grandes personalidades de la cultura Japonesa al final de cada tomo, lo hace imprescindible y trasciende a las historias narradas

[Leah Coffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the one hand, the fishing lesson was deep. On the other, I really did not like the way this volume handled the issue of domestic violence.

[Nick Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Alex Sarll]

More fables of decapitation, though the further the stories depart from that formula the brighter they shine. A heartbreaking tale of a missed date and its consequences features Asaemon as minimally yet terminally as the best Judge Dredd stories sometimes feature Dredd; that's followed by another installment in the tale of Shinko and Kasajiro, which sees them facing a depressingly plausible rough patch rooted in their different backgrounds. And if those barely feature Asa, the last story puts him front and centre but never sees him pick up his sword; instead, he learns a thing or two on a beautifully drawn autumn fishing trip.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series I continue to enjoy very much. This volume was marked by very short narratives. The last story where the executioner sits with the fisherman had a nice reflective quality to it. It did make me think, and it has stayed with me.

[Víctor Segovia · Rating 4 out of 5]

bastante bueno el tomo. Quizás lo que me duele es que no hubo una historia que sirviera como una antesala real al final de la serie.
A pesar de eso, simplemente genial