House of Five Leaves, Vol. 1

House of Five Leaves #1

by Natsume Ono

Masterless samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve, diffident nature has more than once caused him to be let go by the lords who employ him. Hungry and desperate, he agrees to become a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a group calling itself "Five Leaves." Although disturbed by the gang's sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi's motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he's drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2006

About the author

Natsume Ono (Japanese name: オノ・ナツメ) made her professional debut in 2003 with the webcomic La Quinta Camera. Her subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente (a continuation of Ristorante Paradiso) met with both critical and popular acclaim. In 2009 Ristorante Paradiso was adapted into a TV anime series. Her current series House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou), also adapted into a TV anime series in 2010, is running in IKKI magazine.

(http://www.sigikki.com/creators/natsu...)

She also writes BL under the pen name of basso.

Reviews

[Megan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masa is a ronin without a job. He is very intimidating, so he isn't what most people have in mind when they look to hire a bodyguard. He finally falls in with the "Five Leaves", a group who specializes in kidnapping from the corrupt of Edo.

As I read this, I though about giving it four stars. This morning, I was convinced it was a two. I'm going to compromise. As I was reading it, I really enjoyed myself and got caught up in the story, helped along by unique and tone enhancing artwork. But later, I realized that the story wasn't really something to be remembered. It wasn't until the last chapter of the book that I was even interested in hunting down the next volume. Most of the characters are pretty forgettable, with the exception of Yaichi, the leader of the Five Leaves and the reason I'm even interested in reading further. The real story of House of Five Leaves for me is finding out what Yaichi's motivations are. I'm honestly not all that concerned with whether or not Masa has the money he needs to send home to his brother.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review pretty much stands for the whole series instead of just vol.1

I've read Ristorante Paradiso before, as well as Natsume Ono's BL work as basso, and I have to admit that I wasn't used to Natsume-san doing historical Japanese stuff, since she usually sets her stories in contemporary Italy.

The art style is very beautiful and I love how simple it is. Sort of reminds me of sumi ink paintings. Story itself is propelled more by the characters as opposed to actual events, and while I do respect Masanosuke's skills as a samurai AND Natsume-san's skills as an artist, the fight scenes were really confusing and too simplistic.

On the other hand, it's hard not to sympathise with all of the characters: Natsume-san does play fair to all of them, even poor Tachibana, who almost solved the mysteries of Yaichi's past only to push it to the back of his mind and forget all about it.

Mostly about honour. And having a place to call home.

[marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a hot minute since I watched the anime. I only remember the broad strokes of the story so I'm practically going in blind. So far, I enjoy it. It's atmospheric and full of intrigue. I find Masa much more endearing in the manga. He's just such an anxious mess. That said, I have a hard time keeping track of all the characters. There are so many!

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farklı ama solgun bir başlıngıç.

[Rin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like this. I got it because it looked like a horror based on the art style and it's very much not. I don't think I'll continue.

[Sezer Turgay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Açılması uzun sürecek mangalardan sanki.Uzun boylu utangaç bir Yojimbonun (Bodyguard) haydut çetesine isteksizce katılmasını anlatıyor kabaca.

[Volkan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sürükleyici olacakmış gibi hissettiyor fakat bir türlü tamamen alıp götürmüyor. Herşeye rağmen okunmaya değer bir manga. Hayatta ne kadar zorlanıp kişiliğinizi koruyabilirsiniz.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a samurai story with an odd twist. Akitsu is ronin who lost his appointment to a feudal lord not for being unskilled, but for lacking confidence and not having an intimidating air about him. Too proud to take non-Samurai work, he falls in with a crowd of thieves/kidnappers known only as the House of Five Leaves. Led by Yatchi, a very charismatic and confident man, Akitsu finds it hard to say know even though his conscience tells him to. This is a very character-driven, dialogue heavy introduction without a lot of action. While there is a sense this is all heading somewhere, it's really hard to tell where. I'd liked it enough that I'm willing to try the 2nd volume, but if that doesn't move the plot much further I doubt I'll read beyond that.

[Andrea Aguas · Rating 4 out of 5]

After binge-reading fast-paced manga, I like doing a little break with some slice-of-life stories that are enjoyed by people my age, and this first volume of House of Five Leaves satisfies what I'm currently looking into. I'm looking forward to reading the next volumes.

[Loz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hooked. I absolutely love the art, very gritty and ethereal. The story is meandering in a dream-like way that builds slowly and allows you to sink into the scratchy linework.

[Roglin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof. Not a big fan of the art style... The main character is so dang... boring... Like dang.

[LilyGreentea · Rating 5 out of 5]

House of Five Leaves vol. 1-8 —>5/5

[eden . ۫ ꣑ৎ . · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't love it, but didn't disike it either. i am intrigued though 👀

[Divyansh Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

House of Five Leaves is a Seinen Manga by Natsume Ono that shows the tale of Akitsu Masanosuke, a samurai who roams around for jobs to send back home to his family. When he is approached by the mysterious Yaichi, his life will change forever.

Personally, I loved the first volume of this series due to the character Masanosuke or "Masa". Masa is a naive but strong Samurai who takes up positions as a Yojimbo (bodyguard) but is known as a Rhonin (unemployed or masterless Samurai) due to his meek appearance. The Five Leaves are essentially a small gang that exploit what seems to be the greedy and rich to bring them down a notch. it's like robin hood but with a lot of grey morality between the leaves and their targets. When Masa is eventually roped in because of Yaichi's interest in him, Masa is forced to choose between being honest and jobless or being paid by what's essentially a small criminal group. Masa is torn between the decision, but not just because of the money, his main reason for staying is mainly due to Yaichi's constant aura of mystery. No one knows the reason behind Yaichi's confidence and cunning, and Masa's curiosity grows even stronger with every moment he's around. The first volume then ends with Masa deciding to stay sue to his curiosity of Yaichi. This story presents itself in a style that befits traditional Japanese art and in my opinion, makes the entire novel a delight to read.

[Forthright . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masanosuke is an out-of-work samurai (ronin) who can't hold a job because of his personality. Despite his stature and skill, he's painfully shy, and no one is intimidated by a cringing swordsman. He catches the attention of Yaichi, who is in need of a bodyguard for an upcoming job. Masanosuke eagerly accepts only to discover that his new employer is the leader of a ring of kidnappers known as The Five Leaves. Despite Masa's reluctance to fall in with criminals, he's fascinated by Yaichi ... and warmed by the new sense of belonging he finds with the other members of the group.

I adore Ono's spare art style, which beautifully captures the emotion of this story. Having watched the anime dozens of times, I'm pleased to have added this series to my shelf. It's also been fun to see the little differences between the original work and the anime adaptation.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall series - The story follows an unimposing ronin attempting (unsuccessfully) to land a position as a samurai when he is coerced / manipulated into becoming a member of a criminal gang composed of other lost souls. It's a compelling "found family" story with really grounded characters, a tight story, and satisfying emotional arcs. The art was very minimal which may have been problematic if the series was more action oriented but as a slow burn drama there was never a visually hectic scene that was difficult to interpret. Over time the sparse lines and broad flat shading grew on me. Overall really enjoyed this short series; 8.25/10.

[Zach Leete · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve waited a long time to read “House of Five Leaves,” and the first volume didn’t disappoint. Matsu is a compelling and relatable character that is easy to root for. The House of Fives Leaves crew each have distinct personalities and motives which I’m looking forward to learning more about.

What I liked:

- Interesting visual style that reminded me of ink paintings
- Smart dialogue with zero filler (so refreshing for a manga to actually use dialogue for world building)
- Characters are not black/white, they are flawed and realistic
- Use of historically accurate language and geography was very clear

[Kiwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

(review for the whole series)
i am speechless at that ending what the hell..... this is one of the best manga i have ever read. the characters are so well written so realistic and just everything about the story keeps you hooked in wanting to know what comes next.
im just-
"we made a promise that we would go west. there we will be together again." im going to be crying for the next 100 years about this manga.
loneliness, wanting to belong, letting go of the past...... there are people who change your life when you meet them, just like masa and yaichi and everyone in the five leaves; their stories have touched me in a way that i will never forget.

[Alexis Hubsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character 3.5| Plot 3| Setting 3| Art 5| Enjouability 4

Overall rating: 3.7


This is just the first volume so not a lot happens. I enjoyed it though Natsume Ono really has a way of exploring issues within their works so I'm interested to see where this goes.

I love that Akitsu is just a loser. Like the dude is good, but his confidence is really sucky, I'm interested to see if his character changes through this series at all.

Also really interested in the weird machinations Yaichi has got going on.

[Noninuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masa is a ronin that keep getting fired from his job due to his fragile & timid personality. One day, he was sought after by a man that wants him to be his bodyguard. Of course, Masa was thankful for the offer. However, it gets weird when the man still wants him to be his guard when he found out Masa's personality. Masa then was pushed to an edge when he knows what the man's job actually is.

Great starting point. I love art; although not perfect, it was clean.

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not quite binge this, but I read a lot of it at once, so what happened in each volume has blurred together into a general appreciation for the arc of the story and the way that Ono kept surprising me. The individual volumes were good, but it is really as a whole that it had impact for me -- there are things about power and relationship in here that I just love, I hope to read it again in a year or two now that I know the entirety so I can admire and enjoy how it all fits together.

[Sentient Cuckchair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was truly a unique concept for a book! It took me several weeks to finally finish this monster of a book but I'm glad I did! I'm going to high-five my professor the next time I see him. The use of flashbacks as storytelling is well done, especially with the gradual but sometimes jarring changes in format of the book the longer that the story goes on. I'm not sure the Davidsons will be leaving that house anytime soon! THankyou

-SC

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this so far! Masanosuke is so darling, in his perpetual nervousness and naivete, and his tension with the smooth Yaichi is so, so good. (If this was a Bassho title, they would absolutely be kissing at some point.)

[Bryant Bulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edo criminal life

Great to see manga as realistic as this. A lot of social and cultural aspects different then modern times. Everyone has a story of their own that made them who they are.

[Dan P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ono's art is charming as always but this thing moves like molasses. The characters are not as interesting as they're clearly intended to be, and the overarching plot barely exists. There's very little to keep me reading, so I don't think I will!

[جمانة المدرَّع · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best psychological-historical-samurai-seinen manga I have ever read

[brightredglow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fascinating series. This is my third time reading. Still as good as the first time.

[Madeline Piper · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh okay... wouldn't read again or the series.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nomad nimrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the review for entire series.
There are 8 volumes and it is a wonderful read.

Give it a try.