Akutagawa's Rashomon and Other Stories
The Manga Edition
A famous samurai murder mystery is finally brought to life in graphic novel form!
A sword-swinging samurai, a corpse-robbing crone and a falsely accused trans man stand at the center of these four iconic tales, which unfold panel by panel in exciting manga form for the first time.
The stories in this volume by Ryunosuke Akutagawa — the renowned 'father of the Japanese short story' are:
- Rashomon: A houseless servant pits morality against survival in a post-apocalyptic world where thievery and the desecration of the dead are necessary for survival
- In the Grove: Conflicting statements and competing narratives call into question the notion of objective truth in a searing tale of rape and revenge
- Otomi's Virginity: Pride, honor and dignity are at stake when a young servant is confronted by an unexpected aggressor at her employer's abandoned house
- The Martyr: A pious Jesuit with a dark secret faces excommunication and death in 16th-century Japan, when Christianity was introduced and then banned by order of the Shogun
Stunning graphic adaptations by mkdeville and Philippe Nicloux turn these iconic tales into thrilling page-turners, following in the footsteps of the famous Kurosawa film.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story." Japan's premier literary award, the Akutagawa Price, is named after him.
mkdeville is an author of graphic novels and comics whose works include Tropic of the Lamb, Virginia Hill: Diary of a Liberated Woman, and Rolling Riviera.
Philippe Nicloux is an artist and illustrator whose other works include Tropic of the Lamb, Terra Australis, Terra Doloris, and Babylone.