The Legend of Kamui: Volume One

Drawn & Quarterly

Shirato Sanpei

Mar 07, 2025 Web Exclusive By John Paul Bullock

The Legend of Kamui, Shirato Sanpei’s influential manga epic, is finally getting a proper English language release. This sweeping tale of feudalism in 17th century Japan was originally published in 74 installments between 1964 and 1971 in Katsuichi Nagai’s celebrated alternative manga magazine, Garo. It’s a prime example of a gekiga drama, focusing on cinematic illustrations, heightened realism, and complex adult themes. It tells the story of Kamui, a child outcast who survives against incredible odds and becomes a ninja. Along the way it provides a fierce critique of political and social issues that are as relevant today as they were fifty years ago.

The first installment of the planned ten-volume series is over 600 pages long. It’s also a ton of fun. Packed with swashbuckling adventure, it manages to navigate a massive amount of varied emotional terrain with elegant efficiency thanks to the translation by historian and academic Dr. Richard Rubinger with Noriko Rubinger and additional work from Alexa Frank. From page one it’s immediately apparent how Shirato Sanpei’s work has had a profound impact on many who came after him. The Legend of Kamui was the foundational piece of longform storytelling in Garo, which helped establish the avant-garde comic market that emerged in Japan after the decline of the rental book industry. Garo was the proving ground for now legendary artists like Shigeru Mizuki (GeGeGe no Kitarō), Yoshiharu Tsuge (He Rolled Me Up Like a Grilled Squid), and Yamada Murasaki (Second Hand Love). Fans of Lone Wolf and Cub will certainly recognize some common elements in Kamui, which is especially interesting since Goseki Kojima was Shirato Sanpei’s assistant during this period.

Volume Two is scheduled for release this summer so, if you’re interested in samurai and ninja comics, especially Shirato Sanpei’s other work like Ninja Bugeichō, just go ahead and start buying this series now. (https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/the-legend-of-kamui/)

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