Tuttle Japanese Classics In Manga – serie

Step into a story of life and love in Kyoto's 10th century royal court.Tale of Genji, the world's oldest known novel, tells the story of Prince Genji and his adventures in life, love, and power within the halls of the Chrysanthemum Royal Court. Handsome, romantic, and talented in the art of seduction, Prince Genji skillfully navigates the court and all its intrigues—always in search of love and often finding it. His story is the oldest and most famous tale of romance in the annals of Japanese literature and, as a representation of passion and romance, remains beyond compare.In this beautifully illustrated edition, Genji's story comes alive as readers experience:His birth in the royal court to Kiritsubo, who comes to represent Genji's ideal of female beauty and grace.His lifelong obsession with Fujitsubo, one of the emperor's lovers and mother to Genji's son Ryozen. His romantic life with Murasaki, Fujitsubo's beautiful niece and Genji's favored lover. Though wary of his motivations at first, she becomes the true love of Genji's life. Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote this story some 500 years before Shakespeare put pen to paper. It is acknowledged to be the world's very first novel, and English-speaking readers can now experience the story in manga style for the first time.Superbly illustrated and retold, this visual take on Japan's most important classic offers an intimate look at the social mores and intrigues in the Heian-era court of medieval Japan, and Prince Genji's representation as the ideal male courtier.

Japan's beloved literary masterpiece brought to life in manga form!Soseki Natsume's comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat, satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society in early 20th century Tokyo. Written with biting wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a rather cynical stray kitten. He finds his way into the home of an English teacher, where his running commentary on the follies and foibles of the people around him has been making readers laugh for more than a century.This is the very first manga edition in English of this classic piece of Japanese literature. The story lends itself well to a graphic novel format, allowing readers to pick up on the more subtle cues of the expressive cat, while also being immersed in the world of his perceptive narration. It is true to classic manga form, and is read back to front.Beautifully illustrated by Japanese artist Chiroru Kobato, this edition provides a visual, entertaining look at a unique period in Japan's history—filled with cultural and societal changes, rapid modernization and a feeling of limitless possibility—through the eyes of an unlikely narrator.

A classic of Japanese literature, brought to life in English & manga for the first time!This is the first manga edition in English of The Setting Sun, Osamu Dazai's classic novel, often considered his masterpiece.Set in the aftermath of World War II, this is the story of Kazuko, a strong-willed young woman from an aristocratic family that has fallen into poverty since the war. The book follows Kazuko's journey as she and her family struggle to survive and adapt to the harsh new conditions. In addition to having to move from Tokyo to the countryside, where she is forced to work in the fields to support the family, she has to deal with a difficult divorce, the birth of a stillborn child, and the return of her drug-addicted brother from the war. This gripping and inspiring portrait of one woman's determination to survive in a society that is in the grip of a social and moral crisis tells one story in a fast-changing world, with universal themes that resonates with readers today.After Soseki Natsume, Osamu Dazai is Japan's most popular writer. Dazai is enjoying a surge in interest among young people today thanks to the success of the manga, anime and film series Bungo Stray Dogs, whose protagonist, a detective named Osamu Dazai, is based on the real-life author.**Recommended for readers ages 16+ due to mature themes and graphic content**

"I've led a life full of shame. Human beings are a complete mystery to me."This manga version of novelist Osamu Dazai's masterpiece NO LONGER HUMAN—the #2 bestselling novel of all time in Japan—tells the story of Yozo Oba, a young man growing up in Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War II, who finds himself caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of the new postwar world.Oba is tormented by a failure to find any value in himself or in human relationships, despite being surrounded by women who love him. He creates the persona of a buffoon who mocks himself while entertaining others. But inside he is tortured, and as he moves from childhood to adulthood he becomes addicted to sex and alcohol. Largely autobiographical, No Longer Human explores Dazai's own sense of failure and alienation which drove him to self-destruct with alcohol and numerous suicide attempts.Osamu Dazai (1909—1948) is Japan's second most popular novelist (after Soseki), and his works are seeing a huge surge in popularity among young people worldwide thanks to the success of the recent manga, anime and film series Bungo Stray Dogs, whose protagonist, a detective called Osamu Dazai, has similar character traits to Yozo Oba. Fans of manga and anime are turning to the original No Longer Human novel, whose themes of alienation from society and an inability to reconcile social appearances with inner self—told with great wit, irony and pathos—strike a deep chord among readers today.**Recommended for readers ages 16+ due to mature themes and graphic content**

A timeless psychological study of a young man's deep alienation from society.Set in the early 20th century, Kokoro opens with a chance encounter on a beach near Tokyo that irrevocably links a young student to a man he simply calls Sensei (Teacher). Intrigued by Sensei's aloofness, the student calls upon him with increasing frequency. Eventually, Sensei and his beautiful wife open their home and their lives to him. Only later does the student learn the devastating secret that has haunted Sensei since his youth.Kokoro has sold millions of copies in Japan where it is taught in schools and is a perennial favorite. Its lucid prose and universal themes of friendship, betrayal and the struggle for meaning in a changing world have made it popular internationally as well. This English-language manga version will make the book accessible to a new generation of foreign readers.The manga includes depictions of suicide and may not be suitable for some readers.

"Filled with light, satirical touches." — Donald KeeneA modern classic, Botchan rivals Soseki's famous I Am a Cat in popularity in Japan. This is the funniest of Soseki's novels, a penetrating portrait of a young man's quest to survive the suffocating hypocrisy of everyone around him while remaining true to his beliefs.Reckless but unfailingly honest, Botchan is the youngest son in a middle-class Tokyo family. Following his graduation from college, he takes a job as a math teacher on the island of Shikoku, far from the city. Thrust into this alien small-town environment, Botchan encounters nothing but trouble from his students and fellow teachers. Among his tormentors are the pompous, two-faced vice-principal; his fawning sidekick—the art teacher; the spineless principal; and a pack of brawny, prankster students — all of whom seem out to get him. Mayhem ensues, but in the end Botchan prevails through honesty and dogged determination.Recommended for readers ages 14 and up due to explicit language

A chilling horror story of artistic obsession and the price of perfection, based on the classic tale by Ryunosuke Akutagawa!Hell Screen follows Yoshihide, a renowned but tormented artist who, despite his talent, is rude, lazy and avaricious. Known for his abrasive demeanor, Yoshihide's one light is the deep affection he harbors for his daughter, Yuzuki. When she enters the service of the powerful Lord Horikawa, tensions rise between the artist and the lord's court, especially after disturbing rumors of Yuzuki's treatment emerge.Tasked with painting a monumental screen depicting the torments of hell, Yoshihide's dedication takes a dark turn as he pushes the boundaries of morality in his quest for authenticity. As his obsession with capturing human suffering intensifies, the line between creation and cruelty blurs, leading to devastating consequences.Akutagawa's story is a masterful exploration of the intersection between art and madness, power and exploitation. Revered as one of Japan's greatest writers, Akutagawa's work continues to influence modern storytelling, with Hell Screen standing out as a haunting meditation on the sacrifices demanded by art.**Recommended for readers ages 16+ due to mature themes and graphic content.**

"In the transcendent stories of Miyazawa, Earth teems with magic and wonder." — Publishers Weekly"A marvelous writer who deserves to be much better known in English." — KirkusThis charming manga collection presents three modern fables by one of Japan's most gifted authors, the poet and short story writer Kenji Miyazawa.Miyazawa is renowned for his masterful storytelling, poetic imagery and powerful evocation of both the shadows and light of human nature. His world of sentient stars and enchanted forests, presented here in manga form, will appeal to imaginative readers of all ages.The Restaurant of Many Orders follows a pair of confident, self-centered young men on a hunting expedition. After entering a mysterious restaurant deep in the forest the men are given a series of increasingly peculiar orders before they can be served dinner. What begins with simple orders, like removing their coats and brushing their hair, become stranger and stranger before the two men realize that something more cynical is at bay…The Wildcat and the Acorns is the story of a young boy invited to attend a trial where a wildcat presides over golden acorns disputing which acorn is the best one. The Twin Stars brings to life the heavenly constellations, whose musical performances keep the stars twinkling at night. In the daytime, however, the harmony falls apart as the constellations squabble among themselves.

A famous samurai murder mystery 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, once the inspiration for a classic film, now turned into stunning graphic novellas.The stories in this volume by Ryunosuke Akutagawa — the renowned "father of the Japanese short story" are captured by manga masters mkdeville and Philippe Nicloux in these four action-packed adaptations:Rashomon: A houseless servant pits morality against survival in a post-apocalyptic world where thievery and the desecration of the dead are necessary for survivalIn a Grove: Conflicting statements and competing narratives call into question the notion of objective truth in a searing tale of rape and revengeOtomi's Virginity: Pride, honor and dignity are at stake when a young servant is confronted by an unexpected aggressor at her employer's abandoned houseThe 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 ShogunStunning graphic adaptations by mkdeville and Philippe Nicloux turn these iconic tales into thrilling page-turners, following in the footsteps of the famous Kurosawa film.**Recommended for readers ages 16+ due to mature themes and graphic content**