James Nicoll Reviews

2007’s House of Five Leaves, Volume 2 is the second tankōbon for Natsume Ono’s Edo-era historical crime manga. First serialized in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki in November 2005, the series was completed July 2010.

Masanosuke (Masa) Akitsu is an unwilling ronin, released from service by his master because Masa’s skill with swords cannot compensate for his crippling social anxiety. Saved from starvation by charming rogue Yaichi, Masa has entered into an uncomfortable alliance with the Five Leaves gang.

The Five Leaves occupy a very specific niche: kidnapping wealthy people who are not in a position to complain about being preyed upon. Each member has their specialty. While Masa would be uncomfortable admitting that he is in fact part of the gang, he plays a useful role: deterrent. With Masa at his side, few would attack Yaichi.

This symbiotic relationship hits a snag when, like so many samurai living in Edo at this time, Masa falls ill. Why exactly so many swordsmen living on a nearly all white rice diet become sick is a mystery for the ages. The cure is simple: samurai who leave Edo for their hometowns recover.

Unfortunately for Masa, he is too proud to return to the home where he experienced so many humiliations. Masa instead seeks refuge in the country villa of a former gang associate, Goinkyo. This affords Masa a chance to recover. It also provides illumination on the pasts of the criminals with whom the proud samurai now associates.

~oOo~

In fact, it’s not a big mystery why samurai get sick. Their diets (at least in Edo) are mostly rice and they eschew vegetables. It’s not clear if this is a class-related diet thing (restricting themselves to a diet that kills them would be perfectly in character for some samurai) or a budget-related issue (lots of masterless samurai — Masa being a prime example — are impoverished and Edo is where they tend to gravitate).

The gang’s origin story is straightforward: a rich failson sexually harassed Yaichi’s friend Ume’s daughter Okinu. Kidnapping and humiliating the failson was supposed to be a one-off, but it’s such a successful business plan that Umu, Yaichi, and the others decided to fully monetize the scheme. It’s important to recognize opportunity when it presents itself.

This volume provides valuable pointers for would-be criminals. For example, associates bound to one by gratitude are less likely to betray one than ones motivated purely by greed. Also, blackmailing someone because they used to be part of a sometimes homicidally violent gang will definitely solve all of your financial problems, especially if you make it clear that one payment will not be sufficient.

The art in this manga shows that illustrations don’t have to be complex to be effective.

As for the characters: Masa aside, none of the characters would claim to be good people, but surrounded as they are by worse people, they’re at least not-as-bad-as-they-could-be people.

Volume Two was a perfectly amiable (aside from the murder and kidnapping) way to spend an hour or so.

House of Five Leaves, Volume Two is available here (Viz), here (Barnes & Noble), here (Bookshop US), here (Chapters-Indigo), and here (Words Worth Books).

I did not find House of Five Leaves, Volume Two at Bookshop UK.