Starred review from January 1, 2006
A " kappa" is a water sprite that presumably looks like the anthropomorphized turtle tattooed on the heroine's back in the long title story and its shorter, politically incorrect sequel in the sixth collection of Koike and Kojima's magnificent " manga" centering on professional executioner Asaemon in Edo-period Japan. Shinko is stealing policemen's weapons by distracting them with her tattoo and the shapely body on which it is graven. It's a campaign to have her father, sentenced to die, released; if he isn't, she says she'll use the stolen weapons for murder. Execution has been postponed, and Asaemon appears only to push the plot by urging no further delay. The story's male star is one of the robbed policemen, whose own charms so allure the beautiful bandit that she takes advantage of his (semifeigned) semiconsciousness at one point. The two linked stories let Kojima show his considerable mettle at drawing figures in erotic as well as martial action. The long story starring Asaemon, "Gobari Sandosu," and the short tales that demonstrate Asaemon's merciful character are equally well told, virtuosically drawn, and cinematically imagined, making this collection an ideal entree to an altogether masterful series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)