Satsuma Gishiden is a seminal gekiga manga series by Hiroshi Hirata, serialized from 1977 to 1982 . Set in the mid-18th century, it dramatizes the events surrounding the 1754 Hōreki River incident, depicting the melancholy fortitude of the Satsuma samurai. The story explores the lives of these warriors during a prolonged era of peace, where their formidable skills feel misplaced . Forced into mundane labor like carpentry, they channel their frustrations into a brutal game of hunting condemned criminals on horseback. Hirata’s artwork, rendered in miraculous detail, is a powerful example of the “dramatic pictures” movement. His realistic style, often compared to Goseki Kojima‘s work on Lone Wolf and Cub, brings feudal Japan to life. The series is also notable for Hirata’s elaborate calligraphy, an art form he also provided for the manga Akira . Satsuma Gishiden stands as a masterful tale of honor, social caste, and brutal reprisal in a changing world.
Satsuma Gishiden – Hiroshi Hirata 2006 | 1st Printing
$150.00
- Author:
Hiroshi Hirata - Publisher:
Dark Horse Manga, 2006 - Binding:
Softcover - Condition:
Fine - Size:
12mo - Attributes:
First edition, first printing with full number line “1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2”. Binding tight, interior clean, store’s security label on rear page, unmarked. Fine in unread condition.
