In Translation | "The Cursed Diamond" by Shouichi Sakurai
The second story from the legendary book, Kage.
It's time for another story from the annals of Kage!
If you missed the first (along with some quick background details as to why Kage is such a big deal) give it a quick read over here!
The keen reader might notice the page number jumped a bit between stories--that's because, as I mentioned briefly last week, in between is the classic one shot "The Man Next Door" by Masahiko Matsumoto, a twisty and deviously complex bit of meta-fiction playfulness that I'm leaving out of these translations because...it already has been! For more information on Matsumoto--as well as Kage and the history of manga at the time--I HIGHLY recommend giving this article a read.
Ryan Holmberg
But for today, let's enjoy a little story called "The Cursed Diamond" by Shouichi Sakurai.
Despite the pen-name, Sakurai is actually the older brother of Yoshihiro Tatsumi of A Drifting Life fame. We'll get to Yoshihiro in a few weeks, but don't make the mistake of defining Sakurai by his brother's success, because he was an accomplished figure in the manga world in his own right.
Debuting in 1955, just a year prior to the story you're about to read, Sakurai worked alongside his fellow pioneers of gekiga for several years before putting up the pen and moving towards the editing and business side, starting his own publishing companies (first with Sato Productions, which focused on rental books, and then Sakurai Bunko once the rental book market became unsustainable). There, he would help support and and release countless works from several major names, including his brother and Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of Gegege no Kitaro.
Still, though his career drawing himself was short, he sure knew what he was doing! "The Cursed Diamond" is a lightning quick piece of hard-boiled noir, like a classic crime flick condensed to its essentials--all violence and sudden twists and greed of man--aided by crystal clear art and action keeping you right in the middle of things the entire time. In other words...it's a blast!
Enjoy!
Music of the Week | Jump for Joy by World Standard
Shoutout to friend of the site, Shy, for getting me into this one. Spoilers: she's how I find like half the things here, so go follow her for real taste and knowledge. An absolutely gorgeous and affirming ambient take on Americana, banjos and acoustic guitars plucking away in silence along with the occasional humming accordion or bouncing brass or delicate singing. It's like listening to Maher Shalal Hash Baz taking a cross-country trip around the states, like a Mother soundtrack that got really sleeply. It's the kind of music that makes me remember the quiet and beautiful little things about my home country, and it's kind of perfect.
Book of the Week | Coji-coji by Momoko Sakura
Sakura is most famous for her semi-autobiographical Chibi Maruko-chan, which became one of the top dog endlessly running anime comfort food series (we're somewhere around 1500 episodes right now), but another successful property of hers is the misadventures of cute little mascot-in-training Coji-coji. The thing is though, if you've only experienced Sakura's work through their gentle and warm anime adaptations, then picking up a comic might be a shock. Coji-coji the manga is an absurd gonzo comedy panels packed with multiple gags, characters that feel hallucinated, and an incredibly oddball sketchy style that turns everyone into freely shifting caricatures. Uproariously funny with some of my favorite art in all of comics (and sometimes even profound in a nonsense zen sort of way).
Movie of the Week | Ghost Killer (dir. Kensuke Sonomura, 2025)
Written by the man behind the Baby Assassins series (Yugo Sakamoto), starring one of the Baby Assassins themselves (Akari Takaishi) and directed by the Baby Assassins action choreographer (Kensuke Sonomura), you'll never who I'd recommend Ghost Killer to (fans of Baby Assassins). But don't think it's just some retread! Sonomura lends his darker and more subdued sensibilities to this wild story of a dead hitman possessing a down on her luck college student for a story that finds some surprising emotion behind awesome action and scenes of beating up scummy dudes. Best of all, Takaishi is given a chance to shine as she switches between two personalities, really highlighting how she is one of the most endlessly charming actors out there right now.
Have thoughts about anything covered this week? Got a recommendation you’re dying to share? Want to tell me how handsome and cool I am? Leave a comment below!
oh and here's an amazing video essay from friend Riley about games and life and what's between them