Shirato Sanpei's Marxist manga epic The Legend of Kamui receives first English translation
Drawn and Quarterly has released the first-ever English translation of Shirato Sanpei's manga, The Legend of Kamui, which is the initial installment of a planned ten-volume collection. Serialized in Garo from 1964 to 1971, this tale unfolds in seventeenth-century Japan, during the early Tokugawa shogunate, illustrating a feudal society ruled by a limited samurai class. The plot centers on Kamui, a young martial artist belonging to the outcast class. This series interweaves graphic violence with themes of oppression and historical references, including a subplot about a wolf marginalized due to its fur color. The translation comes from Richard and Noriko Rubinger, with Volume One retailing for $39.95, highlighted in the January & February 2025 edition of ArtReview.
Key facts
- The Legend of Kamui by Shirato Sanpei has its first English translation published.
- This is Volume One of a projected ten-volume series.
- Each volume is approximately 600 pages long.
- The manga was originally serialized monthly from 1964 to 1971 in Garo magazine.
- The story is set in seventeenth-century Japan during the early Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868).
- It critiques feudal class hierarchies and samurai control over peasants.
- The protagonist Kamui is a child martial artist from the outcast class.
- The translation is by Richard Rubinger and Noriko Rubinger, published by Drawn and Quarterly for $39.95.
Entities
Artists
- Shirato Sanpei
- Richard Rubinger
- Noriko Rubinger
Institutions
- Drawn and Quarterly
- ArtReview
- Garo
Locations
- Japan