Satoru Noda

More wolf = more better, as this volume surpasses the first in humor, cuteness and gore. And more bear helps too. This is a perfect translation of the American Western to a Japanese setting, evoking for me "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "True Grit," "Dances With Wolves" and "The Unforgiven." Imagine an Ennio Morricone soundtrack and you can throw in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns too. What fun!

Another strong volume in one of my favorite current series, a Wild West yarn set in the 19th century frontier of Hokkaido, Japan. The core group (a war veteran, an indigenous child, and a roguish/comic relief escape artist) come across a seer, so of course it is time to hit the race track. And when that ends poorly, they come across a rich rancher who needs some serious hunters to take out a monster killing his horses. There's gory action (not for the faint-hearted or PETA-minded), potty show more humor, educational information about hunting/trapping techniques, and even a little bit of MacGyvering when they find themselves under siege by the monster.

Good fun. show less

What an odd book! Set in Hokkaido immediately following the Russo-Japanese war, the tone is reminiscent of an American Western, specifically The Outlaw Josey Wales. A war veteran seeking gold teams up with a native Ainu girl seeking vengeance. And a wolf shows up in a small supporting role, which I always appreciate. I enjoyed the fact that as much or more time is spent on small game trapping and fighting a rogue bear as on the main story of seeking a group of tattooed men one by one. The show more weakest link in this intriguing set-up is the protagonist, whose personality is a bit of a muddle. Still, I'll certainly come back for more of this wacky action series. show less

The long road trip to the prison on the other side of Hokkaido finds our heroes crossing paths with some more quirky criminals who have parts of the treasure map tattooed on their skin. First up is a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style pair of robbers, giving us an odd little love story amidst all the action. Next is an even odder love story as we are introduced to a man obsessed with bestiality. The Ainu girl Asirpa is deeply offended and wishes to quickly put an end to this perversion.

Solid middle show more chapters of a long saga, but I'm getting a little bored with all the gotta-catch-em-all side trips no matter how humorous or well done. show less