High quality manga series continues. Yamada Asaemon goes about him grim duty as Edo's most feared executioner of criminals. Like other volumes in the series, most of the short tales in this book revolve around the tales of the those about to face Yamada's blade. And, as always, the stories raise thought-provoking questions about crime, punishment, good, evil, social class, and power. Stories include those of zealous police commissioner, a poor samurai who turns to crime, a junk collector framed for murder, and painter who makes a series of unfortunate mistakes. A worthy entry in a series that fully deserves its classic status.

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