Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke

This classic manga, hailing from 1969 and the brainchild of master manga-ka Sugiura Shigeru, is available for the first time in English thanks to New York Review Comics. It's a pretty wild ride too, as the series takes you on a helter-skelter tour of pop culture references such as the American West, underwater adventures, monsters and even outer space. 

The character of Sarutobi Sasuke has been around in Japanese folklore for hundreds of years, but was first introduced to contemporary fiction through a series of pocket book children's fiction between 1911 and 1925. Sugiura Shigeru was originally a painter and known as a pioneer of Pop Art in Japan, by the time he release his Sarutobi manga, he was already an established Children's author. His second wind was aimed at adults, and with this series he utilised all of his design skills to create a unique and highly imaginative journey for the famous folklore hero.

It feels like something of a time capsule, with the illustrations being very stylised and cartoony, making for a marked contrast with the more esoteric visuals that permeate the book. It's a bit like reading a fusion of Popeye with Andy Warhol, and as such it leaves a real impression. A lot of the stories are daft and comic-strip-esque, but it actually flows very well and Sasuke is a likeable character who uses guild and ninja magic to make his way through his many adventures. It's certainly a refreshing change from the dearth of isekai series that dominate the bookshelves of late, 

The translation certainly takes a few liberties, most notable early on when the book references Safety Dance by Men Without Hats, a tune that wouldn't hit the charts until 1982. Terms like "newbie are also thrown around, yet this "Americanism" is entirely in line with the author's love of Western pop-culture references, so isn't quite as "out there" as you might initially think. It's likely an attempt by the translator to modernise the references a touch given that many of those within the art will be missed due to the passage of time and fading of previously well-known figures and forms. Since I'm not a stickler for complete translation accuracy (though completely against inserting agendas or dialogue that completely changes character) I found myself at ease with the change to the original dialogue in this case. 

This is undeniably a niche title, though it will suit more than audience - scholars of cartoon art in general will find a treasure trove of history here, in both the face value of the stories and the pop culture references that can be fun to spot. Those who enjoy wacky humour or outlandish imagery will find much to love here, but your general shonen fan is likely to see this as too similar to American sunday morning comic strips, neither as action-packed nor as angsty as they've become accustomed to. It would be a shame to skip this title though, as it has plenty of charm and a greater layer of artistic depth than your standard action adventure tale.

Ryan Holmberg does an admiral job in his essay to frame the work within this book both historically and within the world of art that inspired it. I'd strongly recommend reading through his thoughtful inclusion to gain a proper perspective of how and why this book is so important to the genre we all love.

As a madcap tour of a truly artistic mind, Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke is hard to beat,