Everyone involved in the incident has complex motives and connections, making them more than just villains. I have come to the conclusion that I could live with out one, just immersed myself in this recognisable but slightly strange world. As it draws to a close, courtesy of multiple murders, abductions, fraud, blackmail, suicides, upheaval within law enforcement, and the inevitable coverup, city desk reporter Haruhisa Kubo, who’s documented it all on his Tokyo police beat, falls violently ill from this virus of societal decay. The story itself is good if a bit of a struggle from a Westerner's position (so much of the plot hinges on a corporation agreeing to pay out 2 billion yen in 1994 value just so it won't be revealed that they may have shown prejudice in not hiring a young man) but is very interesting as a cross-section of Japanese society.

Lady Joker, Volume 2 by Kaoru Takamura: 9781641293952

I am very impressed with this critique of a capitalist society, where the individual is of less value than the company. Admittedly, as noted before, I, a reader outside the culture, cannot appreciate the motivations reported in this work but I trust they are accurate. The narrative moves between the conspirators, the executives of the company, journalists, and the police.Like any worthwhile fiction, there are no heroes and villains here, only complex people driven (I’d say) to overcome that pervasive sense of dukkha, each in their own way. when attacked on a matter that concerns their reputation and credibility a company will generally pay-up". And she was the central character in If It Bleeds, a novella in the 2020 collection of the same name.

LADY JOKER, VOLUME 2 | Kirkus Reviews

Also disconcerting as what you thought important fades as the story develops, main characters disappear for hundreds of pages then reappear, and the focus shifts onto other people. If there was any book you wanted to completely surround yourself with and dive into, this would be a great selection. I liked most of the first half which was told from the criminals' points of view and liked specific parts only of the second half which was told from the victims'/cops'/journalists' points of view. It’s a dark unveiling to be sure as characters go missing, others commit suicide and those left behind unravel right before our eyes. The way to think about these two volumes is that Vol 1 is the silver platter upon which Vol 2 is served.This modern masterpiece of literary fiction, has plenty of Japanese customs, traditions, and preconceptions in it. Volume 2 picks up where the first ended, but despite the seamless continuation, readers might need some time to get back into Takamura’s distinctly dense prose and vast cast of characters. Like all literature, readers will take what they want from Takamura's critique of Japanese society, but at the heart of the epic novel is a gripping crime story where the actual crime itself is almost secondary to the psychological ripples it sends through the boardrooms, police stations, press offices and homes of anyone connected.