Scan barcode
A review by graciado
The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This is one of several post-war Japanese detective stories published by Pushkin Press that I've read over the past few years. I have to say, as a novel, I found it a bit flummoxing at times. The back-cover summary sets out the crime to be solved—the murder of a tattooed woman (Kinue Nomura) and the theft of her tattooed torso—as well as the detectives—her lover (Kenzo Matsushita) and a "boy detective" (Kyosuke Kamizu). Except her lover is more of a one-night stand, and the "boy detective" is a man in his mid-to-late twenties who has returned from service as an army surgeon in WWII, who doesn't even appear in the story until about 60% of the way through. I am inclined to blame Pushkin Press for this mis-selling on the back of the book, but it did mean I was a bit puzzled and disappointed for a large chunk of the book.
However, this wasn't a DNF for me because I was interested in the subculture the story explored, at a time when tattooing was technically illegal in Japan, and I had a theory about what had happened (which was correct!), and this is one of the stories that I think could be interesting to study, even if it wasn't so much fun to read.
If this were adapted for television (which I think might be a good fit as a limited series), I suspect it would highlight the beauty of the tattoos and their clandestine nature, which is hard to do in a text medium, and the back-and-forth between Kinue's lover and his elder brother, who is the detective responsible for solving the gruesome murder and the two other killings that follow. There are moments of real humour in this text, as well as the interest in its subject matter, but the crime itself (and the detection) are not the most gripping or best paced.
However, this wasn't a DNF for me because I was interested in the subculture the story explored, at a time when tattooing was technically illegal in Japan, and I had a theory about what had happened (which was correct!), and this is one of the stories that I think could be interesting to study, even if it wasn't so much fun to read.
If this were adapted for television (which I think might be a good fit as a limited series), I suspect it would highlight the beauty of the tattoos and their clandestine nature, which is hard to do in a text medium, and the back-and-forth between Kinue's lover and his elder brother, who is the detective responsible for solving the gruesome murder and the two other killings that follow. There are moments of real humour in this text, as well as the interest in its subject matter, but the crime itself (and the detection) are not the most gripping or best paced.