Samurai Executioner is basically an attempt to make lightning strike twice. Same creator duo, similar settings, similar leads, same episodic format. The only difference is that Samurai Executioner is awful.
Before I break it down I want to disclaim one thing: The art is absolutely outstanding. It has exactly the kind of spaghetti western-influenced, Eastwood-esque heroes you expect from Goseki.
Back on point: There's not really a story to Samurai Executioner, no over-arching narrative like in Lone Wolf & Cub. It turns out you really need that narrative, otherwise each vignette feels disposable and pointless. Yamada begins the story as a flawless model of bushido, but because he has no quest nor equal his stories quickly lose any sense of tension or drama.
I think even Kazuo realized this, as he introduced the rookie cop Kasajiro to the series about halfway through, to give the series a character who might actually grow and develop. The only problem with that is that I'm a normal human in 2016 reading about an Edo-era cop as written by a fairly conservative Japanese man in the 70s. Plucky little Kasajiro quickly loses my sympathy when he does stuff like beat his wife for sleeping on a hot day, or torture someone for a confession.
There's stuff to enjoy in Samurai Executioner, particularly in the beginning when you can still fool yourself into thinking that it's going somewhere. Unfortunately the longer you read the more lackluster, aimless and frustrating an experience it becomes.
Overall poor. Would not recommend.
