Pathway to Japanese Literature

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Nezumi Kozo - The Two Faces of Good and EvilAuthor: Kunieda Shiro

Original Title	善悪両面鼠小僧
Author	国枝史郎
Genre	Popular Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the twilight of Edo-era Japan, a notorious thief known as Nezumi Kozo—a man cloaked in infamy and contradictions—finds himself ensnared by an unexpected obsession. During a daring raid on a daimyo’s villa, he glimpses Princess Nobuhime, a woman whose beauty and fierce grace upend his world. Though he flees empty-handed, her image haunts him, igniting a perilous fascination that blurs his criminal resolve. Yet Nezumi Kozo is no ordinary rogue: mysterious drugs allow him to shift between grotesque deformity and striking handsomeness, each transformation warping his soul toward chaos or compassion. As he navigates shadowy alliances with cunning yoriki officers and grapples with his dual nature, his entanglement with Nobuhime deepens—a dance of danger and desire that defies societal bounds. Amid moonlit chases, clandestine meetings, and whispered rumors of spectral visitations, the thief’s heart becomes a battleground where good and evil clash violently. Will his yearning for redemption outweigh the darkness within? In a world of cherry blossoms and concealed blades, even a rat may dare to dream.