Ruan Xiaowu, the Short-lived Second Son (Tanmeijirō Genshōgo), from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori)

The appearance of Kuniyoshi's series based on the Chinese adventure novel The Water Margin marked a turning point in the artist's career. The first prints published in this series were so popular that he continued to design additional prints for a total of seventy designs. He became one of the most imaginative and innovative of all the print artists of his era. Here he portrays the Chinese hero Ruan Xiaowu (Japanese, Gen Shogo) grappling underwater with the commander of enemy forces. The text reads, "He was a native of Shijie village in Weizhou. He had a leopard tattoo on his breast. . . . He had the ability to conceal his body underwater for long periods. At the encampment of forces at Liangshan anchorage on Jinsha lake, he captured the commander from off the deck of one of the enemy vessels." In this struggle, with its underwater setting indicated by sweeps of translucent blue and fleeing fish, the hero presses his enemy downward.