Somehow I Want to Win

"Somehow I Want to Win" (1878) is an unusual print whose title suggests a scene of competitive determination—perhaps drawn from a sumo wrestling match, a game of go, or another contest. The declarative title implies the perspective of a competitor steeling their resolve, a psychological state Yoshitoshi could render with characteristic directness. The 1878 date places the print in his newspaper illustration period, when he was producing imagery across a wide range of subjects from crime and politics to sport and entertainment.