| a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #273912] |
Mon, 24 November 2014 00:56  |
sellers
Messages: 1143
Registered: January 2012
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Showa 1939 to 1944 A History of Japan by Mizuki, Shigeru ranks with
Gen of Hiroshima as a record of the horror of War.
Like that work the author is the central character aided by a
caricature
called Rat-Man who provides commentary to clarify the activities of the
representations of the people at that time.
To make it clear this is about the Japanese-American War part of
the terrible World War II. Called the Pacific War in Japan most often
it is seldom so definitively exposed in Japan as the horrendous
error it was. As a matter of fact the Japanese leadership seems inclined
to ignore the horrible actions of the Japanese Imperial Army and their
mistreatment if not outright murder of many hundreds of thousands
if not millions of people.
Mizuki's sensei work as a mangaka is wonderful! We are fortunate
that this man survived the war and learned to draw again so that the
people of Japan have access to the truth of Showa. He lost an arm
and learned to draw again. This is partly biographical material and
his parents and brothers had him down as a complete slacker.
Artistic people frequently have to endure such slights from the short
sighted but loved people close to them.
I feel fortunate that I get to read this book and his other books,
I have seen comments that the problems during WW II in Japan
were caused by the loss but in truth they were caused by the resources
which the civilian population depended on being diverted to support the
military. The top office of Prime Minister in the Wartime government
were eventually held by the Army Minister and President of the Army
General Staff. a certain General Hideki Tojo. In other words he ran
the whole show. As an example of the shortages look at Grave of
the Fireflies or re-read Gen of Hiroshima.
Showa, in case the reader is unaware. is the name of the period of
time
when the Emperor of Japan was the late Hirohito now properly referred to
as the Showa Emperor.
This is a heavy book in more ways than one at 540 pages of art and
text plus 8 pages of cultural notes in a paperback cover so that you kids
who did not live through the WW II period and us gaijin in general will
have an idea of what the characters are talking about.
I had been aware of this book and the first volume of Showa 1922-1938
and learned of the forthcoming next volume which will cover the early
post War period. This history of Showa may have a 4th volume to
round out Showa.
These books are published by Drawn & Quarterly at about $25 per
volume. I had held off buying them as I was spending what money
I had mostly on old debt. rent and food. Last Friday I got lucky at
the San Francisco Public Library while looking for a book I had read
but ironically failed to document. I found this quite by suprise.
The numbers on this are 952.033
M6996sh ISBn 938-1-770646-151-2
I hope before the end of 2014 that I will be able to review the first
volume in the series.
bliss
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274294 is a reply to message #273912] |
Wed, 26 November 2014 17:15  |
newt
Messages: 13
Registered: May 2013
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> Showa 1939 to 1944 A History of Japan by Mizuki, Shigeru ranks with
> Gen of Hiroshima as a record of the horror of War.
Thanks for this. Looks very interesting. It seems there are four volumes,
(the one above is the second), which extend all the way to 1989.
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274314 is a reply to message #274294] |
Wed, 26 November 2014 18:21 |
sellers
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On 11/26/2014 02:15 PM, newt@dont-email.me wrote:
>> Showa 1939 to 1944 A History of Japan by Mizuki, Shigeru ranks with
>> Gen of Hiroshima as a record of the horror of War.
>
> Thanks for this. Looks very interesting. It seems there are four volumes,
> (the one above is the second), which extend all the way to 1989.
>
I have volume 1 Showa 126-1938 in hand presently and the
San Francisco Public Library has the 3rd volume on order. It is
very interesting especially as it is drawn from Mizuki Shigero's life
experience.
I presume you are familiar with a "Drifting Life" and "A
message for Adolph"? but these are respectively autobiographical
manga and WW II and its consequences,
bliss
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274315 is a reply to message #274314] |
Wed, 26 November 2014 18:44 |
sellers
Messages: 1143
Registered: January 2012
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On 11/26/2014 03:21 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
> On 11/26/2014 02:15 PM, newt@dont-email.me wrote:
>>> Showa 1939 to 1944 A History of Japan by Mizuki, Shigeru ranks with
>>> Gen of Hiroshima as a record of the horror of War.
>>
>> Thanks for this. Looks very interesting. It seems there are four volumes,
>> (the one above is the second), which extend all the way to 1989.
>>
>
> I have volume 1 Showa 126-1938 in hand presently and the
> San Francisco Public Library has the 3rd volume on order. It is
> very interesting especially as it is drawn from Mizuki Shigero's life
> experience.
> I presume you are familiar with a "Drifting Life" and "A
> message for Adolph"? but these are respectively autobiographical
> manga and WW II and its consequences,
>
> bliss
126 above should be 1926!
bliss
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274335 is a reply to message #274324] |
Thu, 27 November 2014 00:32 |
Kenneth M. Lin
Messages: 229
Registered: February 2012
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wrote in message news:m55tp3$ca0$1@dont-email.me...
> I presume you are familiar with a "Drifting Life" and "A
> message for Adolph"?
> I have read the former, but not the latter. I'll check it out.
Adolph is one of Tezuka Osamu's finest work but he has done other works
taking place after WWII such as Ayako.
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274441 is a reply to message #273912] |
Fri, 28 November 2014 19:56 |
newt
Messages: 13
Registered: May 2013
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>> I presume you are familiar with a "Drifting Life" and "A
>> message for Adolph"?
>
>> I have read the former, but not the latter. I'll check it out.
>
> Adolph is one of Tezuka Osamu's finest work but he has done other works
> taking place after WWII such as Ayako.
Ah, I actually have the first volume of Tezuka's ADOLPH, but I haven't
yet read it. I misunderstood that A MESSAGE FOR ADOLPH was a different
work.
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| Re: a heavy manga-Showa 1939-1944 [message #274447 is a reply to message #274441] |
Fri, 28 November 2014 22:55 |
sellers
Messages: 1143
Registered: January 2012
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On 11/28/2014 04:56 PM, newt@dont-email.me wrote:
>>> I presume you are familiar with a "Drifting Life" and "A
>>> message for Adolph"?
>>
>>> I have read the former, but not the latter. I'll check it out.
>>
>> Adolph is one of Tezuka Osamu's finest work but he has done other works
>> taking place after WWII such as Ayako.
>
> Ah, I actually have the first volume of Tezuka's ADOLPH, but I haven't
> yet read it. I misunderstood that A MESSAGE FOR ADOLPH was a different
> work.
>
No the "Message to Adolph" and "Adolph" are the same work under
different titles.
bliss
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