DOC Barefoot Gen; Vol. 1: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa in History

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. one of the earliest autobiographical comics - a truly excellent pieceBy Frank L. Greenagel IIThis is an autobiographical story by Keiji Nakazawa. He wrote this series from 1972 through 1974 and it has aged very well (if I was just rating it for the pre-2000 period in comics; it would easily get 5+ stars).Volume one tells the story of the Nakazawa's in Hiroshima from April of 1945 until a few hours after the bomb dropped on August 6; 1945. Volume two covers the first few days after the bombing - it's terrible. People's skin and faces are melting; corpses bellies burst open with gas; the city reeks terrible and very few people want to help each other (which adds to the misery).Book 3 addresses the next several days after that. Gen and his stand-in brother Ryuta spend much of this volume searching for food and caring for a man that has "A-Bomb disease" and is being alternately ignored or abused by his own family. Near the end of this third book; the Emperor announces his surrender on August 15; 1945. It is broadcast over the radio and the kids watch as the adults are either saddened or angered.Volume 4 deals with a number of issues surrounding the American occupation of Japan; as well as the rise in the black market and the early formation of the modern gangs. American soldiers give candy to the kids (the result of this was that a generation of children that survived the bomb grew up with fond feelings towards Americans - this is not the author's position; but it is something I know from both history books and having taught in Tokyo for all of 2003). There is a story of a young Japanese woman who dates a variety of American soldiers in order to get food; money and other goods. This embarrasses her young sister; and other women in town call her a whore. More people continue to die from "A bomb disease" and the variety of cancers it cause. Gen and his siblings suffer from malnutrition; and we get our first appearance at the high cost of protein and milk in the black market. At this market; we are introduced to a variety of gangsters who are getting rich off their countrymen's sorrows.It is a wonderfully told story. As someone who majored in history; taught it and has served in the US Army on two different times in my life; I think that using the bomb over Hiroshima saved about a million American lives and perhaps even more Japanese lives. I say this to demonstrate that someone who believed in the August 6 and 9th bombings can still find this to be fascinating and tragic. It's a great comic.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Gen publishes a book on the horrors of the atom bomb and gets into trouble with the US militaryBy F. Orion PozoThe Barefoot Gen series of 10 graphic novels tells the story of the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima Japan through the eyes of a young boy Gen Nakaoka who relates the events lived through by the author Keiji Nakazawa. Book 7; Bones Into Dust takes place more than three years after the war has officially ended. Gen's father; sister and brother were killed during the blast; and his mother now suffers from radiation sickness. Gen's older brother Koji has left to work in a coal mine to earn money for the family; leaving Gen and his younger brother Akira to care for their sick mother and find food and medical care. Gen has befriended an older man and a group of street orphans who develop scheme after scheme to find food; raise money; or steal what they need. The old man has written a novel called The End of Summer about the atomic bomb and its effects on Hiroshima that he wants to have published before he dies of radiation sickness.The book opens with the orphans devising a plan to get the book published. When all the regular publishers have turned them down because they fear reprisal from the Americans; Ryuta; one of the orphans; suggests asking the prison print shop to print the books. All they need to do is find the money to buy the paper for the printing. Finding the money is a challenge that they solve. Once they have the book published and are distributing it; they are picked up by the local police and taken to a U.S. military base for interrogation.Meanwhile Gen's mother continues to decline from her bomb-induced radiation sickness; and Gen's older brother Koji; now a depressed alcoholic; returns from the mines. The last section of the book reunites the family as the boys try to make Gen's mother happy in her last days. The subtitle Bones Into Dust refers to the cremation remains of Gen's mother as the family deals with yet another loss.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. haunting ... hauntingBy laolaohuI was born not many years after these events took place. I remember our civil defense drills at school; and the reports of people building backyard fallout shelters. I remember learning in history class that we had dropped two bombs on Japan; one at Hiroshima and one at Nagasaki; and being told that this was necessary to end the war. I remember going to class one morning during the Cuban Missile Crisis and wondering whether the world would still be there in the afternoon. In high school I remember reading John Hershey's Hiroshima and viewing the movie Fail Safe. In college I was introduced to the movie Hiroshima Mon Amour. In other words; like every one else in my generation; I grew up with The Bomb. It was one of those constants in our lives; that was always hovering somewhere in the background. But never ... never ... have I confronted such a vivid portrayal of the horror we actually inflicted upon the residents of these two Japanese cities as I have found in the first two volumes of this series. I am now just starting volume three. I am not big on the concept of "required reading;" but if I were to make an exception; these volumes would probably be it. For all ages and education levels. If the images in these books are not haunting; I don't know how you would define the word.