Showa 1939-1944

November 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Renowned manga artist Mizuki's autobiographical graphic novel series continues where Showa: A History of Japan, 1926-1939 (Drawn & Quarterly, 2013) left off, with Japan on the brink of World War II. The narrative recounts the war years, shifting between pivotal events in the Pacific theater and the author's personal anecdotes. Though this volume is slightly less whimsical than the first, there is quite a bit of humor as Mizuki balances serious scenes of battle and politics with cartoonish depictions of his antics bumbling through a newspaper delivery route, trade school, and service in Japan's army. The work is often critical of Japan's wartime actions. However, certain controversial issues such as the Bataan death march and the role of "comfort women" receive less attention than a Western author might give them, providing an opportunity for valuable discussion about bias and perspective. This account puts a very human face on a complicated time in history. Readers can easily jump into this installment without having read its predecessor, and military buffs will be especially riveted by the detailed account of naval battles. Those less interested in a play-by-play of warfare may find themselves skimming at times but will surely keep reading to see how Mizuki survives-and will be eager for the next volume, as this one ends on a cliff-hanger. Recommended where the first title has an audience.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
In this, the second of four volumes, Mizuki examines Japan's continued expansion into Asia, its alliance with Germany and Italy, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the start of the Pacific War. Although the story of the war moves necessarily quickly, the photorealistic spreads and superb storytelling electrify the battle scenes, making what would otherwise be a dry textbook into a pulse-thumping page-turner. As with the first volume, the narrative switches back and forth from a broad historical account of the war to a narrow view seen from the perspective of Mizuki and his family. This restricted view flattens world-changing events and highlights the mundane: the tedium of constant rationing and hunger and, once Mizuki is drafted, the hurry-up-and-wait uncertainty that comes with being a soldier. This volume has a clever cliff-hanger ending, something one doesn't expect to find in a history book. Read this volume alongside Mizuki's masterpiece Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (2011) if you can't wait until the next volume of Showa is released.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)