A review by barkylee15
Barefoot Gen Volume 1: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa
3.0
3.5. I wanted to love this graphic novel, and the parts about the war and Japanese army/kamikaze pilots, and of course the dropping of the A-bomb were very well done. But, the juvenile way in which nearly every man/boy acts and reacts by "bonking" people or fighting - just the amount of violence was astounding and unnecessary to include. I'm all about seeing the daily lives of those who lived in Hiroshima in the months leading up to the atomic bomb being dropped, but every page including someone getting beaten up or someone "wahhh-ing" was exhausting and all meant to be for humor, but I didn't find it funny at all. I am interested to continue though, especially as to see how Gen and what is left of his family survives after the blast.
Overall, my rating is complicated and therefore a recommendation of reading this is complicated as well. So maybe read it? Maybe dont...I don't know. If you are looking for a great book on the topic though, read "Hiroshima" by John Hersey (having problems linking it on Goodreads).
Men and leaders and the power they wield over the people they are supposed to take care of sickens me. I wasn't aware of how much propaganda and lies there were in the Japanese Empire either. Also the idea of suicide bombers in any war, about it being "for the empire" or "for God" makes me very angry and makes me very worried for humanity sometimes. Ok, off my soapbox. I will leave you with one quote from Gen's older brother Koji who is off at pilot school:
"Why can't everyone think? Use their heads for once? Are they going to be duped by this hoax of a war forever? If the Japanese people don't all start sticking up for themselves, the war will never end. Damn! How long will it go on, anyway -- this horrible war? The time's got to come when we can all live freely, like human beings..."
Overall, my rating is complicated and therefore a recommendation of reading this is complicated as well. So maybe read it? Maybe dont...I don't know. If you are looking for a great book on the topic though, read "Hiroshima" by John Hersey (having problems linking it on Goodreads).
Men and leaders and the power they wield over the people they are supposed to take care of sickens me. I wasn't aware of how much propaganda and lies there were in the Japanese Empire either. Also the idea of suicide bombers in any war, about it being "for the empire" or "for God" makes me very angry and makes me very worried for humanity sometimes. Ok, off my soapbox. I will leave you with one quote from Gen's older brother Koji who is off at pilot school:
"Why can't everyone think? Use their heads for once? Are they going to be duped by this hoax of a war forever? If the Japanese people don't all start sticking up for themselves, the war will never end. Damn! How long will it go on, anyway -- this horrible war? The time's got to come when we can all live freely, like human beings..."