I think it’s fair to say that most people reading this will be familiar with the narrative of World War II. The deadliest conflict in all of history fought between the opposing alliances of the Allies and the Axis. These alliances made up the vast majority of the world’s countries and even the nations that remained neutral felt the effect of the war.
Growing up in Ireland, the majority of media I consumed were either American or British. These typically portrayed the war in a very black and white fashion. The Allies were heroes who were welcomed wherever they went as they drove tyranny and oppression out. However, the war was not that simple.
From the beginning, the history of anime and World War II have gone hand in hand as the first theatrically released anime feature film was Momotaro: Sacred Sailors (1945), a propaganda film funded by the Japanese Naval Ministry. It portrays the Japanese (who are depicted as cute animals) as bringing culture and civilization to the various communities of Asia and defending them from oppressive western cultures. While clearly a propaganda movie, the technical achievements of the film inspired many creators such as Osamu Tezuka who ” was so impressed, I began weeping uncontrollably. “
Perhaps one of the most famous and controversial series set during World War II is Barefoot Gen. Originally a manga authored by Keiji Nakazawa (a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima), it has been adapted into various media including the 1983 animated film.
In this film, we are introduced to a family living in Hiroshima. After taking some time to establish the characters, we witness the dropping of the atomic bomb in a haunting scene which depicts the victims of the bomb as innocent civilians including women, children, the elderly and even babies. We then follow the surviving family members as they struggle to survive in the aftermath.
This depiction of the bombing shocked me when I saw it as I had been indoctrinated to view the bombing as a heroic act. It’s worth noting that the controversy of the series does not originate in the bombing but from references to the various atrocities committed by the Japanese in World War II.
Even in the modern era, we continue to see films released that depict the effects of World War II from the viewpoint of the Japanese. Giovanni’s Island (2014) is set on the island of Shikotan, one of the Kuril Islands. The Soviet Union invades and occupies the islands and ultimately forces the local population to leave.
Again depicting the mistreatment of innocent Japanese civilians, the film sheds light on the evacuations of the Japanese from various territories back to the Japanese mainland and the appalling conditions that they were subjected to.
The impact of World War II on the world cannot be understated. However, we are often fed the familiar tales of the Americans and British with little to no knowledge of what was happening elsewhere in the world. These anime films show us a different side to the war and allow us to understand the war in a new light. Because of this, I believe these films, along with many other films depicting the different sides of World War II, are worth seeking out and watching.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk, amazon.com or bookdepository.com for all of your needs!