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Okinawa #1-2
Okinawa
Okinawa brings together two collections of intertwined stories by the island’s pre-eminent mangaka, Susumu Higa, which reflect on this difficult history and pull together traditional Okinawan spirituality, the modern-day realities of the continuing US military occupation, and the senselessness of the War. The first collection, Sword of Sand , is a ground level, unflinching look at the horrors of the Battle of Okinawa. Higa then turns an observant eye to the present-day in Mabui (Okinawan for “spirit"), where he explores how the American occupation has irreversibly changed the island prefecture, through the lens of the archipelago’s indigenous spirituality and the central character of the yuta priestess.
544 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
February 26, 2024
A fascinating historical fiction look at life on the islands of Okinawa at the tail end of World War II and in the 1990s.
The first half is devastating as the civilians of Okinawa find themselves caught between the shock and awe of overwhelming and cataclysmic American firepower from air, sea, and land and the bullying and executions perpetrated by Japanese soldiers too caught up duty and nation to consider surrender in the face of an inevitable defeat. Some U.S. soldiers show mercy and understanding, but those bits of kindness become hard to swallow as the book jumps ahead fifty years to show Okinawans still struggling with identity and colonialism as a large portion of their island chain remains occupied by American military bases.
Descendants of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the people of Okinawa also harbor resentment from their long-ago annexation by Japan. In other manga I read, Okinawa is often the destination for vacation trips for people living in mainland Japan, which made my mind draw some parallels in American history with our own state of Hawai'i.
As the book advances, it keeps adding more and more supernatural elements as the Okinawans turn to their traditional spirituality to cope with the many challenges they face.
I was happy to learn more about an area I have been ignorant of for too long.
FOR REFERENCE:
Omnibus edition. The short stories contained in this book were created by Susumu Higa between 1990 and 2000. They were originally published in Japanese as Suna no Tsuguri (砂の剣) (1995) by Shogakukan Inc., Suna no Suguri (砂の剣) 2nd Edition (2010), and Mabui (マブイ) (2010) both by Serinkogeisha.
Contents:
• Original Color Artwork
• Author Bio
Book One: Sword of Sand
• Chapter One: Sword of Sand
• Chapter Two: Sands of the Setting Sun
• Chapter Three: About My Mother
• Chapter Four: Call of Sand
• Chapter Five: Soldiers of Sand
• Chapter Six: School
• Chapter Seven: Dirt Thieves
Book Two: Mabui
• Chapter One: Military Landlord
• Chapter Two: Tolerated Cultivation
• Chapter Three: Island Duty
• Chapter Four: Homecoming
• Chapter Five: Military Employee
• Chapter Six: The Journey of Jim Thomas
• Chapter Seven: Mabui
• Afterword to Mabui
• Glossary
• From Yamato to the United States: Okinawa in Flux / Shinako Oyakawa
• Interview with Susumu Higa / Christopher Woodrow-Butcher and Andrew Woodrow-Butcher for Mangasplaining Extra
The first half is devastating as the civilians of Okinawa find themselves caught between the shock and awe of overwhelming and cataclysmic American firepower from air, sea, and land and the bullying and executions perpetrated by Japanese soldiers too caught up duty and nation to consider surrender in the face of an inevitable defeat. Some U.S. soldiers show mercy and understanding, but those bits of kindness become hard to swallow as the book jumps ahead fifty years to show Okinawans still struggling with identity and colonialism as a large portion of their island chain remains occupied by American military bases.
Descendants of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the people of Okinawa also harbor resentment from their long-ago annexation by Japan. In other manga I read, Okinawa is often the destination for vacation trips for people living in mainland Japan, which made my mind draw some parallels in American history with our own state of Hawai'i.
As the book advances, it keeps adding more and more supernatural elements as the Okinawans turn to their traditional spirituality to cope with the many challenges they face.
I was happy to learn more about an area I have been ignorant of for too long.
FOR REFERENCE:
Omnibus edition. The short stories contained in this book were created by Susumu Higa between 1990 and 2000. They were originally published in Japanese as Suna no Tsuguri (砂の剣) (1995) by Shogakukan Inc., Suna no Suguri (砂の剣) 2nd Edition (2010), and Mabui (マブイ) (2010) both by Serinkogeisha.
Contents:
• Original Color Artwork
• Author Bio
Book One: Sword of Sand
• Chapter One: Sword of Sand
• Chapter Two: Sands of the Setting Sun
• Chapter Three: About My Mother
• Chapter Four: Call of Sand
• Chapter Five: Soldiers of Sand
• Chapter Six: School
• Chapter Seven: Dirt Thieves
Book Two: Mabui
• Chapter One: Military Landlord
• Chapter Two: Tolerated Cultivation
• Chapter Three: Island Duty
• Chapter Four: Homecoming
• Chapter Five: Military Employee
• Chapter Six: The Journey of Jim Thomas
• Chapter Seven: Mabui
• Afterword to Mabui
• Glossary
• From Yamato to the United States: Okinawa in Flux / Shinako Oyakawa
• Interview with Susumu Higa / Christopher Woodrow-Butcher and Andrew Woodrow-Butcher for Mangasplaining Extra
February 11, 2024
This book contains two books both set in Okinawa.
Sword of Sand - set during WW2
This might be the best war manga I've read so far. I had just read some Joe Sacco comics but while I was reading this I was thinking Sacco would love this. Clear line illustrations and a very powerful emotional read. Learning about the history of Okinawa was very eye opening for me. I had no idea about what they went through during WW2. A 5-star read for me.
Mabui - set during the present day in the 90s.
After WW2 the US military set up bases on Okinawa taking up a significant chunk of the landmass. These stories deal with the realities of living in Okinawa at the time. One of my favourite stories dealt with the desire for the US to leave while also working on the bases and making a decent living doing that.
Okinawa must be super proud of Susumu Higa. Besides for being a great read, this is an important historical document of the islands.
Sword of Sand - set during WW2
This might be the best war manga I've read so far. I had just read some Joe Sacco comics but while I was reading this I was thinking Sacco would love this. Clear line illustrations and a very powerful emotional read. Learning about the history of Okinawa was very eye opening for me. I had no idea about what they went through during WW2. A 5-star read for me.
Mabui - set during the present day in the 90s.
After WW2 the US military set up bases on Okinawa taking up a significant chunk of the landmass. These stories deal with the realities of living in Okinawa at the time. One of my favourite stories dealt with the desire for the US to leave while also working on the bases and making a decent living doing that.
Okinawa must be super proud of Susumu Higa. Besides for being a great read, this is an important historical document of the islands.
October 3, 2024
Deadpan and melancholic tales of the Ryukus, which I enjoyed the further they got from WWII, and more about the uneasy moral compromises of a place where economic development derives almost entirely from US air force bases and tourism.
August 9, 2023
Okinawa is a fascinating look at how Okinawans view the continuing presence of American military bases and personnel post - WW2. Susumu Higa brings us the personal stories that show how the bases impact the communities they continue to disrupt and, sometimes, assist in an approachable and touching manga. Recommended for anyone looking for something different in manga, military history, or an interest in Okinawa in general.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Fantagraphics for the DRC, all opinions are my own.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Fantagraphics for the DRC, all opinions are my own.
June 9, 2024
My Uchinanchu heritage has always meant a lot to me, but this book made me realize there’s so much I didn’t know. My Grandma survived WWII on Okinawa, and I hadn’t realized until now how truly horrific and traumatizing that must have been for her.
December 31, 2023
(Actually read this yesterday, when Goodreads was down.)
This is emotionally affective, the true stories of civillian survivors of horrible treachery on the islands of Okinawa. It is amazing that anyone survived.
This is emotionally affective, the true stories of civillian survivors of horrible treachery on the islands of Okinawa. It is amazing that anyone survived.
September 15, 2024
HARDBACK EDITION!
“Of the approximately 22,000 men in the “home guard”, 13,000 – 60 % - were killed in the War.”
This appears to be a collection of fiction and non-fiction, illustrating various aspects of the Okinawa theatre of conflict, mostly during WWII all portrayed in clean lines and dirty details. We get an insight into how poorly the Okinawans have been treated by the Japanese since they colonised them back in the 1870s and of course the devastation which took place on the islands during WWII with around a quarter of the people getting killed.
Of course since the war, the American military presence has loomed all too large and the negative impact they have had rarely gets a global audience. The American approach to the issue, largely consists of their tried and tested model of historical record in reducing it to a series of crass Hollywood movies.
This deluxe edition also comes with an interview with the author at the end, which sheds additional light on his thoughts and aims with these stories.
July 16, 2023
Beautifully written and illustrated stories of war, survival, and the struggles to preserve Okinawan life through generations of occupation and change. Haunting and hopeful, personal and political, unforgettable.
December 30, 2023
The complete collection of stories from manga legend Susumu Higa, telling both the horrific accounts of the islanders during the Battle of Okinawa, and the long shadow of US occupation in the decades afterwards.
Essential reading, only docked a star for the puzzling publishing decision to put all this beautifully detailed artwork in a tiny, awkward hardcover version.
Essential reading, only docked a star for the puzzling publishing decision to put all this beautifully detailed artwork in a tiny, awkward hardcover version.
August 25, 2024
This was a fascinating look into the island's history and culture. The book really does well with its detailed research and engaging writing, making Okinawa's past and present come alive. Higa does a great job of blending historical facts with cultural insights, giving readers a rich picture of the island.That said, the book can get a bit heavy on details, which might make it feel a little slow at times.
Overall, it is a compelling and informative read that’s worth checking out if you’re interested in the island’s history. It’s well-researched and engaging, even if it sometimes leans a bit too much into the details.
Overall, it is a compelling and informative read that’s worth checking out if you’re interested in the island’s history. It’s well-researched and engaging, even if it sometimes leans a bit too much into the details.
Read
December 27, 2023Kirja jäi minulta kesken "teknisistä" syistä. Pidän Susumu Higan tavasta piirtää ja kertoa ja olen kiinnostunut Okinawan historiasta. Mutta kirja on liian pieni ja paksu, sitä on hankala käsitellä muuten kuin että pitää sitä kaksin käsin auki. Lisäksi käyetty muste on minun silmilleni liian haaleaa, ja kun teksti on sekä pientä että haaleaa ja kirjaa on hankala käsitellä, en pystynyt lukemaan tarpeeksi pitkiä jaksoja kerrallaan ja silloin tarinan yhtenäisyys kärsi. Harmi.
June 5, 2024
Based on true news stories and events, this graphic novel shows the US occupation of Okinawa during ww2 and the impacts on the island still present years later. Seeing the complexity of the situation from a Japanese perspective was fascinating. War is the primary focus but other aspects of Japanese culture and religion are shown too. The art was fantastic and the detailed black and white thin line ink drawings reminded me a bit of junji ito. The pictures and author interview are nice touches to flesh out the book.
February 4, 2024
This is a manga (or graphic novel) collections of stories about the occupation of Okinawa - first by the Japanese military; then, by the USA military.
It’s a poignant telling of the hardships endured by the islanders - their livelihood, their sufferings and their resilience.
It’s a poignant telling of the hardships endured by the islanders - their livelihood, their sufferings and their resilience.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 8, 2024DNF'ed @ page 239.
I'm just not that invested. On top of that, I'm annoyed by how the book was designed. It's bulky and unpleasant to hold for long periods of time. I also have trouble with how small the text is. I wish this was printed in two volumes in a bigger format instead.
I'm just not that invested. On top of that, I'm annoyed by how the book was designed. It's bulky and unpleasant to hold for long periods of time. I also have trouble with how small the text is. I wish this was printed in two volumes in a bigger format instead.
July 4, 2024
Incredibly touching, beautifully illustrated, and highly educational. I loved reading all the stories of and inspired by the wartime and post-war eras of Okinawa and learned so much new information about Okinawan history and culture that I didn’t know before. Getting on Wikipedia after this.
August 20, 2024
Really taught me more about this subject that I didn’t know much about, I love how it tells the story through snippets of different characters lives, seeing how people were surviving the war but also the after and the colonization. A great read
September 15, 2023
A series of stories covering the war until the 1990s. They are a combination of fiction and non-fiction on the topic of America and Okinawa. This is still a serious issue.
An interesting read.
An interesting read.
April 2, 2024
An incredibly important history lesson in a beautiful format.
November 4, 2024
I grew up here, so it was awesome seeing the history and the impact that the bases that I called home were cause of a lot of issues in Okinawa. Also seeing the impact of military occupation being primarily put on Okinawa, as opposed to main island. It was really interesting and game a lot of perspective that has changed my viewpoint on military occupation (which to be fair, I had never thought critically about in the first place besides “I lived there as a kid and it was fun”)
March 1, 2024
I don’t think any comic or manga has ever made me as angry as the first half of this collection. Sword of Sand is an anthology of stories about Okinawa during World War 2. It’s genuinely harrowing, and seeing the way the Japanese treated their own civilians made my gut churn and heart burn in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Just thinking about it upsets me.
The second half, Mabui, isn’t as good as the first but is still excellent, and is almost wholesome after the first half (which I think might be intentional) as it’s focused entirely on spirituality and healing, of a sort. It’s a good wind down and ensures the reader doesn’t close the book polarised and pissed off.
I’m probably never going to reread this and I don’t know how to recommend it, but it’s very good and worth a read.
The second half, Mabui, isn’t as good as the first but is still excellent, and is almost wholesome after the first half (which I think might be intentional) as it’s focused entirely on spirituality and healing, of a sort. It’s a good wind down and ensures the reader doesn’t close the book polarised and pissed off.
I’m probably never going to reread this and I don’t know how to recommend it, but it’s very good and worth a read.
September 22, 2023
A thought provoking book. Using the graphic novel format to capture the experience of Okinawa during WWII to the present, it is hard to imagine a place where 1 out of 4 civilians died during the Iron Storm that was the invasion of this island.
July 1, 2024
An anthology of stories about both Okinawa during World War II, when it was commanded by the ruling Japanese mainlanders preparing for (and then taking action against) a US attack, which ended up being one of the bloodiest battlegrounds of the entire Pacific war theater, themselves often seen as invaders. As an American, I didn't know anything about this history of Okinawa, knowing only that it's the southernmost of Japan's main islands, very tropical and humid, and that there's a lot of US military presence there due to bases.
So in this book, you get a nice crash course in Okinawan history: part of the Ryukyu Islands, which became a tributary to China and Japan in the 1600s, it was annexed by Japan in 1879, which then when on to try eliminating traditional Ryukyuan culture, language and religion. So to put that in perspective, during WWII, the older inhabitants--people you'd associate with being grandparent-aged--were often born before Japan officially claimed it. So this is not the story of how "Japan" dealt with part of WWII, it's the story of how a people faced threats from both outside (USA) and inside, or their neighbors (Japan).
It does not sugarcoat the war, which ended up killing around a quarter of the civilian population, but it's not gory. And to my surprise, it doesn't paint the Americans (particularly in the first half, during WWII) as one-dimensional evil invaders; soldiers on both sides feature, and if the book has a point I can sum up incredibly simplistically in this section, it would be "war is hell for everyone, particularly civilians."
The second half of the book is set closer to modern day--although these stories were originally published, individually, around the 1990s, which is needed to understand the setting. Something I learned was that after Japan's defeat in WWII, America didn't just build military bases in Okinawa (I knew that), but actually controlled Okinawa from 1945 until 1971, when the island (minus the bases, which amount to a substantial amount of land) was returned to Japanese administration.
The modern/then-modern bases cause their own problems: military jets crash or fly so low they disrupt everything; traditional land and religious practices is sectioned off or accessible only with advance American permission; the military pressures people into selling or long-term leasing their land to the US; there's little oversight or repercussions if Americans cause trouble off the bases, and the Japanese and Okinawans have no recourse for anything that happens on base.
This all sounds depressing, but this information is there in-between stories of traditional farmers who love their land too much to sell; locals who grave-rob to sell elsewhere in the country; modern people working as civilians on base contemplating their role in both cultures.
It is, overall, fascinating and informative.
So in this book, you get a nice crash course in Okinawan history: part of the Ryukyu Islands, which became a tributary to China and Japan in the 1600s, it was annexed by Japan in 1879, which then when on to try eliminating traditional Ryukyuan culture, language and religion. So to put that in perspective, during WWII, the older inhabitants--people you'd associate with being grandparent-aged--were often born before Japan officially claimed it. So this is not the story of how "Japan" dealt with part of WWII, it's the story of how a people faced threats from both outside (USA) and inside, or their neighbors (Japan).
It does not sugarcoat the war, which ended up killing around a quarter of the civilian population, but it's not gory. And to my surprise, it doesn't paint the Americans (particularly in the first half, during WWII) as one-dimensional evil invaders; soldiers on both sides feature, and if the book has a point I can sum up incredibly simplistically in this section, it would be "war is hell for everyone, particularly civilians."
The second half of the book is set closer to modern day--although these stories were originally published, individually, around the 1990s, which is needed to understand the setting. Something I learned was that after Japan's defeat in WWII, America didn't just build military bases in Okinawa (I knew that), but actually controlled Okinawa from 1945 until 1971, when the island (minus the bases, which amount to a substantial amount of land) was returned to Japanese administration.
The modern/then-modern bases cause their own problems: military jets crash or fly so low they disrupt everything; traditional land and religious practices is sectioned off or accessible only with advance American permission; the military pressures people into selling or long-term leasing their land to the US; there's little oversight or repercussions if Americans cause trouble off the bases, and the Japanese and Okinawans have no recourse for anything that happens on base.
This all sounds depressing, but this information is there in-between stories of traditional farmers who love their land too much to sell; locals who grave-rob to sell elsewhere in the country; modern people working as civilians on base contemplating their role in both cultures.
It is, overall, fascinating and informative.
Read
November 12, 2024Graphic Novel Group book for November 2024.
The Okinawa Islands dangle off the south coast of Japan, a chain of small islands, culturally related but also distinct from Japan. They were the site of some of the worst land fighting in the Pacific arena of WWII and to the day have American military bases covering a large chunk of their land.
Okinawa, the graphic novel, is an English-language translation of two collections from Okinawan native Susumu Higa. Sword Of Sand covers stories from the war and its immediate aftermath, and Mabui is more recent (90s and 00s) stories from the islands.
The first half is a bit stronger, probably by dint of what happened in Okinawa being dramatic, terrifying and brutal. These stories look at local Okinawans trying to negotiate their own survival between US attacks and the Japanese Army refusing to surrender and refusing to let the civilians surrender. Later chapters cover prisoners of war and post-war survival. One chapter each is given over to Higa's parents and their experiences. It's kind of Higa that his artwork doesn't linger on the horrors, as I don't think some chapters would be readable if the art was more realistic, such is the brutality of the circumstances.
The second half is more sedate and a little repetitive, but intentionally so, with the yuta (a priestess (?) in the local religion) Mrs Asato recurring in most chapters, usually solving problems with some prayers and reflection on events. It foregrounds the local culture, and the strongest stories in the second half continue this, from grave robbery to baseball. It doesn't grip quite like the WWII era stuff, but it builds on it in a relevant way.
The art is, as mentioned, cartoony but great. The level of detail Higa can cram into a panel is impressive, and it's evocative and beautiful. I really loved the emphasis on using onomatopoeia in panels, big thanks to the translator Jocelyne Allen for translating those too, every boom, plip and fween.
The Okinawa Islands dangle off the south coast of Japan, a chain of small islands, culturally related but also distinct from Japan. They were the site of some of the worst land fighting in the Pacific arena of WWII and to the day have American military bases covering a large chunk of their land.
Okinawa, the graphic novel, is an English-language translation of two collections from Okinawan native Susumu Higa. Sword Of Sand covers stories from the war and its immediate aftermath, and Mabui is more recent (90s and 00s) stories from the islands.
The first half is a bit stronger, probably by dint of what happened in Okinawa being dramatic, terrifying and brutal. These stories look at local Okinawans trying to negotiate their own survival between US attacks and the Japanese Army refusing to surrender and refusing to let the civilians surrender. Later chapters cover prisoners of war and post-war survival. One chapter each is given over to Higa's parents and their experiences. It's kind of Higa that his artwork doesn't linger on the horrors, as I don't think some chapters would be readable if the art was more realistic, such is the brutality of the circumstances.
The second half is more sedate and a little repetitive, but intentionally so, with the yuta (a priestess (?) in the local religion) Mrs Asato recurring in most chapters, usually solving problems with some prayers and reflection on events. It foregrounds the local culture, and the strongest stories in the second half continue this, from grave robbery to baseball. It doesn't grip quite like the WWII era stuff, but it builds on it in a relevant way.
The art is, as mentioned, cartoony but great. The level of detail Higa can cram into a panel is impressive, and it's evocative and beautiful. I really loved the emphasis on using onomatopoeia in panels, big thanks to the translator Jocelyne Allen for translating those too, every boom, plip and fween.
December 16, 2023
I'm always fascinated and moved by stories about Okinawa.
I think Higa does a really amazing (and important) job of conveying the complexities of the relationship between the Okinawan and American peoples. There are stories where Japan's military are the Okinawans' greatest enemy, and the American military are their part-time saviors. There are stories where the American military are utterly villainous toward the Okinawans. There are stories where Okinawans and Americans get along well and like one another, while the undercurrent of their power imbalance is still palpable. All of these facets of Okinawan identity and life are present and it's like, deeply upsetting to see, but also somehow profoundly hopeful. I love the character of Ms. Asato, the yuta as a throughline of almost all of the otherwise disconnected stories. I love the emphasis put on Okinawan religion and its power and its ability to affect anybody, regardless of nationality or origin. I love how even in military bases, it gets treated with reverence. IDK how real that is, but it always made me happy to see people respecting Ms. Asato, even if they didn't always believe in mabui or the ugan.
I also adore the way that many of these stories are somehow rooted in reality. Whether that's the author telling the stories of his own parents (and not revealing that that's who the story is about until the end), or when he sees a story in the news and then extrapolates out from there. It adds a level of realism and believability to every part of the anthology.
Yeah. Good!
I think Higa does a really amazing (and important) job of conveying the complexities of the relationship between the Okinawan and American peoples. There are stories where Japan's military are the Okinawans' greatest enemy, and the American military are their part-time saviors. There are stories where the American military are utterly villainous toward the Okinawans. There are stories where Okinawans and Americans get along well and like one another, while the undercurrent of their power imbalance is still palpable. All of these facets of Okinawan identity and life are present and it's like, deeply upsetting to see, but also somehow profoundly hopeful. I love the character of Ms. Asato, the yuta as a throughline of almost all of the otherwise disconnected stories. I love the emphasis put on Okinawan religion and its power and its ability to affect anybody, regardless of nationality or origin. I love how even in military bases, it gets treated with reverence. IDK how real that is, but it always made me happy to see people respecting Ms. Asato, even if they didn't always believe in mabui or the ugan.
I also adore the way that many of these stories are somehow rooted in reality. Whether that's the author telling the stories of his own parents (and not revealing that that's who the story is about until the end), or when he sees a story in the news and then extrapolates out from there. It adds a level of realism and believability to every part of the anthology.
Yeah. Good!
May 6, 2024
Of course, I know and understand that history always flattens into easily understood (and justified) "truths." Yet I still get surprised...
Thus it was about my understanding of (or more accurately, near total ignorance of) Okinawa and its people. It isn't in the interest of Americans' sense of good-guyness to look too closely under this postcolonialism rock. (For similar, though different reasons, the Japanese seem to have no interest in touching this either.)
Hey, we won the battle, what else is there to know?
So it's up to Okinawans (perhaps reluctantly) themselves. Revisiting and coming to terms with this trauma couldn't be easy. The history told in this Manga, presented through intertwined stories covers the time of the US invasion (or liberation, depending on your view—neither is especially wrong or right) of the islands in the late stage of WWII through the current slow return of the conquered lands back to Okinawa.
It's understandable if these stories make you a bit sad and cynical about your country and of political states in general. But the recounting of the American soldier baseball coach coming back to Okinawa to reunited with the now-middle age fielders 40 years later might ease that cynicism. There was a lot of real, two-way love and repair in that story.
Anyhow, it's important stories like these are told and not forgotten.
Thus it was about my understanding of (or more accurately, near total ignorance of) Okinawa and its people. It isn't in the interest of Americans' sense of good-guyness to look too closely under this postcolonialism rock. (For similar, though different reasons, the Japanese seem to have no interest in touching this either.)
Hey, we won the battle, what else is there to know?
So it's up to Okinawans (perhaps reluctantly) themselves. Revisiting and coming to terms with this trauma couldn't be easy. The history told in this Manga, presented through intertwined stories covers the time of the US invasion (or liberation, depending on your view—neither is especially wrong or right) of the islands in the late stage of WWII through the current slow return of the conquered lands back to Okinawa.
It's understandable if these stories make you a bit sad and cynical about your country and of political states in general. But the recounting of the American soldier baseball coach coming back to Okinawa to reunited with the now-middle age fielders 40 years later might ease that cynicism. There was a lot of real, two-way love and repair in that story.
Anyhow, it's important stories like these are told and not forgotten.
July 8, 2024
The fall-out of war can be fascinating and of course frightening. Hard to fathom for myself born and living in North America for the past six decades.
Japan emerging from WWII in general is a remarkable story, and its relationship with the United States a large and complicated wrinkle to that. Wrinkles as we all age too they can grow and deepen.
The stories here are poignant. A loud voice for sovereignty and other complex connections. US entanglement, for better and worse (and worst) too is connected in. Really a nice slice of history, personal and national.
That said, the formatting of this book I wish were both larger and the drawings more detailed. Maybe not the point, but the artwork felt on par with the old US "Drabble" comic strip. I do think the words and people were just more important, and thus more of the focus.
Still very glad to have read this, and hope both of my kids will do so (one hoping to create comics himself, the other considering translation from Japanese to English). Here's to better, stronger bridges between our country and Japan going forward.
Japan emerging from WWII in general is a remarkable story, and its relationship with the United States a large and complicated wrinkle to that. Wrinkles as we all age too they can grow and deepen.
The stories here are poignant. A loud voice for sovereignty and other complex connections. US entanglement, for better and worse (and worst) too is connected in. Really a nice slice of history, personal and national.
That said, the formatting of this book I wish were both larger and the drawings more detailed. Maybe not the point, but the artwork felt on par with the old US "Drabble" comic strip. I do think the words and people were just more important, and thus more of the focus.
Still very glad to have read this, and hope both of my kids will do so (one hoping to create comics himself, the other considering translation from Japanese to English). Here's to better, stronger bridges between our country and Japan going forward.
December 20, 2023
A collection of manga from the 90s and early 2000s that chronicles stories from Okinawa set during World War II and in modern times. Higa ably depicts the struggles of ordinary Okinawans caught up in the war's conflagration and chaos, and their efforts to be free of the American military bases which remain today. There's a pointed spiritual element as the "yutas", female priests of the island's indigenous religion, play a role in helping some of those who suffer the loss of their "mabui", or soul.
The stories illuminate a corner of the world that many forgot about after the war, and Higa brings it all to life with a simple yet expressive artistic style. I've been reading manga for many years, but this creator is a new discovery for me. It's always exciting when a publisher like Fantagraphics brings these little-known but deserving artists to our attention. I hope he reaches a wider audience with these affecting tales.
The stories illuminate a corner of the world that many forgot about after the war, and Higa brings it all to life with a simple yet expressive artistic style. I've been reading manga for many years, but this creator is a new discovery for me. It's always exciting when a publisher like Fantagraphics brings these little-known but deserving artists to our attention. I hope he reaches a wider audience with these affecting tales.
September 8, 2023
Equal parts poignant and harrowing, Okinawa is a fantastic portrait of slice-of-life storytelling amidst a lush country torn apart by war. Akin to Shigeru Mizuki's Showa, 1939-1944: A History of Japan, Susumu Higa examines the complexities of life from the lens of absolute war and military occupation while still maintaining a level of lightness to the narrative. Spirituality and tradition are challenged by the harsh occupation of Okinawa, but the resilience of the people are at the forefront to the stories told by Higa. The cartooning is minimalistic which works to simultaneously show life's simplicitites and the brutal nature of war. Okinawa serves as a great example of historical storytelling for this medium.
October 3, 2023
One of deepest, most heartfelt graphic novels I have ever read. Susumu Higa chronicles the story of Okinawa from harrowing stories during the war to the long aftermath of US occupation. Selecting a handful of stories during the war, including that of his own parents, Susumu consistently highlights the intense danger that Japanese civilians were in, even while American troops were doing what they could to not harm civilians. As the novel progresses, time passes and Susumu highlights the transforming and various viewpoints on the American bases occupying Okinawa. How they have aided the people of Okinawa while largely (VERY LARGELY) serving as a detriment. The most consistent theme can be summarized as a juxtaposition of strong Okinawan traditions being trampled by various modern advances and the citizens that fight with everything to keep those traditions alive.
October 8, 2023
If there is a better way to learn what it is to be Uchinachu I don't know what it is. The manga style and simple drawings that capture so much information and emotion tell a long history from the Ryukyu Kingdom to American bases, and the recurring character of a small woman leading prayers gives voice to stories much older. I loved the ordinary sounds Higa adds to the panels, not only planes and bombs, but a squeaky bicycle wheel, a woman's shoes on the pavement, ocean waves. He does not leave out crimes by the Japanese against Okinawans but somehow the Americans get a pass - the sex crimes are left out of the explicit story (though it's there beneath). I was shocked to learn that a holy place is enclosed by one of the bases, though access isn't portrayed as completely cut off. I don't see much changing for Okinawa but I'm glad to learn about it in this moving way.
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