War and Japan - the Image Narrative - Research Paper Example

The Image Narrative: An Analysis of Mizuki Shigeru’s War and Japan I. Introduction This paper attempts to analyze War and Japan, answering: the first set of questions; the second set of questions; and the third set of questions. II. First Set of Questions Images are used in War and Japan in order to further the idea that the Japanese were mercilessly slaughtered in World War II, setting the stage for its suffering with a mention of the Nanking Massacre. The artist himself draws from his experiences being a victim of the war. “Manga artist Mizuki Shigeru (b. 1922), creator of the famous supernatural series GeGeGe no Kitaro, is one individual who could not be blamed for feeling like a victim.”1 In fact, Shigeru lost his left arm in the war but sees himself, it seems, reflected through his art in the way that the war was torturous and terrible. The key players in the text include Japanese officials, as well as one character we see throughout the panels. They are both parodied, and the character guiding one through the panels who is the main character acts as though he knows nothing about WWII. The cartoon character which is parodied in the panel definitely adds to the overall tone of the piece, giving War and Japan a slightly humorous bent, although little about War and Japan is really humorous. The topic of the cartoon is carnage, massacre, disaster, and war—at their worst. The suffering of the Japanese people is aptly portrayed in this graphic cartoon, bringing the reader to a very dark place. In this sense, it is understood why the cartoon is offensive to some people, both to the Japanese and those who are not Japanese. This cartoon disturbs the reader, but with an overall intent to educate—not just to shock. That is the redeeming value of this cartoon, is that it seeks to educate its readers about the horrors of war as it relates to Japanese history, pre- and post-World War II. This cartoon exemplifies the suffering of the Japanese in different eras, that is supposed to enlighten the reader as to why the Japanese have a certain mindset regarding the war and its effects. III. Second Set of Questions Images echo each other in this piece in the sense that violence mirrors itself continually through the piece, not only talking about the Nanking Massacre—but contrasting that with the atomic bomb that dropped on Hiroshima and the carnage that resulted in that. Not only that but, we see the overlap and evolution of soldiers having been sent off to the South Pacific and Burma from Japan to fight in WWII, an often unseen added element about the War that Shigeru sheds light upon. The images are fixed in terms of being frozen in time, but there is definitely a sense of movement in the images, giving oneself an idea that it is like watching a little movie of World War II from a Japanese viewpoint. The images are more ambiguous when it comes to larger overviews, like the Nanking Massacre and one jungle scenes seen later in the panel. IV. Third Set of Questions Sensory stimulation is paramount to War and Japan. The rhythm and pacing is switched up. At first, Shigeru shows us graphic images, and then gives our eyes a rest between graphic images to process what we have just seen, and then the cartoon character narrator tries to explain what is going on in the mind of ordinary Japanese people, bringing the reader back to a sense of normalcy—right before the next image is proffered on-screen. The larger pattern of movement overall is a wax and wane, bringing us in peaks and valleys to a crescendo of realizing what it means to be a true Japanese—to “stand tall.” In this way, the progression from panel to panel is very cyclical, nonlinear, and evocative of an emotional rollercoaster in which Shigeru engages us. The turning point of the entire “cartoon,” if it can be called that—since one usually thinks of cartoons as more humorous than grotesque—is the massacre that occurs after the Manchu people are worked like slaves and whose dead bodies are then dumped into a mass grave in Manjinkou. This occurs right before the panel describing the Nanking massacre. Obviously, the panel showing a picture of a skeleton is somewhat unsettling, but the mass grave, even moreso. It makes one realize that this is not just any cartoon—it is an informational cartoon that is trying to not make light of the victims’ suffering, but rather to give a voice to those who died and to remember them. This cartoon was made so that people would be educated—not so that they could have a laugh. This transports the reader to pre- and post-World War II Japan, showing us the struggle, suffering, and triumph of the Japanese people and their side of the story. From the very first panel, we see the cartoon narrator with his arm in a cast, which foreshadows the fact that this is not going to be a happy, funny, “smiley” sort of cartoon—but rather a cartoon showing carnage. The soldiers in the second panel being deployed from Japan to various parts of Asia is the point of departure for the entire piece, which doesn’t stop until we see the last panel with a Japanese man saying what is the true nature of a Japanese person’s character. The psychological effects of having viewed the cartoon panels are inevitable. Even if one knew almost absolutely nothing prior to viewing this about the Japanese people’s struggle in World War II, the effects are unmistakable. From a philosophical viewpoint, this cartoon makes its points very effectively—even though it had been very graphic from a psychological viewpoint. The cartoon is a bit wanting on the intellectual side of the cartoon narrator, but that can be forgiven considering the weighty matter of the entire cartoon—and the quality of information that is disseminated within it. In a sense, then, this cartoon is not just about war, or about Japan. It is about a people’s resiliency in the face of difficult times. This is a cartoon that epitomizes war in a way that is antithetical to anyone who justifies war as the only way to resolve conflict. After having seen how Hiroshima negatively impacted Japan, as well as the various problems that ensued afterwards, it is thought that this cartoon sought to highlight violence in Japan as a way of condemning the entire idea of having violence occur in Japan. In a way, this was a protest against violence in Japan and the aftermath. Truly, Shigeru’s work of art verily deserves to be remembered forever after. V. Conclusion Obviously, the way that image is used in Shigeru’s War and Japan is powerful. Three sets of questions were answered here in an attempt to analyze this cartoon. This masterful imagery demonstrates the resiliency of the Japanese people in their struggle for survival throughout the pre- and post-World War II eras. Since Shigeru moves the viewer from his or her secure space to a place of emotional vulnerability, it is this quality of his work that makes one step back and take a moment to take in the reality which faces one with the weight of history. Indeed, Shigeru’s War and Japan is a modern piece of artwork which transcends culture, time, and, yes, even the stark, grim realities of war. War and Japan is truly a work that will stand the test of time, because of its timeless quality which captures important eras in Japan’s military history. Hopefully, this major work of Shigeru’s will be remembered in the annals of time forever. War and Japan is raw, uncut, and sears its images into the mind of the viewer with a purpose—to educate, inspire, and bring new hope for the future of Japan’s people. WORKS CITED Penney, Matthew. War and Japan: The Non-Fiction Manga of Mizuki Shigeru. Retrieved 28 Feb 2011. Online. Available: . Read More