Rewriting History in Manga: Stories for the Nation (East Asian Popular Culture)

This book analyzes the role of manga in contemporary Japanese political expression and debate, and explores its role in propagating new perceptions regarding Japanese history. Preface 6 Acknowledgments 12 Contents 14 List of Figures 16 Chapter 1: Introduction: Manga as “Banal Memory” 17 History and Social Memory 21 Manga Historiography 24 Manga as “Banal Memory” 28 Two Narratives of War 30 “War is Bad”: Tezuka Osamu’s Adolf ni tsugu 30 “War is Heroic”: Kobayashi Yoshinori’s Sensōron 31 History as Social Practice 36 References 38 Manga Publications 41 Part I: Historicizing Political Manga 42 Chapter 2: Kitazawa Rakuten as Popular Culture Provocateur: Modern Manga Images and Riotous Democracy in Early Twentieth-­Century Japan 43 Rakuten and the Origins of Tokyo Puck 45 Rakuten’s and the Rice Crisis: Targeting Prices and Profiteers 47 Rakuten on Sins of Commission and Omission: Grain Brokers, Civil Officials, and the Military 55 Rakuten and Tokyo Puck’s Prescriptions: Picturing “What Is to Be Done?” 59 Conclusion 65 References 68 Chapter 3: Early Meiji Manga: The Political Cartoons of Kanagaki Robun and Kawanabe Kyôsai 70 Tokugawa Period Heritage of Early Manga 72 News and Topicality 72 Kanagaki Robun 73 Kawanabe Kyôsai 75 Conversations With the Foreign 76 Conclusion 81 References 82 Part II: Postwar Manga as History 85 Chapter 4: Bodies of Anger: Atomic Survivors in Nakazawa Keiji’s Black Series Manga 86 Provoking Revenge 90 Nakazawa’s Bodies of Anger 93 Conclusion: Nakazawa’s Productive Deployment of Anger and Action 98 References 103 Chapter 5: Redacting Japanese History: Ishinomori Shōtarō’s Graphic Narratives 105 Introduction: A Meeting of Giants 105 Rendering Historical Narratives 107 Ishinomori and Gakushū Manga 108 Manga Nihon no Rekishi: The Road to Graphic Perdition 110 Towards a Post-Tezuka ‘Manga manifesto’ 114 Conclusion 116 References 118 Chapter 6: Manga, History, and Telling Stories of the Past: Narrative Strategies in Shanaō Yoshitsune 120 History or Cultural Production Such as Manga? 124 Yoshitsune, a Certain Manga-ka and More on History and Cultural Production 126 Shanaō Yoshitsune: Production and Plot Synopsis 126 Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees 133 The “What-if” Hypothetical 134 Conclusion 135 References 138 Part III: Decoding and Recoding History: Manga Reception and Parody 140 Chapter 7: Decoding “Hate the Korean Wave” and “Introduction to China”: A Case Study of Japanese University Students 141 The Manga Narrative 143 The Survey 148 Conclusion 155 Appendix A (The Questionnaire) 156 Historical Awareness of Japanese Youth and Historical Manga 156 References 158 Chapter 8: History as Sexualized Parody: Love and Sex Between Nations in Axis Powers Hetalia 159 Introduction: Pop Nationalism, Youth, and J-Culture Media Mix 159 Pop Nationalism “From Above”: Cool Japan 160 Pop Nationalism “From Below”: J-Culture and Youth Panic 162 Youth Patriotism and Nationalism 166 New Sensitivities “From Below”: Moe 168 Axis Powers Hetalia: Sexy Nations and Nations Who Love 170 Sexualizing the “West” × “Japan” 172 Double Parody of the “West” 175 Conclusions: Japan and “Post”-Japan 177 References 180 Chapter 9: Reassessing Manga History, Resituating Manga in History 182 From Manga Moral Panic to Cool Japan 182 History of Manga, History in Manga 184 Rewriting History in Manga 187 References 189 Notes on Contributors 191 Index 194 Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction: Manga As Banal Memory / Nissim Otmazgin -- Pt. I Historicizing Political Manga -- 2. Kitazawa Rakuten As Popular Culture Provocateur: Modern Manga Images And Riotous Democracy In Early Twentieth-century Japan / Michael Lewis -- 3. Early Meiji Manga: The Political Cartoons Of Kanagaki Robun And Kawanabe Kyosai / Orna Shaughnessy -- Pt. Ii Postwar Manga As History -- 4. Bodies Of Anger: Atomic Survivors In Nakazawa Keiji's Black Series Manga / Michele M. Mason -- 5. Redacting Japanese History: Ishinomori Shotaro's Graphic Narratives / Roman Rosenbaum -- 6. Manga, History, And Telling Stories Of The Past: Narrative Strategies In Shanao Yoshitsune / Barbara Hartley -- Pt. Iii Decoding And Recoding History: Manga Reception And Parody -- 7. Decoding Hate The Korean Wave And Introduction To China: A Case Study Of Japanese University Students / Alexander Bukh -- 8. History As Sexualized Parody: Love And Sex Between Nations In Axis Powers Hetalia / Toshio Miyake -- 9. Reassessing Manga History, Resituating Manga In History / Rebecca Suter. Nissim Otmazgin, Rebecca Suter, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Introduction: Manga as “Banal Memory”....Pages 1-25 Front Matter....Pages 27-27 Kitazawa Rakuten as Popular Culture Provocateur: Modern Manga Images and Riotous Democracy in Early Twentieth-Century Japan....Pages 29-55 Early Meiji Manga: The Political Cartoons of Kanagaki Robun and Kawanabe Kyôsai....Pages 57-71 Front Matter....Pages 73-73 Bodies of Anger: Atomic Survivors in Nakazawa Keiji’s Black Series Manga....Pages 75-93 Redacting Japanese History: Ishinomori Shōtarō’s Graphic Narratives....Pages 95-109 Manga, History, and Telling Stories of the Past: Narrative Strategies in Shanaō Yoshitsune....Pages 111-130 Front Matter....Pages 131-131 Decoding “Hate the Korean Wave” and “Introduction to China”: A Case Study of Japanese University Students....Pages 133-150 History as Sexualized Parody: Love and Sex Between Nations in Axis Powers Hetalia ....Pages 151-173 Reassessing Manga History, Resituating Manga in History....Pages 175-183 Back Matter....Pages 185-191 This book analyzes the role of manga (Japanese comics) within contemporary Japanese public discourse, and explores its role in propagating new perceptions regarding Japanese history. Through the analysis of a variety of cases studies ranging from nineteenth century magazines to contemporary online comics and fandom, it focuses on the representations and interpretations of history in manga, and clarifies this medium's interrelation with historical memory and political debate. Stories for the Nation delineates alternative modes of historical memory and expression as they are manifested and contested in manga, and argues for manga's potential to influence the historical and political views of wide audiences in Japan