Barefoot Gen

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Barefoot Gen
はだしのゲン
(Hadashi no Gen)
Genre Drama, Anti-war
Manga
Author Keiji NAKAZAWA
Publisher Flag of Japan Shueisha
Flag of Japan Chuokoron-Shinsha (tankōbon)
Magazine Flag of Japan Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run June 4, 1973 – 1974
Volumes 10 (first edition)[1]
Animated film
Director Mori Masaki
Studio Madhouse
Licensor Flag of the United States Orion Home Video (original)
Flag of the United States Geneon (new)
Released July 21, 1983
Runtime 83 min.
TV drama
Director Nishiura Masaki, Murakami Masanori
Network Flag of Japan Fuji TV
Original run August 10, 2007 – August 11, 2007
Time slot Friday, Saturday 21:00
Episodes 2 Episode Special

Barefoot Gen (はだしのゲン Hadashi no Gen?) is a Japanese manga series by Keiji Nakazawa, which was published by Chuokoron-Shinsha between 1973 and 1974. It was subsequently adapted into three live action film adaptations directed by Tengo Yamada, which were released between 1976 and 1980, two anime films by Madhouse, which were released on 1983 and 1986 respectively. In 2007, a live action television drama series adaptation aired in Japan on Fuji TV over two nights, August 10 and 11.

The series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan, where the six-year-old boy Gen lives with his family. After Hiroshima is destroyed by atomic bombing, Gen and other survivors are left to deal with the aftermath. The story is loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor.

Contents

[edit] History

Hadashi no Gen was originally serialized beginning in 1973 in the mass-market manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump (Shūkan Shōnen Jampu), which had earlier published Nakazawa's autobiographical Hiroshima story "Ore wa Mita" ("I Saw It"). It was cancelled after a year and a half, and moved to three other less widely distributed magazines: Shimin (Citizen), Bunka Hyōron (Cultural Criticism), and Kyōiku Hyōron (Educational Criticism). It was published in book collections in Japan beginning in 1975. A volunteer organization, Project Gen, formed in 1976 to produce English translations, which were released in four volumes.

The first volume was published in Norwegian in 1986 by GEVION norsk forlag A/S. The Norwegian title is "Gen, Gutten fra Hiroshima" (Gen, the Boy from Hiroshima).

The first volume was published in Finnish in 1985 by Jalava, becoming the first Japanese comic to be published in Finland, but publishing was likewise abandoned. The Finnish title is "Hiroshiman poika" (The Son of Hiroshima), and Finnish translation was done by Kaija-Leena Ogihara. In 2006 Jalava republished the first volume (with its original translation) and has continued with publication of later volumes.

A new English translation has been released with an introduction by Art Spiegelman, who has compared the work to his own work, Maus (which is about the experiences of Spiegelman's father during the Holocaust in Europe). Last Gasp will eventually release ten volumes.

[edit] Themes

Major themes throughout the work are power, hegemony, resistance and loyalty. Gen's family suffers as all families do in war. They must conduct themselves as proper members of society, as all Japanese are instructed in paying tribute to the Emperor. But because of a belief that their involvement in the war is due to the greed of the rich ruling class, Gen's father rejects the military propaganda and the family comes to be treated as traitors. Gen's family struggles with their bond of loyalty to each other and to a government that is willing to send teenagers on suicide missions in battle. This push and pull relationship is seen many times as Gen is ridiculed in school, mimicking his father's views on Japan's role in the war, and then is subsequently punished by his father for spouting things he learned through rote brainwashing in school. Many of these themes are put into a much harsher perspective when portrayed alongside themes of the struggle between war and peace.

[edit] Film

[edit] Plot

The story begins with the everyday life of Gen and his younger brother Shinji during the second World War. It shows the struggle to find food and points out that Hiroshima has not been bombed unlike the other cities. When the bomb drops there is a long sequence of the immediate horrors of the bomb and the death of all of Gen's family apart from him and his mother. The film then focuses on the struggle to find food for Gen's mother who has given birth and milk for the baby. They eventually rebuild a version of their house and adopt a boy similar to Gen's brother. The baby dies later from malnutrition. The film ends with plants growing in spite of predictions that there would be no food for seventy years.

[edit] Production

Despite the serious subject matter of this film, the animation style is very childish in comparison to other anime. Often action, dialogue and the images are almost expressionistic to add to the impact of the film. The falling of the bomb is shown first from the American point of view which is very orderly and impassive. Then, when the bomb explodes, the view is from the Japanese showing powerful images of people being vapourised, buildings exploding and multi-color explosions.

[edit] Sequels

  • In 1976 Tengo Yamada directed a live-action version.
  • Two animated films were based on the manga, Barefoot Gen (film) (1983) and Barefoot Gen 2 (1986), both directed by Mori Masaki for a production company that Nakazawa founded.

Barefoot Gen 2 is set three years after the bomb fell. It focuses on the continuing survival of Gen and orphans in Hiroshima.

[edit] Editions

Barefoot Gen Series

  • Barefoot Gen #1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima (ISBN 0-86719-602-5)
  • Barefoot Gen #2: The Day After (ISBN 0-86719-619-X)
  • Barefoot Gen #3: Life After The Bomb (ISBN 0-86719-594-0)
  • Barefoot Gen #4: Out Of The Ashes (ISBN 0-86719-595-9)
  • Barefoot Gen #5: The Never-Ending War (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195967)
  • Barefoot Gen #6: Writing the Truth (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195975)
  • Barefoot Gen #7: (Not published in English)
  • Barefoot Gen #8: (Not published in English)
  • Barefoot Gen #9: (Not published in English)
  • Barefoot Gen #10: (Not published in English)

(Volume Five-Ten) now available in Japanese, Korean, Russian

[edit] References

  1. ^ Barefoot Gen (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. Accessed 2006-12-05.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Weekly Shōnen Jump: 1968 - 1979