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courtofsmutandstuff's review
3.75
This was harder for me to read at first because I'm not a manga reader, and I had to adapt to the reading order. Once I adjusted though, it was better, but I still wanted more details and descriptions in some places. I really did love how much I learned about Okinawa, especially post-war life and the Ryukyu religion. Each chapter is a separate vignette and the coverage is really broad and it's an interesting collection. If you don't have manga experience, this might be a bit uphill for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death
chan_bean's review
5.0
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!
aryelee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I never thought I'd see a book about Okinawa be listed as an Outstanding International Book of 2024, but here we are. It's full of authentic Okinawan voices from each character, an uncensored look at WW2 in Okinawa, and the political realities of being treated unfairly by the Japanese mainland and the U.S. military.
Everything in this is true and real. As someone who is Okinawan and has family in Okinawa who has been there forever and survived the war, this is the realest book I've ever read. Higa Susumu, I owe you my life.
Everything in this is true and real. As someone who is Okinawan and has family in Okinawa who has been there forever and survived the war, this is the realest book I've ever read. Higa Susumu, I owe you my life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and War