Reviews

Showa 1944-1953: A History of Japan by Zack Davisson, Shigeru Mizuki

tittypete's review against another edition

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3.0

This one has the end of ww2. The bomb. GHQ. Groups of Japanese soldiers stranded in the Philippines starving and getting malaria. Japans economy was pretty fricked after the war but then the US used it as a base for the Korean war. Lots of stuff about the narrator being hungry and figuring out a career path. No yakuzas yet.

ccbaxter's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad

3.0

tsharris's review against another edition

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5.0

At times Mizuki's story of survival in the South Pacific is reminiscent of parts of Spiegelman's "Maus," which perhaps says something about the role that luck plays in survival. I also enjoyed how the political and the personal merge as Shigeru tries to adjust to life in Occupation-era Japan. The history of Japan trying to rebuild is so much more visceral when told in this fashion.

littlesprite21's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

mbondlamberty's review against another edition

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4.0

Can't give 5 stars to an obviously grim tale, even the 4 stars of "really liked it" gives me pause, but I learned quite a bit and I've studied modern Japan in school.
Definitely does not pull any punches as to who is responsible for what during the war and after.

kalyfornian's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad

4.0

phillipjohnson's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative fast-paced

kalyfornian's review

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dark informative

4.0

klizzoli's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

danang's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75