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loosetoothfool's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
i really enjoyed the start of this book - lots of interesting conversations about war, history, living with knowing the horrors that your country has committed and living with the shame but still accepting the truth, about belonging and culture and being mixed, struggling with your identity and your family etc. lots of very interesting topics! and I loved seeing the young protagonist grappling with this, losing his obsession and idolisation of his American dad and grandpa because of the horrors of war, and connecting for the first time with his Japanese grandpa. the scenes between ichiro and his grandpa are incredibly touching and sweet, seeing their relationship develop warmed my heart.
but the second half lost me a bit, when ichiro enters the mythological world. the action was hard to follow, I was confused with what exactly was going on. i thought it spent too much time going over the mythological history of the god war that it didn't leave much time to wrap things up satisfyingly and to bring back those themes and ideas from the first part that I found so interesting. it was interesting though the conversations between ichiro and the god of war who he meets in the mythological world. the god of war talks about how war happens inevitably if we don't try to repair the cracks and splinters between ourselves. that people hold both good and evil, and that even the gods arent good, they have their own wars and conflicts. anyway, I thought the themes were very interesting and I loved the start, but it unfortunately didn't hold my attention at the end
but the second half lost me a bit, when ichiro enters the mythological world. the action was hard to follow, I was confused with what exactly was going on. i thought it spent too much time going over the mythological history of the god war that it didn't leave much time to wrap things up satisfyingly and to bring back those themes and ideas from the first part that I found so interesting. it was interesting though the conversations between ichiro and the god of war who he meets in the mythological world. the god of war talks about how war happens inevitably if we don't try to repair the cracks and splinters between ourselves. that people hold both good and evil, and that even the gods arent good, they have their own wars and conflicts. anyway, I thought the themes were very interesting and I loved the start, but it unfortunately didn't hold my attention at the end
dereksilva's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
An enjoyable story and characters but I was expecting a bit more wrap-up.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Blood, and Racism
dairyfreemozzarella's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really liked the social commentary in this graphic novel, and the realizations the main character has as he learns more about the war and violence he idolizes. I think this graphic novel should be on a must read list for middle school/highschool students nationwide, as it breaks down the many different sides of World War Two in a multidimensional and nuanced way that I haven’t seen anywhere except thick nonfiction novels.
Unfortunately I thought a little of the middle portion where he’s just running around Ama was a little bit too chaotic and kind of boring. That was what ultimately brought this books rating down to 4.75, but obviously, I still really liked it.
Unfortunately I thought a little of the middle portion where he’s just running around Ama was a little bit too chaotic and kind of boring. That was what ultimately brought this books rating down to 4.75, but obviously, I still really liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent
angiediane's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the Japanese gods and monsters. Many of the illustrations were superb. Some were a little confusing. The plot became a little nonsensical at times, and dragged in a few places. I wished there was more explanation/exploration of the tanuki. But I liked the characters and the book overall.
noodles01's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ashleyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0