Take a photo of a barcode or cover
philibrarian 's review for:
NonNonBa
by Shigeru Mizuki
This book took me for quite a spin. I enjoyed how the story truly brought to life the realities of living in the countryside of Japan during the early 1900s. The titular, NonNonBa was a wonderful presence throughout the book. I loved hearing her talk about yokai and the spiritual side of the world. There is just so much wonder out there when we let our imaginations run wild and I really appreciate how Shigeru Mizuki presents them. The story also took me by surprise by being extremely heartfelt, especially in the latter half where Chigusa passes away, his friend Miwa is sold off into slavery, and he no longer looks to be a part of the childhood war games that were once played with his younger friends. This book really did have it all and left me in tears, something I was not expecting when I first picked it up. The artwork is also top notch like always with Mizuki's works, blending realism with comedic stylizations of people.
Another part of the book I really enjoyed was the repeated appearance of the azuki-hakari as a representation of Shigeru's psyche. Overall this is another well put together and welcome read in my quest to read as much of Mizuki's works as possible. Compared to Tono Monogatari this one took the episodic structure and weaved in a greater overaching plot and themes. Since this is a memoir I believe it allowed for him to really reflect on his life and the experiences he had, while the other was illustrations of the actual Tono Monogatari collection.
Another part of the book I really enjoyed was the repeated appearance of the azuki-hakari as a representation of Shigeru's psyche. Overall this is another well put together and welcome read in my quest to read as much of Mizuki's works as possible. Compared to Tono Monogatari this one took the episodic structure and weaved in a greater overaching plot and themes. Since this is a memoir I believe it allowed for him to really reflect on his life and the experiences he had, while the other was illustrations of the actual Tono Monogatari collection.