Title: Barefoot Gen, Volume Two: The Day After
Author: Keiji Nakazawa
First published January 1, 1973
240 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780867196191 (ISBN10: 086719619X)
Rating: 4.36
Overview
The harrowing tale of Barefoot Gen continues in Volume Two: The Day After. Keiji Nakazawa, who was just a child when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, shares with readers his personal account of the aftermath.
Experience the unimaginable chaos and destruction that ensued in the wake of the bombing, as ordinary citizens struggle to come to terms with the unimaginable horrors they have witnessed. This autobiographical story will leave you breathless as Nakazawa recounts the events that shaped his life and the lives of countless others.
Discover how humanity can endure even in the darkest of times in this powerful and moving continuation of Barefoot Gen’s story.
About the Author
Keiji Nakazawa, a native of Hiroshima, experienced the horrors of the atomic bomb in 1945 when it destroyed his city. Sadly, all of his family members, except for his mother and an infant sister who passed away a few weeks later, died as a result of the explosion.
Eventually, Nakazawa moved to Tokyo to pursue his passion for cartooning, creating short pieces for various manga anthologies. However, after his mother’s death in 1966, Nakazawa began to express his memories of the Hiroshima bombing through his stories.
In 1972, he wrote “Ore wa Mita,” a story that directly portrayed his own experience, which was later translated into English and published as a comic book titled “I Saw It.”
After completing “I Saw It,” Nakazawa embarked on his magnum opus, “Hadashi no Gen” (Barefoot Gen), a ten-volume series based on his experience during the bombing. The series, which was more graphic than Nakazawa’s own experience, used a fictional character named Gen in place of the author.
Barefoot Gen also shed light on the militarization of Japanese society during World War II and the sometimes abusive dynamics of traditional families. The series was later adapted into two animated films and a live-action TV drama.
Unfortunately, Nakazawa retired in 2009 due to his deteriorating diabetes and cataract conditions, ultimately passing away on December 19, 2012, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010.
Editoral Review
Barefoot Gen is a dark and moving graphic novel by Keiji Nakazawa that provides a vivid and haunting portrayal of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Volume Two: The Day After picks up where the first volume left off, with young Gen and his family struggling to survive in the devastated city in the wake of the nuclear blast.
This volume continues to explore the themes of loss, trauma, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable horror. Nakazawa, who himself survived the bombing as a child, draws on his personal experience to infuse the book with a sense of authenticity and raw emotion that is palpable on every page.
His use of stark black and white illustrations and spare, direct language works to amplify the impact of the story, conveying a sense of darkness and foreboding that never lets up. Despite the grim subject matter, there is a sense of hope present in the story as well.
As Gen and his family struggle to find food and shelter and come to terms with the unimaginable loss of loved ones and friends, they also begin to forge connections with others in their situation and to take steps toward rebuilding their lives. These small moments of connection and humanity shine through the devastation and provide the reader with much-needed glimmers of hope and promise.
One of the strengths of Barefoot Gen is the way in which Nakazawa is able to weave together the personal narrative of his family’s experiences with the larger historical context of the bombing and its aftermath. By giving voice to the suffering of those impacted by the bombing, he brings to life a corner of history that is often overlooked or misunderstood.
His portrayal of the sense of guilt and shame felt by many of the survivors in the wake of the bombing is especially poignant and timely, given the ongoing debates around nuclear weapons and disarmament. Overall, Barefoot Gen is a powerful and important work that deserves to be read and remembered.
It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unthinkable tragedy and a reminder of the costs of war and the need for compassion and understanding. While it is certainly not an easy read, it is a necessary one, and one that will leave an indelible mark on the reader long after the final page is turned.
