Barefoot Gen

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For other uses, see Barefoot Gen (disambiguation).
Barefoot
Original Japanese first volume of Barefoot Gen.
はだしのゲン
(Hadashi no Gen)
GenreDrama, Anti-war
Manga
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Published byShueisha, Chuokoron-Shinsha
English publisherCanada United States Educomics, New Society Publishers, Last Gasp
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runJune 4, 1973 – 1974
Volumes10
Novel
Hadashi no Gen wa Pikadon wo wasurenai
(Barefoot Gen will never forget about the Bomb)
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Published byIwanami Shoten
PublishedJuly 1982
Novel
Hadashi no Gen heno Tegami
(A letter to Barefoot Gen)
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Published byKyouikuShiryo Publishing
PublishedJuly 1991
Novel
Jiden Hadashi no Gen
(Autobiography of Barefoot Gen)
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Published byKyouikuShiryo Publishing
PublishedJuly 1994
Novel
Hadashi no Gen in Hiroshima
(Barefoot Gen in Hiroshima)
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Kyo Kijima
Published byKodansha
PublishedJuly 1999
Novel
Hadashi no Gen ga ita Fukei
(Seen where Barefoot Gen was)
Written byKazuma Yoshimura
Yoshiaki Fukuma
Published byAzusa Syuppansya
PublishedJuly 2006
Television drama
Barefoot Gen
Directed byNishiura Masaki
Murakami Masanori
Original networkFuji TV
Original run August 10, 2007 – August 11, 2007
Episodes2
Novel
Hadashi no Gen wa Hiroshima wo Wasurenai
(Barefoot Gen will never forget about Hiroshima)
Written byKeiji Nakazawa
Published byIwanami Shoten
PublishedAugust 2008
Live-action films
Anime films

Barefoot Gen (はだしのゲン, Hadashi no Gen) is a Japanese manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. Loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor, the series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan, where the six-year-old boy Gen lives with his family. After Hiroshima is destroyed by atomic bombing, Gen and other survivors are left to deal with the aftermath.

Barefoot Gen ran in several magazines, including Weekly Shōnen Jump, from 1973 to 1985. It was subsequently adapted into three live action film adaptations directed by Tengo Yamada, which were released between 1976 and 1980. Madhouse released two anime films, one in 1983 and one in 1986. In 2007, a live action television drama series adaptation aired in Japan on Fuji TV over two nights, August 10 and 11.

Plot

Themes

Major themes throughout the work are power, hegemony, resistance and loyalty.

Gen's family suffers as all families do in war. They must conduct themselves as proper members of society, as all Japanese are instructed in paying tribute to the Emperor. But because of a belief that their involvement in the war is due to the greed of the rich ruling class, Gen's father rejects the military propaganda and the family comes to be treated as traitors. Gen's family struggles with their bond of loyalty to each other and to a government that is willing to send teenagers on suicide missions in battle. This push and pull relationship is seen many times as Gen is ridiculed in school, mimicking his father's views on Japan's role in the war, and then is subsequently punished by his father for spouting things he learned through rote brainwashing in school.

Many of these themes are put into a much harsher perspective when portrayed alongside themes of the struggle between war and peace.

Kawaguchi Takayuki believes that the characters Katsuko and Natsue coopt but change the stereotypical "Hiroshima Maiden" story, as typified in Black Rain, as although courageous, Katsuko and Natsue are severely scarred both physically and mentally.[1]

Publication history

Hadashi no Gen the autobiography was originally serialized beginning in 1973 in the mass-market manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump (Shūkan Shōnen Jampu), which had earlier published Nakazawa's autobiographical Hiroshima story "Ore wa Mita" ("I Saw It"). It was cancelled after a year and a half, and moved to three other less widely distributed magazines: Shimin (Citizen), Bunka Hyōron (Cultural Criticism), and Kyōiku Hyōron (Educational Criticism). It was published in book collections in Japan beginning in 1975. A volunteer organization, Project Gen, formed in 1976 to produce English translations, which were released in four volumes. This made Barefoot Gen one of the first manga released in English, as well as other European languages. [citation needed]

The group Rondo Gen published an Esperanto translation as Nudpieda Gen (Barefoot Gen) in 1982. The chief translator was Izumi Yukio.

The German Rowohlt Verlag published only the first volume in 1982 under their mass-market label rororo. Carlsen Comics tried it again in 2004 but cancelled the publication after four volumes. Both publishers took the name "Barfuß durch Hiroshima" (Barefoot through Hiroshima).

The first volume was published in Norwegian in 1986 by GEVION norsk forlag A/S. The Norwegian title is "Gen, Gutten fra Hiroshima" (Gen, the Boy from Hiroshima). A similar edition in Swedish ("Gen – Pojken från Hiroshima'" was published in 1985 by Alvglans förlag, which may have been the earliest published manga in Swedish.[2]

The first volume was published in Finnish in 1985 by Jalava, becoming the first Japanese comic to be published in Finland, but publishing was likewise abandoned. The Finnish title is "Hiroshiman poika" (The Son of Hiroshima), and Finnish translation was done by Kaija-Leena Ogihara. In 2006 Jalava republished the first volume (with its original translation) and continued with publication of second volume.

A new English translation has been released with an introduction by Art Spiegelman, who has compared the work to his own work, Maus (which is about the experiences of Spiegelman's father during the Holocaust in Europe). Last Gasp released the final two volumes on February 10, 2010.[3]

Editions

Barefoot Gen Series

  • Barefoot Gen #1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima (ISBN 0867196025)
  • Barefoot Gen #2: The Day After (ISBN 086719619X)
  • Barefoot Gen #3: Life After The Bomb (ISBN 0867195940)
  • Barefoot Gen #4: Out Of The Ashes (ISBN 0867195959)
  • Barefoot Gen #5: The Never-Ending War (17 April 2008, ISBN 0-86719-596-7)
  • Barefoot Gen #6: Writing the Truth (17 April 2008, ISBN 0-86719-597-5)
  • Barefoot Gen #7: Bones into Dust (5 Mar 2009, ISBN 0-86719-598-3)
  • Barefoot Gen #8: Merchants of Death (9 April 2009, ISBN 0-86719-599-1)
  • Barefoot Gen #9: Breaking Through Borders (10 Feb 2010, ISBN 0-86719-600-9)
  • Barefoot Gen #10: Never Give Up (10 Feb 2010, ISBN 0-86719-601-7)

Nakazawa plans to present a set of series #1 - #10 to US President Barack Obama with wishing to prompt against nuclear proliferation.[4]

Media

Films

Live-action

In 1976, 1977 and 1980, Tengo Yamada directed three live-action version films.

Animated films

Two animated films were based on the manga, in 1983 and 1986, both directed by Mori Masaki for a production company that Nakazawa founded.

Barefoot Gen 2 is set three years after the bomb fell. It focuses on the continuing survival of Gen and orphans in Hiroshima.

Often action, dialogue and the images are almost expressionistic to add to the impact of the film. The falling of the bomb is shown first from the American point of view which is very orderly and impassive. Then, when the bomb explodes, the view is from the Japanese showing powerful images of people being vaporized, buildings exploding and multi-color explosions.

Initially released individually on dub-only VHS tape by Streamline Pictures, and then dub-only DVD by Image Entertainment, Genenon eventually sold bilingual versions of the film on DVD as a set.

TV drama

A two episode TV drama was produced by Fuji Television in 2007 and was aired over two days.

Books

10 books have been published about Barefoot Gen.

Operas and musicals

Some operas and musicals of Barefoot Gen have been on show.

Feature film

  • A Hollywood producer is interested a studio version of the manga.[5]

Reception

The Gen anime made TIME magazine's list of top 5 anime DVDs.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Takayuki, Kawaguchi (2010). "Barefoot Gen and 'A-bomb literature' re-recollecting the nuclear experience". In Berndt, Jaqueline (ed.). Comics Worlds and the World of Comics: Towards Scholarship on a Global Scale (PDF). Kyoto, Japan: International Manga Research Center, Kyoto Seika University. pp. 233–243. ISBN 978-4-905187-01-1. Retrieved 29 October 2010. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ http://www.daisuki.se/default.asp?del=ovrigt&sida=artiklar&id=42
  3. ^ http://www.lastgasp.com/1/10/Keiji+Nakazawa/0/
  4. ^ Yomiuri Shimbun 26 July 2009 Ver.13S p.38 and Close-up Gendai on 6 Aug. 2009
  5. ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-08-18/berserk-baki-barefoot-gen-pitched-to-hollywood
  6. ^ "5 Top Anime Movies on DVD". Time. 31 July 2005.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barefoot_Gen&oldid=492150666"