I’m interested in what type of
response Hell and Good-Bye incited when they came out. In
the interview at the end, Tatsumi states that he didn’t receive much feedback
when the stories were first released. I find that interesting because the two
comics are extremely powerful, and do not represent Japan, or the human race
for that matter, in a positive light. The politics behind both comics is
undeniable, and I would think that they would incite emotional responses from
the public. It’s difficult to speculate what this response would be — perhaps
anger, remorse, or shame, but I would imagine there would be some type of reaction.
Perhaps the reason there was not
a strong response was because these comics are so human. Unnerving, but human.
They portray the loneliness and helplessness of the human race, the devastation
of the war, and the uncertainty of the future. All of the faces are
indistinguishable, making the comic all the more relatable. Everyone was going
through a difficult time, and these comics illustrate the mess in a powerfully simple,
applicable way. Even if someone wasn’t involved with the war, I’m sure they
could relate with the hopelessness and the loss of meaning that Tatsumi
conveys. The last page of Good-Bye (p
204) illuminates this feeling. The character states, “This is hell. It will
never end.” Two panels later, Mariko walks off with another man. In this
circular narrative, Tatsumi hints that the pain will never end. It’s a
pessimistic view, but it’s powerful and candid.
I think the lack of a major response could have been due to the uneasiness of the stories like you mentioned, but also because these were things that were, and still are uncomfortable to talk about. If these stories had come out more recently, I wonder how different the response would have been and how much more open people would be to talking about these controversial themes.
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