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Reviewed by Michael Aronson “The battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest campaigns of WWII. Under the command of Lt. Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese army held off the U.S. Navy and Naval Air Corps attack for over a month before finally succumbing to defeat. Comprised mostly of personal letters from Kuribayashi to his family, Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief offers readers a unique glimpse into arguably the most iconic battle of the Second World War. A sensitive man, Kuribayashi is able to articulate in these letters his love for his family and his unwavering loyalty to his country. And in doing so, he helps bring a new voice and perspective to history.” Tying into Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima, Viz takes a bold step into the world of nonfiction by presenting the actual letters and translations of Commander Kuribayashi’s experiences in America and Iwo Jima. The picture letters chronicle his journeys and social activities in the U.S. between 1928 and 1930 and his final text letters come from the frontline in wartime from 1944-1945. Despite the insightful and revealing content of Kuribayashi’s letters, the presentation of the English release leaves much to be desired. Though left largely up to reader interpretation, Kuribayashi’s exploits in America say as much about the country as the visitor himself. He gains an appreciation for the culture, the cities, the luxuries and even the oddities of social conventions, never criticizing American life but always keeping an open mind. He misses Japanese delicacies and questions his American guests why they eat the same food all the time, he takes long, cathartic trips in his newly purchased Chevrolet and often mourns Japan’s comparatively slower technological advancements. These observations make his final stand at Iwo Jima seem all the more tragic since he fully comprehends the might of his American enemies, acknowledging his looming death and the defeat of Japan. He never suggests any disloyalty to his country, but his honest outlook about the war is admirable and more than a little stunning that he was willing to put it in writing. Despite the gravity of Kuribayashi’s words, the English text editor and writer plays light on the background information. I couldn’t help but get a junior-high-textbook feeling from the style of writing, which likely tried to keep the text simple and accessible for readers of all ages. While this may be ideal for Viz’s typical reading audience, Letters from Iwo Jima is an R-rated movie. This discrepancy leads me to ask for whom this book is actually intended. Further blurring the intent is the spotty presentation. Though Japanese is read from right to left, this book is printed from left to right. The double-page spreads of Kuribayashi’s picture letters were intended to be read from right to left, however the subsequent translations that follow sometimes retain the order of the images in the letter and sometimes reverse them. Since the illusive target audience of this book may be unused to Japanese printing, an introduction in the front of the book could have explained the method behind the reproduction. Actually, a descriptive text of the circumstances surrounding Kuribayashi’s travels – like those found in the back of the book – could have also been strategically placed in the opening to preface the rhyme and reason of the letters’ content. The contextual information came too late in the book, and I found myself with questions about the timing and situations involved in the letters that were not answered until the end. Full dates, including the year, needed to be marked on the letters from 1928-1930 just for simple ease when comparing their content with the chronology of his journey. Viz had the opportunity to demonstrate diversity and sophistication with this venture into non-fiction, but it’s a shame the production doesn’t better support the strong content. Though the book’s release is far behind that of the movie, it still gives the impression of a hurried effort. Comment on this review of Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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