S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 59

Unsung Inventions: Stirrups to Cavalries

As mentioned in my last post, ancient Greeks were more likely to think of a charioteer than a jockey at the word “horse racing.” This was partly because Greek sports were essentially peacetime military exercises, and armies used chariots long before mounted units. If you read Homer’s Iliad, there are numerous mentions of chariots, but nary one of a mounted warrior.

To Americans, a charge of the light brigade might seem a lot more practical than chariots rolling about on the battlefield. But again, our ancient Greek predecessors lacked a little thing called stirrups. If you think riding bareback on a galloping, weaving horse sounds hard, imagine doing that holding weapons with arrows flying through the air. War chariots, which were the tanks of their day, each had a driver and an archer. That way one could concentrate on steering while the other could focus on attacking. And if you fell off, stepping into a chariot’s a lot quicker (especially with a partner) than trying to scramble onto the back of a spooked, saddleless horse.

Of course, chariots weren’t without their drawbacks. Namely, they only worked in places where a wheeled vehicle could travel at speed. Given Greece’s terrain, it was only a matter of time before armies started incorporating mounted units.

These early Greek cavalries fought with javelins or a heavy curved slashing sword and used horses that were quick and handy. Their MO was to deliver a lightning strike: charge, attack, and retreat at once so the enemy could not engage them. Prolonged close combat they left to the ranks on foot. Because any extended engagement was liable to unseat their bareback riders.

But once stirrups came along, mounted warfare completely changed. They not only secured rider’s position on a horse’s back, they gave fighters something to brace against if they struck an enemy or sustained a blow. That way, riders could stay in the fray for the long haul, eventually leading to the development of mounted knights and Civil War era cavalries. If you don’t believe that, just imagine a jousting match between bareback riders (LOL).

Next up: buckles.

Unsung Inventions: Transistors and Stirrups

While I was watching American Experience’s Silicon Valley segment on PBS, one of the show’s observations really struck me. According to narrative, the success of the Apollo Space Program was only possible because of concurrent advances in computer technology. I’d never looked at it that way, but it’s true. In this age of smart phones, we take electronics for granted, but a 1950s computer took up an entire building and required its own maintenance crew. So constructing a computer small and light enough to fit into a space capsule was a real challenge. Only the advent of the transistor made it possible, and though most people at the time were unaware of that achievement in electronics, they certainly took note when the first man walked on the moon.

There are probably countless examples of such unsung technological advances that revolutionized different arenas, and the equine world has its share. For instance, if I say, “horse racing,” most people will think of jockeys riding Triple Crown races. (Congratulations to Palace Malice for winning the Belmont!) But ancient Greeks were more likely to think of something like this:

That might seem odd to Americans, who are more accustomed to horseback riding than carriage driving. But there are a few reasons for this difference, one of which is a little thing that would hardly catch anyone’s eye nowadays: stirrups.

The ancient Greeks didn’t have stirrups. Stirrups didn’t arrive to Europe until centuries later, probably from Asia. That meant riders went bareback or possibly with a saddle cloth. If you don’t think that’s a big deal, imagine trying to mount a horse by yourself without the benefit of something to stick your feet into. Mounting aside, stirrups give a rider something to brace against.

It’s certainly possible to go galloping bareback. The Boyz’ Mom asserts that going bareback allows for better communication between horse and rider. But Julie who’s a less experienced rider, says that she’d never take her feet out of the stirrups unless she’s on a steady lesson horse. If you’re dealing with a skittish or unfamiliar horse, stirrups can make the difference between staying astride or going airborne.

More on stirrups next time.

Manga Review: Bakuman Vol. 19

Bakuman is the latest collaboration of Ohba and Obata, the creators of the wildly popular Death Note series. Unlike Death Note, Bakuman is more or less grounded in reality, but it is no less entertaining as it follows the ups and downs of a mangaka duo as they strive to make it big in the publishing world!

This series is a personal favorite of mine, and Viz Media has just released Volume 19. (My reviews of earlier Bakuman volumes can be found here.)

The Review

Spoiler Alert!!!

Bakuman continues its renewed Eiji rivalry arc in Volume 19. First it’s the battle for survey results, then it’s a battle for graphic novel sales, and it finally culminates in a battle for a Jump anime slot. These “battles” though are relatively short. The start of the graphic novel sales battle to the conclusion of the anime battle takes only four chapters. The pages though are crammed with dialogue and panels, and it feels a bit like the creators were rushing through to get to the next, and likely final, arc of the series.

The driving force behind Ashirogi’s anime aspirations has been Moritaka’s dream of marrying Miho, so once Reversi’s anime slot is locked in, the story shifts back to Moritaka and Miho’s endangered species-like relationship (as Akito calls it). Of course our pair can’t get to happily ever after so easily, and a new obstacle arises in the form of Internet fandom backlash.

It starts out small enough with an indiscreet blog post stating that Ashirogi-sensei is actually a two-person team, but that quickly snowballs into a tabloid scandal that plunges the Jump office into uproar and threatens Miho’s career. Ishizawa, who’s definitely taken a turn for the disgusting, reappears to ignite the sparks of disaster, and interestingly, Fukuda inadvertently fans the flames. I never pinned the bad-boy motorcycle mangaka as the romantic type, but apparently he is and unfortunately gets carried away by his emotions. As the storm rages, Miho exudes calm as usual, but so does Moritaka, and it’s actually Akito who gets all riled up about the situation. (I know the chances are slim, but I’m hoping for a replay of Akito’s Ishizawa punch!) At any rate, Bakuman looks to be heading toward a strong finish with Miho and Moritaka caught between denying their relationship and achieving their dreams.

In Summary

Bakuman is at its penultimate volume, and as much as I’ve enjoyed the series, it really does feel like time for it to come to a close. Moritaka’s been in pursuit of his dream of marrying Miho for ten years, and at this point, Akito’s already married and most of their rivals have animated series. But the course of true love never runs smooth, and Ohba-sensei does a great job of throwing yet another obstacle into their path as the story shifts from the Eiji/Ashirogi rivalry to Moritaka and Miho’s hopes for marriage.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: La Corda d’Oro Vol. #17

It’s not unusual for a manga to have its origins in a video game, and La Corda d’Oro is one of them. Based off of a Koei romance game, it tells the story of ordinary high school girl Kahoko who finds herself competing against five gorgeous male music students because of a magical violin. Viz has released the final volume in the series, and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

While Len studies the violin in Europe, Kahoko swears to keep him in her heart… as her musical inspiration, that is. But could he be something more? Kahoko finds it harder and harder to deny her feelings, but the boys of Seisou Academy seem bent on making her forget about Len. At long last, it’s time for her to make a choice – for music and for love.

The RevieW

La Corda was based on a romance videogame, and although there is some fretting from Kahoko about whether to continue studying violin, the main focus of La Corda’s final volume is the confessions of love and final sentiments from the male cast. Aoi’s “Special Edition” chapter provides a concise summation of everyone’s feelings (including Shoko’s) when he goes around asking everyone what they find attractive about Kahoko. However, the major heartthrobs – Ryotaro, Kazuki, Azuma, and Len – get to have their own heart-to-heart chat with Kahoko.

Although everyone’s completely in character for these scenes, the chapters feel rushed. Kazuki’s moment is only a couple pages tacked on at the end of Ryotaro’s two chapters, and we never get to see the Christmas party that was the impetus for Kahoko working in the music store (I was looking forward to seeing their Secret Santa, too…). Still, Kahoko finally makes her choice at the end of the volume although the touching closing scene is not without some frustration. As Lili, who makes one last appearance, so elegantly expresses, “Just kiss her already!”

Kure-sensei’s illustrations are lovely as always, and as a bonus, she includes fan-designed “ultimate date outfits” for Kahoko, Ryotaro, Kazuki, and Len. She also includes a two-page afterword at the end of the volume.

In Summary

La Corda comes to its conclusion! The music aspect of the story has pretty much dwindled to Kahoko’s personal feelings about the violin, and the final chapters are mainly about which boy will win Kahoko’s heart. It definitely has the flavor of a romance videogame as one boy after another has his moment with Kahoko, so even if you disagree with Kahoko’s ultimate choice, you can just focus on the other scenes.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #08

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has recently released the eighth volume of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

Hearing rumors of a “leg bone of the wolf” being used as an artifact of the Church to showcase its power, Lawrence and Holo head to the site to gather more information. Holo can’t just turn away from what might be a relic of her own kind, after all. Of course, upon arrival, the travelers find that the town is the center of a giant trade dispute! Seems that Col will be getting a lesson in microeconomics!

The Review

After last volume’s side stories, Hasekura-sensei returns to the journey of Holo, Lawrence, and Col. He also brings back the character that sent Holo raging down the river route: Eve. The way in which Eve returns to the narrative, however, is somewhat surprising.

Given the depth of Eve’s betrayal in Lenos plus the injuries she dealt Lawrence (which he still bears at the beginning of Volume 8), I expected their capture of the vixen merchant to be the climax of this arc. Instead, the reunion of Eve, Holo, and Lawrence takes place in the prologue (although it is so vaguely worded that I didn’t realize those were the characters involved until I got into Chapter 1). And while Holo is sufficiently angry to want to tear Eve apart, Lawrence restrains the wisewolf from doing so and seems to bear no grudge against Eve. In fact, he displays only a merchant’s admiration for her skill. Holo has berated Lawrence before about his softheartedness, but his lack of resentment makes him seem soft in the head.

But there is a reason for even Holo to keep Eve intact, and that is because she is their key to getting to the bottom of the wolf bone rumors. Interestingly, Eve, who’d seemed like a minor merchant in Lenos, turns out to be a far more prominent and powerful force. In the process of searching for the wolf bones, Lawrence and Holo discover a great deal more about Eve, and she dominates the pages even in scenes where she’s not physically present.

As the investigation goes on, the story becomes more about political and religious intrigue than economics, although a territorial dispute over the marketplace is part of it. The plot is complex, involving fallout from the canceled northern campaign that figured in the early volumes; Col’s papers and the wolf bones mentioned in Volume 6; and a new element thrown in mid-volume. Following the plot is made more difficult by Hasekura-sensei’s tendency to write scenes where only the characters understand what’s happening and insert a lengthy explanation later.

Fortunately, Hasekura-sensei breaks up the complicated stuff with lighter moments, mostly involving Col. In addition to comic relief, Col serves as a refreshingly innocent counterpoint to our hard-driving merchant and scheming wisewolf. Also, because he’s essentially Lawrence’s informal apprentice, readers get clearer explanations when he’s present. Despite his ignorance of merchant matters, the boy brings his own knowledge to the table, and we finally get the secret behind the copper coin boxes of Volume 6.

As the subtitle “Town of Strife I” indicates, this is the first of a two book story. As Hasekura-sensei states in the Afterword, the story was meant to be a single volume, but it bloated out of his control. Given the complex situation he’s forcing his characters into, he will need those extra pages to come to a final resolution. And although many parts of Volume 8 left me scratching my head, it ends with a very clear and dramatic cliffhanger.

This light novel includes the title page, three two-page spreads, and the table of contents printed in color as well as five black-and-white illustrations.

In Summary

Hasekura-sensei returns to Holo, Lawrence, and Col as they pursue rumors of ancient wolf bones and re-encounter Eve, the cunning merchant who betrayed Lawrence in Lenos. This arc is less about trade and more about intrigue in a politically and religiously divided town so you won’t come away with an economics lesson. However, you may be entertained by Kerube’s power struggle if you have the patience for Hasekura-sensei’s roundabout storytelling style.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 12

Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi’s Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 12 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as  a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

Back cover blurb

Teru and her friends sneak aboard a yacht in order to save Rena and foil Morizono’s plan to sell the new “Jack Frost” virus. The rescue mission turns out to be more than anyone bargained for, however, when Kurosaki runs into a man who makes his blood turn cold…

The RevieW

This being a romance between an impoverished high school student and the school custodian, Motomi-sensei doesn’t have much occasion to draw our main couple in formal attire. So part of me thinks she cooked up this particular arc so she could show Teru and Kurosaki all dressed up. Actually, several characters get that opportunity although others wind up in server uniforms for “Love and Friendship: Operation Rescue Rena.” The story takes on an action spy flavor as Teru and company foil bad guy Morizono’s Neo Jack Frost plot. Motomi-sensei throws in several comic elements such as Teru’s shock-tenna, and as stupid as Morizono is, everything goes exactly according to their plan. That is, until our newest bad guy takes the stage.

The appearance of Antler took me completely by surprise and causes a large shift in the villain roster. Morizono pretty much drops from the lineup, which isn’t surprising considering he was just a rich dumb bully. Akira, on the other hand, is starting to look more like a pathetic victim rather than evil personified. That role gets passed over to Antler, a shadowy figure involved with the original Jack Frost virus.

And he takes on that mantle fairly strongly. Morizono might have had Neo Jack Frost, but Antler claims to have the key to M’s Last Testament. It’s enough to throw not only Kurosaki but Riko, Ando, and Boss into turmoil. And interestingly, Antler’s got a hold on Chiharu and Akira as well. As connected as he is with so many characters, he looks like he’s really going to shake up the story.

In Summary

Love and Friendship: Operation Rescue Rena! Teru and friends launch a multipronged attack to take down Morizono’s Neo Jack Frost. The plan goes off without a hitch – until a new villain rears its head. Motomi-sensei sets the stage for a new, more dangerous challenge with the appearance of Antler and the key to M’s Last Testament!

First published at the Fandom Post.

Moving and Bees on the Balcony

It’s been a while since my last post, but there’s a really good reason behind my absence: hubby and I have just moved across the state.

Earlier this year, hubby submitted for a company transfer. He got it – but not quite the timeline he expected. The interviewers dragged out the inquisition process for about a month while being very noncommittal. Then on March 4, they contacted him saying they wanted him to start April 1. Take it or leave it.

So it’s been a whirlwind uprooting from LA County and plunking down in the Silicon Valley. I don’t know about you, but I hate moving. Not just the packing/unpacking, but having to notify everyone and every agency of the new address (the US Post Office now charges one dollar to forward mail–what’s up with that?!) and rebuilding a resource network (going to have to look for a new doctor again). Fortunately, leaving Los Angeles went much smoother than I dreamed because of kind and generous friends willing to lend muscle, Wi-Fi, a place to crash, and moving boxes, Many thanks to the Rydins, Trapps, Kevin, Linda, Boyts, Kristi, and Ransoms!

Getting into our new place was a whole other story though.

I’d assumed that the housing market in the Silicon Valley was similar to Los Angeles when I began looking for a place to rent. Boy, was I wrong. The economy might be stagnating in other parts of California, but it’s revving along in the Silicon Valley, and the rents reflect it. So it was a bit of a mad scramble to find a place before hubby’s starting work date.

Well, we finally found a condo to rent a week before hubby had to move. But in our rush, we overlooked several problems that quickly reared their heads within the first weeks of our arrival. I won’t bore you with them all, but I’ll share the craziest of them.

Shortly before move-in, our landlord (who actually is very responsive and conscientious) mentioned that there had been a bee problem on the balcony. However, she told us that the HOA had already taken care of it. So we checked the balcony when we moved in, saw no bees, and thought no more of it.

Then a few days later, I found THIS on the balcony:

The pictures aren’t the greatest (I didn’t dare try for a closer close-up), but that darker brown on the light beige isn’t paint or moss. Those are BEES. And actually, this isn’t the best angle. Hundreds of them were crawling on the other side of the balcony wall.

I freaked out. Unfortunately, the HOA didn’t sense the same level of urgency I did and dragged its heels addressing the matter, which made it worse. In the midst of running around trying to get someone to evict the bees, I pieced together a few things about my new home:

Our unit had been uninhabited for several years. (Our landlord had bought it earlier this year in a short sale as a rental investment).
 The bees had been a known problem for several years.
 Despite numerous past complaints from neighbors, the HOA didn’t do anything about the bees.

So these bees had been living in the balcony wall for several years (knowing that there’s only a single layer of plywood between you and an established beehive will definitely keep you up at night). And whatever it was they used to drive off the bees prior to our move-in was just a temporary irritant, because they came back en force. Seriously, that swarm covered the entire balcony.

After a ridiculous number of phone calls from me and my landlord, an HOA-approved bee guy came three days later to remove the swarm and hive, both of which were huge. The amount of wax and honeycomb he took out of the wall filled a 5 gallon bucket (ick). As for the bees, he captured them using a shop vac (DO NOT try this at home). So they got vacuumed up and thrown into his SUV to be taken to a ranch in Morgan Hill.

Unfortunately, swarm was big enough that there were still dozens of strays that kept lingering around the balcony (which required another round of complaints to the HOA to evict). But now they’re finally gone. Meaning I can get back to focusing on more enjoyable things.

 Like writing.

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher Vol. #13

Mafuyu is a high school delinquent who wants to turn over a new leaf. So when she transfers schools, she thinks she’ll finally be able to live the life of a normal girl. There’s just one problem: her teacher  Mr. Saeki is a bigger delinquent than she is and is out to take advantage of her fighting skills!

Oresama Teacher is a shojo manga that offers humor of the silly variety. Volume 13 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (For those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

So far every Student Council member who has gone up against Mafuyu and the Public Morals Club has fallen to the team’s superior friendship skills. But Kanon Nonoguchi has a plan to turn their strengths against them! She’s spreading rumors that Midorigaoka girls are in danger and counting on Super Bun to run to the rescue… and right into her trap!

The RevieW

Having added a new member to the Public Morals Club, Tsubaki-sensei returns to the business of introducing Student Council officers bent on thwarting the efforts of Mafuyu and her friends. This time it’s Kanon Nonoguchi. Not only is she super skilled at martial arts, she’s fairly crafty. Her one weakness and major quirk, however, is that she detests men (something Miyabi uses to his advantage despite the fact that he is a guy himself). As such, Kanon has a tendency to exacerbate things, and what starts as a focused investigation on the Public Morals Club’s two mystery members turns into a dangerous conflict with the delinquents at Kiyama High.

All the Public Morals Club members are involved in this arc, but Akki in particular gets to show what he can (and can’t) do. Unlike Hayasaka and Yui, he’s actually perceptive enough to pick up on the actual identity of secret members Natsuo and Super Bun, and Tsubaki-sensei uses him to great comedic advantage when Mafuyu finds herself in a situation where both Super Bun and Natsuo have to be in the same place at the same time. From what he’s shown so far, Akki promises to be a great addition to the club.

Some of the plot is predictable; it’s fairly obvious Natsuo/Mafuyu will somehow win Kanon over, but as things escalate into a Public Morals Club versus Kiyama delinquents brawl, Tsubaki-sensei throws in a surprise: help for the Public Morals Club from not one but two unexpected individuals. Overall, this volume delivers a nice balance of character development, comedy, and action.

In Summary

The Public Morals Club faces its next Student Council challenger, Kanon Nonoguchi. Her target: Natsuo and Super Bun. Tsubaki-sensei lays on the comedy with this man-hating Student Council member trying to get to the bottom of the Public Morals Club’s secret members. It’s pretty obvious Mafuyu will work a change of heart in Kanon, but a couple unexpected allies will surprise fans in the face-off against the Kiyama delinquents.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 11

Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi’s Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 11 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as  a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

The RevieW

In terms of relationship, Teru and Kurosaki have pretty much settled into the role of the established couple. Certainly Kurosaki’s keeping his passion for his underage love interest in check, but the two are in each other’s space a lot now. One chapter in Volume 11 opens with Teru waking Kurosaki up from his bed. Another opens with a freshly showered and shirtless Kurosaki walking around his living room while Teru’s there. With most of the mystery and tension in their relationship resolved, Motomi-sensei switches to Kiyoshi, Rena, and Rena’s fiancé Morizono to provide the tension, romantic and otherwise.

Volume 11 provides us with our first actual glimpse of Morizono. He’s an arrogant and somewhat dim rich bully with bad news written all over him. He serves the dual purpose of introducing the threat of a new Jack Frost virus and providing Kiyoshi with a villain that he can rescue Rena from.

To be quite honest, Kiyoshi and Rena have completely transformed over the series’ eleven volumes. As Motomi-sensei points out in the author’s notes, the very first chapter of Dengeki Daisy shows Kiyoshi standing behind Teru as she defends him from Rena and the Student Council bullies. In this volume, he wields a bamboo sword to thwart bad guys and lends a sympathetic ear to Rena whenever she gets weepy. As for Rena, she’s gone from spoiled rich girl that everyone hates to spoiled rich girl that everyone loves. The “Everyone Loves You, Rena” snowball fight is somewhat sappy and contrived, but the plot shapes up once Rena gets trapped by Morizono. As a villain, Morizono’s not the sharpest opponent, but he’s got the resources and clout to cause Teru and company problems, and that’s good enough to drive the story forward.

By the way, for Kurosaki fans, one of the extras included in this volume is a guide to drawing Kurosaki’s face.

In Summary

Akira’s been the bad boy of late, but he fades into the background as Motomi-sensei gives readers a new guy to despise: Rena’s fiancé Morizono. Not only is he a bad match, he’s also trying to set loose a new Jack Frost virus on the world. That of course gets Teru and friends involved, especially when Rena gets abducted by Morizono. It’s a little odd having Rena as damsel in distress and Kiyoshi playing knight in shining armor, but I am intrigued to see how Morizono intends to pull off his “engagement party plot.”

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Message to Adolf, Part 2

Osamu Tezuka is one of the giants of manga. While he’s best known for Astro Boy, he has an extensive list of works most Westerners are unaware of. But Vertical has recently made one more of his books available in English: his espionage thriller Message to Adolf. Part 2 has just been released and you can read on for the review. (For a review of Part 1, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

In part two of Message to Adolf, with World War II escalating things have become quite heated for the Adolfs. Adolf Kaufman is now enrolled in a Hitler Youth Academy. While there he quickly is taught to distinguish between races and religions. He would eventually hand out stars of David to Jews in his community. His work, some of which would be physically difficult, would lead to a visit with the Führer. Unfortunately as young Kaufman would reach such heights, he like Kamil and Toge before him would find out that Hitler may have a very heavy secret he is hiding.

The RevieW

While “secondary character” Toge dominates Volume 1 of Message to Adolf, Volume 2 focuses predominantly on Adolf Kaufmann, the half-Japanese boy who gets shipped off to Adolf Hitler School. It follows his Nazi indoctrination, and you sympathize with his plight as he struggles to reconcile Hitler’s ideals with his mixed ethnic heritage and his friendship with Jew Adolf Kamil. To complicate matters, Kaufmann falls in love with Elisa, a Jewish girl, and on top of that, discovers by accident the secret of Hitler’s lineage.

All these factors add up to mold Kaufmann into an SD officer with a twisted personality. Having gained Hitler’s favor, he devotes himself wholeheartedly to the Nazis, but he must continually delude himself to justify the inconsistencies between the Nazi worldview and reality – not the least of which is the fact that the Fuehrer is part Jewish. But he can’t completely ignore his conscience. En route through the Arctic Ocean via submarine, he nearly loses his grip on sanity as the ghosts of the hundreds of Jews he’s murdered come to haunt him.

In a sense, Kaufman is a reflection of the entire Nazi party. Blinded by patriotism and fervor, Hitler’s deranged minions carry out his brutal and pointless orders unquestioningly while anyone trying to be a voice of reason gets killed off as a traitor. Even after Hitler’s paranoia nearly results in Kaufmann’s execution, Kaufmann remains loyal despite knowing that his Fuehrer isn’t right in the head. And the decline of Kaufmann’s fortunes in the SD coincide with the Nazis’ fall on the world stage.

As for the other Adolfs, Hitler serves mainly as a caricature of himself. A couple times Tezuka-sensei does show him agonizing about his impure heritage. Other than that, he’s just a standard crazed dictator. Meanwhile, back in Japan, Kamil continues the espionage arc and also provides Kaufmann someone to hate when he returns to Japan.

The impetus for Kaufmann’s return, of course, is the secret documents. But although intrigue remains an element of the plot, the main drama arises when the Nazi-brainwashed Kaufmann clashes with the people he once knew. In fact, the fall of Germany turns the Hitler documents into a non-issue, but the story continues past World War II to show how utterly Nazi doctrine estranges Kaufmann from former loved ones and ruins his life.

As in Volume 1, Tezuka-sensei doesn’t hesitate to depict the worst of humanity. Between the Nazi party and Japanese militarists, Volume 2 includes torture, rape, and genocide as well as the harrowing aftermath of war strikes. However, Tezuka-sensei’s intent clearly isn’t to glorify violence but to warn against it, and his illustrations of the casualties of war aren’t nearly as graphic as, say, Barefoot Gen.

In Summary

Although the manga opener states that this story is about three Adolfs, the half-Japanese Nazi officer Adolf Kaufmann gets the lion’s share of the narrative in Volume 2. While the Hitler documents do remain as a plot driver to torment Adolf Hitler, these chapters are less cat and mouse espionage and more a commentary on Nazi atrocities and the horrors of human violence in general. Tezuka-sensei keeps the content from getting dry with the grudge that arises between Kaufmann and his former Jewish friend Kamil, but the story does takes a preachy tone at its conclusion.

First published at the Fandom Post.