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The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924
Originally published in mixed Japanese and English in San Francisco in 1931, "The Four Immigrants Manga" is Henry Kiyama's visual chronicle of his immigrant experience in the United States. Drawn in a classic gag-strip comic-book style, this heartfelt tale -- rediscovered, translated, and introduced by manga expert Frederick L. Schodt -- is a fascinating, entertaining depiction of early Asian American struggles.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
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305 people want to read
About the author
Henry (Yoshitaka) Kiyama
1 book2 followersHenry Kiyama (born Yoshitaka Kiyama (木山義喬)) was a Japanese immigrant to San Francisco in 1904. He studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. While in San Francisco, he exhibited both his traditional art as well as pages from a semi-autobiographical comic book which he self-published in 1931. He returned to Japan permanently in 1937.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 21, 2026
This is a hidden gem: a graphic representation of Japanese immigration in San Francisco from 1904-1924 by someone who was part of the experience. Honest and funny; offering us a glimpse into a world that has vanished long ago - with little commentary from Japanese who lived through the period.
August 9, 2020
In writing The Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 artist and cartoonist Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama was writing for his fellow first generation Japanese American immigrants. This is made clear by the very helpful intro and end notes by translator Frederick L. Schodt. Because the term graphic novel is highly popular Mr Schodt attempts to make the case that the collected volume can be thought of as an early or foundational graphic novel. It is an early Manga. These were written as comic strips, intended for daily publication and no more a novel than the adventures of Little Orphan Annie, if published in one book make them into a graphic novel.
And that is the end of my critical remarks. Overall, The Four Immigrants is an odd mix of comedic and serious. The main characters can be clownish, but they are classic strangers in a strange land, America.
That the intended audience was Japanese immigrants is proven by the fact that the originals were written in a mix of Japanese and American. A combination unlikely to be understood except by his fellow immigrants. Mr. Schodt does a yeoman job in not only translating the strips, but using different type faces for the English and Japanese portions of the spoken text. From other reviews we are advised that some puns and other word games may not translate well, but it was never a problem to understand what was being said.
There is something of a Laurel and Hardy comedy that underlies the daily life of these newly arriving Japanese immigrants. We watch them stumble and attempt to accommodate largely oblivious Americans. The newcomers progress from student- workers seeking better jobs, marriages and even land owning. This is not to say that every section is comedic, but they tend to have something of a “what a fine mess you got me into this time” view of life.
Americans, our home, habits and quirks are looked at from the point of view of people who want to be Americans, but cannot help but misunderstand what is not always logical about who we are. It is a POV many Americans never have to consider. It was not the intention of the artist/writer to have us read these panels, but they remain illuminating aspects of the immigrant experience.
Kiyama was an artist with skills beyond the fine drawing in The Four Immigrants. The strips were part of his efforts to use his art and experience to earn his way. Ultimately, he returned to Japan and had success as a graphic artist. Shodt shares with us some of that work.
Our characters survive the San Francisco Earthquake, bank failures, dishonest employers and increasing hostile laws designed to make America “safe” from arriving Japanese. This last fact is American racism and became part of why Japan would, a generation later, expand their World War II, by attacking Pearl Harbor.
The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 is an unintended and for that reason more honest opportunity to see ourselves as others saw us. Alternately light and never more than passingly grim it is highly recommended.
And that is the end of my critical remarks. Overall, The Four Immigrants is an odd mix of comedic and serious. The main characters can be clownish, but they are classic strangers in a strange land, America.
That the intended audience was Japanese immigrants is proven by the fact that the originals were written in a mix of Japanese and American. A combination unlikely to be understood except by his fellow immigrants. Mr. Schodt does a yeoman job in not only translating the strips, but using different type faces for the English and Japanese portions of the spoken text. From other reviews we are advised that some puns and other word games may not translate well, but it was never a problem to understand what was being said.
There is something of a Laurel and Hardy comedy that underlies the daily life of these newly arriving Japanese immigrants. We watch them stumble and attempt to accommodate largely oblivious Americans. The newcomers progress from student- workers seeking better jobs, marriages and even land owning. This is not to say that every section is comedic, but they tend to have something of a “what a fine mess you got me into this time” view of life.
Americans, our home, habits and quirks are looked at from the point of view of people who want to be Americans, but cannot help but misunderstand what is not always logical about who we are. It is a POV many Americans never have to consider. It was not the intention of the artist/writer to have us read these panels, but they remain illuminating aspects of the immigrant experience.
Kiyama was an artist with skills beyond the fine drawing in The Four Immigrants. The strips were part of his efforts to use his art and experience to earn his way. Ultimately, he returned to Japan and had success as a graphic artist. Shodt shares with us some of that work.
Our characters survive the San Francisco Earthquake, bank failures, dishonest employers and increasing hostile laws designed to make America “safe” from arriving Japanese. This last fact is American racism and became part of why Japan would, a generation later, expand their World War II, by attacking Pearl Harbor.
The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 is an unintended and for that reason more honest opportunity to see ourselves as others saw us. Alternately light and never more than passingly grim it is highly recommended.
May 3, 2017
This is a must read. I don't care who you are or what you like to read, you need to read this book.
June 14, 2018
An early example of semi-autobiographical long-form comic telling the story of Japanese immigrants trying to make a living in San Francisco between 1904 and 1924. It gives a first-hand account of events such as the 1906 earthquake, a visit by president Taft, the failure of the Golden Gate Bank, the Panama Pacific International Exposition, WWI, the Spanish Flu, the start of Prohibition, the Alien Land Act, etc. It is worth reading by anyone interested in early San Francisco or the Japanese-American immigrant experience.
Written in 52 2-page spreads, it was intended to be serialized over a years worth of weekly newspapers, but that never happened. While it was exhibited in 1927 and then independently published, it was largely forgotten until rediscovered, translated and published in 1988. Part of that neglect may be due to the fact that it was written with a combination of Japanese and broken English, and would be understood only by bilingual people.
Each 12-cel story ends with a gag. The humor in these is primarily in the form of Japanese puns, which don't work in English. But more serious themes are addressed as well.
This is probably not the first "Graphic Novel". Nor the first "Gekiga". Nor even the first comic to be made into a musical play (which happened for this book in 2017 in San Jose.) And being unknown, it probably had no influence on later works. But it certainly pre-dates Blackmark and It Rhymes with Lust and A Contract with God and so will be of interest to historians of comics. For the general comic-reading public, I recommend it only if you also have an interest in San Francisco history.
Written in 52 2-page spreads, it was intended to be serialized over a years worth of weekly newspapers, but that never happened. While it was exhibited in 1927 and then independently published, it was largely forgotten until rediscovered, translated and published in 1988. Part of that neglect may be due to the fact that it was written with a combination of Japanese and broken English, and would be understood only by bilingual people.
Each 12-cel story ends with a gag. The humor in these is primarily in the form of Japanese puns, which don't work in English. But more serious themes are addressed as well.
This is probably not the first "Graphic Novel". Nor the first "Gekiga". Nor even the first comic to be made into a musical play (which happened for this book in 2017 in San Jose.) And being unknown, it probably had no influence on later works. But it certainly pre-dates Blackmark and It Rhymes with Lust and A Contract with God and so will be of interest to historians of comics. For the general comic-reading public, I recommend it only if you also have an interest in San Francisco history.
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October 12, 2014Found this in a thrift store and it seemed really interesting. It's a story of the writer and 3 of his friends, and the experiences they had from 1904-1924. They were all immigrants from Japan who moved to the USA. It was published in 1931. It's a fun way to get some background knowledge of the history of japanese immigration to SF around that time, and it's funny at times. Way better than reading a textbook. A very interesting historical document.
December 23, 2025
Pensé q iba a aprender algo o q al menos sería interesante pero en vez de los 4 inmigrantes podrían llamarse los 4 vagos misóginos racistas 😭😭 sé la época en la que está escrito y ambientadooo q siiii pero esq ni me hizo gracia… no se… me aporto 0 y es eso, pa ser sobre algo tan específico (la migración de unos japoneses en EEUU) siento que se queda… muy soso ns
September 12, 2018
3.5 Stars
As a work of fiction, this is just okay. The stories are occasionally humorous, but ultimately most are ridiculous, slap-stick, or some combination of the two.
Where this book's value really lies is in its portrait of the Japanese immigrant experience at the turn of the century in San Francisco. Over the span of a few decades, Kiyama's characters have some connection to nearly every major event that affects California's Japanese community. As a historical record, it is impressive in its attention to detail and just how particular it is to its specific community. As a work of art, it is quite innovative; it draws from both American and Japanese influences and was originally written as a bilingual text.
The characters did win me over by the end, and I found myself shaking my head at their persistent naivete but always rooting for them to succeed. This text is a valuable first-hand account of the early Japanese immigrant experience while also managing to be an entertaining read.
As a work of fiction, this is just okay. The stories are occasionally humorous, but ultimately most are ridiculous, slap-stick, or some combination of the two.
Where this book's value really lies is in its portrait of the Japanese immigrant experience at the turn of the century in San Francisco. Over the span of a few decades, Kiyama's characters have some connection to nearly every major event that affects California's Japanese community. As a historical record, it is impressive in its attention to detail and just how particular it is to its specific community. As a work of art, it is quite innovative; it draws from both American and Japanese influences and was originally written as a bilingual text.
The characters did win me over by the end, and I found myself shaking my head at their persistent naivete but always rooting for them to succeed. This text is a valuable first-hand account of the early Japanese immigrant experience while also managing to be an entertaining read.
April 25, 2019
An interesting look at Japanese immigrant history in San Francisco from 1906-1926 as published in 1931. This English translation edition has educational endnotes on the history of the time as well as explanations of some of the original Japanese jokes. An introduction provides a general overview of the immigrant experience and about the original artist/author and an afterword covers his life afterward. There are a few bits that would not politically correct/polite now, but these are put in context in the end notes. They original is a fascinating view of the time, and the translation and framing is interesting and educational.
November 7, 2013
YA, Graphic Novel, Japanese Experience in San Francisco from 1904-1924.
November 2, 2014
Read this book if you are interested in early 20th century Japanese-American relations, or if you are interested in the history of diary comics. Fascinating and lovingly translated.
October 31, 2021
Un adelantado a su tiempo. Muy interesante y divertida la obra de Kiyama
January 20, 2025
3,5
Muy interesante aprender sobre la inmigración japonesa en EEUU a inicios del siglo XX y la discriminación vivida por los propios inmigrantes. No le doy más nota porque más allá de que sea curioso e interesante tampoco me ha matado mucho.
Muy interesante aprender sobre la inmigración japonesa en EEUU a inicios del siglo XX y la discriminación vivida por los propios inmigrantes. No le doy más nota porque más allá de que sea curioso e interesante tampoco me ha matado mucho.
March 5, 2017
I learned about this book from this article describing the book's adaptation as a musical. The stories do a pretty good job of conveying the dreams and prejudices experienced by Kiyama and his fellow Japanese immigrants; the various exclusion acts and bans really resonate today. I was intrigued how Kiyama depicted the Japanese immigrants as Westerners rather than with slanted eyes (unlike the Chinese in the comics), possibly to reflect their desire to distance themselves away from Asia and "modernize". I especially liked that the translator, Schodt, chose to translate the Japanese into fluent English, but kept the odd-sounding English for the European Americans - thereby forcing modern readers to read the comics as a Japanese immigrant would hear language (i.e., English sounds broken, while Japanese is fluent). Overall, Kiyama's tales for other first-generation Japanese immigrants are an invaluable resource for understanding the immigrant experience.
March 28, 2021
Originally published in San Francisco in 1931 as a bi-lingual comic for Japanese-Americans, the 1931 edition of this book was discovered around 1980 by Kenneth L. Schodt in the card catalog of the East Asian branch of the University of California's library. It turned out to be a rare documentation of Japanese American immigrant history in San Francisco, as well as one of the first book-length graphic novels published in the US. Schodt translated the Japanese text for an English langauge audience, and published this English edition in 1999. Schodt also researched the author's life and work, and provides a 11 page biography of the author, 16 pages of notes and comments on the text of the graphic novel, as well as a 2 page bibliography for those wanting to do further research.
The book chronicles the experiences of four Japanese young men who arrive in San Francisco on a ship in 1904. One of them is an art student, the author Heny Kiyama. He begins drawing cartoons of their experiences that will eventually become this book. It is told as a series of 2 page, 12 panel episodes, each with it's own title, that relates the adventures of the four young men from their arrival until the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924. Also known as the Japanese Exclusion Act, it set quotas for immigration from other countries and prohibited any immigration from Japan. This increased tensions between Japan and the USA and made life for Japanese Americans much more difficult. At that point two of the four men decide to return to Japan, ending the story. Readers should be warned that, like many books published in the first half of the 20th Century, the depiction of ethnic groups in this book is offensive by modern standards.
Still this is an important historical document as well as a compelling story. Events covered include the Great San Francisco Earthquake, World War I, the Influenza pandemic of 1918. All of these are told from the point of view of young Japanese men seeking their fortune in a new land. They take what jobs they can, working as house boys and farm hands at first, then seeking ways to succeed.
The book chronicles the experiences of four Japanese young men who arrive in San Francisco on a ship in 1904. One of them is an art student, the author Heny Kiyama. He begins drawing cartoons of their experiences that will eventually become this book. It is told as a series of 2 page, 12 panel episodes, each with it's own title, that relates the adventures of the four young men from their arrival until the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924. Also known as the Japanese Exclusion Act, it set quotas for immigration from other countries and prohibited any immigration from Japan. This increased tensions between Japan and the USA and made life for Japanese Americans much more difficult. At that point two of the four men decide to return to Japan, ending the story. Readers should be warned that, like many books published in the first half of the 20th Century, the depiction of ethnic groups in this book is offensive by modern standards.
Still this is an important historical document as well as a compelling story. Events covered include the Great San Francisco Earthquake, World War I, the Influenza pandemic of 1918. All of these are told from the point of view of young Japanese men seeking their fortune in a new land. They take what jobs they can, working as house boys and farm hands at first, then seeking ways to succeed.
July 23, 2017
What a lovely find in the HKU library today! I found this to be a really interesting glimpse into Japanese American immigrants’ lives in the Bay Area in the early 1900s by a Japanese artist and immigrant, Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama… right around the time that my own relatives would have arrived in California.
What I really loved were the responses to events that I’ve only read about in academic books and oral histories – to see such personal cartoons commenting on things like the Gentleman’s Agreement and anti-Asian violence was so intimate. And being a product of its time, the author doesn’t shy away from what today would be considered heavily racialized depictions of just about everyone: whites, blacks, Chinese, and even, with the main characters always referring to their great Yamato race, the Japanese themselves. It doesn’t shy away from reflecting class-based views that the author and his friends might have held toward their fellow Japanese, either. It’s fascinating.
I also loved the interesting insights into language that it offered, as it was originally written in both Japanese and English. In this translated version, the Japanese words have been translated into fluent English while the author’s original broken English text remains for those who would be speaking English. It reflects the experience of feeling fluent in your own language and not-fluent in a foreign land, which I like. And I love how the author’s chosen to write certain words, like “Go home,” always in English. Perhaps most beautifully, after living through such hard times, two of the characters return to Japan, and their other two friends come to see them off. They call to each other as the ship leaves, in English, “Good bye” –
Intimacy is perhaps really the right word for this book, and it’s absolutely amazing that we have the privilege today of reading it and knowing the lives of Henry and his friends.
What I really loved were the responses to events that I’ve only read about in academic books and oral histories – to see such personal cartoons commenting on things like the Gentleman’s Agreement and anti-Asian violence was so intimate. And being a product of its time, the author doesn’t shy away from what today would be considered heavily racialized depictions of just about everyone: whites, blacks, Chinese, and even, with the main characters always referring to their great Yamato race, the Japanese themselves. It doesn’t shy away from reflecting class-based views that the author and his friends might have held toward their fellow Japanese, either. It’s fascinating.
I also loved the interesting insights into language that it offered, as it was originally written in both Japanese and English. In this translated version, the Japanese words have been translated into fluent English while the author’s original broken English text remains for those who would be speaking English. It reflects the experience of feeling fluent in your own language and not-fluent in a foreign land, which I like. And I love how the author’s chosen to write certain words, like “Go home,” always in English. Perhaps most beautifully, after living through such hard times, two of the characters return to Japan, and their other two friends come to see them off. They call to each other as the ship leaves, in English, “Good bye” –
Intimacy is perhaps really the right word for this book, and it’s absolutely amazing that we have the privilege today of reading it and knowing the lives of Henry and his friends.
October 17, 2007
The first stories in this collection failed to thrill me at first. It was rather mundane business about Japanese students trying to get work-study jobs as domestic servants. Sad and revealing--how they were treated, the segregation and the prejudice of the "keto whiteys" (BTW, what does anyone know what keto means?) F*@#ing? And the gag comic strip style is not terribly appealing to me; however, further along in the series, the stories and dialouges become more interesting. You learn about their experiences during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1904. You get to experience the students observing the arrival of new Japanese immigrants who came through Hawaii (which was then banned in 1907?!). All of this and more, the telling details of their lives. So, I'm starting to enjoy the book, and I appreciate the historical significance of this work. It is an authentic piece of American History, a primary resource, an intriguing, humorous, and touching account about four young men making their way in a new world.
May 19, 2015
What a fun read. It had a homemade and deeply personal feel, yet seemed almost completely universal in its stories. The character designs worked well and I thought the street-level vision of old San Francisco was really compelling. The intimacy of the storytelling and the format also reached across time and culture barriers. Kiyama's short tales of hard times, hard luck and hard work communicated both the frustration of the experiences but mixed it with the humor, fanciful play and lightness of a strip comic. It's the kind of thing that almost makes me get all schmaltzy and say shit like, "It makes me proud to be an American."
I like certain classic comics, Popeye, Krazy Kat, Little Nemo. I'm not sure what makes me like some more than others, but this one was definitely in the "like a lot" group.
I like certain classic comics, Popeye, Krazy Kat, Little Nemo. I'm not sure what makes me like some more than others, but this one was definitely in the "like a lot" group.
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January 24, 2011This year, 2011, marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of The Four Immigrants Manga, the story of Henry (born Yoshikata) Kimaya and his four young-ish fellow Japanese who come to America around 1904. Henry's dream is to pursue art, and this book -- truly ground-breaking for its time -- is a 52-chapter autobiography in which he experiences the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, and the start of prohibition, and a whole lot in between. The notion of an autobiographical comic, even one intended to be collected as a standalone volume, is nothing particularly special 100 years or so after Kiyama unceremoniously first stepped foot in America (he's confined for some time, as a new immigrant, and tries to convince himself that he's being looked after because Americans are so darn caring), but it was truly groundbreaking for its day. It's also pretty darn funny.
September 14, 2011
This is a charming autobiographical story of four young Japanese men who came to San Francisco in 1904, drawn in the 1920s. It's not the typical Japanese manga style, which hadn't evolved yet. Rather, the artist, Henry Kiyama seems to have closely studied "Bringing Up Father", and the art style closely follows that of the early George McManus.
The story was originally bilingual. This edition has translated the Japanese word balloons into printed English and left the original English hand-lettered speech balloons when the characters are speaking English. It's a fascinating look at American culture about a hundred years ago, with some pretty unflattering looks at racism and bigotry, along with earnestness and hope.
It also covers the time of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and its aftermath in a uniquely firsthand way.
The story was originally bilingual. This edition has translated the Japanese word balloons into printed English and left the original English hand-lettered speech balloons when the characters are speaking English. It's a fascinating look at American culture about a hundred years ago, with some pretty unflattering looks at racism and bigotry, along with earnestness and hope.
It also covers the time of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and its aftermath in a uniquely firsthand way.
June 19, 2007
This book is a collection of manga (comics) from early 20th century San Francisco, originally written in Japanese (with some English, too) by Kiyama, an immigrant from Japan. It follows four Japanese immigrants and their experiences (many humorous), often relating to historical events of the time, such as the 1906 earthquake, the World's Fair, World War I, etc.
The great thing about this book, is that it's history, but it's entertaining. It's like history written by people you actually could know and like, who were actually there at the time, who are good entertainers. It was a light read, but I feel like I learned a lot. Anyone interested in Japan or immigrants or history should definitely give it a try!
The great thing about this book, is that it's history, but it's entertaining. It's like history written by people you actually could know and like, who were actually there at the time, who are good entertainers. It was a light read, but I feel like I learned a lot. Anyone interested in Japan or immigrants or history should definitely give it a try!
November 29, 2016
Definitely not a book I would recommend to everyone. While an impressive work, and unique among comics generally and Japanese comics in particular, the writing and drawing can be better appreciated by people who enjoy early 20th Century comic strips like Bringing Up Father, Krazy Kat & Ignatz Mouse, Pollie and Her Pals, etc. If you do read it, I'd recommend reading the whole book as it will give you a much better context for this comic.
October 3, 2011
Done for my class, I thought this book a great edition to my reading list. It comes the years that four immigrants spend in America after coming over from Japan. They face any hardship that new immigrants could face and went on through it. Definitely a read for anyone who likes manga or is interested in Japanese-American history.
January 21, 2013
Comic strips originally published in a newspaper, now collected into a book, and translated from Japanese, this is a wonderful story about Japanese immigrants about whom we rarely hear: students sent abroad to train in Western technology following the Meiji period. These four are students in San Francisco and traverse various sad and funny episodes. Highly recommended.
November 25, 2012
I read this book while I was looking for representative diversity in graphic novels. There was great humor and persistence with the Japanese-American immigrants. Also interesting information about California during this time period.
April 19, 2015
Done as 52 12-panel strips. The first 10 to 12 are gags that were pretty repetitive and didn't work for me. Later stories continued from strip to strip and got a little more interesting. Wasn't a fan of the art.
January 12, 2010
a strip i new nothing of, s.f., the earthquake, ww1 all from the viewpoints of japanese immigrants to san francisco. this should be in every san francisco and central valley school library
September 16, 2012
Not my cup of tea.
November 12, 2023
Allegedly one of the first autobio comics, this one was published in 1931 and basically lost until rediscovered in a University of California library in 1980. The original was written in a mix of Japanese and English so for most of its existence had a very limited audience (basically Japanese immigrants living in the Bay Area in the early 20th century or scholars digging through archives). But in 1999 it was translated and republished, so now anyone who reads English can enjoy it.
There are so many great things about this (and a few cringy things if you're not forgiving of the norms of other times). Among many things, this is a primary source of the early history of San Francisco, a document of the immigrant experience, a history of Japan/US relationships, and an indictment of racism received and given (a few of the panels aren't what we'd today call "woke"). It feels both belonging to a long-lost time as well as very modern. Shitty starter jobs, dating woes, nights on the town, funny tales of friends paling around in a foreign city, parental meddling—that sounds pretty damn modernly twenty-first century autobio to me!
The endnotes and contextualizing essays are fascinating and well done. The book hits on multiple points of personal interest. It's like this odd little artifact was specifically created in 1931 for me to read 90 years later. What a strange and wonderful thing.
There are so many great things about this (and a few cringy things if you're not forgiving of the norms of other times). Among many things, this is a primary source of the early history of San Francisco, a document of the immigrant experience, a history of Japan/US relationships, and an indictment of racism received and given (a few of the panels aren't what we'd today call "woke"). It feels both belonging to a long-lost time as well as very modern. Shitty starter jobs, dating woes, nights on the town, funny tales of friends paling around in a foreign city, parental meddling—that sounds pretty damn modernly twenty-first century autobio to me!
The endnotes and contextualizing essays are fascinating and well done. The book hits on multiple points of personal interest. It's like this odd little artifact was specifically created in 1931 for me to read 90 years later. What a strange and wonderful thing.
August 2, 2024
Not always the most entertaining read, but a pretty incredible historical document. The semi-autobiographical stories cover the view of the average life of a Japanese immigrant at the time. The bits about the Great San Francisco Quake, the World's Fair, and a visit from the president stand out with the takes on these moments. In a fun part during the president's visit, the main pair of Frank and Charlie find they can't see the presidential parade due to the crowds, and end up looking between someone's legs and in the crook of someone's arm just to get a view. It's history but it's also something you can still relate to.
Kiyama clearly takes a lot of inspiration from Western newspaper comics at the time. If you've read any of those, you know the lackadasical pacing and long walls of dialogue you're gonna get. Kiyama's art is simple but does well at making recurring characters clearly stand out. As expected of the time, there's also a few elements that have aged poorly. Most notably is his drawing of a black woman, and thankfully there's only the one because it's hideously racist. Kiyama is also rather misogynist and the book lacks many female characters.
The book also comes with an introduction and extensive footnotes that help to contextualize the work more. The extra value of these make this a must for those who love historical works. It's a fascinating portrait of a time and the warts of the work add to the picture.
Kiyama clearly takes a lot of inspiration from Western newspaper comics at the time. If you've read any of those, you know the lackadasical pacing and long walls of dialogue you're gonna get. Kiyama's art is simple but does well at making recurring characters clearly stand out. As expected of the time, there's also a few elements that have aged poorly. Most notably is his drawing of a black woman, and thankfully there's only the one because it's hideously racist. Kiyama is also rather misogynist and the book lacks many female characters.
The book also comes with an introduction and extensive footnotes that help to contextualize the work more. The extra value of these make this a must for those who love historical works. It's a fascinating portrait of a time and the warts of the work add to the picture.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews