Usagi Yojimbo: Senso

I saw this at the Mānoa Public Library on my way home from work the other day and although I had already read it, I was surprised that I had not already blogged about it. In fact I almost remember what I wrote, so unless my search engine on this blog is really wacky, I think what I wrote was just in my mind. 

I went to Hiroshima at the beginning of this month for an education conference. The last time I was in Hiroshima was as a young girl going to elementary school in Wakayama and spending school holidays in Hiroshima with family. That was over 40 years ago. What I don't remember about Hiroshima that I felt now is the quiet and peacefulness of the city. I had also forgotten how many hills and mountains are bordering Hiroshima city. These hills and mountains helped to protect some of the residents of Hiroshima during the atomic bomb. 

The rest of the city, though haunting and quiet also reveals a tenacity and gambare spirit (never give up) not only of the people, but also of the city itself. There was a very large, very loud crow outside our hotel and it would seem to follow us as we walked every morning. But what stood out was that the crow had so many trees to land on in order to follow us. The city, ground zero, is just full of trees. Knowing what little I know about half life, radiation and nature's recovery, there shouldn't be so many trees. These are not young trees, these are healthy, towering old trees. I used to love to walk past the Peace Memorial Park even if it was a little out of our way because the walkway was bordered by the most fragrant cyprus trees and I just had to touch them a little and the smell stayed with me like a tattoo. 

But this book. Senso means war and this Usagi book is once again about his battle with the Geishu clan, however Sakai puts the metallic aliens from H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds smack dab in the middle of this Japanese fuedalistic war scene. Suddenly the destruction of these technological marvels from a future light years away disrupts the whole Usagi world as we know it. This mash up of worlds is so jarring, but so fun to watch unfold because ultimately, like War of the Worlds, the characters must just have that gambare spirit because once these aliens start revealing themselves (Sakai's aliens look like gigantic tako, octopi) they are vulnerable and killable. 

This book makes me think about that never give up attitude of the Japanese that I saw in Hiroshima and that attitude was reflected in their city.