Hoezo in KINO

Anime has a long history of dealing with Japan’s war legacy. Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is almost required viewing on this subject, as is Mori Masaki’s Barefoot Gen (1983). While both deal with the aftermath of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Giovanni’s Island (2014) addresses the occupation of Japan by Soviet forces after the end of the war. Two young brothers, Junpei and Kanta, grow up on the island of Shikotan, in the far northeast of Japan. When the island is invaded by the Soviet Red Army at the end of the war, the boys have to deal with outsiders for the first time, as well as coping with losing the war. When Junpei befriends the Russian commander’s daughter Tanya, a new allegiance comes into being. While rooted in real-world conflict, Giovanni’s Island also often alludes to Kenji Miyazawa’s classic fantasy novel Night on the Galactic Railroad (1934), as fantasy and reality mix in the boys’ minds. A spirited plea for crosscultural appreciation in times of war, Giovanni’s Island is as relevant now as it was ten years ago.