Japan’s new hit: "Mein Kampf", Manga-style
A Japanese publishing firm has re-edited a translation of Adolf Hitler’s ideological pamphlet, first published in 1924. But this edition has a new twist: it’s a manga-style comic. It’s made quite a splash in Japanese bookshops.
"Mein Kampf" is the latest publication in a collection of historical comic books called "Manga de Dokuha" ("Learn with mangas") edited by the publishing firm East Press. The collection already includes manga versions of Karl Marx’s "Capital" and Tolstoy’s "War and Peace". These revamped classics usually sell around 35,000 copies nationwide.
The publishing rights for “Mein Kampf” have until now been held by the German region of Bavaria, which decided which firms were authorised to publish new editions of the text. But the copyright will expire in 2015 and the pamphlet will enter the public domain.
East Press explains that the manga is a "tool to study Hitler’s personality", to "understand the thoughts that generated such a tragedy".
“Unlike the Germans, the Japanese don’t have much hindsight on World War II”
Thomas Bertrand is a freelance writer who lives in Kyoto, Japan.
The West tends to criticise mangas every time they touch on a sensitive topic. But it’s important to realise that mangas are just a prop that supports all sorts of themes. There are mangas for children, for adults, for teenagers, for sick people, for paedophiles. The original Mein Kampf doesn’t carry a special "This book contains dangerous content" mention; why should the manga need one?
On the other hand, it is true that Japan hasn’t developed as much hindsight and critical analysis of World War II as Germany has. Nazism isn’t really studied here. Japanese schoolbooks don’t cover that period of history as much as European textbooks do.
I live near a little printing shop owned by a old man who works with his son. He uses an old printing press from the 1930s. It’s a German machine, decorated with III Reich symbols. The old man is a huge fan of that period, and he doesn’t hide it. His little motorcycle has an SS logo on it and he wears a German army helmet. He doesn’t see any problem with that and nobody seems offended by his shop."
The manga's cover
Comments
Hitler was a genious. Too
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 06/10/2009 - 17:43.Hitler was a genious. Too bad he was evil. (My opinion)
Looks Cool!
Submitted by John Connor (not verified) on Fri, 25/09/2009 - 18:46.Yeap this looks cool! We need to take down communism and capitalism, AGAIN... so.... HEIL HITLER!
DAMN YOU'RE SO EDGY BRO
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 06/10/2009 - 00:07.DAMN YOU'RE SO EDGY BRO
Manga looks great! So nice
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 25/09/2009 - 04:17.Manga looks great! So nice to see that the Japanese are not afraid to tackle history the way the neutered west is. Keep on leading the way in free thinking, Japan!
I am Japanese. My great
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 17/09/2009 - 08:10.I am Japanese. My great grandfather fought in that war. I live here in Tokyo, Japan and this Manga is great. I find it very interesting. And I have purchased a copy of Hitler's original "Mein Kampf" except it's an English print sense I only speak Japanese and English and do not know any German.
But it is seriously amazing if you ask me. More people should read it.
I liked it a great deal, and though I wouldn't ever call myself a Nazi, it has given me a new view of Adolf Hitler not as a bad man but as a man with a great vision.
I agree
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 25/09/2009 - 04:24.Good comment, I agree with you completely. I am not Japanese, but I respect Japanese very much for their determination to keep their people and culture intact. I wish western countries would learn from Japan, and take steps to clean up and strengthen our culture as well. Being proud of your race and wishing to preserve it is nothing to be ashamed of. The people who want to open all the world borders and destroy thousands of years of culture and ethnic heritage are the ones who should be ashamed. Long live Japan, and long live Europe!
a man with a great vision?!
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 23/09/2009 - 09:14.are you serious?
a vision of what? controlling the world and exterminate anyone who is not pure?
The fact that your country was an ally with Nazi Germany,doesn't mean you must not admit that Hitler was a sick bastard.
Hitler was a genius, despite
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 30/09/2009 - 22:40.Hitler was a genius, despite what he did. If you deny that, you need to brush up on your history.
Perhaps you should read the
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 02/10/2009 - 12:14.Perhaps you should read the book and you will find out that this "genius" is quite a psychotic, but rather average intelligent man. I have read the German original, and all I can say is that I wonder how anyone could still vote for him nearly 10 years after this manifest of crazyness came out. Hitler writes that he never ever changed his views, once he took something as true, he sticked to it his whole life. His antisemitism, hate for democracy and lust for war are dripping all trough this book.
There sure were clever people around him, like Joseph Goebbels, who was a master in tricking people's minds, but what made him Führer, was a mixture of violent street fighters, protest-voters, hunger and desperation, and last but not least, german racial arrogance and antisemitism, which was there since the first "national" literats appeared in late 18th century. He had rhetorical talent and knew how to appeal to the unsatisfied masses of the time, though.
The Nazi's superficial economic success was stolen from expelled jews or lent from the prospect of war loot. The third Reich was bankrupt in 1939.
The war could very likely have taken another turn, if this "genius" hadn't forced his generals to do stupid things, like letting the English in dünkirchen flee, attacking the soviets, hoping for stuid "Wonder weapons",...
Without this "genius", the world of today would be a different one. I wouldn't be born though, so I don't know if it would be better^^
Still, he was no genius who was near to craziness, he was just plain crazy.
Wow
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 25/09/2009 - 08:05.Guy above me, im guessing you havnt ACTUALLY READ IT.
Unlike the person youre responding to.
Youre a retarded ignorant, nough said.