Aug 27, 2024
This is genuinely the most underrated series of all time. I randomly stumbled on it when trying to find something to read, and it was EASILY one of the best things I found all year
This manga is (mostly*) based on the true story of kamikaze pilot Yuuji Sasaki, who managed to survive a suicide mission a record-breaking nine times. The story is really well researched and based on the historical archives of the time as well as the interview of Yuuji Sasaki himself, all of which have mostly been available only in Japanese.
Going into this, I had some doubts, especially considering
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how some japanese authors like to portray their country during that period in , lets say, too much of a good light. I was gravely mistaken - Immortal Kamikaze is one of the most grounded stories about war, told from a perspective of regular soldiers.
I believe, that the pacing is quite literally perfect, you get to know the characters well, you understand what is going on in the world during that period, and to keep yourself engaged at the same time. But it is a story about kamikaze pilots after all, so from early on you start to understand, that all of the people you see can die at any moment, which creates tension.
But to consider the story only from the point of view of its structure in this case doesnt seem quite right to me, because it is the contents on the inside that are really special here. On a surface it may seem like your average war drama, which tells about soldiers and completely incompetent leadership over them as a global narrative, and the story of a boy who really wanted to fly, but who was sent to the kamikaze squad at the level of character conflict. However, thanks to the structure, this story is revealed from a completely different angle, that feels genuinely human and grounded, which in return truly helps you to FEEL the war as it happened from the side of Japan.
The art also doesnt disappoint at all! All the panels look fantastic, some of them are also very artistic. I also have to mention that all the planes and ships have been made to look very close to the real thing with a very close attention to detail, including the cockpits, which is just fascinating. And yes, the scenes of flight are made really well too.
Overall PLEASE READ IT ITS VERY GOOD AND PEOPLE DONT TALK ABOUT IT
This is literally my first review (and English is not my first language). I thought I had to make this review, just in case it can bring a little bit of attention to this wonderful story. This is how good it is. Go read it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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