Publisher: Vertical
Item Code: JUN121332
SRP: $26.95
PREVIEWS Page #344
In Shops: 8/15/2012

If you have ever wondered why Osamu Tezuka is often credited as “the father of manga,” “the god of comics,” and even the “Godfather of Anime,” read Message to Adolf.

Woven within the setting of World War II, the story follows three young men sharing the same name – Adolf. The first is a half-German, half-Japanese boy named Adolf Kauffmann and the second is his best friend, Adolf Kamil – a German Jew; their lives and fate become intertwined surrounding the biggest secret of the third Adolf – the infamous Adolf Hitler.

This is Tezuka’s critique: a study of WWII from the Japanese perspective. While, it may sound dry and educational, it isn’t. The flow of the narrative is well paced and reads like a movie with twists and turns that build suspense as the monumental secret gets passed around waiting to be revealed.

Message to Adolf is a breathtaking, tragic, and deeply moving. It is a significant piece of cultural work that has earned every award it has won. While it is not light reading, it is a must-read.

~ Daria Medved