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Review of Message To Adolf

The document provides a review of the graphic novel "Message to Adolf" by Osamu Tezuka. It summarizes that the story explores the themes of race, culture and war through three interconnected storylines about individuals named Adolf. Specifically, it examines the stories of a half-Jewish, half-Japanese man who joins the Hitler Youth, a Jewish man living in Japan who sees himself as Japanese, and Adolf Hitler himself and his claimed Jewish heritage. The reviewer found this an eye-opening exploration of these issues through an unexpected Japanese lens.

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Jason A Keenan
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169 views3 pages

Review of Message To Adolf

The document provides a review of the graphic novel "Message to Adolf" by Osamu Tezuka. It summarizes that the story explores the themes of race, culture and war through three interconnected storylines about individuals named Adolf. Specifically, it examines the stories of a half-Jewish, half-Japanese man who joins the Hitler Youth, a Jewish man living in Japan who sees himself as Japanese, and Adolf Hitler himself and his claimed Jewish heritage. The reviewer found this an eye-opening exploration of these issues through an unexpected Japanese lens.

Uploaded by

Jason A Keenan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Review - Message to Adolf, Part 1 by Osamu Tezuka

The best literature serves to open your eyes to something new, to reveal
something you havent seen before. Books that meet this test are few and
far between and Message to Adolf is firmly one of them. (I am reviewing
both books as a whole here)

Its all the more surprising through Western eyes because we just dont
expect to come across idea shaking literature in graphic form manga,
comic, or graphic novel. We probably should.

So often the story of Hitler and the Jews has been played out in a European
context -- it was fascinating to see it played out against a Japanese
backdrop.

Message to Adolf brings together a number of story lines in a compelling
tale of race, cultures, and war in a way I had never considered before. Part
of the genus is the blurring of race lines with each of the three Adolfs of
the book:
1. half-Jewish half-Japanese Adolf Kaufmann who ends up rolling his
German blood int the Hitler youth
2. Ashkenazi Jew living in Japan Adolf Kamil who considers himself to be
Japanese.
3. German Dictator Adolf Hitler and the story of his Jewish heritage.

Whats clear from all three stories is that race can be twisted and warped
until it destroys us and those around us.

Also it is interesting to see a little bit about Jewish life in Japan during the
war - something I knew nothing of before these books.(less)


The best literature serves to open your eyes to something new, to reveal
something you havent seen before. Books that meet this test are few and
far between and Message to Adolf is firmly one of them. (I am reviewing
both books as a whole here)

Its all the more surprising through Western eyes because we just dont
expect to come across idea shaking literature in graphic form manga,
comic, or graphic novel. We probably should.

So often the story of Hitler and the Jews has been played out in a European
context -- it was fascinating to see it played out against a Japanese
backdrop.

Message to Adolf brings together a number of story lines in a compelling
tale of race, cultures, and war in a way I had never considered before. Part
of the genus is the blurring of race lines with each of the three Adolfs of
the book:
1. half-Jewish half-Japanese Adolf Kaufmann who ends up rolling his
German blood int the Hitler youth
2. Ashkenazi Jew living in Japan Adolf Kamil who considers himself to be
Japanese.
3. German Dictator Adolf Hitler and the story of his Jewish heritage.

Whats clear from all three stories is that race can be twisted and warped
until it destroys us and those around us.

Also it is interesting to see a little bit about Jewish life in Japan during the
war - something I knew nothing of before these books.

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