Message to Adolf

[MangaDex]

 

[Hounder]

One of the older stories around, and easily holds its own against anything out there. Great read and highly recommended. The author was highly prolific and has a very large selection of stories including greats as Pluto, Black Jack, and Astro Boy.

 

[YareYareDaze5000]

This was a really solid solid bit of historical fiction. I was worried that I was gonna be unable to look past the art, which felt dated upon first glance, but it held up in most cases. The environments are beautifully detailed, and the framing of each scene carries weight.

My complaints are pretty subjective. I was hoping for a bit more character development for the primary antagonist. There is a chapter change which marks a drastic shift in his mindset, that, while at first shocking and tragic, felt like it could have been been expounded upon. I also felt like the manga’s art style sometimes conflicted with the seriousness of the topics at hand, which lessened the effect of the tragedies being depicted.

8/10 overall but easily a classic in its niche.

 

[oneguywhowantbetternick]

Great story and that kind of manga that I could recommend to anybody

 

[KajurN]

Only flaw this has to me is that the artstyle lessened the impact of the tragedies. But really a powerful WWII fiction and yet another masterpiece from Ozamu Tezuka

 

[fennec]

I read this at my local library, and one of my favorite stories by Tezuka. It's an incredibly deep and complex story that explores the kinds of loss and tragedy that came from WWII on every front. Some of the scenes/characters/tropes haven't aged well—one of the main characters rapes a woman at the start of the story, and it's never really mentioned again—but overall it's a fantastic story that tries to explore the human psyche and show how people can be corrupted.

I feel like the art style genuinely adds to it. It can feel a bit cartoonish by modern standards, but honestly I think that cartoonish aspect is what makes it palatable. In a story like this with such heavy themes and subject matter, it can be easy to fall into a bleak, dreary tragedy that makes reading it feel more like a chore you have to "endure" than actually keep reading out of genuine anticipation for what happens next. I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if the art style had been more graphic and realistic when depicting violence. Tezuka doesn't go out of his way to make it comical or anything like that, but his art is just enough to take off the worst of the edge so you don't feel sick. It helps you focus more on the story than any shock value from disturbing images.

8/10, highly recommend.

 

[SeekingSolace]

this is some brilliant stuff. underrated read and its a shame it doesnt have much reads

 

[Derpthenerd]

in the context of all books, this definitely sits at around 8-8.5/10. but given how manga on this site is rated, this is easily a 9-9.5/10