Shonen Jump+ has just unveiled a brand new manga that promises to be absolutely beautiful and, more likely, heartbreaking. The Second World War is a regular setting in Japanese media, with everything from Studio Ghibli to the most iconic piece of Japanese pop-culture, Godzilla, depicting and being inspired by the atrocities of WWII. But, a new manga series, which just dropped its first chapter, moves away from the front lines, focusing on those left behind, and the impact the war has had on the people who want to live normal lives.
Waiting for the Sunlight is written and drawn by Haruka Nanase (no relation to the character of the same name from Free!), and is the artist’s first published manga. The story follows fourth grader Yoko Matsubara right before Japan officially entered the Second World War in 1941. While the country gears up for war, Matsubara’s only dream is to become a ceramic artist.
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Waiting for the Sunlight Promises to Be Heartbreaking
Why do we read and watch things that we know will make us cry? Who knows, but Waiting for Sunlight will almost definitely cause a few tears from readers down the line. The first chapter is officially available to read online on the Manga Plus website and app, and it sets up some potential tear-jerking moments.
Chapter 1 introduces us to Yoko Matsubara, a young girl with a talent for art, which has been suppressed by the needs of the country during the early days of the Second World War. The official description reads: “Summer of 1940 in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture. Yoko Matsubara is a young girl with a talent for pottery. She dreams of becoming a ceramic artist, unaware of the horrors yet to come…” In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of World War II, Shonen Jump+ presents an untold account of life during the war.” The manga has been released “in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of World War II, and it “presents an untold account of life during the war.”
New chapters of Waiting for the Sunlight will be published every Wednesday. To commemorate the manga’s release, Haruka Nanase took to social media to celebrate. “I have a manga set in Shigaraki during the war published on Jump+! Wow… It’s going to continue for a while…,” the post began. “We are managing to get by with the cooperation of many people (and we apologize for the inconvenience), so we would appreciate it if you could stay with us until the end!”
World War II Has Inspired Some of the Most Harrowing Anime
Japan’s obsession with World War II across multiple forms of storytelling should need no explanation to anyone with a basic knowledge of history. While a quarter of the planet was left decimated after the Second World War, the atomic detonations of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945 have left lasting scars on Japan, which are constantly being explored and dissected through various mediums of storytelling.
The Second World War, and war in general, plays a major theme in the works of Japan’s most beloved anime studio, Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki is fascinated by the time period, and often explores the fallout and reasoning behind (or lack thereof) war in many of his movies. Howl’s Moving Castle and From Up on Poppy Hill are two notable examples. But, Grave of the Fireflies is the most direct exploration of the horrors and consequences of war the studio has put out to date.
H/T: @bouquetblanc_bb, Manga Plus
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