When it was announced that we were watching Barefoot Gen in our literature and comic class, I didn't know what I was expecting. For those that don't know, Barefoot Gen is an 80's anime centered during the time period of WWII. During the first thirty minutes or so, I figured that this was just like another Studio Ghibli Film such as Howl's Moving Castle where the subject of war is just in the "background" per say in the film. At first glance, Barefoot Gen seems to be just the seemingly cute story of a Japanese family - the main character Gen and his little brother's antics.
And then the bomb drops.... literally.
Instead of war being in the background of the film, it's upfront and in your face, right at the point during the bombing of Hiroshima. As the atomic bomb hits, a little girl is incinerated, a mom and baby are burned to a crisp, an old man's eyes melt out of his head... and it only escalated further as most of Gen's family is killed (surprisingly Gen survives the blast even though the girl standing next to him is incinerated and his pregnant mother falls off the balcony of their home - something that was just done in light of the story) people die left and right from their wounds or radiation... And it doesn't stop there! Gen's sister is born shortly after the blast, and at first the viewer is reassured with a sense of hope for the main characters, but then the newborn dies from starvation when Gen's mother can no longer produce milk. What happened to the seemingly pleasant movie!?
This movie was difficult to watch, and at points I wanted to stop watching. Amazingly, this movie continued to cling to my mind for the rest of the day because it was so disturbing to me. I think that this movie made an impact because the characters were human, of every age, and the most vulnerable group of people. Sure, graphic novels like Maus and Pride of Baghdad tell a hard story, but with animals. Something about seeing our own kind suffering just leaves a bigger scar.
Overall, I hated Barefoot Gen. Not because the story was horrible, the story was good - it was just too depressing! Not recommended for those who just want to watch a sweet movie with rainbows, sparkles, and unicorns. lol
