|
This article is a stub. You can help the GeGeGe no Kitarō Wiki by expanding it. |
Comic Showa History (コミック昭和史, Komikku Shōwa-shi) is a series of graphic novels by Shigeru Mizuki. It ran for eight volumes and was released from November 1988 to December 1989.
From November 12, 2013 to September 19, 2015, Drawn & Quarterly released a four volume English-language version of the series under the title Showa: A History of Japan.
About[]
Timeline by each book[]
Volume 1: Great Kanto Earthquake~Manchurian Incident[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 (Taishō 11) | Born March 8th | |
| 1923 (Taishō 12) | Great Kanto Earthquake | Early childhood & school days Learns about yōkai from NonNonBa |
| 1926 (Showa Year 1) | Death of Emperor Yoshihito. Showa era begins. | |
| 1927 (Showa 2) | Showa Financial Crisis | |
| 1928 (Showa 3) | Universal Suffrage is implemented. March 15th Incident | |
| 1929 (Showa 4) | Great Depression | |
| 1930 (Showa 5) | Showa Depression. London Naval Treaty | |
| 1931 (Showa 6) | Manchurian Incident |
Volume 2: Manchurian Incident~Sino-Japanese War[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1931 (Showa 6) | Liutiaogou Incident | Elementary School~Advanced Elementary High School |
| 1932 (Showa 7) | January 28th Incident Manchukuo founded May 15th Incident | |
| 1933 (Showa 8) | Japan withdraws from the League of Nations. Takigawa Incident | |
| 1935 (Showa 10) | Emperor Organ Theory Rejection Incident | |
| 1936 (Showa 11) | February 26th Incident | |
| 1937 (Showa 12) | Marco Polo Bridge Incident | Graduates advanced elementary high school, fired from first two jobs. Enters and drops out of art school, fails entrance exam for horticulture school. |
| 1939 (Showa 14) | Nomonhan Incident Germany & Soviet Union invade Poland |
Volume 3: Sino-Japanese War~Start of World War II[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 (Showa 14) | World War II begins. | Delivers newspapers while attending Industrial School. |
| 1940 (Showa 15) | Tripartite Pact | |
| 1941 (Showa 16) | Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact Hull Note presented Attack on Pearl Harbor Pacific War begins. |
Enrolls in Night School. |
| 1942 (Showa 17) | Occupation of Rabaul, New Britain. Battle of the Coral Sea |
Receives his physical. |
| 1943 (Showa 18) | Receives draft papers. Enlists in Tottori Regiment, sent to Bugle Corps. Ordered to report to South Asia. |
Volume 4: World War II, Part I[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 (Showa 17) | Battle of Midway Battle of the Solomons Battle of Tassafaronga |
|
| 1943 (Showa 18) | Isoroku Yamamoto is KIA over Bougainville. Militarization of schools and students. US Army lands on New Britain |
Shipped to New Britain. |
| 1944 (Showa 19) | Sent to front lines, platoon annihilated. Mizuki is one of the survivors. |
Volume 5: World War II, Part II[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 (Showa 19) | Battle of Imphal Japanese defeat in Battle of Saipan. Battle of the Philippine Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf |
Survives and catches malaria. Mizuki's troop is given Honorable Death order but fights guerrilla instead. Loses left arm from enemy plane bombing while on bed-rest for malaria. |
| 1945 (Showa 20) | Battle of Iwo Jima Bombing of Tokyo Battle of Okinawa Germany surrenders. |
Volume 6: End of WWII~Korean War[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 (Showa 20) | Bombing of Hiroshima Bombing of Nagasaki Jewel Voice Broadcast announces Japan's surrender. GHQ begins welfare program. |
Transferred to a field hospital. Relationship with local Tolai people begins. Wishes for local discharge, but is talked into returning home first. |
| 1946 (Showa 21) | Tokyo Trials Constitution of Japan announced. |
Sent home. Recieves operation on arm at Sagamihara Hospital. Lives at hospital while awaiting discharge, takes a disastrous trip to Tohoku to buy rice. Enrolls in Musashino Art School. Finds work at a fish market and as a pedicab driver. |
| 1947 (Showa 22) | Constitution of Japan goes into effect. | |
| 1949 (Showa 24) | Shimoyama Incident, Mitaka Incident and Matsukawa Derailment all occur. | |
| 1950 (Showa 25) | Korean War starts. | Begins managing "Mizuki Road" apartment in Kobe. One of his tenants introduces him to the Kamishibai industry. |
| 1951 (Showa 26) | ||
| 1957 (Showa 32) | Popularity of kamishibai declines. Moves to Tokyo to find work. |
Volume 7: Making Peace~Reconstruction[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 (Showa 26) | Treaty of San Francisco signed. Japan/United States Security Treaty signed. |
|
| 1955 (Showa 30) | Reunification of Japanese Socialist Party. Conservative Merger creates Liberal Democratic Party. |
|
| 1957 (Showa 32) | Draws Rocketman, rental manga debut. Moves to Chofu. | |
| 1959 (Showa 34) | Iwato Economic Boom lasts 3 years. Prince Akihito marries Michiko Shoda. Campaign against Japan/US Treaty. | |
| 1961 (Showa 36) | Marriage. While struggling financially, birth of first daughter. | |
| 1964 (Showa 39) | USA enters Vietnam War. Tokyo Olympics commences. |
Debut at Garo. |
| 1965 (Showa 40) | Izanagi Economic Boom begins. | TV-kun wins the Kodansha Children's Manga Award. GeGeGe no Kitarō debuts, work output increases. |
| 1967 (Showa 42) | While Japan prospers, pollution becomes a problem, Anti-Pollution Act is introduced. | |
| 1968 (Showa 43) | ¥300,000,000 Robbery | |
| 1969 (Showa 44) | University of Tokyo protests | |
| 1970 (Showa 45) | Visits his old South Asian stations with former superiors. Goes to Rabaul, reunites with locals. |
Volume 8: Economic Growth and Beyond[]
| Year | Major Events | Mizuki's Life |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 (Showa 45) | Expo '70 is held. Hijacking of Flight 351. Mishima Incident |
Workload increases. Starts letting assistants write stories he outlines. |
| 1971 (Showa 46) | Yen grows in worth in floating exchange rate system. | |
| 1972 (Showa 47) | Asamo-Sanso Incident Okinawa Reversion Agreement | |
| 1973 (Showa 48) | Oil Crisis sends prices up. | |
| 1976 (Showa 51) | Lockheed Bribery Scandal | |
| 1979 (Showa 54) | Second Oil Crisis | |
| 1980 (Showa 55) | Metal Bat Murders | Begins traveling the world. Begins writing more yōkai manga. Father dies. Second wave of Kitarō manga. |
| 1984 (Showa 59) | Glico/Morinaga Case continues for the next year. | |
| 1985 (Showa 60) | Japanese Flight 123 Disaster | |
| 1986 (Showa 61) | Chernobyl Disaster | |
| 1987 (Showa 62) | Korean Flight 858 Bombing | |
| 1988 (Showa 63) | Recruit Scandal | |
| 1989 (Heisei Year 1) | Death of Hirohito. Heisei era begins. | Makes his own grave site for a local temple. Showa: A History of Japan wins Kodansha Manga Award |
Characters[]
- Mizuki (Vol. 1~8)
- Nezumi-Otoko (Vol. 1~8) - as Narrator and Nekoyama
- NonNonBa (Vol. 1 & 2)
- Family
- Father - Ryōichi (1~8)
- Mother - Kotoe (1~8)
- Older brother - Sōhei (1~6, 8)
- Younger brother - Yukio (1~2, 6~8)
- Grandfather - Tatsuji (1~3)
- Cousin - Hikoichi (1~3)
- Wife - Nunoe (7~8)
- First daughter - Naoko (7~8)
- Second daughter - Etsuko (8)
- Military & South Asia
- Akasaki (4)
- Kobayashi (3~4)
- Sakaita (4)
- Major Naruse (4~5)
- Commander Kodama (4~5)
- Sargent Miya (5, 7~8)
- Topetoro (6~8)
- Epupe (6 & 8)
- Friends & co-workers
- Katsumaru Suzuki (6~7)
- Kōji Kata (6~7)
- Ikkaku Tanabe (7)
- Shōichi Sakurai (7)
- Katsuichi Nagai (6~7)
- Yoshiharu Tsuge (7)
- Ryōichi Ikegami (7)
- Sanpei Shirato (7)
- Toyokawa (7)
- Suzuki (8)
- Yōkai/Cameos
- Salaryman Yamada (1, 3~8) - Various
- Inari (1)
- Beto-Beto-san (1)
- Konaki-Jijii (1, 6~8) - Face in the crowd during Chimney Man speech, guest narration.
- Akuma-kun (1 & 7) - Classmate of Mizuki's, himself.
- Kappa (2)
- Hidarugami (2)
- Nurikabe (5)
- Kitarō (6~8)
- Sunakake-Babaa (6~8) - Guest narration.
- Kanadama (7)
- Medama-Oyaji (7)
- Kondō Isami (7)
- Kasa-Bake (7)
- Neko-Mata (8)
- Shina-Yasha (8)
- Oketsu (8)
- Dragon (8)
- Shinigami (8)
- Neko-Musume (8)
- Nurikabe (8)
- Nurarihyon (8)
- Yobuko (8)
- Abura-Sumashi (8)
- Jakotsu-Babaa (8)
- Maruge (8)
- Hitotsume-Kozō (8)
- Oshiroi-Babaa (8)
- Hyōsube (8)
- Kawauso (8)