The Evolution of War Anime Depicting the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

Abstract

Setting out from the central role of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima within the Japanese collective memory of World War 2, this paper explores “War Anime” that depict the Hiroshima bombing as a major piece of their narrative. Its central considerations, under application of an analytical model developed for the determination of narrative orientations of War Anime, lie on the changes in the respective films’ frameworks, especially in relation to the spatial and temporal location of the story. Further considerations also briefly touch on other details and characteristics of the films. Those include the development of the respective protagonist’s features between the different titles, but also the individual growth of the characters as it occurs within the movies. A focal point of critique in this process is the lack of academic attention to less famous animation titles and their role in the development of the medial image of the attack on Hiroshima. In conclusion I then elaborate some of the social backgrounds that shaped the discussed contents.