A regiment stationed at Kopoko is ordered to send one of its infantry units to retake Baien from the enemy. Upon their arrival to Baien they notice that it is deserted by the enemy, and soon after realize that they face a new challenge of protecting this particular place from enemy’s infiltration (by enemy I’m referring to the countries which were against Japan in WW2). Thus, we follow the lives of men in this unit – how they survive in the brutal jungle while always under the fear of an imminent attack from the enemy. Mizuki’s representation of the hierarchy in the chain of command is precise; there is a clear distinction in the value of a high ranking officer from that of a foot soldier. The low ranking officers must follow the orders given to them regardless of how insipid the order may appear.
From the start, the atmosphere of the manga is kept akin to that of a real war. Starting from the day to day chores like cooking, washing, and the construction of a base etc. right uptil the mentality of the soldiers amidst all the periodic bombings from enemy fighter jets, the reader is slowly but surely engaged into the atmosphere of the manga.
The reader experiences a contrast in mentality through the characters. While the high ranking officers, like Lieutenant-Colonel Tadokoro, take pride in being soldiers and often talk about how dying on the battlefront is something like a samurai’s honor (Bushido – dying in a battle is the greatest of honor), the foot soldiers, on the other hand don’t share the same mindset of giving up their lives for the sole reason of pride and honor since they come from a civilian background and volunteer to be soldiers for reasons like their family’s name or earning their daily bread. They are more practical and share a broadminded approach of retreating and then attacking again with a better chance of survival. The characters are merely the author’s representation of how he perceives life and death on the battlefield.
Mizuki’s character designs are plain, absurd and often times identical to the point that the reader has to follow the dialogues with scrutiny in order to distinguish the characters. Comparatively, the background scenery and the landscapes are remarkably drawn and sometimes a single panel is sufficient to comprehend the situation. Art-wise a simple background is used in most panels so that the reader can easily discern the dialogues, though sometimes the picturesque background art of the forest is more than enough for the reader to appreciate the mangaka’s drawing skills.
Considering the fact that this graphic novel was published back in 1973, the quality of art is simply awe-inspiring, and is not in any way inferior to works published 40 years after it.
The strongest or perhaps the most emphatic aspect of the manga is the irony inherent in the title itself. From the title, Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, the reader can easily predict where this manga will end up, but by portraying a man dying against his will, the mangaka tries to convey a message that a life coming to an end is nothing but saddening, no matter how much one romanticizes it as ‘a noble death’.
There may not be many overt reasons for you to pick up this manga, in terms of a compelling storyline or relatable characters or amazing action sequences; nonetheless, the setting of the story itself is very unique differentiating it from other formulaic plots seen in current manga industry offerings. If in any case you enjoy watching war documentaries then this manga will not disappoint you; just think of it as a three hour documentary, only instead of watching you would be reading it.
Note: If you decide to read this manga, make sure to read the afterword and Q&A section too because they present some interesting thoughts from the author which may address some of your questions.
