Oh, Our General Myao may not be the greatest gag manga of all existence. While there are certainly many jokes that land hard, there are others that barely touch the ground (there's a creepy woman soldier in there that is... questionable). Yet, there is just something endearing about this manga that perhaps blows other political gag mangas out of the water. Starring a young, naive 9-year-old girl, Myao, as the general and head of a militaristic, and authoritarian country, we follow her naive adventures toward making her country a more peaceful place for her people.
Other than the wildly chaotic and in hindsight, rather frightening first chapter, it eventually becomes clear that Myao, however naive and simplistic she may be, simply is the 'best' leader for this politically complex country. With her naivety and child-like desires, she does not succumb to competing for political power or egotistical ventures through fearmongering or thoughtless schemes that render people as numbers and figures as do leaders of this type usually do (as history has proven) but instead focuses on doing things (often not particularly competently) for the betterment of her people, for that naive and child-like want for everyone to simply be happy. It is at once laughable and rather poetic that the 'best' or perhaps the most pleasant leader for an authoritarian country is a little girl whose child-like ideas and naivety pushes the country toward a beautifully idealistic, incompetent utopia of wholesomeness. It is without a doubt a dream that can only be found in fiction. Yet, I find the whole idea as depicted in the manga undoubtedly idealistic, satirical, and somehow incredibly pleasant.
Oh, Our General Myao is such a great manga because it manages to be a thoughtfully thoughtless work on our world politics and the human condition (perhaps unintentionally) as well as just being an overall enjoyable read with tons of wholesome hijinks by the adorable Myao and her deceptively harmless followers. It truly does make you wonder, however absurd it may be, will the world be a better place if, with their unconditional idealism, love, and desire for world peace, 9-year-old girls were the leaders of the world?
