Etchan's War of the Dead: A thorough review of the moving story and character depth

"Etchan's War" - A story of tragedy and hope in war

■Overview of the work

"Etchan's War" is a theatrical animation released in 2002, based on the novel of the same name by children's author Kishikawa Etsuko. It was directed by Arihara Seiji and produced by Mushi Production. This work depicts the experience of repatriation to Japan from Harbin, Manchuria in 1945, and was made to convey the horror of war and the importance of peace. It was released in January 2002, and consists of one episode, 80 minutes in length.

■ Story

January 1945, Harbin, China. Japan had been at war for 14 years, and many people from Japan had migrated to what was then called Manchuria, now the northeastern region of China. Etchan, who came from Japan, had a big dream: "To become a mother quickly, have 20 children, and make them soldiers." This was a big dream for a little Etchan, who didn't yet understand the horror of war or its meaning. On August 15th, after Japan lost the war, the discriminated Chinese people began to vent their anger and pain on the Japanese... This is the beginning of Etchan and her family's sad fate until they were able to return to Japan.

■Explanation

"Etchan's War" is a work on the theme of life and peace, and was produced with the cooperation and investment of 100,000 people. It depicts the truth of "war" as seen by a young girl, which is not found in any textbook. It is a story that we want people to know, especially in an era when peace is always around us. It is a story of an era when there was always only war. It is an animation based on the original work by children's writer Etsuko Kishikawa, written based on her experience of evacuation from Harbin, Manchuria. The film was made with the cooperation and investment of 100,000 people who wish for peace and a bright future for children. We must not pass on the negative legacy of the 20th century to our children's future. A happy future must be protected by the hands of adults. To achieve this, what can we tell children? This work is filled with such wishes.

■Cast

• Etsuko Ishikawa/Minami Takayama
• Tatsuo Miyamoto/Chinatsu Sakamoto
• Tae Ishikawa/Yuko Sasaki
• Yasuhiko Ishikawa/Arno Tahara
• Tadahiko Ishikawa/Daisuke Sakaguchi
• Kayo Miyamoto/Makoto Tsumura
• Lee Xiaolong/Mamiya Kurumi
• Professor Uehara/Michiyo Yanagisawa
• Mr. Wang / Ma Donghong
• Uncle Li / Noh Daming
• Roppei Miyamoto/Eiji Ito

■ Main staff

• Original story by Etsuko Kishikawa "Etchan's War"
• Director: Seiji Arihara
• Screenplay by Yoko Yamamoto
• Executive Producer/Yasumi Komuro
• Producer/Akira Ito
• Music by Reijiro Koroku
• Character design: Takaya Ono
• Animation Director: Takaya Ono
• Art Director: Mitsuki Nakamura
• Color setting: Kazuko Omura
• Director of photography: Masaaki Fujita
• Edited by Yukiko Ito
• Sound Production: Kan Mizumoto
• Coordination: Tetsuya Satake (Tokyo Television Center)
• Effects: Shoji Kato (Anime Sound Pro)
• Production manager: Toshiyuki Morii
• Setting production: Akane Inoue
• Production Progress: Kimura Iku, Iizuka Choyo
• Assistant Director: Rei Mano
• Original illustrations: Masahiro Kitazaki, Aki Yamagata, Hideaki Matsuda and others
• Video check/Takako Hasegawa
• Special effects/Takashi Maekawa
• Background/Design Office Mechaman
• Photography: Hiroshi Isakawa, Hideo Suzuki, Aiko Ito
• Digital effects: Akihiro Kitamura
• Digital photography by Toshiaki Yamaguchi
• Sound Production: Zack Corporation
• Music Production: COMPANY AZA
• Recording studio/Tokyo Television Center
• Film/Fujicolor
• Developed at Tokyo Developing Laboratory
• Material provided by NHK
• Advertising/Mibu Aoki
• Advertising art: Isao Kodama, SPIRICO
• Animation Production: Mushi Production

■ Main Characters

• Etsuko Ishikawa, commonly known as Etchan. A first-year student at Hanazono Elementary School in Manchuria. A lively and energetic girl. She lives with her father, mother, and older brother.
• Miyamoto Tatsuo, commonly known as Tatchin. He lives next door to Etchan and they are such good friends that they even sit next to each other at school. Marbles are his treasure.
• Tae Ishikawa is Etchan's mother. She is always a kind mother, but she has a hard time dealing with Etchan's stubbornness and refusing to listen once she has made up her mind.
• Yasuhiko Ishikawa Etchan's father. He moved to Harbin with his family as a waterworks engineer. Just after the end of the war, he was hunted down by the Soviet army, but fortunately returned to his family a few days later.
• Tadahiko Ishikawa is Etchan's older brother. He is a junior high school student a little older than Etchan. He is a reliable and very dependable older brother. Immediately after the war, he sold tobacco and collected coal to support his family in order to survive in poverty.
• Kayo Miyamoto, Tatchan's mother. After the war, the lives of the Japanese people living in Harbin changed dramatically. In difficult circumstances, where even a glass of water was hard to come by, she gave birth to Tatchan's younger brother, Katsuo.
• Lee Xiaolong is a Chinese kid who blows bubbles and whom Etchan and Tatchin meet in town. Before long, a friendship develops between them.
• Ms. Uehara is a young female teacher who has just graduated from a girls' school and is Ecchan and Tatchin's homeroom teacher.
• Mr. Wang is a Chinese worker who worked for Etchan's father's company. He delivers chickens for Etchan's family.
• Uncle Li is a Chinese grandfather whom Ecchan meets when she sells candy at the market. The grandfather's grandson was killed by a Japanese person, so he has a grudge against Japanese people, but as he interacts with Ecchan, he begins to warm to them.
• Miyamoto Roppei (Tacchin's father) leaves town to board a repatriation ship before Etchan's family, but is forced to make an unexpected and difficult decision on the way.

■ Evaluation and impressions of the work

"Etchan's War" has been highly praised for its depiction of the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace. It has been particularly praised for being told from the perspective of children who have been directly affected by the war, and while it realistically conveys the horrors of war, it also tells a story of hope and friendship. The animation is also highly polished, with the character designs, background art, and music enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

My impression was that while the film depicts the horrors of war, there are many scenes that highlight the children's pure hearts and friendship, and I felt a warmth in my heart after watching it. In particular, the scene of friendship between Ecchan and Li Xiaolong makes you feel the human bond that transcends borders and war. Also, the scenes depicting the confusion and hardships after the war deeply move the viewer. I felt that the film contains an important message throughout, to ensure that the tragedies of war are not forgotten.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Etchan's War" is a very important work for learning about the history of war. I think it has especially high educational value in conveying to children the horrors of war and the importance of peace. It is also highly artistic as an animation, and can be enjoyed not only for its story but also for its visuals. I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in works with a war theme, or who wants to reaffirm the importance of peace.

Related information

The original novel for "Etchan's War" was written by children's author Etsuko Kishikawa. Many of her other works also have themes of war and peace, so if you're interested, be sure to read them. We also mustn't forget the thoughts of the 100,000 people who helped make this work. Without their help, this work would not have been created. Furthermore, if you check out other works by Mushi Productions, you'll be able to enjoy the world of animation even more deeply.

Conclusion

"Etchan's War" is a moving work that depicts the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace. It beautifully combines a realistic depiction of war from the perspective of children with a story of friendship and hope, deeply moving viewers. It is a work that everyone should watch at least once to learn about the history of war and reaffirm the importance of peace.