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Reviewed by Michael Aronson That didn’t quite work out the way it was intended. There are two clues to the ending of Adolf on the cover of the fifth volume: the conjunction of two ideas in the title and the man in Middle Eastern gear in the awful cover image. Contrary to expectations, Adolf closes long after WWII ends, jumping time and setting to the ‘70s Palestine/Israel conflict. I won’t spoil why the shift exists, but its intended to tie into the theme of the persecution of Jews but doesn’t really work. It’s kind of better to ignore it. The bulk of the volume deals with SS lieutenant Adolf Kaufman’s return home to Japan and his successive confrontations with everyone: his mother, who’s married Japanese reporter Sohei Toge; Toge, the man Kaufman has agreed to kill for Gestapo officer Lampe; Adolf Kamil, Kaufman’s Jewish childhood friend; and Elisa, the Jewish girl Kaufman had rescued from Germany in his youth. Tensions and loyalties are brought to extremes, but in the midst of the US bombing of the city of Kobe, it fits the desperate mood. But in all of this mania, I really enjoyed the quiet moments more. I thought that the resolution of Toge and Kaufman’s feud was even more powerful than their actual altercation. The reveal of Akabane’s true status quo was more shocking than any danger he posed to the protagonists. In essence, much of what is said by characters like Elisa, Hitler, Lampe and Kamil weigh far more than any action they take – and the actions were pretty powerful too. Tezuka makes a lot of bold political assumptions in this book. On top of wild insinuations made about FDR in the previous volume, Tezuka chronicles Hitler’s final days and demise. While some aspects of this scene are clearly fiction, it still speaks volumes about how far a paranoid and hateful man might go to ensure that he’s never captured, that the integrity of his philosophy and mission is never compromised. What’s more, the words and ideals of Hitler are explored in the words and actions of Adolf Kaufman, completely persuaded to the Nazi way. Through his own trials at the end of the war and beyond, Tezuka also chronicles what may be the death of Hitler’s dream . . . and also its newest incarnation. Adolf’s final volume has more to say on philosophy than it does on literature, but it’s nonetheless a compelling climax to an unconventional dissection of racism and the Second World War. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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