Manga like Suna no Tsurugi

also known as Sword of Sand

Genres: Drama

What is Sword of Sand about?

Status: Finished

Suna no Tsurugi is a collection of stories that take place at the end of WWII. Susumu Higa gives us an inside look at the battle of Okinawa, from the first signs to the aftermath, through different points of view of inhabitants, soldiers, Japanese and American, in this war where there is neither good nor evil, neither good nor bad, only a cruel sense of absurdity. The men are in turn overwhelmingly stupid, full of wisdom or infinitely touching by their humanity. Because Higa's work has something deeply generous, which is also felt in his simple and precise lines.



Tags: War , Historical , Anthology , Biographical , Military
Where to read?

Here is a list of Manga similar to Suna no Tsurugi

Mabui

Mabui

Also known as Mabui.

Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life

"Okinawa Prefecture is home to 75% of all U.S. military base facilities in Japan."

Susumu Higa continues to weave stories set in Okinawa. This is a collection of his unique and previously uncollected stories about the present day.



Collected Stories: Gunyou Jinushi (軍用地主, 1996-8-8)
Mokunin Kousakuchi (黙認耕作地, 1996 July)
Shima no Chuuzai-san (島の駐在さん, 1995-11-8)
Kikyou (帰郷, 1999-8-2)
Gun Koyouin (軍雇用員, 1998-12-4)
Jim Thomas no Tabi (ジム・トーマスの旅, 1997-11-17) Mabui (マブイ, 2010-8-31)

Tags: Anthology , Historical , Military
Where to read?
Kajimunugatai: Kaze ga Kataru Okinawasen

Kajimunugatai: Kaze ga Kataru Okinawasen

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

Enemies outside, and enemies within — a realistic portrayal of the Battle of Okinawa and its aftermath is depicted in this profound human drama, which won the Grand Prize in the Manga Division at the 7th Japan Media Arts Festival. In the title story "Kajimunugatai," the people of a village unite to fight against three rapacious American soldiers.

Tags: Historical , Seinen , Military , Episodic , War
Where to read?
COCOON

COCOON

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama

San and Mayu are two schoolgirls living in Okinawa during the closing months of the Pacific War. Together with their classmates, the two friends are drafted into the war effort as nurses for wounded soldiers. When ordered to die for their country, the remaining members of the group escape only to face the harsh environment of a tropical paradise that has become a hellish battlefield.

Tags: War , Tragedy , Historical , Survival , Female Protagonist , Josei , Suicide , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gore , Primarily Female Cast , Rural , Crossdressing , Medicine , Primarily Teen Cast
Where to read?
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

Souin Gyokusai seyo!

Also known as Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths is his first book to be translated into English and is a semiautobiographical account of the desperate final weeks of a Japanese infantry unit at the end of World War II. The soldiers are told that they must go into battle and die for the honor of their country, with certain execution facing them if they return alive. Mizuki was a soldier himself (he was severely injured and lost an arm) and uses his experiences to convey the devastating consequences and moral depravity of the war.



Note: Won Best U.S. Edition of International Material at the Eisner Awards in 2012.

Tags: Military , Historical , War , Autobiographical , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Guns , Suicide
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