Watashi wa Gegege - Shinpika Mizuki Shigeru Den

Summary

Written and published shortly after his 85th birthday, Mizuki Shigeru finally lets the outside world in as he shares his entire life story in the form of this wonderful manga autobiography. The book is split into 4 parts with each arc focusing on each part of his life. Part 1 deals with his childhood and his upbringing in the coastal town of Sakaiminato in Tottori prefecture. Part 2 deals with his sudden conscription at the age of 20 into the Japanese Army to assist in the imperial war effort in Asia. His enlistment sees Mizuki get assigned to the eastern Papa New Guinean village of Rabaul. Part 3 details Mizuki's return to his homeland (minus his left arm which he lost in an explosion) where he is betrothed to a local Japanese girl, and desperately tries to eke out a living by drawing and selling comic books. Part 4, the final arc, shows a current day Mizuki and how his series of comics (notably Gegege no Kitaro) become hugely successful and enable him and his family to leave in comfort. The final part also deals with Mizuki becoming a father and subsequent grandfather. The final arc actually finishes at present day (at the time of publication, that is) with even a mention of the vandalization incident that took place around the same time along the Mizuki Shigeru road where a bronze statue of Gegege no Kitaro was stolen and other of statues were vandalized.