On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides Vol. 1

In this sensitive and affecting manga debut, this story follows the lives of two Japanese war brides following WWII, and the simmering tensions around identity, sexuality, and cultural change as their country rebuilds from the devastation.

After Japan lost the War, the country was thrown into devastation. No one felt this devastation as much as Japanese women, who, left with few paths to choose from, took low-wage jobs, fell into sex work, and wed American G.I.s. In their affecting graphic novel debut, Marina Lisa Komiya follows the lives of two Japanese women and the American soldiers they marry in this tumultuous time period.

Best friends (and possibly more) before the War, Haru and Yoriko are separated in the evacuation of their town during the air raids. As they search for each other afterward, Haru gets by as a waitress, while Yoriko sells her body at a brothel. Their fortunes change when they each meet respectful American soldiers, who take their hand. Arthur, a Japanese American, grapples with the inner conflict of his dual identity, while Scott is at once fascinated by Japanese culture and wracked with guilt over the destruction American forces have wrought.

Amidst the postwar desolation, love finds a way, in this powerful work of manga that explores sexuality, identity, and unlikely cross-cultural connection.