The Four Color Media Monitor

Ynet reports that, in the several months that passed since the Hamas' bloodbath on October 7, 2023, a Japanese mangaka's done what many comics artists in the USA/Canada have yet to actually do - pay special tribute to the victims of the Islamic terrorist organization:

A unique manga booklet, a special Japanese comic presented in both Japanese and English, showcasing the life of hostage Noa Argamani was revealed in Tokyo last week.

The creation is the work of esteemed Japanese artist Makoto Tanaka and is part of an extraordinary art project aimed at raising awareness of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. Since October 7, Tanaka has been working tirelessly on behalf of Israel.

As part of her efforts, Tanaka visited Israel and met with the families of the hostages. During a visit by a delegation of hostage families to Japan last December, Tanaka met with Yaakov Argamani, the father of Noa. This project was born from the deep connection forged during that meeting.

“I am honored to illustrate the manga telling Noa’s story, and through it, the stories of other families waiting for their loved ones to come home,” Tanaka shared. “My dream is to give this manga to Noa myself. As a mother, I can imagine how a parent feels being far from their children. I hope Noa and all the other hostages return home as soon as possible.”

Yaakov Argamani added, “During my visit to Japan in December, I was introduced to an amazing country and was deeply moved by the genuine support and love we received. I thank the Japanese government for standing by Israel and calling for the release of the hostages, and I am grateful to the manga artist for her special creation and her efforts to call for the release of the hostages. I hope through her work we can spread the story in Japan and bring about the release of the hostages as soon as possible.”

“The artwork reflects the sentiments of the people and government of Japan, who insist there will be no cease-fire unless all our hostages are released,” said Gilad Cohen, Israel’s ambassador to Japan. “This is a unique project created to continue raising awareness about the hostages in Japan, calling for their immediate release. We thank the artist for her unprecedented efforts on behalf of Israel. I hope that all the hostages will be released as soon as possible, and we remain committed to working toward this goal,” Cohen concluded.

Now this is a very noble mission Mrs. Tanaka's taken up, along with much of Japan. Something I have yet to see a lot of comic creators in the USA, Canada and even Europe prove they can do. If American creators aren't willing to prove they have the courage it takes to address these issues and make clear to Islamic jihadists they won't cower, how can they say they're fans of the Jewish creators of the past century? Many thanks to Japan's manga community for setting a better example here.

Labels: conventions, Europe and Asia, exhibitions, good artists, islam and jihad, manga and anime, misogyny and racism, politics, terrorism, violence