在这部赤足小子剧情/动画/战争片中,对一代日本人而言,知名漫画书《赤足小子》已经成为日本民众遭受战争灾难的缩影,也时刻提醒人们警惕军国主义再度抬头。《赤足小子》作者中村启二担心,原子弹爆炸60年后,日本人正在忘却历史教训。
漫画中,一名在广岛被炸废墟上由笑转哭的小男孩成为当时大多数日本人的写照。〝66岁上,我是曾遭原子弹轰炸的人中最年轻的一个。但是,10年之后,我可能不在了,〞中村说。〝不久,可能就没有人留在人世讲述了。〞
根据自己童年的真实经历,中村塑造了同样在原子弹爆炸中失去父亲和兄妹的〝赤足小子〞——源。虽然距爆炸中心不足700米,但中村幸存下来。
Gen and his family are living in Hiroshima as Japan nears the end of World War II. Gen's father has come to believe that the war is unwinnable, thus earning the wrath of the town officials and, in turn, discrimination from the rest of their neighbors. Shunned by the local merchants and tradesmen, food becomes scarce for Gen and his family. All these concerns soon pale, however, as the American military begins its final assault on Japan with the unleashing of its terrible new weapon.
作者吃人。