Since September 11, the political geography of the world has changed and the manga Ookami Rise imagines a parable about these transformations. What would happen if Japan's powerful neighbors invaded it? Wolves would howl in the woods…
A country cut in two
In Ookami Rise, Japan lost its independence because the archipelago was invaded by its two powerful neighbors. In the near future, the North is occupied by Russia and the South by China. Between the two, a no man's land remains. The book opens with a squad of border guards who, during their patrol, discover wolf-headed men devouring cows. These creatures claim to be humans but the soldiers prefer to react with a machine gun salvo. These creatures are Wolang (Japanese wolves in Chinese) born from genetic experiments of the Chinese army. Rejected, they find refuge in the border space between the two occupying powers but each wants to recover them. The Chinese act in the first episode by a commando led by a relative of these Wolang. Even if a few pages describe the fall of Japan and the situation of the inhabitants on the Chinese side and then in the opposing camp, the first volume of Ookami Rise tells through combat scenes the struggle of these mutants to survive. The cartoonist Yu Ito succeeds very well in transcribing the dynamism of this struggle. His raw style refuses curved lines to reinforce the violence of what he describes. Indeed, he does not hesitate to show the blood dripping from the throats when the pack of Wolang attacks. Its creatures are both impressive in their variety and can be touching and then formidable the next square. These Wolang are not dumb lambs but predators who think and divide. Some around Ken believe that humanity will accept them while a more radical group assembled by Maeda prefers the survival of the fittest. To succeed, they have many assets. Not only do they have the strength of the animals whose genes they have received, but their blood is poison for humanity.
Between dogs and wolves
Published by Panini Manga, Ookami Rise is the adaptation by writer and artist Yu Ito of the novel Imperial Guards. Butthe manga fan also thinks of Beastsars. Indeed, Ookami Rise is a reflection on humanity through an animal story. Paradoxical, certainly, but the author uses these mutants to show the essence of humanity: fraternity, solidarity in the face of rejection and hatred but also the violence of the pack. Animal references are also present in the other camp. The elite Chinese troop tasked with eliminating the Wolang wear a cybernetic helmet resembling the mouth of canids to protect themselves from contagion. They call themselves the Chigou, the hungry wolves in Chinese. Most of the action takes place in the buffer zone between the two Japanese. The second half of the book presents this area seen by the opposite camp through a Russian explorer and especially plunges into the past of a trio of characters. In this first volume, we see very little of the rest of the country. The explanation for the fall of Japan is also rather confusing. We only feel that the author – of the novel or manga, doubt remains – advocates the military independence of Japan because the American ally would be doubtful and highlights the virile strength of wolves. One may find this a bit reactionary. Close your geography books and turn off the news. The news of the world comes from this first volume of Ookami Rise and they are violent. Yu Ito offers a dark vision of the future of his country where the great powers dominate. Only wolves remain free. We will have to discover in the following how they will be able to survive against the Chinese and Russian armies. If you want to discover other series on the history of Japan, you can find the chronicles on Toilet-bound Hanako-kun and on Butterfly Beast.
