Manchouokouo. A name unknown in Europe, a sinister memory in Asia. It was under this name that imperialist Japan renamed the province of Manchuria, conquered in 1931 following the Mukden incident. To silence the critics of the League of Nations and the Western powers, Japan installed Aixinjueluo Puyi, the last Qing emperor, at the head of its conquest in 1932. In reality, the Great Manchu Empire is a puppet state run in secret by the Japanese army (the Kwantong army), by the major Japanese industrial groups and by the Japanese and Chinese mafias versed in drug trafficking. It is this terrible page in the history of the Asia-Pacific War that Véga-Dupuis editions invite us to discover by publishing the first volume of Manchuria opium Squad. A poignant, bitter, well-researched and beautifully illustrated thriller.
Once Upon a Time in Manchuria
The story begins as a tale: that of the Black Emperor. Once upon a time Isamu Higata and his family came to settle in recently occupied Manchuria. The region is vast, the land is rich. For thousands of Japanese small farmers, this is the promise of a bright future. However, the reality of the Sino-Japanese war quickly caught up with the young farmer. Forced conscription, brutality of officers, massacre of civilians, Isamu's life is transformed. Wounded in the face, he was discharged and forced to serve as an agricultural volunteer. Long days, a pittance barely enough to support his family. So when his mother falls ill with the plague, Isamu has to buy medicine. However, everything is expensive and without a solution the young man gets involved in opium trafficking. Against all odds, he discovers a gift for producing a unique and sought-after substance. But opium is a resource coveted by many. Army, mafias, are waging a fierce war. For the young man, salvation comes through alliances and his ascension into the underworld.
Manchuria opium squad: the uncompromising history of one of the darkest pages of the Second World War
By publishing this series, Vega-Dupuis editions venture into the meanders of memory and memory conflicts between Asian countries. There are countless Asian works that focus on the Asia-Pacific War. This central theater of the Second World War was the scene of atrocious fighting and terrible exactions. Since Gen of Hiroshima, graphic works have multiplied: Peleliu, Women of Comfort. These publications also accompany an intense cinematographic production: Under the flag of the rising Sun, The Tomb of the Fireflies, City of life and Death or Battleship island. This intense production therefore meets two needs. Transmit the memory of a painful past (Gen of Hiroshima) and lift the veil on events that are still sensitive and likely to animate intense debates (Women of Comfort). Manchuria opium squad is halfway between the two. On the one hand, the manga accurately describes the regulated cutting of Manchuria by presenting the Japanese occupation as a harsh colonization. On the other hand, it plunges into the heart of this system where Chinese triads and Japanese mafias collaborate, assist the imperial army in its oppressive system. All these beautiful people enrich themselves thanks to the opium trade without worrying about the suffering of the local population. 
A historical thriller
It is through the detective novel that the author takes us into this Manchu "hell". As the first pages indicate, the series will focus on the career of a crime lord, the Black Emperor. Starting from nothing, Isamu grew up among the mafias, made a name for himself, a reputation. This first volume lays the foundations for a tragic epic reminiscent of the Godfather or Scarface saga. Steeped in good intentions and nobility, Isamu sinks into the underworld of gangsters. And around him is a universe where the boundary between Good and Evil no longer exists. This gripping narration allows the author to make a work of history. Indeed, the Japanese occupation in China was the scene of horrors (Nanking massacre, experiments of Unit 731). Some perpetrators have been convicted (Tokyo Trial, Khabarovsk Trial) while others have escaped justice (Dr. Shiro Ishii). Manchuria occupies a central place in this procession of crimes that the author reveals to us: dissemination of the plague virus, large-scale spread of drugs, repression, famine. But the author goes further by looking at little-known or controversial subjects. : the collaboration of the Chinese, particularly the mafias, the role of the Kempetai, the sinister Japanese political police. He also does not forget to introduce us to the life of these Japanese peasants, ordinary soldiers and Chinese civilians. It also helps us understand how the violence that Japanese officers inflicted on their soldiers conditioned them to apply the same violence to civilians.
Manchuria opium squad: journey to the end of the night
This first volume finally lays the foundations for a strong and exciting story. It is based on very beautiful drawings. Realistic, teeming with details, they form the basis of the narrative. The cartoonist Shikaku also plays a lot with shadows, black. In this way, he illustrates this journey into a world where the boundary between good and evil is blurring. He emphasizes above all by the shades of gray on the faces, the ambiguous roles of many protagonists including the disturbing "mademoiselle". This story also proposes a dynamic division where large pages composed of one or two boxes break the organization. They highlight the incessant reversals of alliance or revelations forcing our hero to adapt to survive a little longer. 
Particular attention was also paid to the drawings of faces and bodies. Manchuria opium squad describes indeed the corruption of the soul, the poisoning of the body, the corruption of a nation. This volume offers very raw plates on the effect of opium and the transformation of its consumers into living skeletons. The designer also plays a lot with the codes of seinen. Many faces are eyeing a form of realism to anchor the plot in reality. But he does not hesitate to break this rule to represent the agent of the Kempetai in a more shonen style. This serves wonderfully the representation of the monstrosity of his actions and his detachment from human life. Manchuria opium squad is inscribed from its first volume as a strong fiction at the service of History. The author lifts the veil on a terrible moment in the Asia-Pacific war while offering a brilliant reflection on the use of drugs by the powerful. Find here other publications of this publisher reviewed by our team.
