6/7/10

Zion no Koeda

By Inariya Fusanosuke

Overall:
Crap
Smex Factor:
Sexy Sexy
Art:
Gorgeous
Status: 1 volume; complete






Note: Zion no Koeda is a collection of stories along with the main one. This review is about the main story, Zion no Koeda. I will probably review the rest of the stories from this volume at a different time, in a different review.

Review: I rather like Inariya's art, but her stories... Okay, so the only other thing of hers that I've read is Maiden Rose, which also gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Nazis are iffy to write about. Even by mentioning them, you run the risk of offending someone. Writing about them light heartedly can be even worse (which is the risk Hetalia runs). So I have mixed feelings about this.

Right off the bat? I think it's ridiculous that a Nazi would adopt a Jewish child whose parents had been purged. I'm not a Nazi Germany scholar, nor was I alive then, but the situation seems unlikely. Although at the beginning of the war it was true that ethnic cleansing was relatively slow, it still goes against Nazi ideals and teachings to adopt a Jewish child. It does seem, due to his age, that Elijah was adopted well before the war. But then, the Nazi party was only AROUND for about 20 years. When was Elijah adopted? Why was he not purged during the war? Why was the Major General not punished for keeping a Jew? Hitler was no Stalin; he stuck to the ideals of his party. (And don't get me wrong; they were both horrible, horrible people.)

Historical details aside, it's hard for me to understand what Inariya did with this manga. I sort of understand what she thought she was doing: a Jew, raised by a Nazi, conflicted about the decimation of his race versus the love bestowed upon him by his foster-Nazi. (Forget the inconsistencies in that sentence.) But instead of a twisted story of revenge and love, Inuyari focuses more on Elijah's simple obsession with the Major. I don't know about you, but I dislike rape. Immensely. Even towards Nazis. Speaking of: I ended up feeling sorry for this ex-Nazi, which just makes me feel...dirty inside, for many reasons.
What was this guy doing, being a Nazi? All this manga shows is how nice he is. Was he even a Nazi at all!?

In conclusion: big rape story. Disturbing, and I regret reading it.

And, personally, I think the cute little "Paws" stories that Inariya added (she did the same in Maiden Rose) that serve to lighten the story only make me more uncomfortable. She takes a clearly uncomfortable story, and then she takes the same story, gives everyone neko-mimi, and pretends that all the imprisonment and rape is kinda silly/sexy. And just forget all the Nazi/Jew stuff.

Lady, if you're gonna write Historical Gay, especially about such sensitive relations, then please get it right...

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