Manga explores wartime trauma

A new manga titled Paraiso by Machiko Kyô delves into the lives of young people during World War II, focusing on a group attending a painting workshop in an isolated church near Nagasaki beginning in 1945. The story is set against the backdrop of war and its profound impact on personal lives and mental states.

Characters face moral and emotional struggles

The story follows characters such as Persil, who sells her body to soldiers going to the front, and Eucaly, a kleptomaniac who is concerned about the salvation of her soul. Her boyfriend, Sage, enlists in the army as air raids intensify in the region, adding to the emotional weight of the narrative.

War alters Eucaly’s life dramatically

Eucaly becomes traumatized by the war and struggles with her stealing impulses, eventually stopping eating. She steals a tube of white paint as she seeks to escape the darkness of the world and life. In August, the atomic bomb is dropped, described as "so abominable that white paint will never be able to cover it."

Narrative shifts to survival and resilience

The narrative shifts from erasing pain to surviving it. This is the latest in Kyô's cycle of manga on young girls and World War II, following Cocon and Le journal de Hanako. Paraiso is described as an album that is strange, halfway between poetry and nightmare, with soft and minimalist drawings contrasting with the cruelty of the narrative.

Artistic style enhances the story’s emotional depth

The author introduces horror abruptly, often around a panel or after an introspective scene. Some pages are particularly difficult due to the contrast with the romanticism and sensitivity in the narrative, such as the exchange of hand-drawn postcards between Eucaly and Sage. Kyô's light, feather-like line effectively portrays the torments of life in wartime.

Publication details and availability

Published by Paraiso Éditions IMHO, the manga is translated from Japanese by Kallie Lagorce, with a print run of 2,000 copies. It is priced at 14 €, contains 164 pages, and has the ISBN 9782364812000.