US military uses manga to reach out to Japan - Yahoo! News

TOKYO (AFP) – The US military is using manga to teach a new generation in Japan about the importance of their half-century security alliance in a new comic book series.

The story features an American boy called Usa-kun -- a word play on USA and "usagi", Japanese for rabbit -- who wears a hooded jacket with bunny ears and befriends a Japanese girl, Anzu Arai.

In the first issue of "Our Alliance -- A Lasting Partnership", to be published online Wednesday, the boy tells Anzu that he has come to defend her home because they are "important friends".

The United States is publishing the Japanese-language comic as both nations mark the 50th anniversary of their security treaty, and two days before the 65th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

US-Japan ties have been strained for the past year as a new centre-left government in Japan for months publicly toyed with the idea of moving a controversial US airbase off the southern island of Okinawa.

In the four-part comic series, the two main characters "explore and learn about the US military in Japan and its role in the US-Japan alliance," according to a statement from the US forces.

The US military chose the manga format because it is "a very common way of communicating in Japan," Major Neal Fisher, deputy director of the US forces' public affairs office in Japan, told AFP by telephone.

"A lot of people love manga... Manga is a very light-hearted way to carry information" on where the US bases are, what they are doing and how they are cooperating with the Japanese forces, he said.

The United States, which defeated Japan in World War II and then occupied the country, has 47,000 troops stationed in the country.

The comic will be published at noon Wednesday at Our Alliance - A Lasting Partnership

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Cute. That is some surreal PR, though. Anyone want translations?

Bonus nerd round: separated at birth? Anzu-chan and Shinpachi from Gintama.

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How much fat do you think there is in the 47,000 'troops' positioned there? And how much fat on the fact that they probably want to live "like back home"? I could probably save a couple billions a year off that bill at first read...

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Most the troops at Japan want to be there. It's a very nice place to be stationed.

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Give unto Caesar that what is Caesar's, and lie like hell to keep as much of the rest of your shit as you can.

"If you want something said ask a man...if you want something done, ask a woman" Margaret Thatcher

I hear people love it.

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Quote:

Page 2. Anzu Arai - The girl that's letting Usa-kun stay at her house for free. Usa-kun - A boy who's come from America. Are those enormous ears? Page 3. Usa-kun turned up at our house, he was going to protect it or something. Page 4. Anzu: What are you doing? Usa-kun: I got it! Anzu: Euh... what? Usa-kun [holds up cockroach]: This! I'm protecting the kitchen! Anzu: Eeeeww! Usa-kun: This is so cool! Anzu: Yeah, cool, now throw it away, please. Thow it away! Usa-kun: Fine... Page 5. Anzu: But... what are you potecting the house from? Usa-kun: Oh yeah, about that... It's because we've got an alliance with each other! We're "important friends"! Anzu: An alliance... Page 6. Long factual page with pie charts. Page 7. Anzu [itadakimasu - they're eating]: The "US-Japan alliance", huh? I only know the name. That'd be because the US army's in Japan...? Usa-kun: No, not at all! It's because I'm here to protect you. Anzu: You really shouldn't put yourself to all that trouble, you know... Usa-kun: Really? But I heard that Japan wasn't allowed to go to war... Is that right? Anzu: Oh, you mean Article 9, right? Page 8. Explanation of the SDF. Page 9. Anzu: So our country has the capacity to defend itself? Usa-kun: That's right. Anzu: The SDF? Usa-kun: Right! Next time we'll hunt cockroaches together! Anzu: Yuck! I'll leave that up to you, but... I don't have to worry now, I've got a friend with me so it's fun. Page 10. Usa-kun: Hey, it's a relief that we go so well with each other. Anzu: Go well..? (Me and you?) Usa-kun: Yeah, go well! Anzu: Are you... quite sure about that? Usa-kun: Yes! We think the same way about things. We like freedom, we like people, we like everyone to be smiling every day. Anzu: Hmm, yes, I do like those things. Usa-kun: So that's why I'm protecting you! Anzu: Usa-kun... Usa-kun: And there's one more thing that we've got in common! [Points to her plate.] We both hate carrots! Anzu: What?! I assumed you liked them so I left you all mine! (Rabbits like carrots...) Usa-kun: It's Usa, not Usagi! Page 11. Anzu: Two friends separated by the Pacific Ocean. Usa-kun: It's a 50 year relationship! Anzu: 50 years?! Usa-kun: That's right. Anzu: So why don't you talk a bit about the things that happened during those 50 years... Usa-kun: Well... during... those 50 years... uh... Anzu: Ahahahaha! (He's still only a kid.) Page 12. Anzu: Hey, let's investigate what happened during that time! So, like, interesting things about our alliance. Usa-kun: Yeah, I'd like to know too! Anzu: Investigating interesting things that happened to our alliance ftw! Usa-kun: Woooooot! Anzu: Oh... but we've run out of pages... Usa-kun: Eh?! Page 13. The US Army in Japan Why? What? 1. What is the army? Anzu: Hmmmmm... Usa-kun: What's up, Anzu? Anzu: I get that the US army's in Japan, but... basically, what sort of an organisation is it? Usa-kun: Say whaaaaat?! Anzu: I don't understand it! Usa-kun: Then I'll explain it to you...

The rest's mostly just explanation, so it's less culturally interesting. There are two cute soldier girls though. The one with the dog ears (?) is American.

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That all sounds pretty cheesy/lame. The pictures would have to be good.

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Give unto Caesar that what is Caesar's, and lie like hell to keep as much of the rest of your shit as you can.

"If you want something said ask a man...if you want something done, ask a woman" Margaret Thatcher

I presume it's written for very small kids (why they need to be persuaded not to kick up a fuss over the provisions of the SOFA I have no idea).

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Here's a direct link to the pictures, btw: 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security

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So they can get this published in a couple of days but I have to wait months for Durarara!! updates?

Manga Fox: Our Alliance - A Lasting Partnership Manga Series

They've also translated the factual pages that I didn't even bother to read. There's some interesting stuff in there. (They're still trying to convince us that capitalism is a good idea? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if these guys decided to nuke Moscow out of pure nostalgia.)

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