U.S. State Flag of Normandy

This is the U.S. State Flag of Normandy. It comes from a world where the Dunkirk evacuation failed, and Britain signed an armistice with Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, the United States never got involved in the war in Europe. Following the Fall of France, Germany focused its full military might on the Soviet Union. Despite a valiant effort, the Soviet Union fell to the Nazis, and Germany now stood as the supreme and uncontested ruler of continental Europe. 

Germany divided France into a series of administrative regions. This was done in hopes of keeping France weak, and preventing it from ever rising against Germany again. Furthermore, Germany also destroyed France’s industry. The French were even denied the use of chemical fertilizers, which lead to millions of deaths via starvation in the resulting famine. Germany implemented similarly harsh measure across the rest of its empire.

By the 1950s, Germany had fallen into a state of civil war. At the same time, America and Britain committed to military action against Germany. By 1960, Europe has been liberated, and Nazi Germany defeated for good. Unfortunately, France was left as an impoverished and deindustrialized shell of its former self. The regions began to process of reunification, but the northern most regions had other plans. They applied to join the United States.

After some debate, Congress approved the application, and the Normandy Territory was established. Normandy officially gained statehood in 1972, making it the 51st State. The State of Normandy includes the regions of Brittany, Normandy, and Hauts-de-France from our world. Becoming an American territory meant that reconstruction went quicker for Normandy than it did for the rest of France. Normandy also received more money for rebuilding. Of course, Normandy wasn’t the only place in Europe to follow this path. Sicily became the 52nd State in 1974. Kyushu became the first American state in Asia in 1977, with Ryukyu following in 1978.

Normandy has received significant immigration from the rest of the French-speaking world. In fact, it is the only state where French is the dominant language. Though, this is only a slight majority. Most Normans are bilingual, and signs are in both English and French. Today, the scars of the past had begun to fade, and Normandy enjoys a high standard of living. The many picturesque towns, especially those with surviving medieval buildings, make it a popular tourist destination for the rest of America. Recently, Normandy has become home to Europe’s first Disneyland park. Normandy is notable for its more relaxed and slower pace to life than most other American states. Normandy combines French and American culture into a truly unique state.

About the only bad thing that can be said of Normandy is it’s flag. The flag is a simple blue background with the medieval Norman lion, and the state name. That the phrase “In God We Trust” be included on the flag was one of the stipulations for Normandy being granted statehood. The flag is universally considered ugly, and more than a little embarrassing. However, thus far, plans to change it have moved rather slowly.

Book Review: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

 I have a bit of a habit about putting books that are popular or widely praised. I don't consciously avoid them, it just kind of happens that way. Still, I get around to them eventually. Occasionally they're underwhelming, but more often than not, I do genuinely enjoy them. Such is the case with the book we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.

The Plot Against America begins in an alternate 1940. Celebrity aviator Charles Lindbergh has been elected President of the United States in a landslide victory over incumbent president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lindbergh has pledged to keep America out of the war in Europe and the Pacific. In fact, he's signed a non-aggression treaty with Germany and Japan. Still, many Americans, particularly Jewish American, worry that Lindbergh is getting a little too chummy with the Axis Powers. The story follows the turbulent years of the Lindbergh Administration through the eyes of young Philip Roth and his family.

This was one of those books that wasn't too high on my reading list until it was. I can't say what exactly prompted me to give this one a try. Maybe it was the miniseries adaption that HBO put out. I have watched the miniseries, did so not only after I wrote this review. I might get around to give a review of it at some point.

Maybe it was the various alternate history Facebook groups I take part in. Maybe it was something else entirely. Honestly, I can't really say. I will say that this book being part of the Audible Plus Catalogue was a nice bonus. Audible Plus is a new thing that Audible is doing. It's like Netflix, but with audiobooks.

Whatever the reason, I finally gave The Plot Against America a try, and I loved it. You will occasionally see literary fiction authors dip their toes into speculative fiction. However, this is the first time I've seen a literary fiction author try their hand at alternate history. Philip Roth ruffled some feathers when he made some comments that seemed to imply that he believed that he had invented the concept of alternate history. I haven't seen exactly where that went down, so I won't really comment on that.

I will say that Roth does an excellent job of combining his signature style with the alternate history setting. I took a look at some of Roth's other books in order to compare the writing style, and The Plot Against America defiantly fits the mold. There are segments of the book that almost feel weirdly nostalgic at times. Roth describes daily life in 1940s New Jersey in such loving detail, it can be easy to forget that you're reading an alternate history novel. And yes, this is a Philip Roth book, so it is pretty much required to take place in New Jersey.

One aspect I liked is that Jewish Americans are not a united front against Lindbergh. Sure, there are plenty, like the Roth family, who are weary of his policies, and actively push back against him. However, there are also Jews who are supportive of Lindbergh, or at least, believe he isn't that bad and can be reasoned with. A rabbi named Lionel Bengelsdorf becomes, essentially, Lindbergh's spokesman from within the Jewish community. Bengelsdorf is from Charleston, but that isn't as crazy as it might sound. Prior to the American Civil War, Charleston had the highest Jewish population in America. Indeed, many Southern Jews owned slaves, and fought for the Confederacy to preserve slavery. In fact, Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin was the first Jew elects to public office in North America.

Philip’s socialite aunt Evelyn also tries her best to worm her way into Lindbergh's good graces. At one point, she event attends a gala where Nazi officials are on the guest list. Other characters become unwitting pawns of Lindbergh and his schemes. One of Lindbergh's new social programs is called Just Folks. It involves Jewish boys spending the summer with gentile families, often in rural areas. Phillip's brother Sandy always wanted to spend time on a farm, and leaps at the opportunity to sign up. To everyone's collective dismay, Sandy had a wonderful time working on a tobacco farm in Kentucky. Worse, he'd gladly go again, and even becomes a spokesman for the program. In doing so, he becomes a useful idiot for the Lindbergh Administration.

Another of Lindbergh's policies is called Homestead 42. It encourages Jews to move to more rural areas. That way, Jews would be spread thin, and politicians won't have to pander to Jewish voters. Being in rural areas also means Jews would be more likely to bump into white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. Part of me wonders if that was a deliberate aspect of the plan. Lindbergh probably wouldn't object to Klansmen murdering Jews. Homestead 42, as it is public ally presented, would give him plausible deniability in that regard.

Of course, other Jews push back again Lindbergh's policies. Philip’s cousin Alvin volunteers in the Canadian army to directly fight the forces of fascism in Europe. Lindbergh canceled the Lend-Lease programs. As such, things could be better for Britain’s war effort. In our world, several Americans volunteered in the British and Canadian armies before America officially entered the war. They were known as Eagle Squadron. In fact, many of the planes from when America first joined the war were actually RAF planes that had been repainted. Obviously, this changed after the American war effort really kicked into gear, and America began rolling out its own planes.

Interestingly, Alvin isn't shown to be honorable or flawless as you might expect. In fact, he's shown to be a bit of a shiftless ne'er-do-well who takes advantage of the Roths after he arrives back home. Volunteering for service was certain admirable, but there's a strong sense that Alvin was in way over his head. His decision was spur of the moment, and he didn't think enough about the long-term consequences of his choice.

Meanwhile, the journalist/commentator Walter Winchell uses his program to critique Lindbergh. Winchell was a real historical figure, and was one of the first America journalist to speak out against Hitler and the Nazis. He also criticized America's isolationist stance, and criticized those who pushed for it, such as Charles Lindbergh. At one point in the book he even attempts to run for president. Unfortunately, the campaign hits a minor snag after Winchell is stuck by an incurable state of writers block known as death.

I know I might get flack for saying this, but maybe that was for the best. Let me elaborate a bit. In our world, following World War II, Walter Winchell gave his full-throated support to Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunts. In doing so, Winchell firmly placed himself on the wrong side of history, and seriously tarnished his legacy. So, at least the book's version of Winchell got to die a hero, rather than living to see himself become a villain.

Now, let's talk about Charles Lindbergh himself. Lindbergh's policy of isolationism, and the support it receives, is fairly realistic. Both the Democrats and the Republicans were pro-isolationism at the start of World War II. The general American public also favored isolationism. It wasn't until Pearl Harbor that public opinion about the war began to shift. America getting pulled into the orbit of Nazi Germany also isn't as unbelievable as it might seem. There were a surprisingly high number of Americans who sympathized with the Nazis. Jack Kirby received quite a bit of hate mail when he drew Captain America punching Hitler in the very first issue of Captain America. There were also several Pro-Nazi organizations, such as the German American Bund. In fact, the Bund appears several times in The Plot Against America.

Lindbergh was indeed an antisemite, and his antisemitism was fairly well-known. The Plot Against America portrays Lindbergh as having complicated views about Jewish people. He does not seem to like them, but he knows he can't say that out loud. He's actually worse in this regard than the Lindbergh of our world. For example, at one point Lindbergh receives a medal from the Germany government, and refuses to return it even after the events of Kristallnacht, aka the Night of Broken Glass.

By contrast, and quite surprising given his antisemitism, Lindbergh spoke out against the Nazis' persecution of Jews. He also specifically spoke out against the events of Kristallnacht. He was also horrified when he learn the extent of the concentration camps. Lindbergh was staunchly isolationist, but he served in the Pacific after America committed to World War II. Now, I'm not criticizing Roth's portrayal of Lindbergh. Given the right circumstances, Lindbergh could very well have gone down a darker path. I'm just saying that people are complicated. Honestly, the depiction of Lindbergh's vice president, Burton K. Wheeler, was far more questionable. However, we'll get into that in the spoilers section.

For what it's worth, the characters speculate on Lindbergh's true motives. There are rumors that the Nazis have kidnapped his child, and he implemented the antisemitic programs to appease them. His heart not being in it would explain why he didn't go too crazy. Well, that and the American government has safeguards against the president having too much power. However, we don't get any definitive answers, and this all remains pure speculation. Personally, I think Lindbergh was acting of his own volition, and wasn't being coerced by anyone.

Before we get into the spoilers, I'll take a minute to mention the audiobook. It is narrated by Ron Silver. I felt that he was absolutely perfect as a narrator, and I have no complaints there. However, I do have to ding points for the cover. It looks the same as the physical book save one key feature. The stamp on the physical book has a swastika on it, but the stamp on the audiobook has an X on it. This is a reference to a dream that Philip has. He dreams that his collection of national parks stamps become covered in swastikas. This represents the fearing the creeping fascism with the coming of the Lindbergh Administration. Why did the audiobook censor it? What was the point of that? It really undermines the impact that the non-censored cover has. But I suppose it is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

Okay, now it is time for the spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance. You sure you want to continue?

Okay, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

So, a plane that Lindbergh is flying disappears under mysterious circumstances. As such, Vice President Burton K. Wheeler takes over as Acting President. America proceeds to go to hell in a hand-basket. Antisemitic riots break out in several major cities, Martial Law is declared, and Wheeler drops all pretense that Lindbergh had. This is quite at odds with how Wheeler was in our world. In our world, Wheeler was actually quite progressive. He supported labor unions and workers' rights, he supported the New Deal, and he helped expose the Teapot Dome scandal. He supported isolationism, but he enthusiastically supported the war effort following Pearl Harbor. Sure, he did hang around Lindbergh, but there is nothing which suggest that he was a bigot or pro-fascist.

But wait, just as everything as at its grimmest, and emergency election is called by Congress. FDR wins in a landslide, and undoes all of Lindbergh's policies. Japan commits a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and America formally joins World War II. It's a little weird that Pearl Harbor happened pretty much exactly like it did in our world, albeit one year later, but it guess it isn't totally outside the realm of possibility. Hopefully, seeing what Lindbergh did to Jewish Americans will make FDR more sympathetic to the plight of Japanese-Americans, and he won't throw them in interment camps.

Things certainly could have been worse for Jewish Americans, but they won't be able to say "it can't happen here" anymore. Jewish Americans will always be a bit wary of the government, and for good reason. I think back to how the Jewish community of New Jersey. Most of them can't read of write Hebrew or Yiddish; they celebrate the Jewish holidays more for cultural, rather than religious, reasons; many don't even keep kosher very strictly. The kids all do typical American kid things like playing baseball and getting into mischief. These Jews are thoroughly assimilated, and are as American as it comes. And yet, in spite of all that, Lindbergh couldn't see them as fellow Americans. He only saw them as Jews, and nothing more. But this does tie into the major theme of the novel: every American, regardless of background, is a true American. It behooves us all to remember that.

And so that was The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. It goes to show that you can still do interesting things with World War II alternate history besides the usual Nazi Victory scenarios. It provided at look at America under the presidency of Charles Lindbergh as only Phillip Roth could tell it. I can't believe I waited as long as it did to check this one out. You should not wait like I did. Check it out today, and you'll be glad that you did.

Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Comic Review: Heavy Water

Not every work of fiction is what we might call quality literature, or high art, or some other third term. There are some pretty mindless works out there, but that doesn't mean they don't have value. Part of growing-up and being mature is realizing that sometimes you need brainless fun in your life. Why am I rambling like this? Don't worry, this all relates to what we're reviewing today. We're taking a look at the alternate history comic Heavy Water by Jonathan W.C. Mills and Alberto Muriel.

Heavy Water takes places in a world where Nazi Germany won World War II thanks to being the first nation to develop an atomic bomb. By the 21st century the Nazis rule the world with an iron grip.  Citizens are monitored by security cameras 24/7. Every aspect of their citizen's lives are harshly regimented. Police armed with laser guns roam the streets. It is a dark and grim place, but there is light in the darkness. Ben Haukelid is a mid-level bureaucrat doing his best to get by in life. Then he discovers that his girlfriend Floria is part of an underground resistance movement. The group aims to send someone back to World War II to stop the Nazis from getting the bomb. Before long, Ben is whisked away to Nazi-occupied Norway on a mission to change history.

Jonathan Mills certainly had lofty ambitions for this comic. I read an interview where he described it as Saving Private Ryan meets The Time Machine. At the risk of sounding harsh, it really fails to live up to that pedigree.

Well, first of all let me give credit where it is due. This comic has absolutely gorgeous art. This is certain par for course with Kickstart, the publisher of this and several other great comics; no relationship to Kickstarter.

Anyway, in terms of pacing this comic does reasonably decent. It feels a bit fast at the beginning, but it somewhat evens out. On the other hand, it takes over halfway through the comic before Ben travels back in time. It felt like the scenes in the past could have used a tad more attention than they got. One of my complains with Kickstart is that their books tend to be around 96 pages, but the writers clearly need more room to tell their stories.

Okay, let's talk alternate history. The time travel elements largely center around Knut Haukeld, an actual Norwegian resistance fighter from our world. He led several teams on raids of German heavy water production facilities in Norway. Ben, who is a descendent of Haukeld, is tasked with ensuring that the mission is a success.

Haukeld and his men were certainly brave and heroic; I'm not trying to deny that. However, they weren't the reason the Nazis never got the atomic bomb. Nazi scientists were forbidden from using any physics developed by Jewish physicists. This meant they were forbidden from using anything they might have helped them figured out how to make an atomic bomb. Moreover, Germany had at least eight different atomic bomb programs, all of whom competed against each other, and never cooperated. Nazi Germany didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of developing an atomic bomb.

Despite all of this, many works of alternate history act as though Germany was within fingers-lengths of developing a functioning atomic bomb. As stated about, this could not be further from the truth. Ironically, Imperial Japan was a lot closer to developing an atomic bomb. A few years ago cyclotrons were discovered in Korea. The Japanese put them there to avoid detection, and from recently discovered documents, it appears they might have only been months away from developing a working bomb. Of course, America's atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put an end to all of that. Curiously, you don't see nearly as many alternate histories where Japan wins World War II, but I digress.

I found the Nazi occupied present day both unrealistic and a tad cliche. It felt a bit more like Nineteen Eighty-Four than a proper alternate history. I'm fairly certain the Nazi would have run into serious problems well before they would have been able to monitor everyone with security cameras 24/7. I also seriously doubt that there would be flying cars. Besides the technological limitations, there's way too many things that could go wrong as far as driving.

We also get hints that Norwegian has become a dead language. Yeah, considering how much the Nazis fetishized Nordic culture, there's no way that would happen. The comic opens in the city of New London, but appears to be built on the remains of old London. Slight problem, as it is mentioned that the Nazis nuked London. Shouldn't radiation be an issue?

Okay, so we've established that this comic has a lot going against it. So why do I still recommend it? Well, it is still enjoyable, in a turn-off your brain sort of way, as a science fiction action story. If you take it for what it is, it isn't half-bad as a action adventure comic. I got to learn about Knut Haukeld, so it wasn't completely without merit. Plausibility doesn't necessarily mean more entertaining. For example, Fatherland is generally considered a more plausible Nazi Victory scenario, but I always found it a tad boring. Heavy Water ain't high art, but it's reasonably entertaining.

Well, I think that covers everything I wanted to discuss about Heavy Water. I will see you guys next time.

Heavy Water

Comic Review: The Life Eaters

If you've been following this blog for a while you know that I love alternate history, and I love mythology.  So what happens when I find a comic that combines them both?  I'll save you the trouble.  Today we'll be taking a look at The Life Eaters by David Brin with art by Scott Hampton.  Also available from Comixology. 

The Life Eaters is an expansion of Brin's novella "Thor Meets Captain America."  No, not the ones you're probably thinking of.  The comic takes place in a world where Nazi Germany used the Holocaust as a form of mass necromancy to summon the Norse gods.  As a result, the Nazi are able to push themselves back from the brink of defeat.  They push the Allies out of Europe and succeed in conquering the British Isles and Russia.  World War II has dragged on into the 1960s.  The Nazis have their sights set on America, but the Allies continue to fight on thanks to the help of the trickster god Loki. 

The comic is divided into three parts, and part one is pretty much a straight-up retelling of "Thor Meets Captain America."  Personally, I found this to be the best part of the comic.  The artwork is done in a way that invokes the photorealistic watercolor style of Alex Ross.  The gods are all drawn reasonably mythologically accurate.  Thor has red hair and a beard.  Well, everyone except for Loki.  He's just as muscular as the other gods, even though the myths would suggest he has a more slender appearance.  He also has a long white beard, causing him to look a bit like Odin.  This leg of the story follows a man named Chris as he leads an expedition of Allie forces on a mission to Sweden.  Besides the issues with Loki's appearance, there's also the issue of how the expedition arrives in Sweden.  They take a submarine under the thinking that the Norse gods don't function well underwater.  This is simply untrue, as there are several aquatic Norse deities such as Aegir and his daughters the seven waves. 

Despite these criticisms, I did overall enjoy this part of the comic.  I liked how the gods are portrayed.  They view the Nazis as a source of sacrifices, but don't support Nazi ideology.  For example, when a black solider tries to attack Odin, and is killed by a priest, Odin immediately orders him to be given full funeral rights.  He says, essentially, "I want that brave man fighting at my side when Ragnarok comes."  It is also mentioned that the Nazi elites are losing their grip on power, and the priest of the Aesir are the ones who really run the reich these days.  The Aesir honor valor and courage even when their enemies are the ones expressing it.  Thor expresses a certain admiration for Chris's resilience. 

There's also a nice reference to the poem Old Norse poem "Grimnismal" when Odin mentions that his raven Muninn was killed when the Allies nuked Berlin.  In the poem Odin talks of his ravens Huginn and Muninn, thought and memory.  He fears the day Huginn does not return, but more does he fear that Muninn won't come back.  In other words, he's getting older, and he fears the day he will be nothing more than a senile old man who can't even form coherent thoughts. 

Brin mentioned that the whole reason The Life Eaters came to be was that he was trying to write a Nazi Victory alternate history, but couldn't think of a plausible way for it to happen.  He was also trying to rationalize the Holocaust, at least to himself.  Of course that the thing about the Holocaust.  As methodical as it was, it was also utterly irrational.  The Nazis had to ignore science to justify their slaughter.  Not to mention that the whole thing was actively detrimental to their war effort because of all the resources and manpower that were diverted. 

So the first third ends with Chris snapping Odin's spear Gungnir, and fatally wounding himself.  Still, it does give hope that one day mortal men will be able to rise up and defeat the gods.  Okay, so despite some minor flaws, it was a good start to the comic. 

The second part of the comic pick up the action in the 1970s.  The Nazis have conquered America and Canada, but they aren't unopposed.  The Japanese have used necromancy to summon the Shinto gods, the Indians have summoned the Hindu gods, and the various nations of Africa have summoned their gods.  The part of the story follows a young solider named Joseph Kasting has he finds himself drawn into the world of the underground Allied resistance.

I'd assumed that the Nazi's rituals worked because the Norse gods were dead.  Early Christian missionaries would claim that Ragnarok had already occurred, and that Norse Mythology was a prequel to the Bible.  However, it appears that you can create gods out of thin air by believing hard enough, and performing enough human sacrifice.  Still, it was an interesting idea to have other nations create their own gods.  We do get a taste of this as Joseph and his comrades engage Hindu gods in Cambodia.  The Norse gods don't do so well in tropical climates.  The Allies are operating for under the sea, but I've already explained why this doesn't work.  Again, flawed, but I liked how it expanded upon the initial world of the novella.  Although I did stop a horned helmet.  The Vikings did not wear horned helmets.  It is a misconception that comes from early archaeologist finding drinking horns next to helmets in burial mounds, and wrongly assume thing they went together. 

Part three is where things really start to come apart.  Joseph is tasked by the Resistance to stop Loki, who wasn't as trustworthy as he seemed, from bringing about Ragnarok.  The first flaw happens Joseph meets a coalition of Christians, Jews and Muslims.  They spend several scenes blabbering about how they've put aside their differences and love each other now.  Oh, bullshit. I highly doubt the Abrahamic Faith's would start loving each other, and stop trying to killed each other, just because pagan gods starred reappearing.  Also, the Christians use the ichthus because the Muslims find crosses offensive, which is even more bullshit.  To explain why we'd need to discuss the Crusades, and that's a conversation for another time.  The Abrahamic Coalition makes a big deal about how their faiths require no sacrifices, which is nonsense.  Judaism doesn't currently perform sacrifices, but only because of a lack of a temple in Jerusalem.  Christianity places a lot of significance on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  Muslims sacrifice plenty of sheep of Eid. 

Anyway, moving on.  The biggest problem I have with The Life Eaters is that it bit off more than it could chew.  It came up with interesting ideas, but didn't have nearly enough space to properly develop them.  As a result, the ending comes across as rushed and anti-climactic.  Moreover, the moral of "stop waiting for all-powerful beings to save you, and instead save yourself" came across as way more heavy-handed than in the first part.  Again, this comic was way too short.  It needed more time to properly develop its plot and world.

So, what are my final thoughts on The Life Eaters?  It certainly wasn't the worst alternate history comic I've ever read.  There was a lot to love about the first 2/3.  However, there was significant room for improvement.  Despite having a very interesting premise, the comic failed to make the most of it, and needed more room to properly develop its world. 

Well, I think that should do it for now.  I will see you all next time.

Anime Review: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

I can't think of any way to open this review so let's get right to it. Today we'll be taking a look at the anime movie Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. It takes place in a world where Germany won the Battle of Stalingrad and conquered the Soviet Union. After that it wasn't long before all of Europe was under Germany's control. With Europe secured Germany began to turn its attention towards its former ally Japan. Despite a valiant effort Japan ultimately surrendered after Germany used atomic bombs. Shortly thereafter Japan was formally occupied by Germany.

Jin-Roh takes places during the 1960s. The Germans are beginning to pull out and Japan is finally getting some room to breathe. The Japanese government has instigated several rapid industrialization programs in order to boost their economy. Unfortunately, there's also quite a bit of social unrest as a result of these programs. Riots frequently breakout, socialist movements are getting worryingly popular and anti-government terrorists seem to get more numerous by the day. To restore law and order a special paramilitary police force known as the Kerberos Panzer Cops has been established.

The movie follows a member of the Panzer Cops named Kazuki Fuse. He's allways considered himself a loyal member of Kerberos, but he's shaken to his core after witnessing a young girl blow herself up during one of the riots. He finds himself increasingly drawn towards the girl's sister, Kei Amemiya. At the same time there's an ongoing investigation into a possible counterintelligence cell that has infiltrated the Panzer Cops. This cell is known by the name Jin-Roh.

Okay, before we go any further we need to talk about how this movie came to be. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is based upon the Kerberos Cycle manga by Mamoru Oshii, who also helped with the production of the movie. It's actually the third adaption of the Kerberos Cycle. There are two live-action movies, The Red Spectacles and Stray Dog, which came out before Jin-Roh. Chronologically, however, Jin-Roh comes first since it takes place in the 1960s while the live-action movies take place in the 1990s. Mamoru Oshii has also been involved with several classic anime films such as AKIRA and Ghost in the Shell. Now let's examine the alternate history itself.

Plausibility wise this movie is probably on the softer side. Nazi Germany never had any plans to expand into East Asia or to stab Japan in the back. Then there's the reason Japan fell to Germany: the atomic bomb. For multiple reasons Germany was nowhere near developing atomic bombs in our world, and they wouldn't be any closer in the world of Jin-Roh. On the flip side, the socioeconomic situation in post-occupation Japan is a bit more believable because it echoes the real world. We see several left-wing movements gaining popularity, particularly among the youth, just like in our world's Japan in the 1950s. The rapid industrialization and urbanization, along with all of the resulting problems, parallels South Korea during the 1960s and 1970s.

Now let's talk about the art style. Nine times out of ten if you watch an anime it's probably going to employ the standard anime art style. The technically term for this is Mukokuseki, which roughly translates as statelessness. This often employed to add visual diversity to a cast characters and make them easier to differentiate. Jin-Roh falls into the remaining one tenth that forgo Mukokuseki in favor of a more realistic art style. Personally, I tend to favor the typical anime look, but Jin-Roh's art style does make for an interesting change of pace.

This movie has really great atmosphere to it. It has a very gritty and cynical feel to it, and there's shades of grey all around. The terrorist may have legitimate grievances, but their violent and destructive methods aren't serving anyone. The Panzer Cops are certainly necessary to maintain order and protect the populous, but they have to resort to increasingly harsh measures to do so. At the end of the day nobody really looks that good, and there really aren't any easy answers. This is very much a movie steeped in cynicism, and if you're the kind of person who likes happy endings you might be disappointed.

There's a lot of wolf imagery throughout the movie. For example, the members of the Panzer Cops frequently get compared to wolves and their organization's flag features a wolf. The original version of Little Red Riding Hood also features prominently throughout the movie. If you're not familiar with that version, I won't give the ending away. I will, however, mention that in the original version there was no woodsman. The guns, uniforms and vehicles are all clearly German and very accurately depicted. This does make sense, given that Germany has only recently pulled out of Japan.

Overall I found this movie to be enjoyable, but there were a few minor flaws here and there. I felt like Fuse and Kei's relationship could have been developed just a bit more. The pacing of the movie also felt like it got a bit rushed towards the end. It's not really a flaw, but I do kind of wonder what happened to America in this world. Granted, the movie is focused on Japan, so that wouldn't be plot relevant, but I still wonder about how America fared.

The English language dub is absolutely top-notch, and the whole cast does a great job. The English dub was licensed by Bandai Entertainment, which closed its North American division a few years ago. Fortunately, Discotek Media was rescued the license and re-released Jin-Roh on DVD and Blu-ray.

Well there you have it. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is a dark and cynical alternate history political thriller. If you enjoy darker anime movies you won't want to miss this one. Well, time for me to find some more anime movies to review for you guys. I will see you all next time.

Flag of Japanese Siam

Well I've got some good news and I've got some bad news.  The good news is that I've been commission for another set of flags by Toixstory for a map of America based on her Excelsior map.  I've got to say I'm very excited about this.  The bad news that Ian the Admin has kicked me from Alternatehistroy.com for a week due to a member complaining that I dared to criticize Islam and suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Charlie Hebdo murders were caused by the violence, bigotry and hatred perpetuated by the Qur'an and Islam in general.

Anyway, enough about me, you came here for a flag didn't you?  Of course you did, and I've got one for you.  In this post we have the Flag of Japanese Siam.  

It comes from a world where Japan avoided engaging America during World War II and never allied with Germany and Italy. Among other things, this version of World War II saw the collapse of the Soviet Union due to Germany not wasting troops in North Africa and lasting till spring, and ultimately end with the allied atomic bombing of Munich and Dresden.  

Meanwhile, the Japanese managed to retain their colonial empire and got involved in a Cold War with the United States. Despite depicting itself as the a union of East Asian people's, in reality Japanese society is highly stratified; with pure blooded Japanese as the ruling class and all other ethnicities as second class citizens.

Recently, however, the younger generation is beginning to grow weary of their parents' society and are increasingly liberalizing. There have also been movement to grant more rights to non-Japanese citizens. At the same time, many in the international community are beginning to suspect that Japan has been less than honest about the atrocities that occurred in the building of their empire.

So it's basically the Asian version of Fatherland, or a variant on 2009: Lost Memories.