The manga this week
Otakara Sazae-san
(Sazae-san treasured under lock and key)
By Machiko Hasegawa (Asahi Shimbun Publications)
I have mentioned the great manga artist Machiko Hasegawa (1920-92) before in this column, such as when I discussed "Fuichin Zaijian!" (Fuichin-san revisited!), a manga by another artist that mentions Hasegawa. Even so, I never thought I'd have the chance to write about a work written by Hasegawa herself. This week's manga is undoubtedly a new take on her "Sazae-san" series in book form.
Actually, it's a compilation of four-panel manga by Hasegawa previously published in newspapers. The four-panel strips in this compilation, however, were not chosen by Hasegawa for some reason when others were reprinted in book form. More than 800 strips were passed over for selection, of which 696 are being compiled into six volumes, four of which have already been published.
For Hasegawa enthusiasts, it might sound more like scavenging through remnants than finding a treasure chest. I myself began to read these volumes thinking that Hasegawa might be looking down from heaven with a bit of disappointment. To my surprise, however, I was immediately drawn in. It was more entertaining to read these episodes while questioning why they were rejected by Hasegawa.
For example, in one of the four-panels, a woman jokingly tells Katsuo, Sazae's younger brother, "I'm thinking of adopting you." Sazae responds, "Please take him, there's no problem since we also adopted him, to tell you the truth." Katsuo exclaims, "That's not true!" and starts crying. This sort of cruel remark diverges from the normal world of "Sazae-san." In other episodes, a woman's appearance is mocked and the elderly are not properly respected. Surprisingly, Sazae even plays pachinko.
"Sazae-san" has received positive reviews from at least two different perspectives. One view praises the work for its depiction of a "traditional family" in which three generations harmoniously live together, with Sazae as a full-time homemaker. The other suggests "Sazae-san" advocates women's liberation and equality of the sexes.
The new compilation reveals aspects that Hasegawa sought to "hide" from readers. This also helps clarify the image that Hasegawa wanted to present.
A while ago, there was much talk when it was reported Amazon would sponsor the TV anime series of "Sazae-san" as Toshiba Corp. would quit as main sponsor after supporting the show since 1969. Those who thought this represented a crisis for Sazae-san should watch Amazon's ads, which have already been broadcast during the program. It is apparent that the innovative, cutting-edge company seeks to cast itself in the image of an ideal family as shown in "Sazae-san."
This week's manga suggests Hasegawa was very selective about her own work. Nevertheless, some questions remain unanswered. The compilation includes several tremendous masterpieces. Why then, Ms. Hasegawa, did you reject them?
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