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NEWS: Manga Version of Hitler's Mein Kampf Sells 45,000


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malik_chan



Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 134
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:01 pm Reply with quote
You mean they actually turned the book mostly filled with emo whining into a manga? That's pretty special if you ask me.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8489
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:50 pm Reply with quote
Isn't Mein Kampf mostly Hitler's butthurt over the Beer Hall Pusch failure? (Thank you, Edward Elric.*)

It might make an interesting read. I'd get that, Tezuka's Adolf, and a few volumes of Hellsing, and read them during breaks from playing Wolfenstein.

[*No, I'm not that stupid. Just wanted to fit in a Conqueror of Shambala reference.]
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theloniustrebonius



Joined: 26 Jul 2007
Posts: 48
Location: Pelagiad, Vvardenfell
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:04 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I have to admit I've never read the book. But isn't it better to take out such ideas and examine them rather then try to hide them away?

I tend to agree. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the issue is far more complicated than that. I can understand Bavaria's desire to keep neo-Nazi groups from acquiring the rights to the book.
Quote:

I can get Mein Kampf at my local public library. I'm willing to be most libraries in the states have at least one copy. I don't see why it shouldn't be published in Germany.

Germany society is absolutely wracked with guilt about the Third Reich. I'm not surprised that they're still apprehensive about publishing it. It would be like a US publishing house trying to print "10 Reasons Why Slavery is Just Dandy" in 1870. The wounds are too fresh.
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rinmackie



Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 1040
Location: in a van! down by the river!
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:33 pm Reply with quote
I don't necessarily think it's in poor taste; least not anymore than the original book was. What is surprising is that they'd even bother publishing this outside of Japan. I mean the Japanese are used to manga addressing serious issues and manga versions of print-only books. They have manga about economic issues and the history of Cup O' Noodle. But in the West, comics/manga = just for kids, not to be taken seriously.

Also, I don't think banning the book is the best way to go. Hiding away the bad parts of history doesn't prevent it from happening again. "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" as the saying goes. We already have people who don't think the Holocaust really happened. Surprised they're trying to publish it in Germany though. As for the US, I doubt it will come over here, but stranger things have happened. *can already imagine outrage on FOX News: "OMG! Someone's published a comic book version of "Mein Kampf"! What are they thinking?!*

Personally, I have no interest in reading any version of it. But the artwork looks good though.

P.S. LOL@ "emo whining", malik_chan! (Hope I got your name right.)
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configspace



Joined: 16 Aug 2008
Posts: 3717
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:51 pm Reply with quote
theloniustrebonius wrote:
Germany society is absolutely wracked with guilt about the Third Reich. I'm not surprised that they're still apprehensive about publishing it. It would be like a US publishing house trying to print "10 Reasons Why Slavery is Just Dandy" in 1870. The wounds are too fresh.


But it could and would be published in the US, just like how older obviously racist films made by and promoting the KKK are still available. Nothing (expressive) should be banned. The only way to address such issues is to confront them openly.
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noriko-takaya



Joined: 12 Sep 2002
Posts: 80
Location: Edgewater, Maryland
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:49 pm Reply with quote
I can't believe the author of this manga had the time and patience to actually do this. The book is a downright horrible borefest.
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TsukasaElkKite



Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 4000
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:39 pm Reply with quote
Um...excuse me, but WTF?!

This is uncalled for. As a Jew, I find even the idea of this to be sickening.

penguintruth wrote:
Isn't Mein Kampf mostly Hitler's butthurt over the Beer Hall Pusch failure? (Thank you, Edward Elric.*)

It might make an interesting read. I'd get that, Tezuka's Adolf, and a few volumes of Hellsing, and read them during breaks from playing Wolfenstein.

[*No, I'm not that stupid. Just wanted to fit in a Conqueror of Shambala reference.]


I see what you did thar, and I approve. Very Happy
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RestLessone



Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 1426
Location: New York
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:54 pm Reply with quote
I don't believe the book should be banned. People should be able to analyze it and keep ourselves from making some of the same mistakes. As long as no one reads it and believes Hitler was right in what he did, which there are people who believe that, but they probably have some other issues that need to be dealt with first. I have no intention of reading Mein Kampf, however. There are plenty of other books I want to read, so unless it's for some assignment....

The manga itself does have cool artwork, and will get more people to not only read Mein Kampf, but understand the situation and what led to it. I don't expect to see it in America, though I don't really see the need to bring it over anyway. Mein Kampf is heard of and easy to get here, and there'd be a bunch of wary people afraid that the characters could be easily sympathized with. I can't really blame them; considering the art, there'd probably be those crazy, rabid fangirls pairing the characters up and making a total mockery of what it's meant to be. Confused There's probably people like that in Japan, too, but ugh...I've seen some pretty bad rabids and I can only hope they wouldn't sink that low.
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panzer.time



Joined: 25 Oct 2008
Posts: 65
Location: Hippie camp
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:12 pm Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
during breaks from playing Wolfenstein.


Which Wolfenstein? Surprised

configspace wrote:
Nothing (expressive) should be banned. The only way to address such issues is to confront them openly.


So Disney should release Song of the South.
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Quark



Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 710
Location: British Columbia, Canada
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:18 pm Reply with quote
Jarmel wrote:
I never promote banning books but this one case I don't feel bad about it. The worst fate I could deem for Hitler is for him to be left forgotten in time.


See, this idea to me is not good - if you forget the darker pages of history, and the people behind them, then how can a society learn from what has happened, and make strides to ensure that those things never happen again?
I'm against censorship in any form, and that includes Mein Kampf. The book itself is harmless, it's when you have people taking these ideas to heart that it becomes a problem. It's a historically important book that allows one to see what Hitler was thinking. To me, Mein Kampf is on par with a WWII history book.
The worst fate I could deem for Hitler is exactly what has happened to him - to be remembered as one of the most detestable men in history, whose actions are not to be repeated.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15467
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:40 pm Reply with quote
shotgun: I think the concern is the neo-nazis might use it as an excuse to pull a McVeigh.

rinji: Actually, John Lennon + RFK. Some people argue there might be a conspiracy theory, since Salinger had ties with the CIA.

sunflower: Considering what happened when Henry Ford published the Protocols, I highly doubt that.

Unholy: The thing is that European countries have had a long history of anti-Semitism even before Hitler, and still have that issue after Hitler. Plus, they also got far-right parties over there which are akin to the LDP's war-mongers. So while I doubt we'll get another Hitler any time soon, even if enough people support the idea, there's this concern that we could more hate crimes than just the ones from the usual "I don't hate Jews, just Israel" crowd.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2634
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:21 pm Reply with quote
I don't think the actual book Mein Kampf itself should be banned. As awful as it is it is a part of history.

However a manga version of Mein Kampf is beyond ridiculous. I am against censorship of any kind, even for something like this. But I do think the person who came up with this idea has a few screws loose in their brain.

Edit: Also to add to what Gatsu said. Yes educated people might read Mein Kampf and learn from history. However there will be people who will read the book and comic and believe what it says. Heck the protocols of Zion are still believed by some people in the world.


Last edited by Maidenoftheredhand on Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8489
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:24 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if the Japanese have an unhealthy obsession with Nazis.
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Jifty



Joined: 29 Dec 2004
Posts: 35
Location: Frostburg, MD
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:26 pm Reply with quote
theloniustrebonius wrote:
Germany society is absolutely wracked with guilt about the Third Reich. I'm not surprised that they're still apprehensive about publishing it. It would be like a US publishing house trying to print "10 Reasons Why Slavery is Just Dandy" in 1870. The wounds are too fresh.


I used to live in Germany, and I can tell you that this is pretty much on point. I have never met a people who were so collectively ashamed of their past. In some ways I think that this is for the best. However, I think that they should lift the ban in some cases. Keep the memory and the pain alive in the societal memory, don't just let it die with the generation that lived through it. It's not a revenge thing in my mind, as I would not wish that pain on my friends lightly. However, for the betterment of all mankind, we need to know the past, to feel the past, and never forget it.

As for the manga, that just seems silly. Still, I would love to see a copy of it some time.
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Jarmel



Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 280
Location: NYC
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:36 pm Reply with quote
Quark wrote:
Jarmel wrote:
I never promote banning books but this one case I don't feel bad about it. The worst fate I could deem for Hitler is for him to be left forgotten in time.


See, this idea to me is not good - if you forget the darker pages of history, and the people behind them, then how can a society learn from what has happened, and make strides to ensure that those things never happen again?
I'm against censorship in any form, and that includes Mein Kampf. The book itself is harmless, it's when you have people taking these ideas to heart that it becomes a problem. It's a historically important book that allows one to see what Hitler was thinking. To me, Mein Kampf is on par with a WWII history book.
The worst fate I could deem for Hitler is exactly what has happened to him - to be remembered as one of the most detestable men in history, whose actions are not to be repeated.


There is a difference between making the book unavailable and printing out for the masses to read. Allowing people to publish or in a way allowing this is saying that the government doesn't care. People are more than free to discuss the book. In all honesty the people who want to read this will but it's the government's stance on how they view the book that is important. By banning this book to be published says that they disapprove of what Hitler wrote and believed.
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