Little Boy

Internationally renowned Japanese artist Murakami interprets the complexity of postwar Japanese art in a defining and spectacularly well-illustrated bilingual (English and Japanese) volume. Murakami coined the term superflat to describe the two-dimensional aspect of manga (comics) and anime (animated television and film), pop-culture media that have greatly influenced Japanese fine art. But superflat has societal implications as well, which are revealed when Murakami and his contributors trace the impact of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Japanese art and culture (Little Boy is the code name of the atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima); analyze kawaii, the culture of cuteness (think Hello Kitty); and dissect the pop-culture movement known as otaku. A dazzling array of works--ranging from the first Godzilla movie to the anime masterpiece Neon Genesis Evangelion to the provocative paintings of Chiho Aoshima--is accompanied by essays that delve deeply into their sources, themes, and resonance. The result is a superlative overview that will thrill manga and anime enthusiasts, and open up a new world of cutting-edge aesthetics and social critique to readers unversed in the fully loaded imagery and daring styles of Japan's globally embraced artistic innovations. Donna Seaman

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"...I recommend attention to the show’s outstanding bilingual catalog."

"Highly engaging and accessible. . . . not only a window onto the East, but a valuable resource and a fascinating read." (Art Documentation )