THE JAPAN NEWS



 

First, let me confess. I didn’t know about this week’s manga until it was reported as winning the 37th Japan SF Grand Prize. The prize is awarded to the best science fiction work of the previous competition year, as judged by professionals who make a living in science fiction. It is unique in that it is offered to any sci-fi work regardless of medium, including novels, manga, anime and films. The special prize was awarded to the film “Shin Godzilla.”

The manga “WOMBS” jumped ahead of the blockbuster film to grab the grand prize, although its level of public recognition is much lower. I quickly read the five volumes of “WOMBS” and understood why.

The story is set in an age when human beings have spread out across the universe. On the planet Hekio (meaning blue king), in a war between the first immigrants called the Firsts and the second wave of immigrants called the Seconds, no end is in sight. The Seconds, being far superior in military strength, have mostly gained control of the planet, except for one state of the Firsts. Still resisting, the state possesses a powerful last resort — a women-only special squad. These women have biological tissues of a Hekio native creature called Niebass implanted into their uterus. This allows them to teleport themselves, even over long distances. They are also able to instantaneously teleport soldiers and military weapons into enemy territory. These female soldiers are pregnant with “weapons” instead of their own children. In awe and respect, their male colleagues call the squad WOMBS.

Reading this brief explanation, some readers may feel that they’ve had enough and do not feel like knowing more. What a vulgar and grotesque fantasy this is!

The story features Mana Oga, who is drafted into WOMBS, and how she works her way through training and becomes a full-fledged soldier. Mana becomes aware that there is no justice involved on either side of the war, and as a result she fights only to survive. The WOMBS women deepen their sisterhood ties as they fight through bloody battles together and begin to relate to the foreign organisms in their wombs. This sways the war toward unexpected developments.

The author Yumiko Shirai originally made self-published dojinshi and had otherwise published only a few works. She persistently worked on this series for six years to complete it. I don’t want to drag in considerations about the artist being a man or woman when evaluating any artistic creation, but I feel “WOMBS” is a war manga that could be conceived only by a female artist, and that it achieved its desired goal.

In contrast, “Shin Godzilla,” also a sort of war sci-fi, is obviously a story of men. Both of these creations convey to us that our life in peace today is only transient. Honoring these two works together means a lot for current-day society. I can almost visualize the satisfied smiles of the sci-fi professionals who awarded these works.