It’s always thrilling to me to see a publisher trying something new, and Tokyopop publishing A Smart and Courageous Child strikes me as a bold move. They are not usually the publisher you expect to do literary manga, and finding this in the bookstore made my day. I am constantly pining for American publishers to translate more manga like this, aimed at adults and dealing with everyday life. There’s so much manga in Japan that is probably never going to get translated here, so anything out of the ordinary that does make it to the shelves is a minor miracle. And on nice glossy paper in full color, no less! I’ll be really interested to see if Tokyopop will do any more titles like this or if this was an experimental fluke.
A Smart and Courageous Child follows Sara and Kouta as they prepare for the birth of their first child. At the start of the book, they are full of optimism and excitement as they come up with a list everything their child can do — ballet, sports, flower arranging, learning multiple languages, karate, poetry, etc. Sara starts reading about children like Malala who have done extraordinary things and is thrilled that her child could have similar potential. As the due date draws nearer, Sara sees on the news that Malala got shot and she suddenly realizes that the world is a dangerous place for her child. This sends her into a depression and terrifies her. She starts reading books like Diary of a Young Girl and One of Us: A Massacre in Norway. Kouta gets increasingly concerned about her, but the doctor tells him this is normal anxiety and not to worry (which seems like terrible medical advice! Sara is so upset and anxious, won’t get out of bed, and isn’t sleeping — seems like the perfect storm for post-partum anxiety or depression. It made me wonder how the Japanese medical system is at dealing with those conditions). Her due date passes and their struggle over what to do gets worse. The rest of the book details the couple’s conflict as they try to navigate their differing viewpoints and Sara’s terror over the baby’s future.
The book also has a nice essay at the end about Yamamoto’s work, of which this is unfortunately the only volume translated into English as far as I can tell. I am very on board with the trend of academic essays in the back of manga volumes! It provides a look into the whole scope of the author’s careers and their context, which I appreciate. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone in a similar situation or for those who just enjoy reading more adult, thoughtful works about parenting and relationships.
Warnings for: violence against children, guns, anxiety, depression, blood