Depictions of The Bomb and Nuclear Apocalypse in Japanese Anime

This article examines the often-noted "cuteness" in early post- war Japanese animation, and explains how this style has led in more recent years to grittier works depicting war's devastation through fantasy and cinematic technology. Anime provides insight into the social attitudes of each post-war era; and, into how collective memory has processed "unimaginable" horror. The author argues that what is concealed within "unrealistic" animation often reveals more than what is shown about people grappling with an apocalyptic legacy in search of a national identity.