TITLE:
Manga as Visual Disaster Media and the Structural Inequalities It Exposes—Criticality of Disaster-Themed Animation and Post-3/11 Media Discourse
AUTHORS:
Xiaodan Wang
KEYWORDS:
Disaster Media, Manga, Visual Media, Post 3-11
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.12 No.3,
August
9,
2024
ABSTRACT: This paper explores the unique role of manga as a visual media for disaster narratives, prompted by the 2011 Fukushima disaster. By analyzing the 2022 animated film “Suzume,” directed by Makoto Shinkai, the study highlights the distinct narrative techniques and perspectives manga offers. Released during the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and amidst the Japanese government’s announcement on nuclear wastewater, the film sparked significant social repercussions. This paper examines the dynamics of media discourse following disasters and the structural issues revealed, emphasizing the media’s role in exposing power dynamics, structural inequalities, and facilitating government relief and reform.