When discussing society in popular culture, it is best to keep in mind the time period in which it was written. While Osamu Tezuka’s “The Book of Human Insects” is not without its flaws as a story, as a conversational piece about societal roles of Japanese women and where the country was heading as a whole when the post-WWII generation came of age, it is a dynamic work.

While reading it, another recent story (albeit American) came immediately to mind: “Gone Girl”. The main character of Toshiko Tomura shares many similarities to the character of Gillian Flynn’s novel; the most striking way being as an embodiment of the growing rebellion of women’s roles in society. Toshiko is cutthroat, greedy, jealous, underhanded, but all in the name of being independent and free of the chains of pre-established patriarchies. While by no means a feminist role model of any kind, Toshiko’s journey defies all previously held concepts and notions of the ideal Japanese woman, the “yamato nadeshiko”, to the point that a “yamato nadeshiko” doppleganger of Toshiko is introduced at some point into the story. The doppleganger, Shijimi, serves to contrast Toshiko in the dramatic difference between the outcome of each women in the story, based on whether they accept or defy of a woman’s traditional place, and this is arguably where the manga speaks the strongest.

But while “The Book of Human Insects” poses a great dialogue on women in Japan, it strives as well to best reflect the times that were and would come for the country. Abortion, assassination, political corruption, sexual agency… hell, this manga actually addresses Japan’s atrocities to China and Korea in WWII! For anyone who knows anything about how Japan feels now about that period of time, that is more than enough reason to check this out. Tezuka defies all concepts of Japanese subtlety in favor of a harsh, biting story that addresses the concerns and predictions on the future of Japan in the hands of the post-WWII generation. Perhaps of greatest regard is that it is still just as pertinent now.

The manga does indeed continue to capture Tezuka’s inherent gift for capturing motion and nuance in the framing and artistic choices of his panels that is rarely seen in this day and age. Unfortunately, the story does wobble, especially in its final third when things get unnecessarily convoluted. There is too much focus on side characters and Toshiko is metaphorically chained down by the plot the entire time. It tries to pick itself back up in its climax, but it’s not enough to save it from ending on a fairly average note.

Still, it does a splendid job of addressing the issue that as Japan tried to uphold traditional roles after WWII, a new generation was rising who sought to be free of it all. It is a feat of topical Japanese media, par for the course for the god of manga.

Overall, I give “The Book of Human Insects” an 8 out of 10.