World War II is a contentious topic in Japan. Oftentimes it is simply glossed over in school curriculum, with many schoolchildren growing up with surprisingly sparse knowledge of the period compared to their international peers.

However that’s not to say their media hasn’t flourished with commendable works about it, including some anime. Here are a few notable anime regarding World War II:

Zipang (2004-2005)

An action-packed anime series about a modern-day Japanese warship transported back to the Battle of Midway following a strange storm. The crew has to contend with the possibility of changing the future with their vastly advanced technology while surviving this tumultuous period of history.

Barefoot Gen (1983)

A war drama anime loosely based on the Japanese manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. Directed by Mori Masaki and released in 1983, it depicts World War II in Japan from a child’s point of view revolving around the events surrounding the bombing of Hiroshima and the main character’s firsthand experience of the bomb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJZ6n...

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

The movie was so evocative Roger Ebert hailed it as “an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation.” Depicting a struggle for survival, a teenager must care for his younger sister after an American firebombing separates the two children from their parents. A live-action version of the film was released in 2005.

Hetalia: Axis Powers (2013)

A rather over-the-top, humorous portrayal of World War II, with each country personified as a character in the series. The series is often considered by many to be an allegory of political and historic events as well as of more general cultural comparisons.

The Wind Rises (2013) (2014 USA)

This much-anticipated masterwork of animation legend Hayao Miyazaki does not disappoint. The film is a visually fantastic and introspective biography of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the World War II-era Japanese Zero fighter plane series. The film grossed ¥11.6 billion (US$119 million) at the Japanese box office, becoming the highest grossing film in Japan in 2013. The film will see a limited release on February 21, 2014 and then expand nationwide on February 28, 2014.

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