Les Guerres invisibles 1

線場のひと #1

by Marina Lisa Komiya (Writer), Anaïs Koechlin (Translator)

Best friends (and possibly lovers) before the War, Haru and Yoriko are separated in the evacuation of their town during the air raids. As they search for each other afterward, Haru gets by as a waitress, while Yoriko sells her body at a brothel. Their fortunes change when they each meet respectful American soldiers, who take their hand. Arthur, a Japanese American, grapples with the inner conflict of his dual identity, while Scott is at once fascinated by Japanese culture and wracked with guilt over the destruction American forces have wrought. Amidst the postwar desolation, love and understanding finds a way, in this powerful work of manga that explores sexuality, identity, and unlikely cross-cultural connection.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Asia

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2025

Reviews

[Liralen]

Japan in the 1940s: Haru and Yoriko are would-be lovers, kept apart by convention (the 1940s is not an easy time to be a queer woman) and circumstance (their entire lives have been torn apart by war). The war never ended for me, says one of the women, and never have truer words been spoken.

I found this line in the preface really valuable context while reading: As you read this story, you may find yourself vexed by certain elements. This is not a story of strong, independent women, but one where the female characters find themselves having to rely on the kindness of soldiers from the winning side in order to survive. Those who come into this story hoping to find a narrative about female empowerment, where all the women stand on their own two feet, may find themselves especially disappointed. However, the characters I wanted to depict were those unremarkable, vulnerable people who were forced to bear the brunt of the overwhelmingly dismal state that Japan had fallen into in the wake of losing the war – those people who never had the chance to live their lives as they pleased.

As somebody who of course always wants the women in a story to be able to stand on their own two feet, and who also wants stories to make sense for the time and place they're set in, I really appreciated having that commentary right up front. Because it's true: These are not particularly independent women, but they're also not women who have ever had the opportunity for much independence. Neither of them is looking for a prince in shining armor (or a prince at all), but at some point they both realize that they might have to settle for something they don't particularly want in order to get, or stay, out of an even worse situation.

This is volume 1, and I'm curious to see how many more volumes this story might have and whether Haru and Yoriko might eventually cross paths again. I don't need a perfect happy ending for them (see: stories that make sense for the time and place they're set in), but it'll be interesting to see where their stories go.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Dadou]

Very interesting and needed writing, enlightening the after war path of women and minorities as well as the struggles they faced.

This is a very compelling read as you get attached very quickly to these 4 characters and the way they try to survive in this post-war Japanese era.

Each of the 4 characters brings a different point of view and experience that relates to the life of millions at that time, and gives a voice to those people who were very much forgotten after the war and even today in the writings of that period.

The drawings are also of very high quality and impactful, and they manage to convey strong feelings and scenes without being over intricate. Especially a few of the double pages share very strong feelings without any word needed.

As the author mentions in the afterword, those characters don’t make the choices you want them to make, but they make the realistic ones that’s gonna offer them security and support in this difficult time, especially as women in that period. In that regard, it is both a fiction as well as an historical piece. The author made a point to work with authentic material to portray a realistic experience of what it looked like to be a queer women in post war Japan.

[jay]

Very compelling. Love that it tells a story that people may not want to hear, but is rooted in realism and actual history. Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise]

C'est un récit très dur et sombre que je ne conseillerais pas à tout le monde, certaines scènes m'ont vraiment prise aux tripes. Pour autant, c'est un récit nécessaire car, bien que fictif, il est important de ne pas oublier ces personnes qui ont réellement vécu l'horreur. La fin de la guerre ne signifie pas forcément la fin du cauchemar pour tout le monde, ça en est même parfois le début.

[UneMyrtille]

Doomed yuri/20 (super histoire)

[mia-esme 𓇗]

love, tragedy, identity, and survival in postwar japan during the aftermath of world war two. all four characters i found very dear by the end of the volume. i’m excited to see how the story proceeds from here. the historical detail, queer characters and art style were all very charming.

thank you netgalley for the arc.

[Reg 🦇]

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for this eARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such an interesting read! I found the characters very loveable, and enjoyed the way their lives intertwined.
The art was stunning, and it largely added to the emotions that the story made me feel while reading.

[✨Little Lit Lady✨]

This was a very descriptive and sad book. Despite that, the drawings were beautifully done. This was a very descriptive and sad book. Despite that the drawings were beautifully done. The story was captivating and it makes you reflect. It a a precautionary tale, well done to the author and artist of this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and fantagraphics books for letting me read this ARC, I can’t wait to read more from this author and artist.

[Menoa]

On their frontlines is a hard story to read. It's devastating and it dives into complex history. It's also at it hearts, real raw and human. I had to stop reading multiple times while reading it. It was hard to stomach to be honest but I highly recommend it to everyone.

Thanks again netgalley for the arc.

[Kassie]

A thoughtful imagining of what queer life could have been like post WWII. This first volume made me stop and cry multiple times, due to the sadness of the story, but also because of the care that radiates from Komiya's telling of it. I am thoroughly invested in all 4 of our main characters and look forward to seeing what happens to them in America.

[Nael]

Triste AF merci clem de reco des bds déprimos (jk c bien je lirai la suite)

[Lanie Brown]

Before the war Yoriko and Haru fell in love. During the war the girls were separated, Yoriko being evacuated and Haru staying behind in Tokyo. Or so Yoriko thought, however, when she returns to Tokyo she finds Haru and her family gone, another family living in their home. Haru did at least leave a letter, she is getting married to an American soldier and moving to America, unable to for Yoriko any longer after her father attempted to marry her off. Devasted and with nowhere to go Yoriko ends up as one of many Japanese women after the war; working for a brothel ensuring American GIs stay away from the rest of the women in Japan.

Arthur is a Nisei, a second generation Japanese American. After his family is sent to an internment camp, his older brother joins the military determined to prove that he is American and no threat to his people. Sadly, he dies on the front lines and Arthur chooses to stand in his stead enlisting as well. He is now stationed in Japan and while he is taking a walk down a bridge one evening he saves the life of a young woman, Haru, after she jumps off a bridge.

Scott is a young man from America recently stationed in Yokohama. A quiet and diligent young man he prefers to spend his time sketching instead of visiting the brothels his fellow soldiers are so fond of. They gave him grief over this, assuming that he is simply shy. In an attempt to get him to "loosen up" after a night of drinking his friends insist on paying for him to spend the evening with a sex worker, Yoriko.

In post WWII Japan these four people's lives will become entangled as each of them simply try to survive in a world forever changed.

You hear a lot about the lives of women in JP after the war (well I suppose I do because I studied it) but I don't believe I have ever, non-fictional or fictional, come across anything that discussed the lives of Queer humans after the war. So honestly, as far as I am concerned while it's fictional this is an important piece of literature that absolutely should be read. The fact that it was exceptionally well done makes it even better.

While not Japanese, I have family members that went to Tokyo from the Philippines post WWII seeking opportunity when all that was to be had was sex work. I have asked and they have said that it opened up more opportunities for them, they learned to cook, married a GI, and eventually opened several restaurants here the states. Whether or not that means they regret it or they have trauma from that time I can't say for certain. They are certainly a product of their generation, and feelings aren't often or easily discussed. So, when I saw this on Netgalley I knew I had to read it. I did not know it was Queer though; I genuinely didn't even read the blurb. It is a truly interesting perspective to put forth on unfortunately a very common story. Which is the reason I told my own family member's story here. For the most part if you have ever done any research into this subject the character's stories both Japanese and American are known. Yes, once you read it even Scott's because regardless of how awful men can be there are most definitely the Scotts of the world, plus whether he admits it out loud or not Scott has his own reasons for needing something resembling a wife.

Honestly, this was simply heartbreaking on multiple levels. As a conversation regarding the devastation in Japan after the war, as a conversation about Queer lives in this timeframe both Japanese and American, a conversation about being Nisei both in Japan and America, a conversation about how the Japanese felt about mix raced humans, and a conversation about how truly awful sex workers were treated by their government as well as the people that ran the brothels. To be fair though I think to make it not heartbreaking would be to lie. There are certainly moments where you at least have some hope for each of these characters but this hope is under a cloud. The decisions they make are not decisions they would have made under any other circumstances and at least in this volume it certainly did not make them happy. But, for each of them hopefully it gives them a chance of something better.

I honestly can't recommend this enough. Yes, it is clearly a depressing and hell humbling subject but it's one that I think a Western audience especially needs to learn about, even if it is fictional. It is not difficult to imagine these four people being real, there most certainly were lesbians in Japan during this timeframe (well I mean c'mon there's been lesbians in Japan as long as there have been women in Japan) so I can't see this being very far from someone's actual lived reality.

As always thanks to Netgalley and Fantagraphics Books for the eArc!

[Monta Liepiņa | montareads]

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Post-war Japan | Japanese war brides | Identity & belonging | Historical graphic novel

What happens when the war ends, but your own battle doesn’t?

"On Their Frontlines" takes us to post-war Japan and follows two women, Haru and Yoriko, whose lives are torn apart by war and eventually lead them down very different paths.

And honestly, the themes were easily the strongest part of this graphic novel.

This is a story about post-war Japan and American occupation, but also about survival, sexuality, identity, belonging, gender expectations and Japanese war brides. Most of all, I think it asks an interesting question about choice — how much freedom do you really have to choose your own life when your options are shaped by war, poverty, society and simply trying to survive?

I also appreciated that the story doesn’t end its exploration of identity with Haru and Yoriko. The American men have their own battles with belonging, masculinity and sexuality, adding another layer to the idea behind the title: the war might be over, but every character is still facing a frontline of their own.

As someone who loves historical stories, this was exactly the kind of perspective that interests me. We get so many stories about war itself, while "On Their Frontlines" looks at what happens afterwards — when ordinary people are left to build a life out of what remains.

Unfortunately, while I found the ideas fascinating, I struggled with the actual reading experience.

My biggest problem was surprisingly simple: I kept losing track of who was who.

Haru and Yoriko looked similar enough to me that I frequently confused them and with the story moving between different characters, perspectives and points in time, I often had to stop and figure out whose story I was currently reading.

I also didn’t initially realize that the black backgrounds indicated flashbacks, which added another layer of confusion. And eventually this became more than just a clarity issue. It affected my emotional connection to the story.
If I’m constantly asking myself “Wait, is this Haru or Yoriko?”, it becomes difficult to simply stay with that character and feel what she is going through.

That’s probably the biggest disappointment for me, because these characters go through a lot. There were so many moments that should have hit me emotionally, but I remained surprisingly detached.

Not because I didn’t understand what the book was trying to say.
I did. I understood the themes. I just struggled to connect with the people carrying them.

Interestingly, after finishing the book and mentally separating Haru and Yoriko’s individual journeys, the whole story became much clearer and I could suddenly see how interesting the parallels between their lives actually are. That made me appreciate the construction of the story more.
But it also made me wish I had been able to see it that clearly while reading.

So this is a slightly frustrating 3⭐ read for me.

There is so much here that I genuinely appreciate: a fascinating historical perspective, important themes, complicated questions about identity and choice, and stories that absolutely deserve to be told.

I just wish the storytelling had allowed me to connect with the characters as strongly as I connected with the ideas.

Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.

[Tiffany Seward]

Manga | Queer | Post-War

Thank you to Fantagraphics Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

• Plot:
On Their Frontlines follows a woman searching for another woman she appears to have once loved. As she retraces her steps, memories of the war begin to resurface. Her search eventually leads her to a letter from the woman she has been looking for, but the message is not the one she hoped to receive.

• What I Liked:
I really enjoyed the recurring imagery of sakura cherry blossoms, especially because one of the women was born in spring. The artwork was also one of my favorite aspects of the manga.

I also liked the storyline involving the man and the prostitute. Rather than having sex with her, he chooses to actually get to know her as a person, which creates one of the more compassionate relationships in the story.

• What Didn’t Work for Me:
One of the women who became a prostitute appears to experience sexual assault, but the way the scene occurs felt very abrupt and confusing to me. She doesn't seem to have been drinking or drugged, yet she somehow ends up alone in an alley in a disheveled state. I had trouble understanding how the situation happened.

I found the contrast between the two women interesting but somewhat frustrating. The women who initially love each other end up living drastically different lives: one becomes a prostitute who eventually gets freed, while the other marries a decent man who saves her from suicide and an abusive father.

The post-war setting also portrays Japan as an extremely difficult place to live, with America presented as an escape from their circumstances. At times, that felt a little too simplistic to me.

• Themes / Ideas:
The manga explores suicidal thoughts, abusive parents, poverty, prostitution, pregnancy, survival, and the limited options available to women who are unable to marry or support themselves in post-war society.

• Who I'd Recommend It To:
I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy complicated characters, queer romance, and emotionally heavy post-war stories.

• Overall Thoughts:
On Their Frontlines is ultimately about people trying to save one another while struggling with their own circumstances and the people they've become.

The two women who initially love each other are separated by the war and end up living very different lives. Along the way, they encounter men who genuinely care about them and help them escape some of the situations they're trapped in.

I'm not sure whether the prostitute gave birth to the soldier who saved her child, or if it was some random because it looks like they never had sex, but the baby came out looking exactly like him, and not many other characters look like him in the story. Interesting, I kind of hope it's his child because if it's not, she wanted an abortion, and it didn't happen.

[Ali Suchy]

I did not expect this book to hit me like a ton of bricks, and in fact hit me harder. There is so much to say about this graphic novel/manga and I'm not sure I can fully encompass everything I am feeling right now.

Let's start with what didn't work:
- The art was a little rough, and this occasionally hurt my reading experience with some confusing art. There were times that I had no idea what the drawing was supposed to be, and I had to really focus to identify it, and I especially had a hard time differentiating between the girls at first. I think this could have been helped by having the character guide in the front of the book.
- The reading order of panels was slightly different than what I'm used to. I'm not sure if this is due to the author being Japanese, but I feel like most manga I've read still follow a format I'm used to. Unclear. It didn't hinder my reading really, just added a bit of confusion into the mix.

Now on to what DID work, because there was a lot:
- The art. It was rough, but it was personal, full of passion, dedication, grit. I could tell from the get go that I was reading a work that the author cared deeply about, and had put a lot of thought into the presentation.
- The changing perspectives. There are times when I read a book with multiple POV where I only care about one character, and anytime it switches away, I lose so much steam and interest because I just don't care about them. That was not the case with this book. Every time the POV switched, I had to keep going because I needed to know what happened to the previous POV, and I also needed to know what would happen to the current POV. Every switch was purposeful, and added to the story's drama and sadness.
- The story itself. Most of what I have learned about the second World War is from the perspective of Americans, or America, or in Europe. I don't think I have ever read a book from the perspective of the Japanese people in Japan, who would interact with Americans. I knew that many American soldiers brought home foreign wives, that is fairly common knowledge, but I have never considered those marriages from the woman's perspective. This book was so refreshing and wonderful to read, because it finally shows women's perspectives. Just incredible work, truly.

Final thoughts: I feel so emotional after reading this. I need to know when the next volume is available to read. I need to know how these characters lives evolve, and what happens. If you decide to pick this up, prepare yourself for an emotional journey.

[jayden abel]

*Possible Spoilers*

On Their Frontlines is the first installment in a manga about two Japanese women who immigrate to the US. Best friends Yoriko and Haru were implied to have been romantically involved. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of WWII, they get separated. They both meet good and kind (for now at least) American men. Each chapter alternates between the four main characters: Yoriko, Haru, Arthur, and Scott.

The book starts in 1948. Yoriko goes looking for her best friend after getting separated. She finds out that Haru has left for America with a White husband. She then gets raped and forced into prostitution. A year later, she meets a White man named Scott. Ridiculed for not having sex, Scott gets dumped at a brothel by other soldiers. Scott loves botany, and despite the language barrier, he and Yoriko understand each other. She ends up pregnant with a mixed-race baby, which is looked down upon. When the book ends, she is planning to join Scott in America.

In 1947, Haru is tired of waiting for Yoriko. Believing that Yoriko won’t return, and not wanting to be forcibly wed off, she tries to commit suicide. A Japanese American soldier named Arthur saves her. Arthur’s family was in an internment camp. His brother, also a soldier, died proving his loyalty to the US. Now Arthur is stuck trying to prove his patriotism as well. The two strike up a friendship of sorts, When she learns that he’s going back to America, she is given the choice to join him. So the two get married and Haru immigrates to Seattle.

This book is a tale of survival. Haru and Yoriko don’t defy the odds and find each other (at least in book one). They are still at the mercy of men, albeit seemingly good men. The two women are beating systematic oppression by surviving. Choosing to move forward and chase opportunity is one of the oldest forms of female rebellion.

I thoroughly enjoyed On Their Frontlines. Marina Lisa Komiya has developed a complex, multi-layered story that engages the reader from the beginning. I liked that Haru and Yoriko were not super heroes. For a graphic novel, On Their Frontlines has good character development which I appreciate. Often these sorts of books are more focused on action and not on character. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction or manga with complicated but realistic women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ankit Saxena]

This book gives a Glimpse of how America spoiled the world in its ego. It tells world via their companies and politicians that leadership means bringing the world together and upgrading those who left behind but it is only USA which ruin the very harmony that this world always needs. Post WW-II, the lives of Japanese people spoiled and they left for nothing but on the verge of mere survival if not already been killed in Atom bomb attack, or if survived by the reactions that attack left on them. Since then, USA never stopped fighting the world with fake facade of 'Save America' and 'America under threat', to make countries weak and make the lives of people outside US, feeble.

'On Their Frontlines' is an engaging read with an interesting premise and some genuinely compelling moments. I enjoyed the overall atmosphere and the way the story tried to bring different threads together, even though it took some patience to get through. This is a story of mainly 4 character where 2 girls, Yoriko and Haru, who were separated due to war situation and the kind of life left for them to live in the devastating Japan. Both have been taken as American soldiers wives later in their lives, before which one of them entered in to prostitution (Yoriko) post getting raped and other one took job of waitress (Haru). Japanese start hating their own country because of the losses they bore due to war. This is what US droop them down to. This psychological subjugation still not completely eradicated from the minds of Japanese. However, both were settled later in their lives, as 2 genuine respectful soldiers, namely Scott (with Yoriko) and Arthur (with Haru) entered their respective lives in their respective different situations of life.

It is one of the complexing story with multiple layers of life's grief, sorrow, pain, endurance, love and betrayal. However story moved so slowly and switching indifferently to the point where I found it difficult to carry. Been dragged like this, in case of anthologies, narrative usually loose its thread. Still, despite these structural and pacing issues, there was enough substance and emotional weight to make the journey worthwhile. A solid read, though one that could have benefited from tighter storytelling and smoother transitions. Nevertheless, I would like to go for the next book in series to read about what will happen to Haru and Yoriko.

My NetGalley review

[Kristina Butke]

The manga opens with young lesbian lovers and childhood friends Haru and Yoriko, and they are separated during the war due to evacuation. After the war has finished, Yoriko looks for Haru in Tokyo where she used to live, but only receives a letter saying she is off to marry an American man. Yoriko is heartbroken and doesn’t see much of a future for herself without Haru, and her circumstances are rough, so she starts working in a brothel servicing American GIs.

The manga is told from alternating points of view between Haru, Yoriko, Arthur, and Scott. Haru and Arthur (a Japanese American) pair up, and Yoriko and Scott (a white man) pair up. But it’s not as simple as that. The Americans feel an overwhelming urge to want to take care of these women–Arthur through marriage, and Scott through his presence (he seems to be not sexually interested in women). And both women are living through terrible circumstances where they are beaten, tossed aside, abandoned, and more.

It’s a heartbreaking story, because while the two young women have found their protectors, they haven’t found each other again, so the love they have between them is nothing more than a memory. The American soldiers are kind to them–and somewhat fascinated by Japanese women, or Japan itself–and there is guilt over the Americans’ role in Japan’s current state after the war.

I don’t want to get into spoilery territory as to how things wind up exactly for our two heroines, but it’s an emotional journey. The hardest choices are made to in order to survive, and it’s painful watching these women endure. But I don’t want to come right out and say the American men have fully rescued them, either–each woman has made the decisions they made in order to live.

The artwork is stark in its black and white style (typical of manga) and the lines are jittery at times, both light and heavy. It’s a very distinctive hand-drawn style that lays the emotions of the characters bare.

This was a bit devastating for me to read. I am looking forward to Volume 2 to see what happens to everyone, but I am also very, very worried for them.

I highly recommend this manga to fans of history, Japan, and darker stories of war and survival.

[ezra]

Thank you to NetGalley and Takumigraphics for this ARC!

“On Their Frontlines” is a historical manga by artist/writer Marina Lisa Komiya, translated to English by Diana Taylor. This manga is set in post-WW2 Japan, and focuses on two young women and the challenges they face. Before the war, Haru and Yoriko were best friends (and possibly more…). Then they get separated, and this is the point where this plot really starts.

I really liked this. It is heartbreaking to see these two young women struggle, in one case resort to doing sex work, to see how they miss and yearn for each other.

I love the art style, I would say it is somewhat simple (but in a good way!) and definitely nice to look at. There are a few scenes (specifically the more “dream-like” ones) which I absolutely adored and definitely spent the most time staring at.

My only issue is really that the relationships they have with the specific G.I.s who they develop a close relationship to feel just a little too perfect, too easy. It feels cruel to say this, and I can certainly understand why the writer wouldn't wanna put her characters through more trauma, but the way both of these 1940s guys are so respectful and almost-feminist just feels a bit unrealistic… I guess this is really personal preference, and I certainly don’t mean to tell the writer how her story should go.

This criticism does however also mean that I actually get to like all four main characters. Haru and Yoriko have somewhat similar experiences (due to both being Japanese women), and while Arthur and Scott are both American soldiers, their experiences differ quite a lot, as Arthur is Japanese American and therefore experiences discrimination in America due to being “the enemy”, while also not fully fitting in in Japan. Scott is a really soft-hearted, gentle character, and I look forward to his story in the next volume, as this one left me with some questions.

I am really looking forward to the next volume and the continuation of Haru and Yoriko’s story.

If you like Mangas, history, and exploration of themes of identity, you will love this one. I definitely recommend checking it out.

[Online Eccentric Librarian]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This volume one definitely wears its heart on its sleeve to tell the somewhat tragic tales of two young girls in the hard years after World War II. Separated during the war, each will have a long path back toward finding the other again.

Story: Haru and Yoriko fall in love as teenagers just as World War II picks up. Separated by forced evacuations, they return to a city that is destroyed, its occupants living desperate lives trying to find food during the American occupation. One finds a job at a bar while the other turns to sex work in desperation. As each becomes involved with a GI, they long to find the friend they left behind all those years ago. But the GIs also have their own story to tell.

This first novel is definitely hard hitting - from suicide to unwanted pregnancy, family deaths and family discord, feelings of abandonment and belonging, and all trying desperately to find a place in this new world. We get four POVs here - two women and two GIs (one who is grappling with being half American and half Japanese).

The book is full of nuance and pathos and doesn't shy from hard hitting issues. The women are not warriors; the author specifically wanted to write about the ordinary people history forgot. Although the title of the book is War Brides, we don't get the weddings until the end - with the next volume moving to America.

The art was a bit rough but at the same time full of emotion. It could be hard at times to tell what was going on yet many scenes were heartbreaking in how they were illustrated. it does suit the story well as a result.

In all, not a light read but an excellent character study into a world rarely written about or seen. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Kasey Szamatulski]

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphic Books for the chance to read this ARC!

We open up with a letter from the author-nothing how she came up with the story, focusing voices that weren't heard, especially in the times after war. She tells that you won't find the strong independent women you find in media now a-days but rather tired, desperate woman pressed up against the wall and forced to make choices to survive.

We first meet Yoriko, heading back to Tokyo as it still recovers from World War II, in hopes of finding her lover Haru-only to find out Haru left for the USA to marry an American soldier and thus finds herself alone. We meet Haru, a few months prior waiting for Yoriko after her evacuation, despite her family's anger. Desperate, she flees and finds herself rescued by Arthur Hashimoto-a Nikkei-an American of Japanese descent, one of many who found themselves in interment camps during WWII. We also get to know Arthur more and his struggles with his identity and loyalty in the war. Finally we meet one Scott O'Connor, a White American soldier with his own issues meeting Yoriko in a brothel, finding connection through language lessons. We follow these four with their struggles in hopes with themselves, wishing they could find who and what they are looking for.

I found this story gripping. It's terrible what most of these characters go through, you can understand their choices in hopes of surviving or helping someone. At the end, the two couples are heading to America, unsure of the future. This is definitely a heavy story, but a strong story. It feels like this could have happened in real life, but no one got a chance to speak out.

Overall, a tense emotional story about what we choose to do, leave behind, and who we reach out to in order to get to the next day in hard times.

Favorite quote: "Just stuck forever, waiting all alone...is no way to live. The war is over. Now begins the battle to survive what comes next. Let's keep on living. Please, just go anywhere that's better than here."

[Robin]

I received this advanced reading copy from NetGalley in return for my honest opinions.

The author came to create this work because she was wondering what it might have been like for queer folk like her to live in Japan after the end of World War II. The orientation of the three queer characters (at least I don't think the fourth one seemed to be queer) was never explicitly stated but it's still fairly obvious, I think. Two of the female characters are in love but have not seen each other since the evacuation before the end of the war, and they have not managed to reconnect. Both end up with a man, in different ways. We know a lot more about what happens to the one who does not get married right away, and that she has a pretty difficult journey.

It is through this book that I learned about how, for a while after the end of the war, the Japanese government recruited women to do sex work as a patriotic duty, to entertain the American and other Allied soldiers and to try to prevent sexual assault and racial impurity from becoming too widespread. There's a lot of good information at the back of the book and I would almost suggest reading that first to make things less confusing. I found this incredibly sad but also fascinating.

I found all of the characters to be interesting, and I felt especially connected to Yoriko and Scott. The story is so sad but I feel the characters are doing the best they can under the circumstances and within the current culture. At the end the author indicated that she will be writing a sequel after she does enough research, and I am looking forward to that! I want to know what happens to these people. I think that even though this is official story, it has a feeling of truth. I recommend it if you like graphic novels.

TW: suggested sexual assault, sex work (not done enthusiastically), parent trying to force a young woman into an arranged marriage and yelling/threatening, mention/consideration of abortion (it doesn't happen but the art makes it look like it does, at first - a little confusing)

[That One Witchy Librarian]

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW for the book: suicide, forced prostitution, domestic abuse, and war.

I feel like when we think of WWII we think of the horrors of the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, and the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki-- all things we should remember. However, not often do I think of the post-war era in Japan. While "On Their Frontlines" is historical fiction, it really puts into perspective of how many Japanese women were viewed.

We follow four people: US Soldiers, Arthur and Scott, and two Japanese women, Haru and Yoriko. During the war, Haru and Yoriko, former lovers and best friends, are separated as their families flee. Fast forward some time and Yoriko returns to her home to find a letter from Haru saying she is moving to America and marrying a soldier. It is heartbreaking to watch how the two girls were lead to their paths. Haru fleeing from her home due to abuse and a forced marriage while Yoriko falls into sex work and is told it is her "patriotic duty". Neither woman have it easy and go through drastic life altering experiences that will shape their futures.

Meanwhile, Arthur is Japanese American and dealt with the discrimination in America for being Japanese "the enemy". Being forced into an internment camp and forced to decide whether he is "American" or "Japanese". To prove he's "American" he joins the military. Then there is Scott who is almost too gentle for the world. While he is American, he is looked at differently for not being "man enough" when other soldiers try to get him to hook up with random Japanese women.

The art adds an extra layer of the heartbreak and horrors that transpired. "On Their Frontlines" is about an experience we don't talk about, but should. This is only book 1, but the emotions are so raw. I won't say it's refreshing, but I do like viewing the Japanese perspective post-war rather than the American and Jewish perspective.

[✩｡°⋆ Lala ⋆｡°✩]

🖋️ Author: Marina Lisa Komiya
📖 Title: On Their Frontlines
📅 Pub Day: September 1, 2026
💌 Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ASIN: B0GYHNSBL9
⏱️ Length: 348 pages
📌 Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA+
⭐ Star Rating: 3

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The subject matter here is genuinely compelling. On Their Frontlines follows Haru and Yoriko, two best friends and possibly lovers who are separated during the devastation of postwar Japan. Left with almost no options, each woman finds her own difficult path to survival before eventually crossing paths with American soldiers they end up marrying. The historical context around Japanese war brides and the occupation era was probably the most interesting part for me.

The artwork has a sweet, doll-like quality that creates an interesting contrast with the weight of the subject matter. I can appreciate what Komiya was going for there.

Where it lost me was the storytelling itself. I found it genuinely confusing to follow at times, jumping between perspectives and timelines in a way that made it hard to stay oriented. I just wish the storytelling had been a little clearer. I found myself having to reread panels to figure out what was happening and who I was following.

I can see this working really well for readers who already enjoy historical manga and queer WWII stories. It just didn't fully click for me personally.

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If you like:

✔️ historical manga
✔️ WWII stories from the Japanese perspective
✔️ queer historical fiction
✔️ female friendship and survival
✔️ Japanese postwar history
✔️ character driven graphic novels

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Thank you to NetGalley, Marina Lisa Komiya, and Fantagraphics Books for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.

[Rod Brown]

A melancholy tale of LGBTQIA+ people muddling through the U.S. military occupation of Japan following World War II.

Separated by the war, unable to find each other, and bereft of family support for different reasons, two Japanese women find themselves circling marriages of convenience to American soldiers as a means of escaping the many things troubling one or both of them: grief, heartbreak, isolation, rape, poverty, domestic violence, and sex work. They alternate chapters with each other and two U.S. soldiers who have their own baggage.

It's all very sad, but also a fascinating peek at a little remembered part of history. At a time when Asian immigration to the United States was banned or extremely limited, 45,000 Japanese women found themselves landing on American shores with their new husbands in what the Smithsonian dubs "the largest women-only immigration event in U.S. history."

The storytelling and art are good, but attention is needed while reading as the story repeatedly jumps back and forth in time, space, and characters' points of view.

I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for the concluding volume.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.



FOR REFERENCE:

Collects material originally serialized on Leed Publishing's Torch Web manga website starting from April 2023.

Contents: Preface -- Chapter 1. Murata Yoriko, Showa 23 (1948) -- Chapter 2. Sudo Haru, Showa 22 (1947) -- Chapter 3. Arthur Jiro Hashimoto, 1947 -- Chapter 4. Scott Charles O'Connor, 1949 -- Chapter 5. Murata Yoriko, Showa 24 (1949) -- Chapter 6. Sudo Haru, Showa 22 (1947) -- Chapter 7. Arthur Jiro Hashimoto, 1948 -- Chapter 8. Scott Charles O'Connor, 1950 -- Chapter 9. Murata Yoriko, Showa 26 (1951) -- Character Guide -- Translator Notes

[anne]

on their frontlines is a manga imagining the lives of queer characters in post-war japan, a highly hostile environment. yet, despite knowing that our characters are queer because of the synopsis or the preface, we don't really see their queerness on page. i understand this was not a time they could live out and proud, but the only sapphic "scene" happens as a sort of flashback in the very beginning of the book. i felt like this whole manga was an introduction for the later installments and i don't think i'll be picking those up.

i found the context interesting to write about and there were definitely subjects that many readers would be exposed to for the first time here. yoriko's fate as a sex worker after the war during the american occupation of japan, haru's abusive family and situation after being disowned, the realities of arthur being a nikkeijin (japanese born outside of japan), and whatever scott's deal is.

finally, i took a few notes while reading this such as the lack of translator's notes or footnotes on the page giving context, but found out after finishing that the translator's notes were at the very end. i personally would have prefered them on the page but i understand the possible lack of space problem. on a similar subject, i thought it weird that non speech text was translated in footnotes and not directly on top of the japanese but again, i will respect the translator's choices since i know it's not an easy task.

i probably would have enjoyed this manga more if i didn't already know this much about post-war japan, so i feel like my opinion is biased.

i received this e-arc thanks to netgalley and fantagraphics books but this review is my honest opinion!

📅 publication date: 1 september 2026

[jay]

3.5 || dark sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

On Their Frontlines does not shy away from the brutal realities in its reimaginings of the untold lives of queer folk in post-war Japan. It touches on what it means to endure, what it costs to survive, and the toll that it takes on the living.

As a first volume, it packs a huge impact and sets up the intertwined world of our four protagonists: Haru, Yoriko, Arthur, and Scott. The parallels between the four and their entanglements are very interesting and I'm curious as to how the author will have them all collide down the line.

The art is unique, characters having soft and squishy designs as a stark contrast to the dark times that they're all living through - a juxtaposition that is not lost to me. That being said, I do hope that there would be clearer differentiation in the drawings of the women, as it took me a couple of recalls between pages to parse through whether the woman was Haru or Yoriko, or if it was a dream or a memory. The men have more distinct styles, so I hope the following volumes have more variety (or at the very least, character differentiation).

Big thanks to the author and publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.

[Lucy Larsen]

I would first like to start this review by thanking the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this story sounded interesting right from the beginning as both a queer individual and someone who studied Japanese history I was very interested to seeing how queer identities were represented during this time of upheaval, change, and great loss in Japanese history. I will admit that the author’s note at the beginning of the story was one of the things that I actually ended up really appreciating about this story. It really gave you depth and perspective from the very beginning.

I found that all four main characters were deeply interesting. Both of the women, in love with someone they may never see again and could never stay with even if they did, had their own thoughts and backstory and deep emotion. I really felt for both and the different horrible circumstances they found themselves throughout their lives. I also really liked both male main characters each with their own different struggles and each just trying to fit in with groups that will never really fully accept them. I really grew to care for all four characters. This book is accurate to the period so I wouldn’t say it’s spicy perse, but there are drawings of sexual content so be aware of that going in.

Overall, I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 star rating. I would really like to read the next one and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Mimi]

{Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!}

On Their Frontlines is about two teen girls, now women, forced away from each other and having to do what they can to survive post WW2.

The art style is nice, if not a teensy bit difficult to tell the differences between who is who (Yoriko = freckles). As Yoriko and Haru's stories drift away from one another it became easier to see the distinctions in their physical appearance. I also found the font choice for the languages to be difficult to differentiate, which made Scott and Yoriko's conversations confusing as I couldn't tell when they were speaking Japanese or English to one another.

Other than that, the story itself is beautiful. It explores all of the nasty nuances of race and ethnicity that still impact diasporic individuals today with the flavor of WW2. How these two gay women must set aside their want to find each other in favor of survival. Even if it means getting married to men and leaving for America. Even the men have their own problems with Arthur's muddled and incongruous identity battle and Scott, who isn't seen as "man enough" for his peers. All of their stories are handled with such grace and true historical accuracy. It's not a textbook, but this would be a good starting point for someone wanting to learn more about what post WW2 was like in Japan and for those Japanese people that survived to make the choice to live again, even if that's in America.

4/5. I think the next volume will be even better.

[Waldkauzz]

A historical manga about two young (sapphic eluded) women and friends, who are separated after the aftermath of World War II, and their struggles and relationships with American soldiers stationed in Japan, may they be of affection or necessity.

The story follows the journey of the two aforementioned girls, as well as those of their closest companionship they make: One American-Japanese soldier, reflecting their heritage and losses, and another American solider, kind and very interested in Japanese culture. Structured in short chapters, the manga follows the everyday life of those 4 protagonists, and spotlights them in rotation. Even if often lacking a central conflict, every chapter is a reflection of life after war and feels deeply intimate to the characters' lives, especially the harsh lives of the two separated childhood friends, and what invisible struggles women are facing in such times. Those two are really the heart of the story. Them being queer is only alluded to, which may not be enough for some readers, but the next volume may develop that aspect. But even so, I think it's enough to only reference this in missable passing, and it becomes, amongst many, just another thing buried in life after the war's aftermath.
The art style is quite distinct and more fluid than usual manga, which I enjoyed.

A bit of a tear-jerker, check out the content warnings. Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphic Comics for an eARC for an honest review!