On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides Vol. 1

by MARINA LISA KOMIYA, Diana Taylor (Translator)

Genres: Graphic Novels

348 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides, Volume 1 by Marina Lisa Komiya (to be released 8/11/26, so thanks for the early look from the author, Fantagraphics, and Net Galley) is a hard-hitting story she says she is writing because she is inspired to tell the stories from people that get erased, where people are forgotten or silenced. This volume focuses on four such individuals, two just-post-WWII Japanese women, Yariko and Haru, in peril, and two American soldiers, whose lives become intertwined in various ways during and after Japan's defeat.

One of the groups of history’s forgotten people Komiya has in mind is definitely women who during and after the war had very few options for survival, many forced into prostitution, including some by their own Japanese government to cater to the conquering American army, who they feared otherwise might be even more brutal. These women were asked to do their “patriotic” duty in this service! These kinds of stories get silenced in history books and are hard to read, but they are important to remember, too. Komiya chooses not to create a hero story but to honor those everyday women who struggle to barely survive, sometimes depending on the kindness of unlikely strangers.

Another group ignored by history as Komiya sees it are the “queer ghosts of the past,” so two of the four main characters--one Japanese, one American--are gay. Yet another important consideration is the position at that time of mixed race Japanese-American kids, despised by many postwar in both countries, but maybe more so in Japan. These children were seen as representations of treachery, symbolic traitors.

This is a powerful story, well worth investing your time in, empathetic and as Komiya points out, not simple. Nationality and sexuality are “multivariate,” she writes in a preface. She is not trying to create characters who are demons or heroes. She is writing about down-and-out women and decent American men, in this story.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

{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.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like to Thank NetGalley, the Author and Artist and the Publisher for this ARC.

Ooooo, my sweet love for comics...

This is, at first, depressing as f****.
The story itself is beautiful. It explores all of the nasty nuances of race and ethnicity that still impact a lot of individuals today, especially those who came/come from wartorn countries.
These two gay women must set aside their want/need to find each other in favor of their own survival. Even when it means getting married to men and leaving Japan.
But the men have their own problems with Arthur's muddled identity battle and Scott, who isn't seen as "man enough" in the eyes of the other soldiers.

But then you start to understand the characters, where they come from, how they are feeling and where they are going. And it just gets worse. (But in a "good" way 🙈)
This is a heavy and complex story with 4 different POV's and a lot, A WHOLE LOT of feelings.
By the time you reach the halfway point, you can't turn back nor do you want to put it down.
And after you turn the last pages you are emotionally destroyed and all you want is an happy ending or just an ending to their story.

So I want, no I NEED the next volume like a fish needs water.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gut punch (in all the best ways)!

Haru and Yori, two young Japanese women, are in love, but by the time WWII ends and Yori returns to Tokyo, they have been separated. During their separation, Haru met a Japanese American soldier, Jiro, whom she married and followed to the US. This Volume follows Haru, Yori, and Jiro, plus Scott, a white American soldier who befriends Yori, as they try to survive in Japan following the War.

This is an incredibly moving book, and I was tearing up during the author's intro and again and again throughout the book. As a queer Japanese American, I found it especially touching - particularly the storyline about Jiro's brother, who, like my grandfather served in Italy during the War - but it is hard to imagine any reader not being moved by the plights of the various characters and the countless real life people they represent.

I can't wait for the second volume to be available in English!

One final note, the book and panels are read right to left. The eBook pages are read left to right, but the panels are read right to left.

Thank you NetGalley for advance access to the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

[Amelia Gutche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics books for an eARC in exchange for my review!

As I had received a digital copy, I was a bit disappointed to see that it was in black and white rather than color and confused that it was read right to left made it confusing also. I do not hold it against the piece as I know that that is a style of comic, however it did differ from the western comic style I am familiar with and took a bit of adjusting. I was drawn in by the premise of this comic, the stories of Japanese women and their lives and sacrifices made after/during wartime. I really appreciated that the author chose to tell more complex and tragic stories rather than rewriting the past as they mention in the beginning of the book. I think it makes for powerful story telling. I found it a bit difficult to keep the characters straight (mostly the two main female leads) as they looked fairly similar with the art style but I am interested to see where their stories go. I liked that each chapter jumped around and that we got to see some of the motivations for the characters decisions.

[Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides is an interesting and deep story. It was a difficult read as it details harsh themes, situations and relationships all the characters have to experience. While the story is about two women who are separated after the war and have to find ways to survive, it is also about the American men they meet along the way and their lived experiences.

The art is simple and I really enjoyed it. The text/dialogue was a bit difficult to follow at times (I got lost a few times but was able to find my way back to making sense on what was going on).

This volume dove deep into the characters to understand them more. The second volume will give readers a glimpse on their lives in America and how these relationships proceed.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Tala W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Fantagraphics Books and Takumigraphics for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.
Initially, I struggled quite a bit knowing which of the women's stories was currently being told, but it was so interesting and eventually it became clear that I read it voraciously anyway. It was a fascinating and intimate portrait of life in Japan immediately following WWII.
The art style was simple but very evocative, especially the parts that reflected characters' inner feelings.
I loved that all four main characters were simply trying to live, and that everyone felt so real, with their own motivations and backgrounds. I am looking forward to additional volumes, as I am invested in their stories.

[✨Little Lit Lady✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[ash ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a gritty, captivating read following two women who loved each other but were separated during WW2. through different circumstances, both women end up involved with american soldiers. this was volume one, and i definitely will be reading the other volumes! i have to know what happens