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The Satsuma Rebellion: Illustrated Japanese History - The Last Stand of the Samurai
A gripping graphic novel describing the uprising of 1877, when the old style samurai were crushed in a bloody conflict with the imperial army that ended samurai power in Japan
Award-winning comic book writer Sean Michael Wilson and acclaimed manga artist Akiko Shimojima team up to tell the riveting story that changed the face of modern Japan. Depicting thrilling scenes of battles, gunships, castle sieges, and the samurais' heroic last stand, this book portrays the bloody uprising of 1877, when Satsuma rebels, led by the infamous Saigo Takamori, fought enforced modernization by the Meiji Japanese government. Their crushing defeat by the imperial army ended their power once and for all and ushered in an era of modern technology and western military methods. Wilson's thrilling narrative and Shimojima's striking images convey both the drama of these events and the importance of the historical moment. Historically accurate and with an easy-to-read format, The Satsuma Rebellion is Volume 2 in the Illustrated Japanese History series that began with Black Ships.
Award-winning comic book writer Sean Michael Wilson and acclaimed manga artist Akiko Shimojima team up to tell the riveting story that changed the face of modern Japan. Depicting thrilling scenes of battles, gunships, castle sieges, and the samurais' heroic last stand, this book portrays the bloody uprising of 1877, when Satsuma rebels, led by the infamous Saigo Takamori, fought enforced modernization by the Meiji Japanese government. Their crushing defeat by the imperial army ended their power once and for all and ushered in an era of modern technology and western military methods. Wilson's thrilling narrative and Shimojima's striking images convey both the drama of these events and the importance of the historical moment. Historically accurate and with an easy-to-read format, The Satsuma Rebellion is Volume 2 in the Illustrated Japanese History series that began with Black Ships.
- GenresGraphic NovelsHistory
112 pages, Paperback
Published April 3, 2018
About the author
Sean Michael Wilson
81 books86 followersSean Michael Wilson is a comic book writer from Scotland. He has had around 30 books published with a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers, including: a comic book version of A Christmas Carol ('Best of 2008’, Sunday Times), AX:alternative manga ( 'Best ten books of 2010’, Publishers Weekly), Parecomic (with an introduction by Noam Chomsky, his first contribution to a book in graphic form). He is currently writing books for big Japanese publisher Kodansha, being the only British writer to do so. In fact, he is the only pro manga writer from Britain who lives in Japan. He is also the editor of the critically acclaimed collection 'AX:alternative manga' (Publishers Weekly's 'Best ten books of 2010' and nominated for a Harvey award).
Working with various Japanese artists he has written a unique line of Japanese history/martial arts/Samurai books, including The Book of Five Rings, Secrets of the Ninja, The 47 Ronin, and Cold Mountain (winner of China Comic and Animation Competition 2015 ‘Best Overseas Comic’ award). In 2016 his book 'The Faceless Ghost' was nominated for an Eisner Award. In 2017 he became the first British person to receive an International Manga Award from the Japanese Government. In 2019 his book 'The Many Not the Few' was launched by the Labour Party leader in an event in the Houses of Parliament. In 2020 he received the Scottish Samurai Award from an association promoting connections between Japan and Scotland.
He does comic books outside the normal superhero/fantasy brands, going into areas such as history, biography, drama, and social issues, often in collaboration with universities, charities and book publishers. He often gives lectures and talks about comics in schools and colleges, and writes articles for such places as The Japan Times, The London Economic and The Herald Scotland.
Working with various Japanese artists he has written a unique line of Japanese history/martial arts/Samurai books, including The Book of Five Rings, Secrets of the Ninja, The 47 Ronin, and Cold Mountain (winner of China Comic and Animation Competition 2015 ‘Best Overseas Comic’ award). In 2016 his book 'The Faceless Ghost' was nominated for an Eisner Award. In 2017 he became the first British person to receive an International Manga Award from the Japanese Government. In 2019 his book 'The Many Not the Few' was launched by the Labour Party leader in an event in the Houses of Parliament. In 2020 he received the Scottish Samurai Award from an association promoting connections between Japan and Scotland.
He does comic books outside the normal superhero/fantasy brands, going into areas such as history, biography, drama, and social issues, often in collaboration with universities, charities and book publishers. He often gives lectures and talks about comics in schools and colleges, and writes articles for such places as The Japan Times, The London Economic and The Herald Scotland.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 13, 2018
Unsurprisingly, given the title, this is a book dealing with Japanese history, of a time when the age of the samurai was giving way to a more modern era. There's a very Classics Illustrated feel to the book, both in story and art. There's not a lot of nuance. Wilson and Shimojima get on with the business of telling their story as simply and precisely as possible.
I often find myself at a loss when confronted with the task of writing a review of one of Sean Michael Wilson's graphic novels. As someone with a layperson’s interest in Japan and its history, I find his subject matter fascinating. And he's adapted a few books--Secrets of the Nina for example--that would seem to resist easy adaptation. But he somehow manages to do it. It's a neat trick.
There's a fair amount of overlap in the world of nonfiction comics. There's tons of autobiography, more than a few comics journalists, quite a few tackling various branches of science. But, aside from manga- and anime-centric works, there's not a lot of comics exploration of Japanese history and culture, or at least it's not getting translated into English. Wilson seems to have the field largely to himself.
I just wish his work excited me more. I do enjoy it, but there's no Wow! factor to it. There's a beauty to it, but it's calm and placid. It's a history book, rather than a historical novel. I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing, but …
That all said, this is some of the best work I’ve seen from him, and I will continue to read what I can find of it. Not recommended unless you’ve got a reasonably strong interest in his subject matter though.
I often find myself at a loss when confronted with the task of writing a review of one of Sean Michael Wilson's graphic novels. As someone with a layperson’s interest in Japan and its history, I find his subject matter fascinating. And he's adapted a few books--Secrets of the Nina for example--that would seem to resist easy adaptation. But he somehow manages to do it. It's a neat trick.
There's a fair amount of overlap in the world of nonfiction comics. There's tons of autobiography, more than a few comics journalists, quite a few tackling various branches of science. But, aside from manga- and anime-centric works, there's not a lot of comics exploration of Japanese history and culture, or at least it's not getting translated into English. Wilson seems to have the field largely to himself.
I just wish his work excited me more. I do enjoy it, but there's no Wow! factor to it. There's a beauty to it, but it's calm and placid. It's a history book, rather than a historical novel. I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing, but …
That all said, this is some of the best work I’ve seen from him, and I will continue to read what I can find of it. Not recommended unless you’ve got a reasonably strong interest in his subject matter though.
May 14, 2018
Hi all, I am the writer of this visual version, thanks for having a look at our book.
This book is second in a series of 'Illustrated Japanese History' that we are doing for the publisher North Atlantic Books (who, despite their name, are actually based on the Pacific side of the USA!), the first being the book 'Black Ships'. In these books we try to avoid the hollywood style cliches of ramping up the sex, the violence and focusing too much on personalities. Instead we try to make an accurate but still enjoyable version of the actual event, people and situation. As much as historical research shows them to us anyway.
Please check out some of our other adaptions of Japanese classics and history - we have done 13 now!
http://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com
Thanks, Sean
This book is second in a series of 'Illustrated Japanese History' that we are doing for the publisher North Atlantic Books (who, despite their name, are actually based on the Pacific side of the USA!), the first being the book 'Black Ships'. In these books we try to avoid the hollywood style cliches of ramping up the sex, the violence and focusing too much on personalities. Instead we try to make an accurate but still enjoyable version of the actual event, people and situation. As much as historical research shows them to us anyway.
Please check out some of our other adaptions of Japanese classics and history - we have done 13 now!
http://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com
Thanks, Sean
November 29, 2020
The Satsuma Rebellion, or at least its Hollywood version in ‘The Last Samurai’, is probably known to many but understood, in depth, by few. As the introduction to this book presents that is partially because few would want to expend much energy to delve in detail into a failed uprising. Yet, as Mr Wilson makes clear in this endeavour it was not at all certain at the time that it would fail—and in the minds of many of the people of the time, this rebellion was a very significant event.
This take, though in a comic book form, doesn’t go easy on the subject. Perhaps these words were not necessary though often enough books, as other things, are valued on their form and not on substance. Well, I’ll say again, that even my often overly great wish for detail was well supported by Mr Wilson’s exploration of the rebellion. Also, for those who want it, the first chapter summarises more than thirty of the preceding years in order to create some sort a logical narrative for the reader.
What I wish would have been better are more detail on Saigo Takamori who didn’t quite jump out from these pages as a fully-developed person. The same on Yamagata Aritomo would have also been quite helpful as he was portrayed as the anti-Saigo leader. Illustrating Yamagata’s backstory would have presented a nicer contrast in what the two factions (if we can call them that) believed the future needed.
Nevertheless, I’ve liked Mr Wilson’s summaries in the past, and this one had more beef to it than I would have expected.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
This take, though in a comic book form, doesn’t go easy on the subject. Perhaps these words were not necessary though often enough books, as other things, are valued on their form and not on substance. Well, I’ll say again, that even my often overly great wish for detail was well supported by Mr Wilson’s exploration of the rebellion. Also, for those who want it, the first chapter summarises more than thirty of the preceding years in order to create some sort a logical narrative for the reader.
What I wish would have been better are more detail on Saigo Takamori who didn’t quite jump out from these pages as a fully-developed person. The same on Yamagata Aritomo would have also been quite helpful as he was portrayed as the anti-Saigo leader. Illustrating Yamagata’s backstory would have presented a nicer contrast in what the two factions (if we can call them that) believed the future needed.
Nevertheless, I’ve liked Mr Wilson’s summaries in the past, and this one had more beef to it than I would have expected.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
June 7, 2018
This is the right way of teaching history: well researched and rigorous, yet accessible and entertaining!
This is the true story of the last samurai Saigo Takamori, a man who fought for his emperor and against him, wielding the sword as well as the gun to bring the samurais in the modern world, just as Wilson's comic brings the tale of his brave deeds to life.
This is the true story of the last samurai Saigo Takamori, a man who fought for his emperor and against him, wielding the sword as well as the gun to bring the samurais in the modern world, just as Wilson's comic brings the tale of his brave deeds to life.
October 26, 2020
Another historical graphic novel about the modernizing of Japan.
This is the main source for a course I am taking. The book is good, and the content is greatly enhanced by primary sources that are part of the readings. I do not think that this is quite as good as "Black Ships" but it is a very interesting story dealing with the last samurai.
This is the main source for a course I am taking. The book is good, and the content is greatly enhanced by primary sources that are part of the readings. I do not think that this is quite as good as "Black Ships" but it is a very interesting story dealing with the last samurai.
May 13, 2018
A clear and interesting look at a key time in Japanese history. It seems well researched also. Lovely artwork by Shimojima. This seems to be number 2 in a series of books about Japanese history from Wilson.
August 5, 2025
My problem with this version is that it assumes I already know a great deal about the history. If I don’t know about the history, then this adaptation is incredibly confusing. Otherwise, it’s fabulous!
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September 6, 2018On Loan to Ming (Sept 6)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews