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Tokyo Rose - Zero Hour: A Japanese American Woman's Persecution and Ultimate Redemption After World War II
**Recommended by The New York Public Library as one of its 50 best comics for adults**
**A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection**
Traitor or hero? Discover the truth behind the legendary Tokyo Rose.
Tokyo Zero Hour tells the true story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American woman who was visiting her relatives in Tokyo shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Trapped in Japan, Iva refused to renounce her American citizenship. But she was forced to take a job with Radio Tokyo to host "Zero Hour," a propaganda broadcast aimed at demoralizing American troops--in the role of the infamous Tokyo Rose, "The Siren of the Pacific."
The dramatic events recounted in this story
Written by Andre Frattino and illustrated by Kate Kasenow, Tokyo Zero Hour has an introduction explaining the "Tokyo Rose" phenomenon and the devastating effects of World War II on Asian-American communities that continue to reverberate. In a world rife with misinformation and racial prejudice, the story of Tokyo Rose has never been more relevant.
**A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection**
Traitor or hero? Discover the truth behind the legendary Tokyo Rose.
Tokyo Zero Hour tells the true story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American woman who was visiting her relatives in Tokyo shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Trapped in Japan, Iva refused to renounce her American citizenship. But she was forced to take a job with Radio Tokyo to host "Zero Hour," a propaganda broadcast aimed at demoralizing American troops--in the role of the infamous Tokyo Rose, "The Siren of the Pacific."
The dramatic events recounted in this story
Written by Andre Frattino and illustrated by Kate Kasenow, Tokyo Zero Hour has an introduction explaining the "Tokyo Rose" phenomenon and the devastating effects of World War II on Asian-American communities that continue to reverberate. In a world rife with misinformation and racial prejudice, the story of Tokyo Rose has never been more relevant.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 3, 2023
An interesting bit of dramatized history about the American citizen who ended up on Japanese propaganda radio during World War II and became conflated with the Tokyo Rose radio personality. After the war she was actually put on trial in America for her perceived acts of treason. But through it all, her strong, vibrant personality shines through.
The writing and art are fair enough, but this graphic novel gets a failing grade in editing. There are numerous misspellings in the word balloons, which are often poorly placed and cause reading order confusion. A Japanese officer's rank keeps flipping between major and master sergeant. Her uncle is called "Hottori" when his name is actually Hattori. Lots of little dings all over the place.
The writing and art are fair enough, but this graphic novel gets a failing grade in editing. There are numerous misspellings in the word balloons, which are often poorly placed and cause reading order confusion. A Japanese officer's rank keeps flipping between major and master sergeant. Her uncle is called "Hottori" when his name is actually Hattori. Lots of little dings all over the place.
January 23, 2023
I'd heard of Tokyo Rose but didn't know much about her (or rather them; several women broadcast). Iva Toguri, a young woman from Los Angeles, went to Japan on her mother's insistence to visit her mother's sister, who was ill. The family was unkind to her, and after a while, she booked a ticket home. But the start of WWII left her trapped in Tokyo. Estranged from the family, not fully fluent in Japanese, and regarded as the enemy for being American and refusing to renounce that citizenship, she had limited options.
A friend got her clerical work at a broadcasting station. When offered the job of being the voice of a show meant to demoralize American troops in radio range, she initially refused. An American POW who was one of the writers of the show convinced her that she could do it and, rather than demoralize, she could demonstrate friendship by careful wording and inflection subtle enough to escape notice from her supervisors, who were not fluent in English. She did the show - mostly American popular music, to keep the troops listening - for several years, using the name Orphan Ann.
While in Japan, she met and married a half-Japanese Portuguese man. She was pregnant at the end of the war, and lost the baby while she was detained in Japan by the Americans. After a year, she was cleared of those charges. Her husband was unable to get into the US after the war, and she was unable to leave, so they eventually divorced, and she remained single. Also while she was in Japan, her family was sent to an internment camp, at which point she lost touch with them. Her mother died in the camp.
When she returned to America, she was prosecuted as a traitor, for political reasons. Evidence against her was distorted or untrue (perjurers later confessed that they did it under coercion), and evidence for her was dismissed, disallowed, and discredited unfairly. She spent 6 years of a 10-year sentence in prison. Over 20 years later, President Gerald Ford gave her a pardon.
This book is about Iva's life, and it's about the harm caused by racism and nationalism. It does an excellent job on both points, without being preachy about social justice; the facts speak for themselves. My only quibble is with the art, specifically the women's faces. Mouths are too big, and nobody is good-looking. I looked at images of Ida, and she looked cute and not at all like she looks in the book.
A friend got her clerical work at a broadcasting station. When offered the job of being the voice of a show meant to demoralize American troops in radio range, she initially refused. An American POW who was one of the writers of the show convinced her that she could do it and, rather than demoralize, she could demonstrate friendship by careful wording and inflection subtle enough to escape notice from her supervisors, who were not fluent in English. She did the show - mostly American popular music, to keep the troops listening - for several years, using the name Orphan Ann.
While in Japan, she met and married a half-Japanese Portuguese man. She was pregnant at the end of the war, and lost the baby while she was detained in Japan by the Americans. After a year, she was cleared of those charges. Her husband was unable to get into the US after the war, and she was unable to leave, so they eventually divorced, and she remained single. Also while she was in Japan, her family was sent to an internment camp, at which point she lost touch with them. Her mother died in the camp.
When she returned to America, she was prosecuted as a traitor, for political reasons. Evidence against her was distorted or untrue (perjurers later confessed that they did it under coercion), and evidence for her was dismissed, disallowed, and discredited unfairly. She spent 6 years of a 10-year sentence in prison. Over 20 years later, President Gerald Ford gave her a pardon.
This book is about Iva's life, and it's about the harm caused by racism and nationalism. It does an excellent job on both points, without being preachy about social justice; the facts speak for themselves. My only quibble is with the art, specifically the women's faces. Mouths are too big, and nobody is good-looking. I looked at images of Ida, and she looked cute and not at all like she looks in the book.
August 17, 2024
Simply told. Clearly written. Beautifully drawn and crafted.
The "Tokyo Rose" of myth was a traitor. This traitorous woman of our collective "received truth" (at least the hooey that I received as truth, and was taught when I was growing up) was a danger to world freedom. The myth goes something like this:
* She was one woman -- just one -- broadcasting by radio from inside Japan with a far too expansive knowledge of American culture (turns out, the "Tokyo Rose" of this book was an American born to Japanese immigrant parents);
* She singlehandedly mocked the Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre of WWII;
* "Tokyo Rose" demoralized our Allied Troops to the point more of our troops were killed in battle than would have been expected otherwise; thus clearly,
* She was guilty of treasonous activity.
True?
No! No! All of it is hooey. A bunch of baloney.
There were SEVERAL "Tokyo Roses" broadcasting on behalf of Japan. At the conclusion of WWII in the Pacific, each and everyone of the broadcasting Tokyo Roses fled, blended into the background, disappeared, and were never brought to justice.
Except one -- the subject of this book. She was caught and investigated in Japan by Gen. MacArthur and was found to have broadcast nothing that would have endangered Allied Troops.
Nevertheless, upon her return to her family in America, Harry Truman, for reasons strictly political, had her RE-ARRESTED. Truman then brought the full weight and fury of the American court system down upon her to make an example of her. End result: a very real and very innocent "Tokyo Rose" was pre-judged, eventually tossed into a court proceeding, convicted, and sentenced to Federal Prison for treasonous activity that she simply did not commit.
The American justice system is not about "justice" -- at least in this case it's not. This book will infuriate you at first, then leave you with a bottomless sense of helplessness and despair . . . If "The Trial" by Kafka comes to mind, it should.
That's the gist.
The "Tokyo Rose" of myth was a traitor. This traitorous woman of our collective "received truth" (at least the hooey that I received as truth, and was taught when I was growing up) was a danger to world freedom. The myth goes something like this:
* She was one woman -- just one -- broadcasting by radio from inside Japan with a far too expansive knowledge of American culture (turns out, the "Tokyo Rose" of this book was an American born to Japanese immigrant parents);
* She singlehandedly mocked the Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre of WWII;
* "Tokyo Rose" demoralized our Allied Troops to the point more of our troops were killed in battle than would have been expected otherwise; thus clearly,
* She was guilty of treasonous activity.
True?
No! No! All of it is hooey. A bunch of baloney.
There were SEVERAL "Tokyo Roses" broadcasting on behalf of Japan. At the conclusion of WWII in the Pacific, each and everyone of the broadcasting Tokyo Roses fled, blended into the background, disappeared, and were never brought to justice.
Except one -- the subject of this book. She was caught and investigated in Japan by Gen. MacArthur and was found to have broadcast nothing that would have endangered Allied Troops.
Nevertheless, upon her return to her family in America, Harry Truman, for reasons strictly political, had her RE-ARRESTED. Truman then brought the full weight and fury of the American court system down upon her to make an example of her. End result: a very real and very innocent "Tokyo Rose" was pre-judged, eventually tossed into a court proceeding, convicted, and sentenced to Federal Prison for treasonous activity that she simply did not commit.
The American justice system is not about "justice" -- at least in this case it's not. This book will infuriate you at first, then leave you with a bottomless sense of helplessness and despair . . . If "The Trial" by Kafka comes to mind, it should.
That's the gist.
December 29, 2022
This was okay, but a bit uneven. I knew virtually nothing about Tokyo Rose going in, so I learned a lot. But I didn’t “get” the subversive nature of the broadcasts, so I felt like I was missing something. I also found multiple misspellings and grammatical mistakes, which made me question the quality of the overall book as a whole.
February 12, 2024
I have heard of Tokyo Rose and was interested in learning more about her, especially if she’d been misrepresented. What I wasn’t expecting was all the misspellings/ grammatical errors. While I appreciate the effort of the sensitivity readers, maybe they could have also hired a copy editor. A real shame because the story was good and would have benefited from a research bibliography.
December 22, 2024
Tokyo Rose - Zero Hour by Andre Frattino would have easily been a four star read for this dramatization of Iva Toguri's (aka Tokyo Rose) story, if it weren't for all the spelling errors and other editing issues sprinkled throughout. There were several that caught my eye, but the one that really stuck with me was when Iwo Jima became "Iowa Jima"!
April 14, 2024
This would be a 4, except that it is absolutely riddled with errors and typos - to the point at times that it is difficult to know exactly what was intended. A fascinating story that really could have used another copyediting pass.
January 14, 2023
This book takes Iva Toguri's years-long story and condenses it in a way that is both an interesting story and efficient storytelling. Iva is a sympathetic, likable, and understandable character put into an impossible situation who made the best decisions she could. The way that she was constantly separated from her loved ones is heartbreaking.
The script, or lettering, could have used an additional edit. I caught a number of typos that interrupted my immersion.
Iva Toguri's story would make a great movie and I'm glad to read it in comic form.
The script, or lettering, could have used an additional edit. I caught a number of typos that interrupted my immersion.
Iva Toguri's story would make a great movie and I'm glad to read it in comic form.
February 27, 2023
An excellent introduction to this Japanese-American woman who was unjustly tried for treason and served time in prison after World War II.
Iva Yoguri, AKA "Orphan Ann" and "Tokyo Rose", went to Japan before the war to help care for her Aunt who was ill. Trapped there after war broke out and her family in the U.S. sent to an internment camp, she was compelled to get a job to support herself. She began working as a clerk for the Japanese radio system until an Australian officer asked her to read the text of "Japanese propaganda" he had written on the air. The Japanese did not pick up on either tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic humor he embedded into the text or Yoguri's sassy delivery. As it turns out, American soldiers and sailors found her radio show to be funny and morale-building. Never renouncing her American citizenship, Yoguri was finally able to return to the U.S. after the war, where she was arrested and charged with treason for working for the Japanese. Found guilty of one charge (without evidence that supported the charge), she was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $10K. In 1977, President Gerald Ford granted her a full pardon, never able to reunite with her beloved husband.
Frattino has done an excellent job of hitting the highlights of Yoguri's life, with the largest portion of her life working for the Japanese during WWII. He presents her in a positive light, helping readers understand the grave injustice dealt to this patriot. A Foreword by the illustrator and Preface by the author set the stage, giving readers background on what to expect in the story. Frattino shifts time forward and back for dramatic effect. Each chapter opens with a dated quote from Tokyo Rose/Orphan Ann's show, with one exception: Chapter 2 features a quote by Madame Tojo (an early "Tokyo Rose", as there were several women were given this name as they read on the radio at the time). It ends with a Epilogue with more detail about Yoguri's later life; a timeline of Yoguri's life; several quotes from her show, including several rumored quotes; a bibliography; and brief bios of the book's creators and sensitivity readers.
Overall, B&W artwork by Kate Kasenow is strong, capturing the drama of Yoguri's life. There were multiple times it was difficult to differentiate between characters, slowing the reader as a result. Lettering by Janice Chiang was consistent throughout.
For future printings, several text errors were noted. Examples noted: Ch.4, in the Bunka Gakun Camp, the Major says: "Your damn right", should have been "you're"; same chapter, 3 page turns later, the Major says to Tsuneishi: "...You don'tant our boys listening...", should have been "...You don't want..."; Ch. 5, last full 2-page spread, Iva says to Felipe: "...I was ever a traitor...", should have been "...I was never a traitor...; Ch.6 4 full 2-page spreads into the trial, 2nd witness says: "She was very risque and brazen in felt that she wanted attention.", should have been "...I felt she wanted..."; and same chapter, the following 2-page spread, the prosecuting attorney says: "...when this is allover...", should have been "all over".
An excellent introduction to Yoguri's wartime experience. Recommended for ages 14+.
Iva Yoguri, AKA "Orphan Ann" and "Tokyo Rose", went to Japan before the war to help care for her Aunt who was ill. Trapped there after war broke out and her family in the U.S. sent to an internment camp, she was compelled to get a job to support herself. She began working as a clerk for the Japanese radio system until an Australian officer asked her to read the text of "Japanese propaganda" he had written on the air. The Japanese did not pick up on either tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic humor he embedded into the text or Yoguri's sassy delivery. As it turns out, American soldiers and sailors found her radio show to be funny and morale-building. Never renouncing her American citizenship, Yoguri was finally able to return to the U.S. after the war, where she was arrested and charged with treason for working for the Japanese. Found guilty of one charge (without evidence that supported the charge), she was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $10K. In 1977, President Gerald Ford granted her a full pardon, never able to reunite with her beloved husband.
Frattino has done an excellent job of hitting the highlights of Yoguri's life, with the largest portion of her life working for the Japanese during WWII. He presents her in a positive light, helping readers understand the grave injustice dealt to this patriot. A Foreword by the illustrator and Preface by the author set the stage, giving readers background on what to expect in the story. Frattino shifts time forward and back for dramatic effect. Each chapter opens with a dated quote from Tokyo Rose/Orphan Ann's show, with one exception: Chapter 2 features a quote by Madame Tojo (an early "Tokyo Rose", as there were several women were given this name as they read on the radio at the time). It ends with a Epilogue with more detail about Yoguri's later life; a timeline of Yoguri's life; several quotes from her show, including several rumored quotes; a bibliography; and brief bios of the book's creators and sensitivity readers.
Overall, B&W artwork by Kate Kasenow is strong, capturing the drama of Yoguri's life. There were multiple times it was difficult to differentiate between characters, slowing the reader as a result. Lettering by Janice Chiang was consistent throughout.
For future printings, several text errors were noted. Examples noted: Ch.4, in the Bunka Gakun Camp, the Major says: "Your damn right", should have been "you're"; same chapter, 3 page turns later, the Major says to Tsuneishi: "...You don'tant our boys listening...", should have been "...You don't want..."; Ch. 5, last full 2-page spread, Iva says to Felipe: "...I was ever a traitor...", should have been "...I was never a traitor...; Ch.6 4 full 2-page spreads into the trial, 2nd witness says: "She was very risque and brazen in felt that she wanted attention.", should have been "...I felt she wanted..."; and same chapter, the following 2-page spread, the prosecuting attorney says: "...when this is allover...", should have been "all over".
An excellent introduction to Yoguri's wartime experience. Recommended for ages 14+.
November 11, 2022
Saw this come across the library desk and was immediately drawn to the history: all I know of Tokyo Rose is the stereotype-soaked lore picked up from Bugs Bunny. Having had no idea even that there was more than one woman broadcasting, that one of those was an American, and that she was subsequently arrested and tried after the war—there was enough there on the book’s back jacket to compel me to read. I’m not an avid graphic novel fan. I have, though, read a few that I felt were outstanding and which stories I thought had been best served by the graphic novel format (e.g., John Lewis’ biographical series). As a history, I am glad to have found this. I did some additional research after reading it and came to feel that the awareness I gained cut away an ugly tumor of racism that I hadn’t recognized was lodged there in my consciousness, and which I’m glad to be rid of. As a graphic novel, my feelings were ambivalent. At best. I noticed two misspellings in the text, which seriously put me off (and made me question the quality of the historical research). Even without those, though, I just found the dialogue kind of stilted and heavy-handed. Still, I’m glad I saw it and it was worth a read. History worth knowing.
September 23, 2023
This graphic novel beautifully illustrated the life and legacy of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American who was visiting family in Tokyo shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor but then becomes trapped. Even though she was pressured to renounce her American citizenship, she didn’t allow it. Being forced to host a propaganda radio show, her unwavering American patriotism led her to use her identity as Tokyo Role to boost the morale of American troops. It is heartbreaking to read how much hate and discrimination she faced in Japan, when she returned to the United States including an unfair trail that led to her imprisonment. Despite being in prison for 6 years, she was resolute about truth and Justice, and I believe it is her story that we should never forget about what it means to fight the good fight, to be true to yourself. Additionally, the story rings true today as we see the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes and speech, where we need to challenge misinformation and prejudice.
This graphic novel is probably catered to a middle school audience and up, but I really enjoyed reading it as a young adult. Overall, it was a great informative graphic novel, but sometimes the illustration of timeline was a little hard to follow.
This graphic novel is probably catered to a middle school audience and up, but I really enjoyed reading it as a young adult. Overall, it was a great informative graphic novel, but sometimes the illustration of timeline was a little hard to follow.
February 5, 2023
I knew of the Tokyo Rose propaganda broadcasts and that it was more than one woman doing the broadcast but I didn't know anything about Iva Toguri. She did her best in a tough situation and tried to limit the effects of her propaganda. To be honest, I probably would have done the same if I'd been in her position.
There was some bits about how she loved America so much and other patriotic nonsense, which I found ironic since America didn't seem to love her or her people back, as can be seen in how she was treated after the war and how Asian Americans in general are being treated right now in 2023 (for those unaware, not well). The enemy now is China (Russia too it seems, considering how Western media keeps saying it's Mongol/Asian, ie not white) so I'm sure there'll be more anti-Asian prosecutions coming up in the US.
It says Iva Toguri died at 90 in Chicago. I hope the rest of her life was happy and fulfilling but I know it probably wasn't. There really is no justice in the world.
There was some bits about how she loved America so much and other patriotic nonsense, which I found ironic since America didn't seem to love her or her people back, as can be seen in how she was treated after the war and how Asian Americans in general are being treated right now in 2023 (for those unaware, not well). The enemy now is China (Russia too it seems, considering how Western media keeps saying it's Mongol/Asian, ie not white) so I'm sure there'll be more anti-Asian prosecutions coming up in the US.
It says Iva Toguri died at 90 in Chicago. I hope the rest of her life was happy and fulfilling but I know it probably wasn't. There really is no justice in the world.
November 15, 2024
I didn’t really know any of this stuff about the real ‘Tokyo Rose’ girls, and Iva’s story is a really fascinating look into it and life during the war in general, especially if you’re already versed in various parts of it. The art is good and the book does a great job of making the historical characters like-able and empathetic.
If it has a problem it’s that it’s REALLY short. I greatly enjoyed the bigger focus on the creative team and founder of Tuttle in the back but that hides that the actual story is barely over 100 pages long, and essentially skips over huge parts of Iva’s life (specifically the war years after becoming Orphan Ann and her time in prison). It just feels a little odd for those parts to be so glossed over, unless there was a very definite page limit they had to contend with. I’m curious how much was in the sources that they cut.
It does also end more like a triumph than a tragedy which is odd but I understand why.
If it has a problem it’s that it’s REALLY short. I greatly enjoyed the bigger focus on the creative team and founder of Tuttle in the back but that hides that the actual story is barely over 100 pages long, and essentially skips over huge parts of Iva’s life (specifically the war years after becoming Orphan Ann and her time in prison). It just feels a little odd for those parts to be so glossed over, unless there was a very definite page limit they had to contend with. I’m curious how much was in the sources that they cut.
It does also end more like a triumph than a tragedy which is odd but I understand why.
January 11, 2024
“Many years ago, Major Charles Cousens taught me to stop worrying about what other people think about me. How I appear or sound to them.” —Iva Toguri
I’m not sure when or why I learned about Tokyo Rose and her “alleged” betrayal of the country of her origin, but that just goes to show what an effective and insidious tool propaganda can be. Iva Toguri became a victim of WWII war time propaganda, and her life was profoundly impacted by false testimonies. What a great medium to convey the events that transpired! I was transported to another time and place. While I read, I listened to a playlist that American, Filipino, and Australian POWs would have been listening to in Southern Pacific camps.
I’m not sure when or why I learned about Tokyo Rose and her “alleged” betrayal of the country of her origin, but that just goes to show what an effective and insidious tool propaganda can be. Iva Toguri became a victim of WWII war time propaganda, and her life was profoundly impacted by false testimonies. What a great medium to convey the events that transpired! I was transported to another time and place. While I read, I listened to a playlist that American, Filipino, and Australian POWs would have been listening to in Southern Pacific camps.
April 21, 2025
Only reason this is not a five is the illustrations (while understandable why are in black and white) were not my favorite thing. They could be a bit busy and it was sometimes hard to pick up facts needed to move the later story on. However, the use of the images to show the "feelings" of the "Tokyo Rose" persona and the woman herself as that villain, is strong and emotionally tugging. The format of starting at the almost end, going to the beginning and then the final end, was a clever format. The "other side" of the story is done well, and while you can tell the creators believe Hero not Traitor, you are still allowed to see where the "traitor label" comes from. If nothing else, this book made me think about the theme and other questions that come from that.
January 18, 2023
In an effort to expand my scope of reading interest, I picked out Tokyo Rose, as it intersects two genre which I've just started reading - Graphic Novel and Bibliography. Andre Frattino and Kate Kasenow have written and drawn a very thoughtful true story about Iva Toguri, a young woman trapped in Japan while visiting relatives at the very beginning of WWII. Her independent spirit kept her alive, but at the sacrifice of her reputation back in the U.S. Read this story if you want to learn more a little-known tale of the war, and about how Japanese-Americans were caught up in that conflict.
April 18, 2023
I wanted to enjoy the story more but the combination of storytelling and graphic design didn't make it as easy to learn about an infamous story-- Tokyo Rose, a group of women whose work was to disrupt. But one woman's story was intriguing, a woman born on the Fourth of July in America sent to Japan, war broke out, and an enemy to both sides and persecuted as such. She was caught in the middle of so much hatred, racism in the war.
I needed more time with her because the other history and stories kept interrupting what I considered the main story.
I needed more time with her because the other history and stories kept interrupting what I considered the main story.
August 20, 2023
This was an interesting bit of history that I hadn't heard before. I certainly learned a lot, and the story's message got across clearly without being preachy, instead letting the facts and history speak for themselves. However, I would have maybe liked it to be a bit longer. Perhaps some of the information that was in the exposition could have been added to the story itself instead. And there were several typos throughout that took me out of the flow of the narrative. Despite those things, though, I did learn from and enjoy this short graphic novel about a little-known piece of history.
February 21, 2024
This was interesting. It's a true but dramatized story about the woman scapegoated as Tokyo Rose during World War II. (Tokyo Rose was actually several women. It was a radio broadcast from Japan made towards American sailors.) She was an American that was trapped in Japan while visiting family when Pearl Harbor was bombed. There's several grammatical and spelling errors in the book. The art can be wonky at times too. Still there's not too many stories about the real story of Tokyo Rose out there so I found this interesting.
February 3, 2023
Iva Yoguri, American born and sent to Japan to help family, was the victim of multiple circumstances. She leaves for Japan before the war, and encounters prejudice in Japan as an American. Her work with Radio Tokyo eventually crosses paths with Harry Brundidge, a reporter, who interviews her as Tokyo Rose. Iva is arrested and convicted in the U.S. Fascinating slice of history told in graphic style.
April 8, 2023
The content is interesting and I would love to know more about this story but not from these authors. The characters are one dimensional licking nuance and the illustrations were jarring to me and not adding anything to the story for the most part. I also feel like the Americans were made to look way better than the Japanese. For example the horror of the prison camps in America and her own 6 years in American jail. Those details were left out.
April 27, 2023
Interesting story that missed the mark as a graphic novel. The art isn't well used to further the story and even confused me a few times. Had never heard Iva Toguri's story before, and that was good, but the subversive nature of the broadcasts wasn't well explained. Even the quotes at the end didn't help much. Perhaps we needed more background?
Good, not great, and should've been a magazine article instead.
Good, not great, and should've been a magazine article instead.
January 9, 2023
Loved it. I had no idea there ever was a person called Tokyo Rose. I feel bad for her. It took a long time to clear up her name. The story covered a lot. It was interesting to read as a graphic novel. It made it easier to visualize the story rather than read it without pictures. The graphics made her seem more real. I do not think they have a lot of history on her. This book helps add to it.
November 9, 2023
Did you know "Tokyo Rose" wasn't even one particular individual, and that, in fact, the American woman of Japanese descent (nisei) who was tried and imprisoned after the war, accused of giving aid the enemy as Tokyo Rose, was, in fact, a US patriot trapped in Japan? Yeah, neither did I. This excellent graphic biography of Iva Toguri sets the record straight.
December 31, 2022
I'm looking forward to adding this one to my classroom library. Although I had certainly heard of Tokyo Rose, I confess that I knew next to nothing about the details of her life. What a remarkable journey she had!
January 19, 2023
I thought this was super interesting! I had heard of "Tokyo Rose" but I didn't know the full story at all. I found the whole propaganda machine of Japan - and other countries including the US - to be just fascinating!
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January 30, 2023Hadn't realized this was a graphic novel until I picked it up from the library. The usual issues of minuscule print made it impossible to read. Do people who publish graphic novels not understand that this is a problem?
June 3, 2023
What an amazing story, I was fully blown away by this graphic novel and the true story within. There’s still so many unsung people we have not heard the stories of in history. I’m glad to have picked this one up.
June 6, 2023
A Japanese-American young woman is stranded after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and finds herself an unwilling and unwelcome foreigner. At times she operates in a moral gray area but she always insists she is a loyal American. After the war she returns to the USA, stands trial, and is found guilty.
December 27, 2024
Story of Tokyo Rose (Orphan Ann) - Iva was patriotic as she was brave. The treatment of Japanese Americans during WWII is grim and tragic. Iva’s story shows courage in hardship through the complexity of being a Japanese American while trapped on Japanese soil.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews