Barefoot Gen 2

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s r Not as good as the first, but it still manages to bring up additional struggles experiences after the Hiroshima bombing. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A film that is difficult to endure but well worth your effort! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member It's easy to get skeptical about this sequel considering the first film's narrative seemed to tie itself up pretty tightly. This sequel to the masterpiece anti-war story based off the semi-autobiographical manga about the Hiroshima bombing could have easily have been a cheap cash-in, but thankfully this is far from the case. Taking place three years after the fateful bombing, the film follows Gen as he bonds with a group of orphans while still dealing the lingering effects of the bombings aftermath. Not only does it show the lingering effects of the bombs damage but the long-term effects on the lives of the Hiroshima population. Hiroshima still remains a desolate desert-like landscape but the film shows the slow signs of recovery throughout. One of the most prominent theme of the film is moving on but never forgetting the past. This theme is displayed masterfully throughout by portraying the still visible reminders of that fateful day on August 6th 1945. One of the most biggest improvements this film has over it's predecessor is the animation. Released three years after the first film, the animation is a lot more crisp and clean. Plus the story is more smooth than the original, with scenes seeming less episodic in nature than the first. The story told in the sequel offers a meaningful continuation of the first film, showing Gen's hardships in earning daily food to keep his family alive while his mother begins to slowly succumb to radiation poisoning. 'Barefoot Gen 2' pulls it's own set of emotional punches but doesn't nearly reach the emotional heights of the first film. Watching the original 'Barefoot Gen' is strongly advised since the story builds upon the events of the first. A high quality sequel that makes for a great companion to the original. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The 1st Barefoot Gen movie was a powerful anti-war movie that showed the horrifying immediate aftermath of what happened after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima as seen through the eyes of a little boy who had lost most of his family. The 2nd Barefoot Gen movie focuses on the long-term problems that affected the residents of Hiroshima and Gen's adventures with his orphan friends. Some people can argue that a sequel didn't need to have been made in the first place and that the director had gotten his point across in the first movie. Japan was still trying to find it's feet with it's economy weakened and basic supplies were difficult to get hold of for a lot of people. But the worst problem of all was the lingering shadow of radiation poisoning. It's symptoms not showing in some people for many years and for the residents in Hiroshima they were basically under a sentence of death just waiting for the first signs to signal that they would be the next to die. This movie doesn't pack the emotional punch as the first though we do get to see a couple of scenes which shocks us such as when Gen is fishing in a river and unexpectedly discovers the river bed is full of human skulls and also when we see US soldiers digging up a huge mass grave and unceremoniously dumping thousands of skeletons inside it. The tone and atmosphere is so different from the first movie. The intention of the first was to portray hell on earth and to show the viewer what exactly happened in Hiroshima. This movie is more about showing people trying their best to survive under harsh conditions. We get to see their attitudes to those that have been scarred and burnt by the bomb. Gen has also changed from the character we saw before. He's more mature of sorts though still retaining a part of his playful nature. The new characters introduced are likeable. The animation seems to have improved vastly from the first movie, it looks a lot better, detailed and crisp. I liked this sequel. Whilst it doesn't hit the emotions of the first movie it was better than what I expected so I definitely recommend it. It is still heartbreaking at times but thankfully there's a glimmer of hope at the end. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member The second one was not as good as the first, but it had a good ending... Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Barefoot Gen 2 seamlessly continues from the first film. Set three years after the atomic bomb was dropped, Hiroshima is slowly starting to rebuild. Perhaps a sweeter film than the first, Barefoot Gen 2 still shows it's moments of sadness, struggle and pain through the light-hearted stuff. Another enjoyable film. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Barefoot Gen 2

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