Barefoot Gen 2

About Barefoot Gen 2

If you are hunting for a new drama series, Barefoot Gen 2 (はだしのゲン２) deserves a look (1986). The setup goes like this. The setup: Three years have passed since the bombing of Hiroshima and Gen is now a fourth-grader. Hiroshima is still a ruin, and Gen needs to scrounge for scrap metal to help keep himself and his remaining family fed, but at least commerce has returned to the land.

Further in, as his mother gradually grows ill from radiation sickness, Gen and Ryuta befriend a group of orphans led by a tough-nosed older child and including a girl who still bears ugly burn scars from the day of the bomb. An old man suffering from depression is also drawn into the group as they come together to support each other and form a makeshift family. Reality is still harsh, however, as many orphans still die lonely deaths and the grim reminders of what happened linger everywhere.

As a drama title, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Gen Nakaoka (Issei Miyazaki) and Ryuta Kondo (Masaki Kouda) are two of the characters you will meet early. If you count yourself among viewers who prefer story and feelings over flashy action, put it on your list. The run is 1 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with MADHOUSE, which means the visual identity of Barefoot Gen 2 follows that studio's craft. The drama focus matters here: character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. A 7.1/10 score points to a dependable, well-liked series. Voice casting, including Issei Miyazaki as Gen Nakaoka, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 1986, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.