The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945, bringing into conflict the Allies and the Axis. The first coalition maintain China's links with England, Russia and then the United States from 1941, whereas the second gathered together Germany, Japan and Italy. While the fights had stopped in Europe since May 8th 1945, day of the German surrender, Japan and the United States continued to be in confrontation until the Japanese surrender too, on September 2nd of the same year.

At that time, the Japanese population was extremely weakened by the two atomic bombs released on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and August 9th, especially as their country drew on its last resources. Indeed, contrary to the United States, for whom the conflict lasted three years, Japan had fought since the Sino-Japanese war in 1931, which brought into conflict the land of the Rising Sun in Manchuria.

            The violence of the Second World War shocked numerous people, whether they were closely or remotely affected. You find it in a lot of works which enable to remind what a war can engenders. If our file is more particularly interested in the conflict between the United States and Japan, others before us looked at the subject. Clint Eastwood realized in 2006 two movies which approached both the American or Japanese opinion during the battle of Iwo Jima. In this way, the cinema allowed several artists from all around the world to highlight key events of the Second World War. That is why among paints, sculptures, photographs or other types of work, we chose this format : movies, but more particularly animated films because of the public they aim at, among others. Indeed, in Europe, animated films entertain children and so don't concern tough subjects. However, in Japan, they are suitable for all the age groups, so the themes are more varied.

            First of all, it is important to explain the terms which we may use throughout our file. Besides, all the countries don't have the same regulations : in France, we call movie or feature film a work which lasts at least one hour. Below this time, it will be called a short film. Concerning cartoons, it is about images put in movement and so can indicated the series of animation as the movies of the same kind. In Japan, we use the term anime (said ''[anime]'').

            By observing the cartoon movies and the short films of both countries that we will study, we noticed that Japan often addressed the war. The predominance of this subject in the Japanese cinema  must be the proof of a real trauma. Concerning the United States, we rather wondered where the entertainment stopped to move on to the propaganda when we have read Animation and propaganda, written by Sébastien ROFFAT. Indeed, while the Japanese try even today to make the youngest understand and remind the oldest of their country's history, the Americans on the contrary used the cartoons only from 1941 to 1945 and clearly in less peaceful purposes.

            Bugs Bunny, Superman, Captain America… The common point between all these famous characters is that they appeared during the Second World War in a very precise purpose : manipulate the public. The directors had well understood this, the use of heroes in their propaganda short films which made the spectators want to look like them, to identify with them, and so to share their convictions. Cartoons, thanks to the innocence of the targeted audience, allow to disseminate any message. Producers are using then the children's difficulty to discern the reality of the lie. To achieve this, they add successive and fast images which cause young people to need staring at their screen and scary sounds, and they put aside the quality of their scenarios. In terms of war movies, the Pacific War played an influential role in the American cinema. The scenarios are many to re-enact past events, by generally glorify one or more soldiers. You think in particular of Unbroken from Angelina Jolie, Flag of Our Fathers from Clint Eastwood or Midway produced by Jack Smight. However, regarding American cartoon movies, only the propaganda used this format to broach the Second War World and it is unlikely that the numerous fantastic stories where Manichean enemies fight and allude to this important battle.

Concerning Japan, the outcome of the war has been particularly violent and it brought about a lot of novels' and testimonies' publication and historic sites’ installation. Contrary to their enemy of that time, Japanese people wanted their future generations to be conscious of the consequences of such a conflict on civilians, and anime turned out to be good medias to reach their goal. It recount victims’ stories who have been stricken by diseases, the bombing damages, without forgetting the moment when the population heard about the Japanese capitulation and realized how much their losses were useless. Scenes are sometimes hard to watch, so as a result some movies and short films add romances to the tales. Artists such as Hayao Miyazaki also used cartoons to confide, in a way their trauma to people. Indeed, the filmmaker’s life of Princess Mononoke has been marked by the battle. Furthermore,  his father and his uncle were aircraft builders and this is why some of his blockbusters’ characters have to live in a time of troubles where military planes are passing over their heads.

            Because of the explanations previously developed, we will wonder to what extent is the Second World War differently treated in the United States and in Japan ? In order to answer the question, it is important to begin by studying the warlike past of Japan, to understand what brings the country today to advocate peace so much. Secondly, we will analyze the Japanese cartoon movies, to finally devote our last axis to the United States and their differences in front of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Lire l'introduction en Français