ironhorse_iv Review of Tokio Jokio

Tokio Jokio (1943)

Like a banzai charge: this cartoon attacks the enemy fiercely, but also a bit recklessly.

[5/10 · 10 March 2017]

As with a lot of war propaganda cartoons from World War II, this Looney Tunes animation short directed by Norm McCabe hasn't aired on any network, syndicated, or cable channel due to its offensive content in years. It's only now, shown on the internet, and yet to be feature in, much or any DVDs. Produced by Warner Bros in 1943, the cartoon original intended was, to mock the Japanese war effect, by making fun of the Imperial Fascist Government, through a series of parodies sequence in the style of American new reels, so that the American public would be, more willing to fight them. For the most part, I was fine with that, since somebody had to stop the military and its leaders like General Masaharu Homma, Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo & Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, even if by the time, the film was released, Yamamoto had been killed when the plane carrying him was shot down over the Solomon Islands by an American fighter squadron. I know, some critics hate this movie for what the film portrays, the Japanese military are, but it's hard to feel bad for the Empire of Japan, after hearing stories of the war crimes, they committed, before the attack on Pearl Harbor like the 'Rape of Nanking', 'Three All Policy' and others. Don't get me wrong, the United States Government did some awful things in the name of war, such as the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki & the internment camps of Japanese Americans, but unlike the American, Japanese military were truly evil, in the way, they instituted such harsh measures in occupied areas like the 'Bataan Death March', 'Sook Ching Massacre', 'Burma: Death Roads' and other, in its cruel search of raw goods. For most countries, living under the United States Military, life was a lot easier. Most historians and scholars agreed with that and they also that the oil embargo cannot be used as justification for using military force against a foreign nation. So in the end, the Japanese Military had it coming. I don't weep, a tear if they got their feelings, hurt. As much, some critics defend the Japanese military about how advice the Japanese industrial wartime output, were at the time, some of it, was indeed cheaply made and below standards by 1943. The Battle of Midway of 1942, pretty much destroy, most of the navy, that they could no longer put together a large number of fleet carriers with well-trained aircrews or defend their ground troops on the Islands. For the rest of the war, the Japanese Armed Forces had to make do with obsolete aircraft, badly damage smaller ships and inexperienced soldiers in the fight against superior, and better-trained US Armed Forces. The truth is, as scary as the kamikaze style attacks and banzai charge were, in 1944, they were highly ineffectively. So, there was some truth to what was being said, about how shabby the Japanese Armed Forces, were, in this film. However, the short film did go overboard, a bit, by targeting also the Japanese citizen, by making the race, look like racist stereotype Yellow Peril caricatures, with buck teeth, big glasses, and chonmage style haircut. Furthermore, the Japanese are represented as being incompetent, weak, cowardly, and primitive, often grinning and rubbing their hands in a very sinister way, despite their stereotypical politeness. Because of that, I can't really give the high praise, it could had gotten like something similar like 1943's 'Der Fuehrer's Face' or 1943's 'Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi'. Some of 'Tokio Jokio' is quite wrong, even if some parts are quite funny. Deep inside of me, I know, this short film, probably add to the already intense boiler pot of anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States that pretty much led to internment camps of Japanese Americans, during that era. It's hard to laugh at something that probably cause a lot of pain, for many Japanese, even, if most of jokes are generally aimed at Japan military and its leaders. Despite that, I do have to say, I like how the cartoon also pokes fun at other Axis Powers like Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascism. I also found the black and white animation to be top notch. Just wish, it was in color. It would add to the artistic merits, big time. The voice-acting was alright, as Mel Blanc did what he could do, with the material, he was given, even if he sounds, over the top. As with most of the Looney Tunes shorts produced during World War II, the film consists of a series of rapid-fire, short gag vignettes. Its humor, had more hits than misses, even if it's a bit cringe-worthy. Overall: I think, for most people that look, back at this, the important thing to remember is that we were at war with Japan when this short was made so obviously being politically correct wasn't a priority. However, it simple not the type of cartoon that is acceptable anymore. Even today's cartoons with racist stereotypes, are not as risky as it was, back then. With that said, I really don't think, it being over racist is a good reason to ignore this taboo short or pretend that it was never made. As a historical curiosity it is still quite interesting. Worth the watch, even if it's a bit offensive.