The Legend of Mother Sarah – A Dystopian Tale of Despair
It is no secret that at sabukaru we are huge fans of dystopian, cyberpunk-inspired manga.
From Ghost in the Shell to Blame!, we have read and enjoyed them all and are continuing to hunt down the best of the best. One of which includes The Legend of Mother Sarah, a story set in a distant future that shows what lengths a mother will go to in order to get back to her children.
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu and released in 1995, The Legend of Mother Sarah places us in a dystopian future where nuclear warfare has ravaged the world making it mostly inhabited. Most of humanity now lives in sanctuary is the satellites orbiting earth, far away from the devastated wastelands.
One day a scientist invents a bomb that would purify the air on one side of the Earth but leave the other completely in ruin. This then sparks an endless war between two factions and initiated the exodus back to earth from the tranquil satellites. Sarah, a mother of 4 who lived above Earth would in term be separated during the warfare and would begin her noble story of getting back to them by any means necessary.
The story takes us through 8 issues of Sarah and her sidekick, Tsue, as they struggle to survive the violent and barren wasteland that Earth has become. Sarah frequently sees herself in troubling situations with militia groups, and the manga also highlights the troubles a mother may face in a dystopian world which is rarely touched upon.
What’s so unique is that although normal now, manga with female protagonists were few and far between back in the 90’s. Most Japanese manga would be aimed at young male adults, so a manga with a female main character was unorthodox.
Another reason why Legend of Mother Sarah is incredible is that its written by Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of the famous AKIRA. It’s without no doubt similar incredible storytelling and world building is all present. Signature Otomo political nuances are woven into the intricate story with themes of anti-military movements and corrupt organizations.
