Onagawa Rias Soldier Eager was one of many "local heroes" in Japan designed to help local economies and played by residents in improvised costumes.
Onagawa Rias Soldier Eager was one of many "local heroes" in Japan designed to help local economies and played by residents in improvised costumes.
Eager was created in July 2010 by the youth group of the chamber of commerce and industry of Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture to help revitalize the fortunes of the northeastern town. He was armed with a sword and shield modeled after a silver salmon and a scallop, the local specialties.
The Great East Japan Earthquake, which devastated Onagawa, ended that quaint provincialism forever and is giving Eager unlooked-for exposure beyond his humble roots.
"Shinsai ni Makeruna Higashi-Nihon Project," a 164-page magazine produced by 60 manga professionals to raise money for quake victims, features him battling with the somber reality of post-quake reconstruction.
The story, drawn by cartoonist Mizuki Sakakibara, describes his shock at the devastation of Onagawa, his struggle to overcome feelings of helplessness and his attempts to stand up once more for the local residents.
The magazine was the brainchild of Tokyo-based illustrator and cartoonist's assistant M. K. Yamada, who asked manga industry colleagues to contribute comic strips and illustrations soon after the earthquake. About 60 people worked without pay for the publication.
"I came up with the idea with a desperate desire to cheer up Eager and Onagawa residents," Yamada said.
But with about 500,000 yen ($6,500) already raised for earthquake victims by the end of September, the publication is proving more than a morale booster. Six thousand copies have been printed since its release in July, with about 800 copies sold at the Comic Market, a major event for small-circulation magazines held in Tokyo in August.
The magazine is available on Amazon.com's website for 1,470 yen, including tax, and a plastic document file with illustrations from the comic featuring Eager is on sale at some bookstores for 420 yen.
Meanwhile, the "real Eager," whose name comes from the local dialect phrase "Iiga, omedazu" (Listen up, you people), has been visiting evacuation centers and appearing at shows to encourage disaster victims in Onagawa.