War is something that’s never meant to be glorified. I never understood the concept of “dying for one’s country”, be it a soldier or someone working in the barracks. While I did grow up with things like G.I. Joe and Battlefield, I was able to take these as fictionalized accounts of what it’s really like to be in the midst of war. So it’s a nice change of pace when a work of fiction not only shows the horrors of a real war, but does so in a way that makes it a bit easier to stomach. Yet despite author Machiko Kyo questioning whether sugar can corrode iron, cocoon isn’t coating the horrific sights these people experience in any amount of the sweetener.

Inspired by Okinawa’s Himeyuri Corps, cocoon puts its focus on a group of young teenagers during World War II. They are tasked with taking care of wounded soldiers, going so far as to amputate them and having to dump the deceased into a massive grave. The main focus of the story is on the friends San and Mayu, the latter of whom is keeping a secret from the rest of the group. As the area becomes riddled with enemies and the stench of the dead, the time to run and seek safety draws nearer.

Despite its sketch-like visuals, cocoon still finds ways to create unsettling scenes. Watching a young girl amputate a leg and vomit from the sight and smell of it is very unnerving. At times, Kyo goes even further, with characters being covered in burns or having their intestines falling out. Even as San and Mayu attempt to see the bright side of life or cocoon themselves from their harrowing situation, reality hits them like a ton of bricks.

And it never gets easy for anyone in this story. Halfway through, the girls make a break for it, as they attempt to find some sort of safety in Japan. One by one, the girls are taken out by both enemy and friendly fire. It’s heartbreaking to see one of their San and Mayu’s closest friends be wounded, and then proceed to take herself out of the equation in the most brutal of fashions. But nothing could prepare me for the sight of a group of girls going to the extremes to protect their purity, in a scene that brought to mind Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima.

How it wraps up is somewhat hopeful. I’m sure we all know from history class who came out on top of World War II, but cocoon finds a way to make it seem like all will be fine in the end. With that being said, it’s clear that the things these girls witnessed will linger in their minds for the rest of their lives. Even when their surroundings may look beautiful, the fact that they can’t share this scenery with their deceased loved ones rests heavy on their shoulders.

Although a historical fiction take on World War II, cocoon does a very good job cutting deep into the horrors some citizens witnessed. Just as Grave of the Fireflies did nearly 40 years ago, this manga presents a terrifying moment in humanity that’s captured in a raw kind of beauty. (A film adaptation from former Studio Ghibli animators came out last year, with a US release due this summer via GKIDS.) Even when it is guarding itself from the terrors of reality, Cocoon breaks out and shows its readers a beauty that can only be found when the world around us is crumbling.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.