Barefoot Gen is a poignant manga and anime series centered on Gen Nakaoka, a spirited young boy enduring the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and its devastating aftermath. It explores profound themes of war’s brutality, human resilience, family bonds, and the pursuit of peace amid chaos.
This curated collection of 25 quotes highlights the series’ emotional depth, character development, and anti-war message, drawing from key moments across arcs to inspire reflection on survival and hope.
This war can’t be right. But it’s only the cowards like me who dare say it. If there were only a few more like us. You know, sometimes it takes more courage not to fight than to fight, to not want to kill when all around you are calling out for blood. That’s real courage in my book
[Episode Details]: (1983 Film)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Father’s pacifist plea emphasizes anti-war courage, fostering Gen’s moral growth amid societal pressure.
War is a soul-murdering rot. It’s the eruption of man’s base instincts that turns them into fiends
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Highlights war’s dehumanizing impact, evoking deep sorrow and connecting to themes of lost humanity.
Life is short, but a person’s family should endure
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Kimie Nakaoka
[Context]: Mother’s resilient words underscore family bonds, inspiring survival amid tragic losses.
People only become violent because they’ve been hurt
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Gen’s insight shows empathy development, linking personal pain to broader cycles of violence.
When we grow up, we’ll build a world where everybody can live well
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Boyish optimism fuels hope for peace, marking early character resolve against war’s despair.
Education is the only way to enlighten society, and enlightenment is the only way to build a peaceful world
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Father’s teaching instills anti-war values in Gen, emphasizing knowledge over conflict.
Death is the ultimate suffering, but it’s also the ultimate beginning
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Reflects rebirth amid Hiroshima’s ruins, highlighting Gen’s emotional maturity through grief.
Injustice is what happens when the strong treat the weak like dirt
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Exposes wartime inequalities, driving Gen’s fight for justice and personal growth.
When things get rough, remember, we’re all in this together
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Kimie Nakaoka
[Context]: Promotes unity in hardship, deepening family ties and resilience themes.
Peace can never truly exist as long as people are driven by hatred and anger
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Warns against perpetual conflict, evoking profound sadness and calls for emotional healing.
Happiness is a treasure that cannot be bought with money
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Amid poverty, Gen values intangible joys, showing development beyond material survival.
Hunger eats away at your heart more than your stomach
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Captures wartime starvation’s emotional toll, connecting to themes of human endurance.
Stay alive and look straight into the eyes of the people who forced the war and the atomic bomb on us! Don’t give up!
[Episode Details]: (Volume 6)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Defiant survival vow post-bombing, amplifying Gen’s growth into an anti-war advocate.
Ah, the pain of defeat… The war-mongers fight their stupid war and turn us into a country of vegetable-eaters!
[Episode Details]: (Volume 7)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Bitter humor masks deep frustration, illustrating postwar struggles and resilience.
Do you think anything has changed in the history of war since ancient Roman times? People have always tried to force their beliefs on others, so they take turns invading and being invaded
[Episode Details]: (Volume 8)
[Speaker]: Katsuo Aihara
[Context]: Cynical view critiques endless conflict, urging Gen toward peaceful alternatives.
Realizing your ideals is what life is all about!
[Episode Details]: (Volume 9)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Affirms purpose amid chaos, showcasing Gen’s evolving commitment to change.
It’s good to have ideals, Gen — but do they bring in any money? Do ideals give you enough to eat?
[Episode Details]: (Volume 9)
[Speaker]: Ryuta Kondo
[Context]: Pragmatic challenge tests Gen’s optimism, highlighting survival’s harsh realities.
School’s just a warm-up for the real world. A lot of idiots think they’ve won simply by getting into a top school, but the race doesn’t start until you get out into the world — and staying true to yourself as you run that marathon
[Episode Details]: (Volume 10)
[Speaker]: Ohta
[Context]: Mentor’s advice fosters Gen’s authenticity, tying to themes of personal integrity.
It’s a funny thing. You can see someone just once, and fall so completely in love you can’t get her out of your mind
[Episode Details]: (Volume 10)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Reveals Gen’s romantic vulnerability, adding emotional depth to his maturation.
The whole country should be grateful to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their sacrifice made it possible for everyone else to survive and sleep peacefully at night
[Episode Details]: (Volume 10)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Honors victims’ legacy, evoking collective grief and anti-nuclear sentiment.
As an eyewitness, you can testify to the horrors of the atomic bomb. You can provide the testimony that could save the human race. That makes you more important than the emperor
[Episode Details]: (Volume 10)
[Speaker]: Gen Nakaoka
[Context]: Empowers survivors’ voices, connecting personal trauma to global peace efforts.
Kid! You’ve got to survive! Live and be free like we couldn’t be. Help make the world a place where you can marry the girl you love and live happily with your family! That’s the best thing a human being can do
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daijiro Kumai
[Context]: Dying soldier’s plea inspires Gen’s life purpose, blending hope with heartbreaking loss.
I don’t give a damn about the Emperor! We’re starving to death! I bet the Emperor’s never missed a meal in his life!
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Defiant outburst challenges authority, fueling Gen’s anti-militarism and family loyalty.
That idiot! Does he really think it takes courage to go to war?! I don’t care if people call me a coward or a traitor. What takes real courage is to value life — your own and everybody’s!
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Redefines bravery, profoundly shaping Gen’s pacifist worldview amid war’s pressures.
Whenever the military grabs political power, the world becomes a dark, terrifying place
[Episode Details]: (Volume 1)
[Speaker]: Daikichi Nakaoka
[Context]: Foreboding warning highlights tyranny’s horrors, evoking fear and resistance themes.
