@xdrfiredogx
Maybe, I am reading too much into it—but, I really think it is far more likely that I am missing more points than I am picking up.
While it may be difficult to parse out what is intentional and unintentional as far as the story relating back to Japan, parts of the story are certainly political and do intentionally relate back to Japan. That doesn’t mean that the author always intends for Tearmoon to represent Japan—sometimes the story is just a (very good) story, sometimes Remno or Sunkland may be used to make a point about Japan, or maybe Tearmoon may occasionally represent another real country altogether (well obviously, it occasionally represents revolution era France-ha!)—but the author does have things that they want to say about human nature, philosophy, politics, and Japan—most of the time it makes the story more interesting, sometimes it is a little forced—and occasionally there is a neon sign saying “Story be damned! I am making a point here! Pay attention!”
(Edit: I have tried to keep the mention of the culpability of modern Japan for WWII Japan’s actions mostly abstract—but, it is not ancient history for many who live in neighboring nations or even folks from those nations that have migrated elsewhere, and there are still those in Japan that downplay those horrible actions. So, ruminations about national and generational guilt about actions taken in WWII are still a modern concern, and those attitudes still work their way into modern political relations.
So, I don’t really think these ideas are hidden in the author’s subconscious. I would think that they are ideas that they have thought deeply about, and those internal discussions have been consciously presented in their book.)
