"Hiroshima lovers" tag across from Walter Kovacs' apartment
The Hiroshima Lovers, or Shadow Lovers, is a black spray paint graffiti tag depicting a man and a woman in silhouette, embracing in a kiss like lovers. The tag was common throughout New York City in 1985, typically found painted on walls and doorways of buildings. It is one of the most common stencils by Knot Tops, and can be easily mistaken for the shadows of two actual people.
Trivia
- Several characters express uneasiness around the tag. Rorschach described the tag in his journal as follows: "Silhouette picture in doorway, man and woman, possibly indulging in sexual foreplay. Didn't like it. Makes doorway look haunted." Malcolm Long commented that "It reminded me of the people disintegrated at Hiroshima, leaving only their indelible shadows."
- This graffiti tag (as with many elements of the Watchmen universe) invokes the dread of nuclear warfare and symbolizes the coming atomic holocaust within the narrative. The couple seem to embrace each other as a last act of affection before they get obliterated by an atomic bomb, as is enacted in the dream that Dan has involving Laurie and himself during Chapter VII.
Appearances of the graffiti
- Watchmen
- Chapter V: Fearful Symmetry:
- V:11:2 - A group of Knot Tops can be seen defacing an abandoned building with spray cans.
- V:11:5 - Rorschach inspects the completed tag, which is revealed to be the Hiroshima lovers.
- V:11:7-9 - A group of Knot Tops (possibly the same one) defaces the wall opposite the Gunga Diner while Rorschach waits inside for a mail drop from Moloch.
- V:18:1 - The Hiroshima lovers outside the Gunga Diner can be seen when Rorschach collects the message from Moloch.
- V:23:4 and V:25:1 - Outside the Rumrunner.
- Chapter V: Fearful Symmetry:
- Chapter VI: The Abyss Gazes Also:
- VI:16:6
- VI:27:3
- Watchmen (TV series)
- Episode II: Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship
- The Hiroshima lovers is first seen in an alleyway outside of Sister Night's headquarters and bakery.
- Episode II: Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship
Shadows of embracing lovers
- Watchmen
- Chapter VI: The Abyss Gazes Also:
- VI:3:2 and VI:3:3 - A young Walter Kovacs sees the shadow on the bedroom wall of his mother and her client having intercourse.
- VI:4:8 - Walter's mother attacks him, casting a similar shadow on the wall.
- VI:8:5-6 - Malcolm and Gloria Long cast shadows on the wall of Malcolm's study before going to bed.
- Chapter VII: A Brother to Dragons:
- VII:16:15, 16:16, 17:5, and 17:6 - Daniel Dreiberg and Laurie Juspeczyk are silhouetted by a nuclear blast as they embrace in Dan's dream sequence. (Echoing Malcolm Long's comment upon seeing the tag.)
- Chapter XII: A Stronger Loving World:
- XII:22:7-8 - Daniel Dreiberg and Laurie Juspeczyk cast shadows in the pool room in Karnak. The next frame, has a closeup of Rorschach's mask, whose shape mirrors the above-mentioned shadows
- Chapter VI: The Abyss Gazes Also:
- Watchmen (TV series)
- Episode VIII: A God Walks into Abar
- Just before Angela Abar puts Adrian Veidt's device into Cal Jelani's head, the pair cast shadows that look like "Hiroshima Lovers".
- Episode VIII: A God Walks into Abar
Commentary
- The rationalization for sending the giant squid is similar to that of dropping the bomb: killing x number of people is worth it if it means preventing the potential killing of x+y number of people.
- It may be inspired by the 1959 romantic drama film, Hiroshima Mon Amour, by French New Wave director Alain Resnais.