Osamu Tezuka

Ode To Kirihito
$24.95
How fascinating that the beast... is more of a man than the men are! This book raises a lot of questions and is very thought-provoking. Tezuka flexes his medical knowledge in this book to make for a very convincing read, and I was rather impressed with some of the character dialog. There's questions raised about human rights, medicine, and ethics, and is a rather heady read. Whether or not you're a Tezuka fan, this book will not disappoint you.

Swallowing The Earth
$24.95
During World War II, stories begin circulating in the South Pacific about a bewitchingly lovely woman with the power to enthrall, then destroy, every man who sees her. Twenty years pass and the rumors resurface, this time saying that Zephyrus has come to Japan, once again using her wiles to control men. A former soldier, now a successful businessman, is determined to find Zephyrus and he hires dockworker Gohanmatsu to find and follow the mysterious woman.

Gohanmatsu is strong and simple and has only one love: alcohol. Like Popeye had his spinach, Gohanmatsu has his booze, gaining strength and endurance with each bottle consumed. So strong is his focus on finding his next drink that he is the only man alive who has ever resisted the lure of Zephyrus. His indifference to her beauty enables him to see past the glamour to her real goal, to destroy man by destroying his economy and his laws and morality.

Tezuka wrote Swallowing the Earth as a parody, poking fun at the panic that might arise if the world's dependence on the gold standard were to backfire. And while this is a fun story to read, complete with slapstick humor and cartoony guffaws, it's the quiet, solemn bits of social commentary that remain with the reader. Mixed in with the larger story, Tezuka also discusses modern sexuality, social issues, and even the racial and political climate of the time, as seen through the filter of the Japanese media. He tells the story of a group of anonymous strangers who bond as a family; of a man whose fortune disappeared after the economic collapse and is forced to sell his daughter to get out of debt; of women so desperate to be beautiful that they'll wear artificial faces. Many of these issues from the mid-20th century still echo loudly today, and Tezuka's deft touch holds true.

According to the foreword written by manga expert Frederik L. Schodt, this one-volume story written in 1968 is very much a product of its time. He explains clearly about the Japan of the late 1960s, the influences on Tezuka's art, and the seeming political incorrectness of some of the images in the book. Once the reader understands Swallowing the Earth's place in history, and where Tezuka was in his career when the book was written, it is easy to see why so many have been eagerly awaiting the translation of this book into English. This volume, published by DMP, reads from right to left and, due to some nudity, sexual situations, and the sensitivity some readers may have to a few of the images, this book is best reserved for older teens and adults.

-- Eva Volin

Buddha, Volume 1: Kapilavastu
$14.95
There's a reason why Osamu Tezuka is the god of manga. Between this and the 'Phoenix' series, Mr. Tezuka has proven his storytelling abilities, and while his drawings might seem rather simple today, he was as much of a master of the brush as he was with the pen, and some of his panels and illustrations are incredible. With so many new manga out there today, sometimes it's better to go back to the roots. So why not pick up a copy of Buddha today? This volume was fantastic, and it got me all eager to read the rest of the series. Definitely 10/10 stars for a incredible graphic novel! You'll never be the same after reading this series - it is a wonderful and enlightening.

MW
$24.95
I feel conflicted about Osamu Tezuka's MW. On one hand I enjoyed the intriguing plot and the way he was able to use the comic medium to display such horrific crimes. These acts would have been very difficult to display in any other medium. The story is also an interesting statement on the conventional expectation that in the end crime does not go unpunished. I think a lot of my negative reaction to the work was an agitation that the main character would get away with his many crimes which included rape and child murder. The story also acts as a critique of the US military presence in Japan and anxiety about chemical, nuclear weapons.

These qualities made the story very slow going to read. The main active agent in the story is so repugnant that following his evil exploits becomes tiring rather quickly. Tezuka walks a fine line in the story between turning off a reader and keeping them interested in the plot. Ode to Kirihito had a more conventional plot and could be said to have a tied up in a more expected way but I enjoyed the story and although it had violence it wasn't near the level of MW. So I feel torn with the vote because I admire Tezuka for making such a strong statement with the piece but my enjoyment of it was not on the level of some of his other works. I would give it a 5 for the artwork and a 3 for plot so 4 is the average.