Osamu Tezuka's BLACK JACK remains one of the more interesting manga to have emerged from the field over the years. By incorporating his own medical training in the telling of a series of tales of a mysterious medico (who, dressed in black with a black cloak draped over his shoulders and sporting facial scars that would seem to imply some kind of self-administered skin grafts, looks more like a traditional vampire than any kind of healer), Tezuka again made new inroads in storytelling. This series, based on his manga, rates more than a casual look: it deserves serious critical attention- though that's not likely to happen (not in this country, anyway). While filmmakers like David Cronenberg and Michael Crichton might rate "serious" critical discussion (including learned tomes), Osamu Tezuka's acheivements will have to wait for the West to catch up with him- which has already taken a lifetime...
Review of Black Jack: The Movie
