Review by Booklist Review
Known as both the god of manga and the Walt Disney of Japan, Osamu Tezuka was a prolific storyteller whose creativity and innovation helped shape the evolution of manga and anime. Beginning with his childhood obsession with comics, this 900-plus-page tome examines Tezuka's life in detail, moving slowly through the decades, chronicling the manga and anime industries from their earliest days until his death, in 1989. Written by one of Tezuka's former assistants, the book was originally serialized in a weekly magazine and took almost three years to publish, resulting in an extremely complete, but at times repetitive, biography. The illustrations, done in Tezuka's distinctive style, pull the reader onward, keeping the story lively even during some of Tezuka's darker times. Translated by manga expert Schodt and bookended by an informative introduction and extensive appendixes, this huge volume is suitable for curious fans and manga scholars alike, and it might help bring attention to this manga luminary still relatively unknown in the U.S.--Volin, Eva Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), the "god of manga" and creator of such characters as Astro Boy, looms like a colossus over Japanese comics and animation. His manga biography is fittingly massive, dramatizing the artist's life over some 900 pages of cheery cartoon action. As a boy in the city of Takarazuka, Tezuka draws comics, devours science fiction, and becomes a lifelong fan of his town's famous all-female theater. He enrolls in medical school, but a cartooning career beckons. From there, much of the narrative consists of Tezuka drawing feverishly while editors prowl outside his studio waiting on deadlines. But even at its most repetitive, the book captures its subject's tireless genius through WWII, the lean postwar years, and the emergence of Japan as a superpower. The artist, Tezuka's longtime assistant Ban, draws in an accurate recreation of Tezuka's style, although not quite able to match the easy fluidity of the master. Legendary manga scholar Schodt provides a first-rate translation. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by Library Journal Review
For true fans, this near 1,000-page biography of manga artist Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) will spark excitement and rabid consumption. The illustrated saga began serialization soon after Tezuka's death and was first published as a book in Japan in 1992. The timing of its recent English-language translation works just fine for U.S. readers of his work, which has been rendered in multiple languages over the past few decades. Created by Ban, a close assistant of Tezuka's, this portrait of the artist preserves his bubbly, detailed illustration style, offers glimpses of his many and ever-changing work environments, traces his transition from manga to anime, and even shares some of his earliest artistic creations, beginning at the tender age of five. As with Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life, it captures the harried existence of a manga creator, and similar to Shigeru Mizuki's Showa, it portrays the artist in the context of a period of great upheaval in Japan. Perhaps because of its immediate, serialized nature, it's a bit procedural and doesn't plunge far into the depths of Tezuka's endlessly creative mind-the documentation herein is almost academic, for better or worse. Verdict A must for Tezuka devotees, a maybe for manga lovers, and a pass for the simply curious.-Emilia Packard, Austin, TX © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-This is the first English translation of an enormous homage to one of Japan's most famous manga and anime creators. After Osamu Tezuka's death in 1989, this graphic format biography was released in Japan, first in serialized form and later collected into several volumes. The English version is more than 900 pages long and is taller and wider than traditional manga, so reading it will take a large commitment of time and energy. That being said, it is absolutely worth the read. This volume gives an amazingly extensive view of Tezuka's life, from his childhood through his adult years. It covers the breadth of his career, including the creation of memorable characters such as Astro Boy and the innovations he used in manga storytelling and in the development of anime. While this title is positive in its treatment of Tezuka, it's no puff piece. It focuses on how incredibly prolific he was, and it also examines how overextending himself affected his personal and professional life. Over and over again, Tezuka is shown trapped in different rooms, working as quickly as possible while his editors wait outside, refusing to leave until he hands them their pages. Readers will come away with an appreciation for Tezuka's influences and will be inspired to seek out his creations. VERDICT For fans of manga and anime, as well as anyone interested in innovative people and the creative process.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
