Characters R-Z
Tezukaosamu.net Series page for Rainbow Parakeet (google Trans)
The Rainbow Parakeet is first and foremost an actor who specializes in mimicry and disguise. As he takes on substitute roles in famous plays, or takes the place of famous people for short periods of time, he also shows his skills as an accomplished thief. He is one of the original 'dashing thief' characters in manga who, alongside Lupin III, forms the basis for a character and story type which has become very popular with a wide variety of audiences. Over the course of the series, the Rainbow Parakeet gradually becomes more of a guardian and protective figure. He is pursued by a beautiful Japanese female detective, Senri Mariko, who is also the romantic lead, and accompanied by a puppy named Tamasaburo, who is trained in pantomime.
The stories in which the Rainbow Parakeet originally appeared (in the series Rainbow Parakeet, serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion, March 1981-March 1983) were all based on famous plays and movies. He later appeared in several animated versions of Astro Boy, including the recent video game Astro Boy: Omega Factor (for GameBoy Advance) acting as a spy and a detective rather than a thief, under the name Sherlock Homespun. In these versions of his story, large portions of his body have been replaced with robotic parts, filling him with bitterness toward robots until encounters with Astro show him how wonderful robots can be. These episodes, and the character in the video game, are based directly on an issue of the original manga; however, the character of Sherlock Homespun in the manga issue, though he possesses the same skill in disguise, is not Rainbow Parakeet. It is also noteworthy that Rainbow Parakeet’s role in the newest Astro Boy anime is as a terrorist and a villain, and very different from his usual parts.
*RAMUNE & KALPIS, see LAMUNE & KALPIS
*RED - see DUKE RED
Ricky is the protagonist of Zero Men. He is a member of the race of Zero Men, who are humanoids with squirrel-like tails and noses, who live secretly underground. He is found by humans as an infant and raised among them, before humans know of the existence of the Zero Men. As the two races come into conflict, he becomes the link between the two. For more information, see our Zero Men series page.
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Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Riiko (google Trans.)
When Tezuka's first famous little-girl-style character Mitchy was required to grow up and take on more mature roles in later manga, Riiko was the character Tezuka began to draw to take her place. Like Mitchy and Zephyrus, she is one of Tezuka's archetypically feminine figures, but unlike those others, her appearances are exclusively found in cute-girl roles. Even when playing someone slightly more mature than the child she became known as, Riiko is exuberant and light-hearted, and always remains so regardless of the situations around her. She appears in such series as Astro Boy, Lion Books, Three Who Glimpse The Future, and Black Jack.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Rock Holmes
Our improved list of Rock's roles in various series
Our Adventures of Rock series page
Our Vampires series page
Our Alabaster series page
Analytical Essay - Rock Holmes: Transformation
Perhaps no Tezuka character has played so many different major roles as Rock. Best known to American audiences for his dark and violent roles in the recent Metropolis movie and second volume of Phoenix, Rock is sometimes good, sometimes evil, but always determined, absolute, charismatic and narcissistic. Rock first appeared as a child detective in Detective Boy Rock Holmes (1949), in which he took his name from Sherlock Holmes, with the L becoming an R in Japanese, producing "Sher-rock." Tezuka has written many child characters in his works, and many detectives, but while Kenichi and others go through life as virtuous boy heroes, Rock even from the beginning took a darker view of the world, acknowledging the fact that justice will not always triumph, evil may win, and the world will not necessarily end if it does. The Nextworld manga (1951), available in English, demonstrates this difference, by showing Kenichi coming through hardships still pure and optimistic, while Rock is transformed by war, torture and betrayal and emerges transformed by his experiences.
Rock's major turning point was in Vampires (1966) in which he appears under his second characteristic name, Makube Rokuro (Ma-ku-be from Macbeth, and Ro-ku-ro as Rock + "kuro" black). Makube was Tezuka's first charismatic villain, a handsome, cunning, and ruthless criminal who exploits the weaknesses of the vampires toward his criminal and selfish ends. Vampires was the first time Tezuka explored the appeal of evil, and marked a turning point in the tone of his work. Rock played charismatic villains in a number of later series, most famously Alabaster. He appears many times in Black Jack including as Black Jack's best childhood friend - for details see the Makube Rokuro profile on our Black Jack page soon.
It should be noted that, while he was first known to English audiences through the Metropolis movie, Rock did not appear in the original Metropolis manga, and that his part in the movie was added in, adapted from his appearances in other series, particularly Nextworld, and Phoenix: Future; for more information on Rock in Metropolis, see our analysis of the adaptation, coming soon. Rock also plays interesting parts in Buddha and in the Phoenix episode of the 2003 Astro Boy TV series.
For more detail, see the analtyical essay, "Rock Holmes: Transformation", which treat's Rock's evolution through the more than sixty series in which he appeared. Note that Rock's "Appearance List" on the Tezuka World web page is very incomplete; our improved appearance list covers many gaps, but is not yet fully comprehensive.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Rommel (google trans)
Rommel is without an exception an imposing sideline character in Tezuka's works, and usually in the military role suggested by his name. He was modeled on a German actor, and his slightly suspicious air is based on the roles played by his role model. He appears in several major Tezuka works, including Adventures of Rock, Astro Boy, Lion Books, The Amazing Three, and Black Jack.
Ryuichi is a reliable, young man who serves as the recurring protagonist of The Crater (1969-70). The Crater is a series of independent science-fiction and fantasy short stories similar to the Twilight Zone in structure and theme. He appears in each issue as a different person, with a different backstory and different life. Here he comes into repeated conflict with tricks of fate, alternate lifetimes and universes, and issues of reincarnation and immortality, again making the Phoenix's choice in "Future" make more sense. He also suffers repeatedly in these brief lives, since morality plays tend to end badly, and in the course of this brief series he suffers as much as even Tezuka's most ill-fated recurring characters, such as Rock/Makube or Saruta/Honma. Ryuichi bears a striking similarity to Yamanobei, the protagonist of the "Future" chapter of Phoenix, written two years earlier; if the two are indeed the same then Ryuichi's long trials may be another reason for Yamanobei's selection by the Phoenix.
SABOTEN SAM
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Saboten Sam
After his first appearance in Adventures of Rock in 1952, Saboten Sam became the main character of the manga series Saboten-Kun in 1953, supplanting Rock, who had been the lead in the original plans for the series, because Tezuka believed the series was becoming too dark for his ideas of what it was supposed to be. Saboten Sam then continued to play a slapstick character in later appearances, including Cyrano the Hero, Astro Boy, Lion Books, Black Jack, and The Three-Eyed One, among others. This type of role suits not only the temperament of the character but also his somewhat goofy appearance.
SANZO
There are several adaptations of the story "Journey to the West" by Osamu Tezuka. They are, in order: the My Son Goku manga (also called Adventures of Son Goku and occasionally Son Goku the Monkey King), which can be found at its Tezukaosamu.net Manga Series Page; the theatrically-released feature film adaptation of the manga, which was retitled Alakazan the Great, and can be found in its Tezukaosamu.net Animation Works Page, listed as Alakazan the Great; and the pilot film for television, Son Goku is Coming: Chapter of Ko-Fu Dai-O, which can be found at the itsTezuka World Animated Works Page. All three are slightly different adaptations of the same story.
Sanzo is, alongside Goku, one of the main characters of Tezuka's "Hsi Yu Chi," or "Journey to the West" stories (this title is usually seen in Japanese translated as "Saiyuki"). Sanzo is the high-ranking Buddhist monk who rescues the Monkey King from his prison and gives him the name Son Goku. He picks up Goku, as well as disciples Cho Hakkai and Sa Gojyo, on his way to the Tenjiku (which means "Western Country," and refers to India in Japanese Buddhist texts) to recover a precious Buddhist scripture. In Tezuka's adaptation, as in the original, Sanzo is an old man but an extremely wise one, who nonetheless relies on his supporters for safety on his long and dangerous journey.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Sapphire
Tezukaosamu.net Series Page for Princess Knight
Sapphire is the protagonist of the series Princess Knight, which has become a classic of shoujo manga. In this series, she plays a somewhat masculine figure, due to the fact that when the angels of God were handing out genders to unborn spirits, she was accidentally given both male and female natures. This dual-sex nature is an idea Tezuka drew from his childhood experiences in the town of Takarazuka, which is known for its all-female theater opera group, in which, in a reversal of traditonal kabuki and noh drama, women play all parts regardless of character gender. Princess Knight has actually been adapted to a Takarazuka play. In Princess Knight, Sapphire was born in a land which required a prince to take the throne. Out of desperation, Sapphir'e's mother decides to raise her as a boy and disguise her gender in public. Sapphire proceeds to lead a dual life, one as a noble and chivalrous prince, and one as a beautiful princess. This naturally raises difficulties, particularly when the Queen is drugged to force her to reveal Sapphire's true nature. Sapphire puts both of her gendered natures to use in solving the poblems this causes.
Sapphire appears in other series, but always in much more feminine roles. She is representative of female concerns and sorrows in her appearances in series such as Black Jack. She also appeared in such series as Adventures of Rock, The Crater, and Astro Boy, always in purely womanly roles. From this it can be inferred that, to Tezuka, the feminine nature was Sapphire's true and intended nature, though the impression she tends to leave with readers is that from Princess Knight.
NOTE: Sapphire and the story of Princess Knight have inspired several famous works with similar protagonists, including the classic Rose of Versailles and the more recent Revolutionary Girl Utena; for more information on these, see our analytical essay, coming soon.
SARUTA (DR. HONMA, GAO, IEMASA YAGI)
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Saruta
The pages in the Tezuka World Manga Alphabetical Index where Phoenix is linked are found here and here.
Like Dr. Ochanomizu, Saruta is visually identifiable by his large nose, though in his case it is grotesquely spotted. Where Ochanomizu generally appears in light and uplifting roles, Saruta is quite the opposite. His two main roles in Tezuka manga are both in extremely important series: Black Jack and Phoenix. In Phoenix, he is arguably an over-arching protagonist for the series as a whole, alongside its title character. He appears in every story, sometimes in a main role, sometimes in a peripheral one, sometimes with a new name and barely recognizable in his character, but always present and important. He is also distinguishable by the sheer amount of suffering he undergoes over the course of his many lives and deaths, as he demonstrates both the darker sides of human nature and the human capacity for perserverance and transcendence.
In Black Jack, he is featured as Dr. Honma Jotaro, once a skilled and famous surgeon later thrown out of the medical community due to jealousy and doubt about his research, who saved young Black Jack as a child, was Black Jack's principle father figure during his life, and inspired him to become a doctor. Since Saruta is the character in Phoenix who best understands the system of reincarnation, life and death, it is appropriate that in Black Jack Dr. Honma is the figure who most frequently reminds Black Jack about the power of nature and the inevitability of death. For more information, see our Black Jack Secondary Cast Profile for Dr. Honma
NOTE: One of Tezuka World's most drastic errors is found in Saruta's Performance List: they leave out Phoenix, which is actually one of his two most important roles.
Merchandise: Phoenix Karma figure in the Tezuka vignette set, Dr. Honma Kubrick in the Black Jack set, posters.
SASAKI KOJIRO
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Sasaki Kojiro (google trans.)
The primary characteristics which distinguish Sasaki Kojiro are his energy, his quick temper, and the skill and constancy with which he handles a (usually bamboo) sword. He puts a sense of fun into a scene in which he appears, including (or particularly) when the sword is conspicuously out-of-place. In addition to many roles in Black Jack, he has appeared in The Crater multiple times, Astro Boy and Rainbow Parakeet and Lion Books a few times each, plus many appearances in lesser-known Tezuka manga. He also appears in the Marine Express (Undersea Supertrain Marine Express) anime, which is an excellent example of his seeming incongruous as a classic Japanese swordsman in a futuristic setting.
SATURN
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Saturn (google trans.)
Saturn is an evil character based upon all the personal characteristics Tezuka found frightening as a child, as is appropriate to his first role, in which he was actually named "The King of Evil" in the fantasy series Magic House. He only ever played a few roles, but all were similar to this. Most of his appearances were in noteworthy series such as Black Jack, Astro Boy, and Rainbow Parakeet.
SHARAKU
SHARAKU HOSUKE (ASAJI, THE THREE-EYED ONE)
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Sharaku
Our Three-Eyed One page
Though not well represented in English releases of Tezuka's works, in Japan Sharaku is one of Tezuka's most recognizable and popular characters. His main series is The Three-Eyed One, though he also appears in others. In daily life Sharaku Hosuke is a shy, clumsy middle-school student, bald and infant-like in appearance, and fond of playing with toddlers who don't realize his true age. But when the characteristic X-shaped bandage on Sharaku's forehead is removed, revealing his third eye, he reveals his true nature as a descendent of the ancient race of Three-Eyed Ones, powerful demonic beings whose civilization was related to that of the ancient Mayans. As the Three-Eyed One, Sharaku is a cunning, murderous and ambitious genius bent on destroying humanity, with telekenetic powers and an unsurpassed technological capacity which lets him assemble random objects into machines capable of amazing feats, from cooking people's brains to time travel. Some believe the character of Sharaku to be derived in part from childhood fantasy’s of Tezuka’s when he too was a shy, awkward middle-schooler excited by the idea of special powers and secret identities, but the dual personality of weak and innocent Sharaku and powerful and devilish Sharaku certainly embody the kind of escapist fantasy play which appeals to all audiences, child and adult alike. In his own series, manga and anime, Sharaku appears in both personae, shy and devilish, but in other series he tends to appear as only one or the other. Shy Sharaku appears several times as a patient in Black Jack and as Assaji the fool/prophet in Buddha, while devilish Sharaku appears as the villain in Marine Express, and American audiences will know him in the same role in the recent Astro Boy: Omega Factor game for the GameBoy Advance, which is largely based on Marine Express. For more information on Sharaku in Black Jack TV, see our Black Jack Secondary Cast Profile for Sharaku
Shinichi is, like Kenichi, one of Tezuka's recurring boy heroes, serving as the innocent and idealistic protagonist of some adventures, but more often as a friend of other boys. He is often a classmate of Astro Boy, and a patient of Black Jack. He appears in the 2003 Astro Boy TV series as the boy who teaches Astro to play Robot Ball in episode 2.
SHUMARI
Tezuka World Character Page for Shumari
After playing the title character in the four-volume series Shumari (google trans.), which is the story of the Japanese reclamation of Hokkaido, he played a few roles in Black Jack in which he appears as a minor but heroic and noble figure. These seem to be the only roles he has ever played.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Higeoyaji (Doctor Walrus) (Ban Shunsaku)
Shunsaku Ban is one of Tezuka's longest-running characters. He is based in appearance on a caricature of Tezuka's father, drawn originally by one of Tezuka's closest friends in school. He appears frequently in the role of a spirited detective, which fit him perfectly because he always has a strong sense of right and wrong, accompanied by the will to bring about justice. He is quick to anger, but is also compassionate and good-natured. He is lacking in sophistication, but makes up for it with his determination and fun. He has appeared in many of Tezuka's most important series, including the full Lost World/Nextworld/Metropolis set, Astro Boy, Adventures of Rock, Lion Books, Black Jack, The Three-Eyed One, MW, Rainbow Parakeet, and the animated versions of Astro Boy, Jungle Emperor Leo, Marine Express, Fumoon, Metropolis, and several others.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Skunk Kusai
Skunk Kusai is one of Tezuka's less savory characters. He debuted in Astro Boy as a minor but noticeable villain, and played increasingly drastic roles over the course of Tezuka's writing. He went on to play villains in Lion Books, Black Jack, and Rainbow Parakeet, among others, and also played a number of important roles in animation, including both Metropolis and Marine Express, as well as the recent Astro Boy: Omega Factor for the Game Boy Advance. Like Richard Widmark, the American actor upon whom he was based, he is rarely part of the main cast of a series, but always important and memorable to an audience, sometimes even more so than the main villain of a given series.
*SONGOKU OR SON GOKU – see GOKU
TAWASHI
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Police Inspector Tawashi
Police Inspector Tawashi is named for his most distinguishing facial feature: the fact that his mustache looks like a scrub brush, or "tawashi" in Japanese. He is similar to Inspector Geta in that both always appear as police investigators, and both are known for their dedication to their job. However, while Geta is known for his honesty and uprightness, Tawashi is most known for his suspicion of people. He is suspicious not only of Tezuka villains such as Ham Egg and Lamp, or of ambiguous characters such as Rock Holmes, but is even critical and untrusting of such figures as Astro Boy. The series which contains most of his appearances is Astro Boy, but he also has notable appearances in such series as The Amazing Three, Black Jack, Lion Books, Unico, and Rainbow Parakeet.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Page for Dr. Tenma
Our Astro Boy series page
Dr. Tenma's most famous appearance is as one of Astro Boy's two creators. He created the boy robot as a replacement for his son, Tobio, who died in an accident in part due to Dr. Tenma's own neglect of his son. He then realizes his failure to recreate a human boy when Astro doesn't age normally. The whole process seems to drive him slightly insane, and he sells Astro Boy, and continues in the various versions of the story to be a sinister presence in the background. He is clearly one of Tezuka's most brilliant genius scientists, but the term "mad scientist" fits him much better than it does figures such as Dr. Ochanomizu or Dr. Hanamaru. He then appears later on as a doctor in various issues of Black Jack. He also takes on another role as an exploitative parent, in the issue of Rainbow Parakeet based on the play "Telephone," in which he appears as a stern father figure whose callous treatment of his daughter's desire to learn the art of acting drives her to attempt suicide. He also appeared in several animated works by Tezuka, but always in roles similar to these.
Tezukaosamu.net Character Profile for Tezuka Osamu
Tezuka often inserted himself into his work, sometimes in minor roles, but occasionally, such as in the series Vampire, in a role which directly affected the plot and development of the story. In either case, he usually plays someone who wants to be involved and to keep events moving. It is important to note here that this is not done in the stories because the plot would otherwise have stagnated; it appears that Tezuka is simply having fun and bringing his work closer to himself. He will sometimes appear as a character with a different name, or with a different profession, such as in the new Black Jack TV series, where he appears as a classmate of Black Jack from medical school, and now is a doctor running a small hospital, called Tezuka Hospital, near where Black Jack lives. Other examples include series which take place in drastically different time periods, where the character obviously undergoes some variation. However, there are other instances, such as in Rainbow Parakeet, where he plays himself, Osamu Tezuka the manga artist and writer. In that particular instance, he actually interacts with Rainbow Parakeet in a scene where both are aware that Tezuka is the author of the series in which Rainbow Parakeet is currently appearing. Osamu Tezuka does not insert himself into all his manga, but he does give himself an impressive list of series credits, including Astro Boy, Black Jack, Rainbow Parakeet, Lion Books, Amazing Three, Dororo, the Crater, Alabaster, Phoenix, Buddha, Three-Eyed One, and others. He also naturally appears in several manga-format works of non-fiction, and sometimes to give background information in later editions of various manga. An example of this last can be seen in the English-language release of Astro Boy, where he appears to discuss the publication history of the manga, audience reactions to various events, and to explain changes the series goes through over the course of its long run, since the issues are not collected in the order in which they originally appeared.
*THREE-EYED ONE – see SHARAKU
TINK
Tezuka World Series Page for Princess Knight
Tink is the character in Princess Knight who is actually responsible for Sapphire's dual-sex nature. He is a mischievous young angel who, while handing out hearts to spirits being born, thus determining the gender of each, makes a mistake and gives Sapphire the heart of a man in addition to the female heart she should have had. He is then ordered by God to take it back, and travels to Earth to watch over Sapphire and await his opportunity. He is generally kind and sweet in nature, but extremely fallible and sometimes naive. Tink seems to be a unique character, appearing in no other series than Princess Knight.
Tezuka World series page for Vampires
Tezuka World series page for Vampires part Two
Our Vampires series page
Toppei's main role is as a central character in Vampires (1967-69), a supernatural drama series noted for being the first story in which Tezuka focused deeply on evil characters and the dark side of human nature, and the first in which Tezuka had himself play a major role in the story. Toppei is a young vampire from a tribe of vampires who turn into wolves when there is a full moon. He and his friend Tezuka work with researchers who study vampires, to try to treat the problem, but unfortunately Toppei's transformation is witnessed by Makube Rokuro, the first sinister version of Rock Holmes, who tries to force Toppei to serve his criminal schemes. After a brief conflict early on, Makube winds up saving Toppei's life, and toppei, beholden to him, starts helping him in his crimes, a tension which will continue for the rest of the series. Toppei is basically a good and sweet young man caught up in unfortunate events, but Tezuka also used this story and the theme of animal transformation to explore the violent and primitive drives of the human subconscious, and we see the animal instinct play out in Toppei. Toppei's character design also features in other Tezuka stories, including Black Jack where Black Jack chooses Toppei's face as the one to give a friend who needs plastic surgery to escape his enemies (Mutual aid, French vol. 4 #3), an interesting fact given that he uses Rock (Makube)'s face for the same purpose in issue 1.
TONANSHIPEI
Tezuka World Character Page for Tonanshipei
Tonanshipei is easily recognized by his stereotypically Asian appearance, which stood out among Tezuka's western-style character designs when he first appeared in Adventures of Rock. He is usually sinister and suspicious , though never the primary villain of a series. After his first appearance, he appeared in several other series, including Lion Books, Astro Boy, and Rainbow Parakeet, but the vast majority of his roles are to be found in issues of Black Jack, where he plays over a dozen different minor roles, including doctors, officials, journalists, staff members, and others.
UNICO
Tezuka World Series Page for Unico
The fact that this baby unicorn bears a stylistic resemblence to Hello Kitty and other Sanrio mascots is no coincidence: the Unico manga was published in Ririka, a girls' magazine published by Sanrio, and the design for the character was apparently inspired by one of Tezuka's visits to a Sanrio studio. In the original story, Unico is inserted into the Greco-Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche, as the secret of Psyche's beauty. Venus, in her jealousy, orders that he be abandoned in a deserted location, but the spirit of the west wind, Zephyrus (see character profile below), takes pity on him and instead shows him the glories of the world throughout time. Unico loses his memories of each world as he leaves it, but while present in a world, he has the power to make people happy as long as someone is loving him, which is a clear representation of one of Tezuka's favorite themes: the power of love.
Tezuka World Series Page for Astro Boy
Our Astro Boy series page
Uran is Astro Boy's younger sister, created for him by Dr. Ochanomizu to give him a more realistic childhood. Because she was made by Dr. Ochanomizu and not Dr. Tenma, she is not nearly as sophisticated as Astro Boy and lacks his special powers, but has a few of her own, including the ability to communicate with animals. In some versions, Uran is presented as a present to Astro on his first birthday. Uran is a tomboy, often fighting with Astro and jealous of her brother's powers. The duty of looking after Uran did a lot to teach Astro about responsibility, tolerence and patience, and was a great help to his emotional development. Sometimes Uran even tried to disguise herself as Astro and have adventures of her own, usually with very unfortunate results. Uran was the first family member Dr. Ochanomizu made for Astro, though she would be followed by his brother Cobalt and his artificial parents.
WATO CHIYOKO – also HAYATO or KANO
Wato is a self-confident, tomboyish and somewhat violent high school girl. Her major role is in The Three Eyed One where she is the primary companion of Sharaku, the Three-Eyed One. Wato is one of the few who is aware that when the bandage is taken off the forehead of the meek, childlike Sharaku, he transforms into the terrifying Three-Eyed One, a powerful evil demon bent on destroying humanity. Though Wato recognizes the danger Sharaku poses to humanity, she is fascinated by his sinister charisma, and spends all her time with him, hoping for opportunities to see the evil version in action. In the Black Jack TV series, Wato is Sharaku's elder sister, constantly nagging him to be more self-confident, and to do his homework; here he never removes the bandages to become the Three-Eyed One, but remains a playful child. Wato plays independent parts in a few episodes, most notably episode 17.
*YAGI IEMASA – see SARUTA
*YAMADANO, DOCTOR - see HANAMARU, DOCTOR.
YAMANOBEI MASATO
Tezukaosamu.net Series Page for Phoenix: Future (google trans.)
Our The Crater series page.
Tezukaosamu.net The Crater series page (google trans.)
Yamanobe, or Ryuichi, is a straight-forward young Japanese man, clean-cut, innocent but fallable, a general straight man. He appears frequently in many series as a secondary character, often as a patient or young doctor in Black Jack, or in other common roles.
Yamanobei is best known for his role as the young protagonist of the second chapter of the Phoenix manga, Future. Now all of mankind is living in a few underground cities run by giant computers. Yamanobei, a low ranking policeman in one such city, is not interested in larger questions of life, the world, politics and power, but wants to live alone with his love Tamami, a "moopie" a creature which can turn into anything it's owner desires, in this case a beautiful woman. It is against Yamanobei's will that he is caught up in the final struggles of the dying human civilization and chosen by the Phoenix to be the last survivor of mankind and oversee the development of new life on earth.
Many readers feel that the selection of Yamanobei seems arbitrary or cruel, as the Phoenix chooses an innocent and almost selfish young man who does not want this task, instead of choosing the ambitious Rock or wise Saruta who have suffered so much becuase of the Phoenix in their many reincarnations. As a perfect example of the interconnectedness of all of Tezuka's works, the answer to this puzzle might be found in Black Jack issue #127 (1976) "Devotion to Medicine", in which Yamanobei is a young doctor from a family with a history of terminal cancer. Yamanobei is determined to become a doctor and save at least one life before he dies, and spends the entire issue discussing the fact that there is no immortality, no reincarnation and no second chances and that if we want to create or save life we have to do it now in the brief lifetime we are given. As an extra acknowledgement of the significence of this moment, it is Tezuka himself, appearing as a doctor, who diagnoses the young Yamanobei's cancer and predicts how short a time he has left to live.
There is a great similarity between Yamanobei's character design and that of Ryuichi, the protagonist of The Crater written two years later. The resemblance is not clear enough to make it absolutely certain that they are the same character, but if they are, then Ryuichi's continual sufferings at the hand of fate may well be another reason for Yamanobei's selection by the Phoenix.
Tezuka World Character Page for Zephyrus
Tezuka World series page for Swallowing the Earth
French edition of Swallowing the Earth (Avaler la Terre)
Despite the masculine name, Zephyrus is one of Tezuka's archetypal females. Her first appearance was as a set of beautiful septuplets in the 1968 story Swallowing the Earth, but her best known roles are that of the Black Queen in Black Jack, and the role which bears her name, that of the spirit of the west wind (Zephyr), in Unico. She is known for her beauty and her femininity. In Swallowing the Earth, which is a satire about gender relations in a male-dominated society, she was also known for her vengeful hatred of men, which made her appearance as the Black Queen something of an ironic twist.
The Black Queen, real name Dr. Kuwata (married name Dr. Suzuki), appears in two issues of Black Jack, “Black Queen” (Jan 13th 1975) and “The Last Train,” (Jan 16, 1978, French ed. vol 9 #5). Both have been printed in the French editions, but not in English. She is a lady doctor specializing in amputation, and infamous in the medical community for being heartless and unemotional, earning her the nickname, “Black Queen,” a reference to the infamously heartless Dr. Black Jack. She meets Black Jack and they hit it off well, enough for her to be considered one of Black Jack’s romantic interests. Fortunately or unfortunately, she is already engaged to Rock, and the stories of both issues show her facing the choice between the two men, but as a background to more pressing decisions in which she must choose between her life as a wife and a woman and her medical career.
MERCHANDISING: one kubrick figure in the Black Jack kubrick set, appears on one poster.
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Last updated June 28 2010 by Jeffbert