Naoki Urasawa: Monster, Pluto

[putrocca]

OK, we were discussing this briefly in the off-topic area, but now that I've seen and read more I'm moving it to on-topic.

All Tezuka fans must check out the works of Naoki Urasawa. We have probably all heard about the award-winning three volume "Pluto" series which is a variation on the Pluto arc of Astro Boy, but I have finally gotten my hands on it (in Japanese) and it's so good it made me cry even without my being able to read any of the dialogue - the images alone did it. It's amazing.

In addition, I have now finished watching the animated version of "Monster." It was clear from the start that "Monster" was partially inspired by Black Jack, but coming to the end it also contained very clear and explicit references to MW, Adolf, and to Tezuka's own life and biography. It also contains a character who is clearly Higeoyaji. And it is amazingly good, one of the best I've ever seen, and very Tezuka-like in the way it uses elements of the star system to make subtle but powerful comments. I was blown away.

Tezuka has a lot of imitators - heck, in a real sense every manga artist out there is a Tezuka imitator - but now I understand why, when Rintaro and Maruyama were asked what their favorite manga were, they said "Everything by Tezuka, and Naoki Urasawa."