Tezuka’s Manga (1970-79)

The Dark Years

Barbara (1973-74)

With the failure of the company he founded, Mushi Productions, much of Tezuka’s work in the 1970s reflects his darker mood. Despite this, and indeed because of it, the 1970s really show Tezuka at his best. His artwork is now regularly highlighted by intriguing panel deigns and a more complex cinematography, while his themes become more morally mature and complex and his pacing, though still frenetic, is more even and balanced. This is a period of great manga production, both in terms of quantity and quality, as the punishing requirements of his commercial animation ventures are no longer vying for his creative energy.

Early on in the decade, Tezuka’s manga work turns towards biting social commentary – be it on sex education in Yakeppachi’s Maria (1970) or Apollo’s Song (1970), the medical establishment in Ode to Kirihito (1970-71), the insect-like qualities of human society in Book of Human Insects (1970-71), the American influence in the post-war shift in land rights in Ayako (1972-73), or even the very nature of an artist’s muse in Barbara (1973-74).

Even Tezuka’s biographical manga treatment of the life of Siddhartha Gautama in Buddha (1972-83), a series that intimately illustrates Tezuka’s own beliefs on reincarnation and the sanctity of life, cannot be called an overly optimistic one.

Tezuka’s dark mood also permeates his shōnen, or “boy’s” adventure mangas. Be it the total lack of heroes in Alabaster (1970-71), or, at best, the rise of the “tainted heroes” in his works such as the medical thriller, Black Jack (1973-83), or the “ancient civilizations” adventure, The Three-Eyed One (1974-78), none of them show the bright-eyed optimism of his earlier works in the 1950s and early 1960s.

However, by the end of the decade Tezuka gains control over the darkness and begins to wield it more like a surgeon’s scalpel than a baseball bat. Even in his most dedicated exploration of mankind’s capacity for evil, in MW (1976-78) one gets the impression he is using it to strategically provoke a response rather than simply overwhelming the reader. He is also able to use it to temper a series like Unico (1976-79), a children’s tale about a baby unicorn that could easily slide into sugary-sweetness, with a balanced dose of pessimistic realism.

Yet, as the 1970s come to a close, Tezuka seems to lose his appetite for crushing darkness and we see a return of levity in works like the slapstick comedy, Don Dracula (1979). Something that will continue on into the 1980s.

Tezuka's Manga (1946-49)

The 1940s feature the works of Osamu Tezuka’s youthful exhuberance – those that pave the way for modern manga and show just a hint of his later genius.

Tezuka's Manga (1950-59)

The 1950s feature the first of Osamu Tezuka's works where the artwork, though still showing its Disney-esque roots, catches up to his storytelling.

Tezuka's Manga (1960-69)

The 1960s see Tezuka hit his artistic stride. Although throughout the decade much of his energy was devoted to getting his animation, both artistic and commercial, off the ground, in his manga work his storytelling and artwork show a maturity that only...

Tezuka's Manga (1970-79)

With the failure of the company he founded, Mushi Productions, much of Tezuka's work in the 1970s reflects his darker mood. Despite this, and indeed because of it, the 1970s really show Tezuka at his best.

Tezuka's Manga (1980-89)

Although Tezuka spent the last decade of his life primarily focused on his award-winning work in experimental animation, there are still several important manga series of note.