by putrocca » Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:10 pm
We should probably work out what's been established so far about who knows whom, and work out a chronology of which Tezuka series are "canon" (i.e. that people remember) and which are "out of sequence" i.e. no current characters remember them (except people like the Phoenix, Buddha, Yamanobei or Sharaku who can see into multiple reincarnations). I know not everyone has read/seen all of these, but that should be fine since you can simply decide your character isn't the version that appeared in any that you haven't read. Sound good?
ESTABLISHED SO FAR:
Lamp is the detective version from Black Jack so he knows Black Jack and Pinoko.
Wato is the Three-Eyed-One version, so is Sharaku's classmate/girlfriend not his sister, but she and Sharaku still live in BJ's hometown and know BJ and Pinoko, as in the BJ TV series.
So far Sapphire is not established as having known anyone except Wato.
Ochanomizu, who is in charge of the dig, is presumably the Astro Boy version, thus the head of the Ministry of Science, but it's probably best if we take the Astro Boy GBA game version and also say that Ochanomizu and Black Jack know each other too.
Black Jack, do you want to include the events of Black Jack 21 or not?
Rock is a combo. He is mostly based on Makube Rokuro as he appeared in Vampires and Black Jack, so Lamp would know him as an infamous wanted criminal escaped from Death Row, and Rock and Black Jack have known each other since they were kids. Sound good, Lamp?
HERE IT GETS COMPLICATED: Rock and Kenichi...
As for how to handle Rock and Kenichi, it's up to Kenichi whether he wants to be Metropolis Kenichi or a different Kenichi. If Kennichi wants to be a different Kenichi then it's easy, but less fun, we just say he's new and doesn't know anyone. If Kennichi wants to be Metropolis Kenichi than we can say that Makube/Rock (who we know was an orphan) was adopted by Duke Red in Metropolis for a while, but then survived and went on to be the Makube of Vampires after the fall of the Ziggurat (the Black Jack manga established pretty clearly that "Print Proof" took place after Vampires so that is compatible with Black Jack too). It's also fairly clear that the Metropolis movie is sort-of supposed to take place after Nextworld (since Nextworld ends with Duke Red adopting Rock) so if Kennichi wants to be Nextworld Kennichi as well as Metropolis Kennichi that is still compatible. On the other hand, if Kennichi doesn't want to be Nextworld/Metropolis Kenichi then we can say Rock isn't Nextworld/Metropolis Rock either - Kenichi, what do you prefer?
Note: Phoenix: "Future" presumably took place 5 billion years in the past or future, depending on how you interpret Phoenix, so that can't be the same version of Rock as this one. Same goes for Buddha Rock.
To clarify, here are some proposed chronologies:
LARGEST AND MOST COMPLICATED (if Kenichi wants to do Metropolis Kenichi):
Extremely ancient past: Events of Phoenix: Future - separate reincarnation
Very ancient past: Destruction of the race of Three Eyed Ones, Sharaku last survivor
Ancient past: Kingdom of Mu (as appearing in Astro Boy & Marine Express)
Past: Buddha, other historical events
Within living memory:
1) Rock& BJ backstory as kids, both orphans
2) Events of Nextworld, ends with Duke Red adopting Rock
3) Events of Metropolis
4) Events of Vampires (Rock, still young, is back in Japan)
5) Other BJ stories and events of The Three Eyed One go on roughly at the same time. We could probably also throw in Astro Boy in this period, including the Astro Boy 2003 episode with Rock and the Phoenix. That way if anyone wants to play Astro they can do so.
7) BJ "Print Proof" ending with Rock (now an adult) on Death Row
8) Events of Black Jack 21 (if BJ wants)
9) PRESENT DAY WHEN RP TAKES PLACE
Distant Future: Events of later Phoenix volumes
Very Distant Future: Events of Phoenix Future again - yay cyclical time
Or we could simplify by saying that Metropolis and Nextworld were separate reincarnatins that will take place in the future but haven't yet, so we don't have to worry about the characters remembering them:
LESS COMPLICATED:
Extremely ancient past: Events of Phoenix: Future - separate reincarnation
Very ancient past: Destruction of the race of Three Eyed Ones, Sharaku survives
Ancient past: Kingdom of Mu (as appearing in Astro Boy & Marine Express)
Past: Buddha, other historical events
1) Rock& BJ backstory as kids, both orphans
4) Events of Vampires (Rock back in Japan)
5) Other BJ stories, events of The Three Eyed One
7) BJ "Print Proof" ending with Rock on Death Row
9) PRESENT DAY WHEN RP TAKES PLACE
Future (not yet happened) Nextworld, Metropolis, Phoenix volumes etc.
What do people prefer? A combo of the two? Have I left out anything important? We should work together to get this somewhat clear before we confuse ourselves over which character remembers what.
- Ada (site founder - TezukaInEnglish.com)