Kei Kisaragi (Star)

Ongoing Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is connected from chapter to chapter and must be read in chronological order for it to be understood properly.
Chapter Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is self-contained to a single chapter. There may be an overarching plot, but the stories can generally be read in any order and be understood
Book: an all-in-one self contained story published as a one-off.
Supplement: an an all-in-one self contained story published as a stand-alone supplement to a regular weekly/monthly periodical.
Short Story: an all-in-one, self contained story that was published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical
Anthology: a collection of all-in-one, self contained stories that were published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical but are generally grouped together.

Kei Kisaragi is considered Black Jack’s most important romantic interest. Her key appearances is in ‘The Encounter’ (November 25, 1974, English Vol. 1 #4, French Vol. 1 #6) She was a young doctor-in-training studying at the same hospital as young Black Jack. Black Jack and Kei developed feelings for one another, but the antisocial Black Jack was slow to approach her. Unfortunately Kisaragi Kei was diagnosed with a kind of ovarian cancer considered inoperable in that day. The young Black Jack insisted on conducting an experimental operation despite the objections of the hospital faculty. Only just before the operation did the two finally admit their feelings to one another, but both knew that after the operation the hormonal changes brought about by the removal of her reproductive system would disrupt or destroy the female emotions within her, ending their love. This seems medically implausible to us today, but it is important to remember that at the time Tezuka was writing, such an operation was still science-fiction and the relationship between reproductive anatomy and emotion was wholly unexplored. The operation succeeded in saving Kei’s life, and she now lives overseas, making occasional communications with Black Jack (‘Perfume of love come in from afar’, French Vol. 7 #6).