Ramune [aka Tick]

Also known as ラムネ (Ramune)

Status: Minor Star (★)

Named after a popular soft-drink in Japan, Ramune is one half of the comedic duo Ramune & Calpis (also commonly known as Tick & Tuck) modeled after classic American comedians Abbott & Costello. Usually depicted as happy-go-lucky, but bumbling, henchmen or assistants, Ramune & Calpis often make an appearance when the story is in danger of becoming overly serious or dark.

Notable Roles

Given that Ramune is cast exclusively in comedy relief roles – usually setting up the joke for Calpis to deliver the punch line – he’s appeared in MANY of Tezuka’s works, but is the master of none. He’s the tall, skinny “Abbott” to Kalpis’ short, fat “Costello”, and although purposefully not designed to have much of a personality on his own, as the “straight man” in the relationship, certain character traits have emerged. Ramune is very protective of Calpis, much like an older brother – often to the point of being quite bossy. He has a short temper, and his bluster is often an unsuccessful attempt to hide his cowardice. On his own he can be quite clever, but his greed usually derails his plans (most often to comedic effect). A good example of this is in Crime and Punishment (1953).

It’s also interesting that when this comedy duo got it’s start in The Mysterious Underground Men (1948), it was actually a comedy TRIO. It marks one of the few appearances by Soda before he was dropped from the group. Tezuka’s own version of the “fifth Beatle.”

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Ramune is named after a popular soft-drink in Japan – a carbonated soft drink that originally had lemon/lime flavour. It was available in a codd-neck bottle, which is a heavy glass bottle whose mouth is sealed by a round marble instead of a cap thanks to the pressure of the carbonated contents. It’s name is derived from a Japanese borrowing of the English word “lemonade.”

Distinguishing Features

You can always spot Ramune by his tall, lanky body shape, with four wisps of hair.

Manga Appearances

If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!

1948

The Mysterious Underground Men as “”
The Jungle Kingdom as “a thief”
Tobi’s 20 [originally titled Masked Adventure Kid] as “a prisoner”
King Rocket as “a waiter”
The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future as “”
Secret Base on the Shari River as “Baron Amai”
Lost World as “a member of the crowd”

1949

Angel Gunfighter as “Pork”
The Story of a Miracle Forest as “the Grand Duke’s servant”
Men with Tails as “a member of the expedition”
Metropolis as “sea cleaning industry”
The Adventures of Rock Holmes as “”

1950

The Golden City as “a passenger on the boat”
The Wonderful Journey as “Phantom Thief Chick and Butler”
The Tutelary God’s Fire as “”
Manga University as “a criminal”
Ashiato Hot Spring as “Risuke”
Jungle Emperor (“The Birth of Leo“) as “a sailor”

1951

The Road to Utopian Lurue as “an editor”
Next World as “Ramunenko and Butanov”
Queer Arabian Nights as “a bellboy”
The Cactus Kid as “a Private in the Indian Expeditionary Corps”
The Moony Men as “President Amai”

1952

Mr. Horobasha as “”
Skyscraper Kid as “a night watchman”
Volcano Island Boy as “”
The Fossil Man as “a Sucharaka party member”
Jungle Emperor as “a member of the Country “B” expedition party”

1953

Astro Boy (“Red Cat”) as “a resident of the same apartment as Higeoyaji”
The 13 Secrets as “a policeman”
Crime and Punishment as “a painter”

1954

A ’32 Ford as “” (Calpis only)
Miss Robin as “one of the Baron’s servants”
The Maiden of Tatsugafuchi as “a woodcutter”
Inochi no Mamejishaku as “a member of the rocket crew”

1955

Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “a man chased by the lion”

1956

Lion Books (“The Black Space Ray”) as “Amaguri”
Lion Books (“Space Airport”) as “a clerk in the souvenir shop”
The Rainbow Fortress as “Hassan”

1957

The Kokeshi Detective Agency as “a construction worker”
Whirlwind Z as “Hajime Takagi’s friend”
The Strange Journey as “a reporter”
The Earth War as “drug company propagandist”

1958

Astro Boy (“Mad Machine”) as “a reporter”
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “a reporter”
Peacock Shell as “an inhabitant of the island”

1959

Zero Men as “a reporter”

1960

Astro Boy (“Uran”) as “a spectator at the Roboting event”
The Secret of Piron as “a truck driver”
Dream of the Universe as “”
Angel’s Hill

1961

Astro Boy (“The Third Magician”) as “a visitor to the cave”
The Ant and the Giant as “a reporter”
The Strange Boy as “a reporter”
The Human Ranch as “a newspaper reporter”

1962

Brave Dan as “one of truck drivers transporting Dan”

1963

Big X as ”

1965

Astro Boy (“Roboids”) as “a guard”
Astro Boy (“Robio And Robiette”) as “a reporter”
Wonder 3 [Shonen Sunday] as “a worker at the scrap iron shop”

1966

Flying Ben as “a member of Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics”

1967

Astro Boy (“Beginning of the Contradiction”) as “one of the townspeople”
Astro Boy (“Living on Earth, 101”) as “one of the townspeople”

1968

Goro of Hatchoike as “Kodomo-za member”

1972

Lion Books (“Muddy March”) as “a reporter”

1973

Black Jack (“A Girl who became a Bird”) as “a spectator at the man-powered flight contest”

1974

Black Jack (“Nadare”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“Twice Dead”) as “a bellhop”
Black Jack (“Fits”) as “staff at the piano shop”
Black Jack (“Captain Park”) as “a stowaway”
Black Jack (“Teacher and Pupil”) as “a doctor”
Black Jack (“Human Vegetable”) as “a passenger on the ship”
Black Jack (“Two Loves”) as “police related”
Black Jack (“The Legs of an Ant”) as “a truck driver”

1975

Black Jack (“Black Queen”) as “a doctor”
Black Jack (“The Corsican Brothers”) as “a member of the circus”
Black Jack (“Con Man, Aspiring”) as “a friend of the father”
Black Jack (“On the Way”) as “a villager”

1976

Black Jack (“Pinoko goes West”) as “a carpenter”
Black Jack (“Dialogue With The Dead”) as “a member of the prison staff”
Black Jack (“Another J”) as “the hotel reception clerk”
Black Jack (“Stop Drawing!”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“Lost and Found”) as “a station attendant”
Run Chronos! as “a truck driver”

1977

Black Jack (“There Were Two Films”) as “a reporter”
Black Jack (“High and Low”) as “an employee”
Black Jack (“Life Bond”) as
Black Jack (“Downpour – Part 2”) as “islander”
The Three-Eyed One (“The Ancient Prince, Godal”) as “Dr. Subuda’s assistant, police”

1978

Black Jack (“Bath of the Floating World”) as “public bath customer”
Black Jack (“Grasping Duo”) as “an ambulance driver”
Black Jack (“A Woman’s Case”) as “a station attendant”
Black Jack (“Bad Stunt”) as “part of the movie production crew”
Black Jack (“The Kuroshio: A Memoir”) as “Homura staff member”
Futureman Kaos as “a police officer”

1979

Don Dracula (“Dracula, One More Time”) as “Security Guard No. 1”

1980

Yamataro Comes Back! as “a Japanese National Railways employee”

1982

Rainbow Parakeet (“The End”) as “Customs agent”
Prime Rose as “Championship venue attendant”

1984

Kibando (“Wind Patterns”) as “the news reporter”
Kibando (“The Smell of the Amazon”) as “the news reporter”