500 Manga Heroes and Villains

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.

by Helen McCarthy

500 Manga Heroes and Villains

This inexpensive but thick little book contains entries on a truly astounding range of the most important and influential manga characters of all time. Unlike most books about manga which focus too exclusively on recent and popular series, this has comprehensive coverage of older and rarer works from many genres, from Junji Itto’s Uzumaki to Louis de Pointe du Lac, the manga adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire series, plus supplemental histories of manga in general, the shoujo and mecha genres and more.

The coverage of Tezuka’s works is spectacular, with entries on Black Jack, Bukku Bukk, Kenichi, Dr. Hanamaru, Hamegg, Shunsaku Ban, Sharaku, Pinoko, the Fumoon race, Lamp, Duke Red, The Amazing Three, the Phoenix, Unico, Tezuka’s versions of Beethoven, Dracula, Buddha, Hitler, Queen Himiko, Raskolnikov, Ulysses, Dr. Ryoan Tezuka and more, plus in-depth two-page examinations of Astro Boy, Rock, Sapphire, Leo (Kimba) and Yuki from MW (1976-78), separate entries on Osamu Tezuka the author and Osamu Tezuka the character in his own work, and discussions of many other series and characters.

Entries are very brief but jam-packed with plot and character descriptions, dates, author bios, character histories and discussions of influence. Approximately 1/3rd of entries are illustrated.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC ENTRY:

McCarthy, Helen. 2006. 500 Manga Heroes and Villains. Barron’s Educational Series.

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