About Tezuka’s Manga

Tezuka’s manga

From the late 1940’s to the the late 1980’s, Osamu Tezuka was instrumental in developing (if not downright creating) almost every genre of manga possible.  Although he is probably best-known for his shōnen (young boys) manga works such as Astro Boy (1952-68), and Jungle Emperor (1950-54), he was equally comfortable in working on shōjo (young girls) manga stories such as Princess Knight (1953-56) and Queen Eggplant (1954-55).  Never one to rest on the laurels of his past success, Tezuka was constantly seeking to reinvent himself and find new ways to entertain his audience.  This meant branching out into new areas, such as the cutting-edge and avant-garde series Phoenix (1967-88), and his seinen (young men) social commentaries such as Swallowing the Earth (1968-69), and Ayako (1972-73).

As if that was not enough, Tezuka also explored social issues such as sexual education for young people through manga series such as Apollo’s Song (1970), Yakeppachi’s Maria (1970) and Marvelous Melmo (1970-72).  He crafted, out of nothing, the sub-genre of “medical thriller” with manga series such as Black Jack (1973-83).  He also added significantly to that of “historical super-natural thriller” with the samurai period piece Dororo (1967-69).  In fact, just naming the genres of manga that Tezuka created his manga for would be a lengthy process all on its own.

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.