Ryuichi seems to have it all - his grades are at the top of the class, he’s the school’s kendo champion, and he’s dating Kumiko, the prettiest girl in school.  Frustrated by Ryuichi’s luckiness in love, the school bully decides to have him followed and soon discovers the secret to his success - Ryuichi has found a secret tunnel that gives him access to the River of Time!

Tezuka’s Westerns are full of misunderstood outlaws with hearts of gold, and Wild Hand is one of them. After settling a score with some no-good cattle rustlers and escaping the long arm of the law, Wild Hand joins a band of intrepid adventurers seeking to mount the 13th expedition through the mountains to find safe passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific. Of course every member of the band has a story to tell…

There’s just no escape from the outlaw known as the Melon Kid… especially for a member of his posse who has betrayed him. This cowboy gunslinging action comes courtesy of Tezuka’s Western manga Lemon Kid (1953).

All life is sacred.

…a neighbourhood in Osaka suddenly, and randomly, bursts into a scene from Westside Story. 

Manga may be a silent medium, but the scene is so well constructed you can almost hear the hushed tone, the shuffle of the dancers’ feet, the click of the katanas in their scabbards, and the clack of the geta sandals smacking the ground.

The late 1800s were a time of political upheaval in Japan, with the grip of the Shogunate loosening and reformists seeking to open trade with the West.  As such the Shinsengumi (or “new squad”) was formed as a special police force in Kyoto, one loyal to the Shogun.

Brave and determined heroes to some, ruthless murder squads to others, it is against this backdrop of moral ambiguity that Tezuka sets his samurai tale, Shinsengumi (1963).

She can if she’s Captain Bokku, leader of the Milky Way Space Patrol… better known as the W3!

This example of yet another plot to seek world domination gone astray comes courtesy of Osamu Tezuka’s sci-fi action/adventure series, Wonder 3 (1965-66).

More innovative panel design by Osamu Tezuka, this time, courtesy of his samurai epic General Onimaru (1969).

The son of a Roman soldier and a Japanese mother, Onimaru was hated and feared as a monster (or Oni) by the local village people because of his blue eyes and blond hair.  Captured and tortured, Onimaru escapes with the help of the legendary swordsman, Kojiro Soma and his flashing blade…

Ever wondered why Chad Cactus had his shirt off when he was dunking his wife in a tub of milk? Well, chances are, you never even thought twice about that memorable little scene from Tezuka’s Mr. Cactus (1951-54).

Of course one giant robot deserves a sparring partner, so it should come as no surprise that the Devil Garon will soon be duking it out with the leader of the rocket-men, Magma in an epic battle.