Tezuka Time with Mike Toole

Anime News Network brings us another new installment of The Mike Toole Show. This column features a look at The Astonishing Work of Osamu Tezuka DVD and a complete, detailed look at all of the Osamu Tezuka anime properties that have been translated into English. Definitely an informative article and another entertaining read from Mike Toole.

Here's a sample that I particularly agree with.

Tezuka Productions would go back to the well and remake Astro Boy in 2003, commemorating both the 40th anniversary of the cartoon and the fictional "birthdate" of Astro himself. The company spared no expense in revitalizing their flagship hero; the TV series was bankrolled by Sony, and directed and scripted by the famous (and somewhat infamous) Konaka brothers.

Unfortunately, its western release was badly, badly bungled, featuring a gutted musical score, extensively rewritten scripts, and some episodes either omitted or shown out of sequence; the show was irregularly bounced between Kids WB and Cartoon Network before being canceled. Its broadcast run was never properly finished, although Sony did see fit to throw out a dub-only, poor-quality DVD box. Astro Boy 2003's handling by Sony is a compelling model of how not to release an anime series in the west, which is pretty frustrating in retrospect.

Make sure you read the whole thing right here.

If you ask me, any time is Tezuka time!