I can't believe I'm typing this (actually this is Japan we're talking about so nothing is truly unbelievable) but there's an event happening right now that combines the famous works of Osamu Tezuka with the modern day cute fad of "moe". The "Osamu Moet Moso" exhibition is being held at the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara. It opened on September 18 and runs until October 11.
Upon viewing the images above, my guttural reaction would be "Is nothing sacred?", but upon reading more, there is some reason to suggest that the concept of moe can directly trace its roots to Tezuka's influence on manga culture. It's an interesting topic at any rate, though there's something kind of creepy to me about that Astro artwork. The Princess Knight one is HAWT though.
See more pictures and information at Otaku2 and AnimeKon.
I'm so glad to read others thoughts on the eroticism of Tezuka's round lines. I was starting to think I was just nuts for liking them that much.
ReplyDeleteIn this regard, those fan artworks don't even do the job as well as Tezuka's original work, except for Yoshizaki's... that one's just awesome.
However I think those English articles may be placing too much importance on moe or sexual aspects of the exhibition. The official Tezuka site says its purpose is to "extract and embody Akiba-like elements contained in Tezuka Osamu’s works through the imaginations of each creator". Akiba is a name for those who love fantasy worlds, like manga and anime, and doing fan works based on them.
Actually, the moe style actually really works with Tezuka.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention, Astro Boy is practically the original moe! XD