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The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka will soon host an exhibition featuring re-imagined Tezuka character illustrations by many famous artists in the modern moe style. The roster of contributing artists numbers at about 20, including Noizi Ito (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Shakugan no Shana), Narumi Kakinouchi (Vampire Princess Miyu, Ryoko's Case File) and Haruhiko Mikimoto (Macross, Gundam 0080, Gunbuster).
There are about 90 different art pieces and dolls set for display at the exhibition. Here are some examples featuring Princess Knight.
Read more at Anime News Network or in Japanese at the Daily Yomiuri Online.
This seems to be along the same lines as the Tezuka Moe Gallery I first reported about last year, only that one was held in Akihabara. So now more people will get another chance to see what the current generation of artists can do with Tezuka's classic characters.
Continue reading "Tezuka Museum's Moe Re-imaginings"...
 YEAH!
Vertical Inc. has announced that Osamu Tezuka's legendary classic manga Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi) will be published in its eternity in English.
From Anime News Network:
Vertical will publish Princess Knight in two volumes: the first, about 384 pages long, on October 4, and the second, about 330 pages long, on December 6. Both books will carry a suggested retail price of US$13.95. The books will be the same trim size as Dororo and Black Jack — two other Vertical releases of Tezuka manga. This is truly incredible news! Princess Knight is one of Tezuka's most popular and important creations. We've only gotten a few glimpses of the Princess Knight manga in English before, but now we're getting the entire series in such a comprehensive fashion. More information will be forthcoming, so keep checking back.
Continue reading "Get ready for PRINCESS KNIGHT!"...
Fans of Osamu Tezuka definitley must check out this article, " Tezuka's heroine bats her eyes at crime reporters" from the Asahi Shimbun website. It's all about how a wooden panel from the Tokiwa-so apartments, where many young manga artists once stayed, was rescued by Tezuka before the site was demolished. Tezuka drew an illustration of Princess Knight and a portrait of himself on the panel and gave it to the reporters that alerted him to the Tokiwa-so demolition. To this day, that panel hangs in the Ikebukuro Police Station press room.
A framed wooden ceiling panel sits in the press club inside the Metropolitan Police Department's Ikebukuro Police Station in Tokyo's Toshima Ward.
It shows a sketch of the heroine of Osamu Tezuka's manga "Ribon no Kishi" (Princess Knight), and a self-portrait of the artist in his inimitable style.
As the anecdote goes, Tezuka (1928-1989) drew the pictures on the panel, which measures roughly 70 centimeters by 30 cm, after removing it himself from the legendary Tokiwa-so apartment building, where he and other manga artists had once lived.
The building was torn down 28 years ago. The artist managed to rescue the board thanks to the help of club reporters.
In the top right of the panel, the artist wrote a special dedication: "For the reporters at the Gohomen Kisha Club (the press club for district 5)."
An Asahi Shimbun article on the demolition said: "(Tezuka), wearing his trademark beret, was surrounded by fans who had heard about the demolition and went upstairs to revisit Room 14, which held so many memories. As he had requested, he received wooden panels from the ceiling, which were richly imbued with the smoke from all the cooking that had gone on in that room."
The press club is one of the seven at major police stations in Tokyo. The rooms serve as bases for crime reporters.
How did a panel from Tokiwa-so end up in the press club on the seventh floor of the Ikebukuro Police Station?
Shigeyuki Koide, 59, senior staff writer at the Yomiuri Shimbun, happily recounted the events that took place on Nov. 30, 1982.
"We just happened to drop in at a ramen shop near Tokiwa-so that day," he said.
Koide was 31 and in his first year on the city news beat. After covering a fire in the morning, reporters from the press club went to the Chinese restaurant Matsuba for lunch.
After their meal, the reporters noticed Tokiwa-so covered with scaffolding, with the window frames already gone. They heard that the building was about to be demolished.
The reporters sprang into action, calling up manga artists who used to live in the apartment to get their reactions.
One reporter called Tezuka, creator of "Tetsuwan Atomu" (Astro Boy), who had lived in Room 14 of Tokiwa-so.
Tezuka said he would come down to get some of the ceiling boards. He promised to meet the reporters in front of the apartment late in the afternoon the next day.
On Dec. 1, at his office in Shinjuku Ward, Tezuka handed in 20 manuscript sheets for the manga "Hidamari no Ki" (Trees in the sun) to his editor from Big Comic magazine.
He was two days late for his deadline, and due dates for other serials were fast approaching.
But Tokiwa-so couldn't wait. Tezuka headed off to his rendezvous.
"As I waited for (Tezuka) to return, I was surrounded by angry editors," recalled Takayuki Matsutani, 65, president of Tezuka Productions Co. "I didn't want him to leave the office. Still, I wanted him to take a breather."
The manga king was about an hour late when he arrived at Tokiwa-so. He immediately went upstairs, even though the apartment was dark because the lights were removed.
In Room 14, he got on a stepladder to get at the ceiling, while reporters shone flashlights.
One asked, "Are you sure you can just tear it up like that?"
An unfazed Tezuka replied: "Don't worry. I've talked with the landlord."
He soon ripped several boards out of the ceiling.
When Koide handed Tezuka a felt-tipped pen, the artist drew the dashing Princess Sapphire, who in his famous tale pretends she is a prince to inherit the throne.
Saying, "And me," Tezuka added a self-portrait.
It was Tezuka's way of thanking the young reporters who alerted him about the demise of his special place. The reporters carried the panel back to their press club and displayed it on the locker.
The board has since witnessed more than 200 reporters at the Gohomen Kisha Club come and go, chasing down stories and learning their trade.
Shinichi Suzuki, 76, an anime artist who also lived at Tokiwa-so, compares the press club to Tokiwa-so.
"I look at it this way: Anyplace, be it a school or a company, becomes a Tokiwa-so to the people who grow up there and are successful in the future."
Continue reading "Tezuka's Legendary Wood Panel"...
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.
Continue reading "Tezuka Moe Gallery"...
 Now this is a totally amazing story!
Comic creator Mauricio de Sousa, known by many as the "Disney of Brazil", was a great friend of Osamu Tezuka. The two had planned to create a film about world peace that would feature characters from both Tezuka's works as well as de Sousa's. Sadly, Tezuka passed away before this could ever happen, but de Sousa always hoped to complete the story in the form of a comic.
That hope will now become a reality, as Tezuka characters including Princess Knight will be joining characters from de Sousa's body of work, including "Monica's Gang", in a new comic that will be published in Portuguese this June, with the potential of a Japanese version as well.
You can read more details at Anime News Network.
Continue reading "Brazilian Comic Creator's Tezuka Crossover!"...
 The Japanese town of Takarazuka is about to get promoted in a big way! The hometown of Osamu Tezuka will be using one of his most famous creations, Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi), to attract tourism.
This, of course, makes perfect sense, as Takarazuka is well known for its theatrical performances where all of the roles, even the male characters, are played by ladies. Princess Knight is the story of a princess who masquerades as a male prince, so it's a perfect fit.
The image to the right is from a 2006 stage musical based on Princess Knight done in Takarazuka style, with an all female cast. I found it here.
InsideJapan News Network has the full story on Takarazuka's new mascot. You can also click the link below for an archived version. I'll be looking for more info on this, including pictures, very soon.
The hometown of celebrated manga illustrator Osamu Tezuka is to be promoted by one of his most well-known creations.
Ribon no Kishi (Princess Knight) will be involved in a number of events aimed at attracting tourists to the area of Takarazuka, reports Kyodo News.
The character will be played by two students from Kyoto University and Osaka University, who were selected from dozens of applicants and will wear costumes to represent the princess.
One of the students, Hiroko Sadato, told the news provider: "I will cheer up Takarazuka."
Her colleague Ayuko Sogo remarked: "I will play this big role with a big smile."
They will both be involved in a range of promotional activities which will be held until 2011.
Mr Tezuka began his manga career in 1946 creating illustrations for a publication aimed at children.
Fans of manga visiting the Japanese capital Tokyo may want to stop off at the Mandarake retail outlet, which offers everything from anime models to manga comics.
Continue reading "Princess Knight to Promote Tezuka's Hometown"...
 Anime News Network reports that a brand new manga remake/adaptation of Tezuka's Princess Knight is on the way this spring in Japan.
Read all about all the details here
Interesting to see a new version of this story, a pioneering entry in the Shojo genre. At one point such a thing would be unheard of, as Tezuka's work was so respected that it was thought to be untouchable. But over the past few years there have been a few other manga remakes and reimaginings of classic Tezuka stories which I eventually hope to discuss here in time.
Continue reading "Princess Knight Returns"...
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