Forum - View topicREVIEW: Black Jack - The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Review
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Wyvern
 Posts: 1792 |
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I found an old dub VHS of this show years ago (only one episode per tape) and that was my introduction to Black Jack as a character. Imagine my surprise when I looked into the franchise more and found that the manga (and later the 2000's TV series) used a much cartoonier art style. The art style in these OVA's is much more realistic and reminds me quite a bit of Golgo 13's designs, as does the overall vibe. It's interesting how this show's look departs so strongly from Tezuka's art style and features a somewhat darker and more dramatic vibe, but still retains his themes and does the stories justice. You can still see the original designs in the character of Pinoko, who looks really out of place in these OVAs because there's no way to adapt her chibi design to this OVA's art style without making her unrecognizable. So instead she just looks like she wandered in from a different anime. Consequently she comes off as a lot more annoying in this series than she does in the manga or the TV series.
Speaking of Pinoko, she's got a strange place in manga history because she might have pioneered the unfortunate trend of "characters who look like little girls but are chronologically adults," but unlike most works that use that trope today, I don't think Tezuka ever had any intention of sexualizing her. It seems he just wanted to give Black Jack a funny little sidekick (something he gave to many of his protagonists) and decided she should be at least eighteen years old to justify that she's helping with complex surgical procedures. Plus, her origin story spoiler[(she's basically a walking, talking tumor!)] is so weird that it almost feels designed to prevent anyone from finding her sexy. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 5295 |
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I got to see the Dezaki-directed film when SyFy aired it many years ago, and I loved the look and tone of it. Can't wait to get my hands on this new release of the OVAs.
(Also shout-outs to the good doctor for his cameo in the recent Pluto series. Kirk Thornton even got to reprise his role in the dub!) |
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Romuska
 Subscriber Posts: 848 |
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This show is so good! Dezaki worked with Tezuka for decades so their styles really complement each other,
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