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Sometimes
there are great anime shows that don't gain the attention or fan base
of far more inferior anime, they are ignored or forgotten, simply
sleeper hits among the sea of more popular shows and films. Osamu
Tezuka's Black Jack is one such feature, and one that proves Tezuka
is worthy of his title as "God of Manga".
At the 1994 Olympic Games, an unusually high amount of athletes begin
to break records, despite them having little or no talent in the sport
they now excel in. As more records are broken, a mysterious unlicensed
doctor under the alias of Black Jack begins to be pursued by a huge
corporation, interested in the research of these new "Super Humans".
To Black Jack's disgust, these new breed of incredible people are
little more than infected guinea pigs, part of a huge conspiracy to
attempt to play God. One of the more interesting aspects of Black
Jack's plot is that it is unlike no other anime I have witnessed,
it's a medical thriller, a unique combination of both the drama of
a US medical dramas like ER, and the exhilarating feel of a film like
Perfect Blue, even though the original Black Jack story preceded both
the aforementioned shows.
The art style is quite odd considering its roots, as it does away
with the cute, almost Disney-like style that Tezuka is famous for.
Pinoko, Black Jack's daughter-figure and an Astro Boy cameo are about
as close as it gets. If only they had updated it without losing the
charm, similar to the later Tezuka-based film Metropolis, which has
already enjoyed huge success over here on DVD. One odd thing about
it's style is the odd manga-style painted stills that plague the rich
animation, which although often nicely detailed, are better left where
they came from. The dubbing, for the most part, suits the film well,
but often sounds too wooden and unbelievable, as well as some careless
translation mistakes. This film is better watched subbed, if you want
to get a proper grasp of what's going on.
The DVD it's self is a big let-down, especially after we saw the classic
Patlabor movies arrive on these shores with bonus unseen footage and
in their own exclusive box set. There are no true extras to speak
of, besides the Manga trailers, as well as a trailer for the film
it's self. The menu is an eerie pumping vain, accompanied by some
heavy breathing, which fits the mood well, and if you look closely,
you can even see the original Japanese logo for Black Jack up in the
corner. It may seem a little pointless to most, but purists will be
impressed. Also of interest to collectors and fans is that this comes
in it's own sturdy cardboard keep case, as well as the regular Amaray
one inside, making it feel that little bit more special.
8/10 - A disappointing DVD, but a curious sleeper hit that caught
my imagination, and I hope it will catch yours too.
Back to Menu
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When it (rarely)
isn't unpleasant, the scenes are dull, boring, and horribly slow.
4/10-Don't buy this, it wont do you any favours, it will only leave
you feeling miserable
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