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theseventhl's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent collection of essays analyzing the Astro Boy canon and examining Tezuka's life as both a scientist and a manga-ka. A lot of great insight in one book.
One issue: I wish Schodt did not try to brush off Tezuka's overtly racist artwork (the images of black people as grass skirt-wearing savages with big lips and so forth) as just a sign of his being influenced by Disney or that he didn't intend the art to be racist. Authorial intent means jack squat when the actual finished product depicts people in color in a racist light. It's okay to say Tezuka had problematic issues in his work! He isn't a man to be worshipped as someone without faults or problems.
Still, overall, a great volume of meta about everyone's favorite boy robot from the future.
One issue: I wish Schodt did not try to brush off Tezuka's overtly racist artwork (the images of black people as grass skirt-wearing savages with big lips and so forth) as just a sign of his being influenced by Disney or that he didn't intend the art to be racist. Authorial intent means jack squat when the actual finished product depicts people in color in a racist light. It's okay to say Tezuka had problematic issues in his work! He isn't a man to be worshipped as someone without faults or problems.
Still, overall, a great volume of meta about everyone's favorite boy robot from the future.
darumachan's review against another edition
3.0
Schodt is without a doubt the expert to turn to on Tezuka Osamu, considering Schodt's scholarship, translation, and personal friendship with Tezuka. Entertaining and easily accessible for an undergraduate audience
brantelg's review against another edition
5.0
I am a huge Tezuka fan and this is truly fascinating reading if you are the same. Otherwise, unless you are interested in the history of Japanese animation and comics design, you may not be interested in reading this one.
eely225's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 for being workmanlike but failing to be much more.
A narrow look at Astro Boy. Tezuka's life and other work are secondary as this is very focused on being a comprehensive timeline of all things Mighty Atom, whether they're interesting or not, gosh darn it! It felt like the author could have given the material broader relevance, but didn't. The book calls itself "essays" but really that's an excuse to have chapters that don't tie to a larger idea and build on one another.
It's decent. I learned some interesting things about the history of the medium and Tezuka specifically. But you have to be pretty invested in this niche to get much out of it.
A narrow look at Astro Boy. Tezuka's life and other work are secondary as this is very focused on being a comprehensive timeline of all things Mighty Atom, whether they're interesting or not, gosh darn it! It felt like the author could have given the material broader relevance, but didn't. The book calls itself "essays" but really that's an excuse to have chapters that don't tie to a larger idea and build on one another.
It's decent. I learned some interesting things about the history of the medium and Tezuka specifically. But you have to be pretty invested in this niche to get much out of it.
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