The Birth Of TV Anime In Japan

We take it for granted. Each season, anime studios churn out new episodes on a regular basis. But at one time, a weekly TV anime was seen as an impossibility in Japan. Osamu Tezuka changed that forever.

[Image: The Osamu Tezuka Story | Stone Bridge press]

Hailed as the “God of Manga,” Tezuka was also the man who made anime what it is today. What better way to tell his life story than, well, with a manga? (Perhaps an anime, but a manga is what we got. No complaints from me!)

Originally published after Tezuka’s death, The Osamu Tezuka Story was created by his production company and Toshio Ban, one of his long-time collaborators.

The book is a meaty 900-plus pages, and one of the most fascinating sections details the early days of Astro Boy, Japan’s first hit TV anime. Tezuka came up with inventive ways to produce a weekly animated show, while his Mushi Production’s team worked under a gruelling schedule to make his vision possible. Astro Boy lead to a golden age in TV anime, establishing much of the look and style that continues to be associated with anime.

Below, is an excerpt from The Osamu Tezuka Story, which Frederik L. Schodt translated and which is now available in English for the first time. Schodt does a terrific job bringing Tezuka’s story to an English-speaking audience.

The Osamu Tezuka Story was published in English last month. For more, check the book’s official site.