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ONE HUNDRED TALES
One Hundred Tales is a story about being careful what you wish for.
Ichirui Hanri is an ordinary accountant servicing his master. Though innocent, he is ordered to commit hara-kiri after being entangled in some trouble in his master's house. Just then, a witch named Sudama appears. She signs a contract with Hanri to obtain his soul in exchange for fulfilling three of his wishes. Hanri gets what he wants...but the price he pays is too high.
An enchanting supernatural fable from Osamu Tezuka, known worldwide as the “Godfather of Manga” and the most influential person of the past century in the development of Japanese manga and anime.
Ichirui Hanri is an ordinary accountant servicing his master. Though innocent, he is ordered to commit hara-kiri after being entangled in some trouble in his master's house. Just then, a witch named Sudama appears. She signs a contract with Hanri to obtain his soul in exchange for fulfilling three of his wishes. Hanri gets what he wants...but the price he pays is too high.
An enchanting supernatural fable from Osamu Tezuka, known worldwide as the “Godfather of Manga” and the most influential person of the past century in the development of Japanese manga and anime.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
6 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Osamu Tezuka
2,145 books1,299 followersDr. Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫) was a Japanese manga artist, animator, producer and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. He is often credited as the "Father of Anime", and is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during his formative years. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the father of manga" and "the God of Manga."
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 1, 2023
Not the Tezuka comic I'd give to a first time reader -- or maybe, it is quite short and captures most of his quirks. It has too many timely gags. Lots of references to pop stars and other things from the time period. The footnotes helped with understanding.
Serialized in four issues of Weekly Shonen Jump. Inspired by Faust - making a deal with the devil - as many other Tezuka tales are.
Like other Tezuka tales, this is just full of adventure and imagination. It's incredible how many ideas Tezuka has. The artwork is cartoony for the figures but many of the backgrounds are beautifully rendered illustrations.
Outside of it obviously not featuring the Phoenix, this tale would fit well thematically with that series.
We follow the cowardly Fuwa Usuto who is forced to commit seppuku. He's just an accountant caught up in conspiracy involving his boss who had him embezzle funds.
He's too cowardly to stab himself and makes a deal with a beautiful demon Sudama. She wants his soul once he dies, in return he gets 3 wishes. He's joined by the demon for the rest of the story and she slowly falls in love with him as they go on a series of adventures together. First he visits his wife and daughter who of course don't recognize him. The wife tries to get him to marry his daughter!
Fear Mountain - Fuwa wants to meet a beautiful woman who happens to be a spirit. Sudama helps him get into the spirit world to visit her. Things don't go well for them but Sudama helps them escape and hide in a pebble. After Fuwa gets caught up in a hostage situation with a small village.
Gold - Fuwa joins the village after saving the Lord's daughter. He and Sudama go into the Earth and uncover a ton of gold that makes the village filthy rich - fighting a centipede god along the way. The wealth goes right to the Lord's head. Fuwa starts a coup but it doesn't go very well for him.
But in the end Fuwa is a changed man who's learned life isn't just about being the most powerful man with the most beautiful wife.
Serialized in four issues of Weekly Shonen Jump. Inspired by Faust - making a deal with the devil - as many other Tezuka tales are.
Like other Tezuka tales, this is just full of adventure and imagination. It's incredible how many ideas Tezuka has. The artwork is cartoony for the figures but many of the backgrounds are beautifully rendered illustrations.
Outside of it obviously not featuring the Phoenix, this tale would fit well thematically with that series.
We follow the cowardly Fuwa Usuto who is forced to commit seppuku. He's just an accountant caught up in conspiracy involving his boss who had him embezzle funds.
He's too cowardly to stab himself and makes a deal with a beautiful demon Sudama. She wants his soul once he dies, in return he gets 3 wishes. He's joined by the demon for the rest of the story and she slowly falls in love with him as they go on a series of adventures together. First he visits his wife and daughter who of course don't recognize him. The wife tries to get him to marry his daughter!
Fear Mountain - Fuwa wants to meet a beautiful woman who happens to be a spirit. Sudama helps him get into the spirit world to visit her. Things don't go well for them but Sudama helps them escape and hide in a pebble. After Fuwa gets caught up in a hostage situation with a small village.
Gold - Fuwa joins the village after saving the Lord's daughter. He and Sudama go into the Earth and uncover a ton of gold that makes the village filthy rich - fighting a centipede god along the way. The wealth goes right to the Lord's head. Fuwa starts a coup but it doesn't go very well for him.
But in the end Fuwa is a changed man who's learned life isn't just about being the most powerful man with the most beautiful wife.
April 9, 2024
Ablaze'den çıkan ilk manga sayılır bu cilt Tezuka olduğu için kesin alacaktım ama kalitesi konusunda şüphelerim vardı neyseki parasına değecek şekilde basmışlar.
Konusuna gelecek olursak Tezuka'nın Faust öyküsünü bir samuray üzerinden anlatmasını konu alıyor One Hundred Tales.Başarılı bir uyarlama olsa da sonu çok hızlı bağlandığından biraz hayal kırıklığına uğrattı beni.Ama Tezuka'nın 4. Duvar dediğimiz okuyucuyla çizgi roman arasındaki sınırı ara ara aşıp espriler yapması kitabı baya güzelleştiren detaylardan sadece biriydi.Ablaze'den çıkan diğer Tezuka mangalarını da edinmem lazım dedirtti.
Konusuna gelecek olursak Tezuka'nın Faust öyküsünü bir samuray üzerinden anlatmasını konu alıyor One Hundred Tales.Başarılı bir uyarlama olsa da sonu çok hızlı bağlandığından biraz hayal kırıklığına uğrattı beni.Ama Tezuka'nın 4. Duvar dediğimiz okuyucuyla çizgi roman arasındaki sınırı ara ara aşıp espriler yapması kitabı baya güzelleştiren detaylardan sadece biriydi.Ablaze'den çıkan diğer Tezuka mangalarını da edinmem lazım dedirtti.
March 11, 2024
4.5 🌟
חברים !! עשיתי את זה !! סיימתי ספר ב2024!
מסתבר שזה אליל המנגה והאנימה ובגלל שזו לא אחת מהיצירות המרכזיות שלו רואים שהוא פשוט נהנה מזה והוסיף מלא רפרנסים שאמנם לא תמיד הבנתי אבל זה הזכיר לי איך שכותבים שטויות בפתיקיות אז אני מרגישה שנהיה בסטיז.
אני מחכה לקרוא עוד דברים שלו😽😽😽
חברים !! עשיתי את זה !! סיימתי ספר ב2024!
מסתבר שזה אליל המנגה והאנימה ובגלל שזו לא אחת מהיצירות המרכזיות שלו רואים שהוא פשוט נהנה מזה והוסיף מלא רפרנסים שאמנם לא תמיד הבנתי אבל זה הזכיר לי איך שכותבים שטויות בפתיקיות אז אני מרגישה שנהיה בסטיז.
אני מחכה לקרוא עוד דברים שלו😽😽😽
November 20, 2023
One Hundred Tales is a manga retelling (adaptation?) of Faust by Goethe. As I've never read Faust, I could not give any sort of confirmation on whether the retelling is a success or not. However, I did enjoy One Hundred Tales, with its extravagant, campy humor and its detailed cartoonish artstyle. There were a lot that I was not satisfied with this manga, especially with Tezuka's other masterpieces being so much more spectacular. That being said, I enjoyed this manga for what it was.
3.5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Ablaze for gifting me this e-ARC!
3.5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Ablaze for gifting me this e-ARC!
February 9, 2024
It is the Warring States period of Ancient Japan. Ichirui Hanri, though of the samurai social class, has been an accountant his entire life, never training in combat or lifting a sword. This has not prevented him from getting caught up in a rebellion against the lord, unknowingly delivering money to a conspirator. His protestation of innocence is ignored, and Ichirui is sentenced to seppuku, ritual suicide. He objects to being forced to die when he’s never really even lived, and offers his soul to the black demon depicted on a folding screen if he can be allowed to live.
The black demon is just a painting, but unbeknownst to the humans, there is a real demon lurking nearby. This is the shapeshifter Sudama, who takes the form of a pretty servant girl and interrupts the seppuku ceremony, She offers to not only save Ichirui’s life in exchange for his soul, but grant him three wishes as well! Ichirui wishes to live his life over to his heart’s content, have the world’s most beautiful woman, and rule his own castle and country. Sudama agrees, and the bargain is sealed in blood.
This manga was part of a speculative fiction-themed series of one-shots and short serials redone in the 1970s from stories Osamu Tezuka had originally created in the 1950s, as the market was much more ready for them and he’d grown in skill as a creator. The title is non-indicative as there’s not one hundred tales here, just a Faust-inspired samurai drama. At a guess, the title is from the tradition of telling short ghost stories, blowing out one of a hundred candles as each is finished.
After getting Ichirui away from the place of execution, Sudama takes him to get a complete outward makeover as the handsome youth Fuwa Usoto. But, and this is important, it’s an external transformation. Inside Fuwa is still the weak-willed coward he was before. This causes problems when he looks in on his previous family.
Then it’s time to look at the second wish. Fuwa sees a picture of a very beautiful woman and falls in lust, insisting on meeting her. Unfortunately, the woman in question is Tamamo no Mae, a powerful and evil fox spirit. She despises human men, only valuing them for their delicious life force. Sudama has to bail Fuwa out, but the foxy lady holds a grudge….
Finally getting the hint that he’s been relying too much on Sudama’s magic, Fuwa takes a few years off for self-improvement. He builds strength, endurance, sword skills and self-reliance. The exile ends when a bandit pops up, and Fuwa becomes involved in local politics. It’s time for his final wish, and now Fuwa is taking the lead with Sudama’s support.
The story comes full circle at the end. Fuwa is essentially in the same fix as Ichirui was at the beginning, but instead of being a hapless victim of circumstance, it’s a fate that he has seized. Sudama reminds him that if he’s satisfied with his life, she’ll claim his soul. Is it worth it?
There’s a lot going on here. Family melodrama, fantasy action, political thriller. It all ties together, kind of. Though the story is serious, Tezuka uses a lot of humor in it, with pop culture references like Charles Bronson and Popeye, and cameo appearances by the author.
Ichirui/Fuwa is more protagonist than hero. Though he becomes a better person, his motivations remain essentially selfish, with benefit to others as an okay bonus. Sudama takes larger character development steps from trickster demon to supporter, and both of them come to truly care for each other.
This is a much more Buddhist than Christian interpretation of the Faust legend, so not everyone may feel satisfied by the ending.
Content note: Both fantasy and samurai violence, usually lethal, sometimes gory. Female nudity of the “barbie doll” type. What is essentially sexual assault. Suicide. Fuwa is willing to have extramarital sex though it’s unclear if he ever actually does. Lookism. Older teens should be able to handle this.
This isn’t one of Tezuka’s masterpieces, but is very good of its type, and contained in one short volume. Recommended to fantasy and Tezuka fans.
The black demon is just a painting, but unbeknownst to the humans, there is a real demon lurking nearby. This is the shapeshifter Sudama, who takes the form of a pretty servant girl and interrupts the seppuku ceremony, She offers to not only save Ichirui’s life in exchange for his soul, but grant him three wishes as well! Ichirui wishes to live his life over to his heart’s content, have the world’s most beautiful woman, and rule his own castle and country. Sudama agrees, and the bargain is sealed in blood.
This manga was part of a speculative fiction-themed series of one-shots and short serials redone in the 1970s from stories Osamu Tezuka had originally created in the 1950s, as the market was much more ready for them and he’d grown in skill as a creator. The title is non-indicative as there’s not one hundred tales here, just a Faust-inspired samurai drama. At a guess, the title is from the tradition of telling short ghost stories, blowing out one of a hundred candles as each is finished.
After getting Ichirui away from the place of execution, Sudama takes him to get a complete outward makeover as the handsome youth Fuwa Usoto. But, and this is important, it’s an external transformation. Inside Fuwa is still the weak-willed coward he was before. This causes problems when he looks in on his previous family.
Then it’s time to look at the second wish. Fuwa sees a picture of a very beautiful woman and falls in lust, insisting on meeting her. Unfortunately, the woman in question is Tamamo no Mae, a powerful and evil fox spirit. She despises human men, only valuing them for their delicious life force. Sudama has to bail Fuwa out, but the foxy lady holds a grudge….
Finally getting the hint that he’s been relying too much on Sudama’s magic, Fuwa takes a few years off for self-improvement. He builds strength, endurance, sword skills and self-reliance. The exile ends when a bandit pops up, and Fuwa becomes involved in local politics. It’s time for his final wish, and now Fuwa is taking the lead with Sudama’s support.
The story comes full circle at the end. Fuwa is essentially in the same fix as Ichirui was at the beginning, but instead of being a hapless victim of circumstance, it’s a fate that he has seized. Sudama reminds him that if he’s satisfied with his life, she’ll claim his soul. Is it worth it?
There’s a lot going on here. Family melodrama, fantasy action, political thriller. It all ties together, kind of. Though the story is serious, Tezuka uses a lot of humor in it, with pop culture references like Charles Bronson and Popeye, and cameo appearances by the author.
Ichirui/Fuwa is more protagonist than hero. Though he becomes a better person, his motivations remain essentially selfish, with benefit to others as an okay bonus. Sudama takes larger character development steps from trickster demon to supporter, and both of them come to truly care for each other.
This is a much more Buddhist than Christian interpretation of the Faust legend, so not everyone may feel satisfied by the ending.
Content note: Both fantasy and samurai violence, usually lethal, sometimes gory. Female nudity of the “barbie doll” type. What is essentially sexual assault. Suicide. Fuwa is willing to have extramarital sex though it’s unclear if he ever actually does. Lookism. Older teens should be able to handle this.
This isn’t one of Tezuka’s masterpieces, but is very good of its type, and contained in one short volume. Recommended to fantasy and Tezuka fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2024
This is an extremely Tezuka retelling of Faust, including a note at the beginning along the lines of "This was a product of its time, and since Tezuka is deceased, he can't update the work, and editing it after the fact also has moral issues, so we're presenting it as is with the understanding that some things can be construed as racist, even though he even draws himself in the same extreme caricature."
I do and don't understand this, the racism accusation, but it feels like genuine racism would be more than just drawing them in caricature style. I mean, if he drew HIMSELF in, looking just as caricatured as any of the non-Japanese characters, that feels like proof that it's not racist but style.
Maybe that's a trick, though. "I made fun of myself, so it's cool to make fun of others, too!" Hmm. I don't know.
The story itself is interesting, but it's not my favourite. I mean, it STARTS with the main character being forced to commit ritual suicide over something that wasn't entirely his fault. He doesn't, of course, but he DOES get into a number of shenanigans that ARE his fault, though he does redeem himself somewhat after Sudama points out the error of his ways. The ending sort of undoes that, but in an okay way—a sort of, "Alright, now I'm ready."
Fans of Tezuka's other works will like this, I'm sure. I'm only sort of familiar with his work, though, including a Jungle Emperor Leo that included a scene of that felt very, uh... the opposite of heartwarming. So I both see why people like his work and also am a bit disturbed by it. On the whole, the Hyaku Monogatari is worth a read, but I don't know if I would keep it. Luckily, I'm in the habit of donating stuff I don't necessarily want to keep, meaning I have room to get more books to read that I wouldn't otherwise!
("Heard of libraries?" Yeah, but that takes away free resources from people who maybe can't afford to buy twenty books a week like I do. Also, I'm just a free library addict—give away what I don't want, maybe find something free that I DO want!)
I do and don't understand this, the racism accusation, but it feels like genuine racism would be more than just drawing them in caricature style. I mean, if he drew HIMSELF in, looking just as caricatured as any of the non-Japanese characters, that feels like proof that it's not racist but style.
Maybe that's a trick, though. "I made fun of myself, so it's cool to make fun of others, too!" Hmm. I don't know.
The story itself is interesting, but it's not my favourite. I mean, it STARTS with the main character being forced to commit ritual suicide over something that wasn't entirely his fault. He doesn't, of course, but he DOES get into a number of shenanigans that ARE his fault, though he does redeem himself somewhat after Sudama points out the error of his ways. The ending sort of undoes that, but in an okay way—a sort of, "Alright, now I'm ready."
Fans of Tezuka's other works will like this, I'm sure. I'm only sort of familiar with his work, though, including a Jungle Emperor Leo that included a scene of that felt very, uh... the opposite of heartwarming. So I both see why people like his work and also am a bit disturbed by it. On the whole, the Hyaku Monogatari is worth a read, but I don't know if I would keep it. Luckily, I'm in the habit of donating stuff I don't necessarily want to keep, meaning I have room to get more books to read that I wouldn't otherwise!
("Heard of libraries?" Yeah, but that takes away free resources from people who maybe can't afford to buy twenty books a week like I do. Also, I'm just a free library addict—give away what I don't want, maybe find something free that I DO want!)
September 27, 2023
Osamu Tezuka seems to adore Goethe's Faust, given how often he returns to the concept. Here, Tezuka reimagines the story from the lens of Ichirui Hanri, an accountant for a recently disgraced feudal lord who attempted to instigate a rebellion. Due to Hanri's involvement with handling the finances for the upstart lord, he is sentenced to commit seppuku. Claiming he would sell his soul to survive, Hanri is approached by a yōkai named Sudama, who agrees to purchase his soul in exchange for three wishes. Hanri's choices lead to him getting a do-over in life, but was the price worth it?
Despite the relatively grim nature of the story, Tezuka's take is quite charming and surprisingly upbeat at times. One Hundred Tales isn't completely jovial, it does take the time to ponder more existential ideas and question what one might do if they had a mulligan on life. But similar to works like Astro Boy or Phoenix, there is sufficient campiness to balance out the heavier ideas. There are a fair amount of Tezuka's signature oddities sprinkled in here to also give the story a unique flavor distinct from Goethe's original work.
This isn't anywhere near my favorite work from Tezuka, but it's still a highly enjoyable time overall. I'm happy to see that Ablaze has more Tezuka translations coming down the pipeline since I can't ever get enough of his work.
Despite the relatively grim nature of the story, Tezuka's take is quite charming and surprisingly upbeat at times. One Hundred Tales isn't completely jovial, it does take the time to ponder more existential ideas and question what one might do if they had a mulligan on life. But similar to works like Astro Boy or Phoenix, there is sufficient campiness to balance out the heavier ideas. There are a fair amount of Tezuka's signature oddities sprinkled in here to also give the story a unique flavor distinct from Goethe's original work.
This isn't anywhere near my favorite work from Tezuka, but it's still a highly enjoyable time overall. I'm happy to see that Ablaze has more Tezuka translations coming down the pipeline since I can't ever get enough of his work.
December 11, 2023
4.5 stars
Loosely inspired by Faust, this starts out with a relatively simple slapstick tone and kiddish visual style I wasn’t especially moved by. And then Tezuka begins slipping in witty fourth-wall breaking bits and develops the main duo’s dynamic to be much more charming, and I was hooked with pleasant surprise. I also appreciate the intermittent splash pages of insanely detailed nature scenes, showing off that the simpler cartoonish style used for most of the characters was a choice and not a lack of ability. This was my first Tezuka read, and now I’m looking forward to checking out more of his classic work.
Loosely inspired by Faust, this starts out with a relatively simple slapstick tone and kiddish visual style I wasn’t especially moved by. And then Tezuka begins slipping in witty fourth-wall breaking bits and develops the main duo’s dynamic to be much more charming, and I was hooked with pleasant surprise. I also appreciate the intermittent splash pages of insanely detailed nature scenes, showing off that the simpler cartoonish style used for most of the characters was a choice and not a lack of ability. This was my first Tezuka read, and now I’m looking forward to checking out more of his classic work.
December 14, 2023
It makes me so happy that some good Tezuka is still being translated. In all honesty, when Bamba was published earlier this year it was kind of a dissapointkent. It had good ideas in it but it was not really a good comic. And while this one isn’t his best, it’s still pretty good Tezuka. He doesn’t get too deep into philosophical examinations in this one, but it is entertaining all the way through. I had a blast, and the art was great. As usual, Tezuka presents some of the finest pages of comics. While it feels too short to sink it’s teeth into the philosophical themes it brings up, it’s still a fun read.
April 26, 2024
Recontagem de Fausto que no fundo é uma conto de amor com o diabo. Sempre com um piscar de olhos a situações populares na altura(inclusive do próprio Tezuka). E pelo meio coloca alguns temas mais sérios numa escrita sempre meio infantil (há uma razão pelo qual é conhecido como sendo o pai de Manga)
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October 27, 2025This is classic Osamu Tezuka. A good moralistic story with dashes of his wit, including cameos by himself (usually in an unflattering light), name-dropping of other contemporary manga artists, Japanese literary references, and the odd appearance of other manga characters.
October 17, 2023
ARC from Netgalley.
Tezuka is a legend. Not his strongest or most original story but still a wonderful example of his craftsmanship.
Tezuka is a legend. Not his strongest or most original story but still a wonderful example of his craftsmanship.
November 18, 2023
This was a lot of fun.
ARC from Netgalley.
ARC from Netgalley.
March 16, 2024
A nice short Tezuka that doesn't outstay its welcome. Nothing groundbreaking but a simple volume.
July 9, 2024
Kooky and fun and finally in English! The Christopher Lee gag alone is worth the price of admission
September 29, 2025
the art is beautiful, and the story is compelling enough. worth reading if only for the art.
December 2, 2025
Typical quirky one shot from Osamu Tesuka. He does his usual of breaking the fourth wall randomly - which works in this manga.
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December 30, 2025If you didn't already know Tezuka was a furry, you will now
December 1, 2023
Great seeing some new Tezuka material published in English. Thanks Ablaze!
I wouldn't rank 'One hundred Tales' with his greatest works, but this crazy story about a civil servant who sells his soul to de devil in exchange for some wishes was very fun to read.
3,5*
I wouldn't rank 'One hundred Tales' with his greatest works, but this crazy story about a civil servant who sells his soul to de devil in exchange for some wishes was very fun to read.
3,5*
August 18, 2024
Score: 79
Art: 16/20
Story: 13/20
Characters: 16/20
World-building: 15/20
Writing 15/20
Art: 16/20
Story: 13/20
Characters: 16/20
World-building: 15/20
Writing 15/20
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews