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Black Jack in 17 volumes #14
Black Jack n. 14
Black Jack is a mysterious and charismatic genius surgeon who travels the world performing amazing and impossible medical feats. Through highly trained, he freelances without a license because he distains the medical establishment. This leads to run-ins with the authorities and unscrupulous, sometimes criminal, individuals. Because Black Jack keeps his true motives secret, his ethics are perceived as questionable and he is considered a selfish, uncaring devil.
The Third Call: A man who's mother recently passed away calls Black Jack's home office. As soon as the surgeon picks up the phone, the stranger on the other line goes into a long tirade about hospital conditions and the lack of care his mother's doctors were able to provide. He quickly turns to attack Black Jack's practices and his high fees, calling the rogue medic out for ignoring his medical roots to alienate the poor and challenged. And before he hangs up he informs BJ, that he has kidnapped Pinoko. He demands Black Jack lower his fees or else after three calls he will not only kill Pinoko he will kill everyone BJ saves.
Transcient Love: A young woman is dying from what has long been considered a terminal illness. With only about a month or so to live she shares her dying wish with her parents. Despite being bed-riden she wishes to someday marry. She wants to be a happy bride, and realize the joy of having someone love her eternally. Her father struck with grief, promises to marry his daughter to the first man who walks into her hospital room. That man is Black Jack, and his medical fees do not normally include fake marriage fees. This is going to be one costly marriage, however he cannot deny the fact her wish is essentially what is keeping her alive right now. If taking her hand will give her the strength to survive this procedure, it will have to considered part of the treatment.
The Third Call: A man who's mother recently passed away calls Black Jack's home office. As soon as the surgeon picks up the phone, the stranger on the other line goes into a long tirade about hospital conditions and the lack of care his mother's doctors were able to provide. He quickly turns to attack Black Jack's practices and his high fees, calling the rogue medic out for ignoring his medical roots to alienate the poor and challenged. And before he hangs up he informs BJ, that he has kidnapped Pinoko. He demands Black Jack lower his fees or else after three calls he will not only kill Pinoko he will kill everyone BJ saves.
Transcient Love: A young woman is dying from what has long been considered a terminal illness. With only about a month or so to live she shares her dying wish with her parents. Despite being bed-riden she wishes to someday marry. She wants to be a happy bride, and realize the joy of having someone love her eternally. Her father struck with grief, promises to marry his daughter to the first man who walks into her hospital room. That man is Black Jack, and his medical fees do not normally include fake marriage fees. This is going to be one costly marriage, however he cannot deny the fact her wish is essentially what is keeping her alive right now. If taking her hand will give her the strength to survive this procedure, it will have to considered part of the treatment.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 1983
8 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Osamu Tezuka
2,145 books1,294 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 30, 2012
I ended up reading this one out of order, but then the best part about this series is that you truly don't have to read any of it in order for the most part. You can pick up almost any volume and read it without worrying that you'll be lost.
The stories in this are pretty varied. We have twins that feel each other's pain, a manga artist and their lover, and people trying to get revenge on our favorite doctors for perceived slights. All in all, this is a normal set of activity for Black Jack. (Oh, and Kiriko is back! Yay!)
Above all else, I'm glad to see Kiriko making an appearance in this volume. He's not exactly someone you'd like to run into if you're a patient (or maybe you would, depending on the situation), but I love seeing him show up in these stories. His and Black Jack's interactions are always great.
What really struck me in this book was how much the artwork reminded me that this was from an entirely different time period. The artwork itself is very obviously Tezuka, but there's little touches here and there that would be met with outright horror if an artist were to draw them nowadays. (I'm talking about Tezuka's depictions of Africans, if you're wondering.) It's kind of interesting to note how much has changed in both culture and artwork since then, which is part of why I like reading the older manga.
This is absolutely a must have for fans of the series.
The stories in this are pretty varied. We have twins that feel each other's pain, a manga artist and their lover, and people trying to get revenge on our favorite doctors for perceived slights. All in all, this is a normal set of activity for Black Jack. (Oh, and Kiriko is back! Yay!)
Above all else, I'm glad to see Kiriko making an appearance in this volume. He's not exactly someone you'd like to run into if you're a patient (or maybe you would, depending on the situation), but I love seeing him show up in these stories. His and Black Jack's interactions are always great.
What really struck me in this book was how much the artwork reminded me that this was from an entirely different time period. The artwork itself is very obviously Tezuka, but there's little touches here and there that would be met with outright horror if an artist were to draw them nowadays. (I'm talking about Tezuka's depictions of Africans, if you're wondering.) It's kind of interesting to note how much has changed in both culture and artwork since then, which is part of why I like reading the older manga.
This is absolutely a must have for fans of the series.
January 16, 2014
So, this is where I gave up on this series.
One of the perils of being incredibly awesome is that if you start to be marginally less awesome, you get judged pretty harshly for it. If I'd started a new manga series written and drawn at the level of this volume of Black Jack, I would love it. This is not a bad book, not at all.
But after 14 volumes of stand-alone episodes and variety of cases, by the time I get to this point every reread, its feeling utterly samey. I feel at this point like I've read all this before, but done just slightly better, in earlier books.
Black Jack is awesome. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept the idea that a man can solve every medical issue with a superspeed surgery, it's an incredible series, and the art is dynamic and moving while also being serious. It's a breath of fresh air in a world where one so often runs into series whose action is so cluttered with action lines and effects that you can't tell what's even going on. Black Jack is a fanatstically gray-morality character, his customers run the gamut from utter angels to despicable monsters and even a few non-humans. If you have any interest at all in this series, try it. It's well worth the try.
But if by this point you're done too, I won't blame you at all. :)
One of the perils of being incredibly awesome is that if you start to be marginally less awesome, you get judged pretty harshly for it. If I'd started a new manga series written and drawn at the level of this volume of Black Jack, I would love it. This is not a bad book, not at all.
But after 14 volumes of stand-alone episodes and variety of cases, by the time I get to this point every reread, its feeling utterly samey. I feel at this point like I've read all this before, but done just slightly better, in earlier books.
Black Jack is awesome. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept the idea that a man can solve every medical issue with a superspeed surgery, it's an incredible series, and the art is dynamic and moving while also being serious. It's a breath of fresh air in a world where one so often runs into series whose action is so cluttered with action lines and effects that you can't tell what's even going on. Black Jack is a fanatstically gray-morality character, his customers run the gamut from utter angels to despicable monsters and even a few non-humans. If you have any interest at all in this series, try it. It's well worth the try.
But if by this point you're done too, I won't blame you at all. :)
November 16, 2013
i enjoyed all the stories...most are good...the humor is definately tezuka...had read most of the volumes and it is consistent in its content...the editor did a good job in choosing the right balance in each book instead of publishing it in chronological order. Black Jack shows the good and the bad in most people...the realities of life in an unrealistic way. Sometimes it can be repeatative but mostly its twist and turn in the story makes an interesting read. Osamu Tezuka was a genius and a legendary storyteller who transients all races or countries. He may be a Japanese national but for me he ia a true world legend...Can wait to read all his creations..how i wish i can read japanese now!
April 26, 2015
Another classic from the Black Jack series! This one includes a story featuring my favorite evil doctor, Dr. Kiriko as well as a doctor who can only be described as a Bela Lugosi style vampire. A ton of fun!
July 28, 2011
Le génie des mangas.
March 1, 2013
Another great, gross volume by Master Tezuka. What else is there to say, The Black Jack series holds up as one of the best manga. Period.
January 1, 2014
Great medical manga from Tezuka-san.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews