Black Jack Karte I: Drift Ice, Chimera Man - A Thorough Analysis of the Moving Story and Profound Themes

Black Jack Karte I Drift Ice, Chimera Man - In-Depth Review and Recommendation

Overview

"Black Jack Karte I: Drift Ice, Chimera no Otoko" is the first episode of the OVA series based on Tezuka Osamu's classic manga "Black Jack." It was released on December 21, 1993, and was directed by Dezaki Osamu and produced by Tezuka Productions and the BJ Production Executive Committee. The episode takes inspiration from the original manga's "Hurricane" and "99.9 Percent Water" to develop a new story.

■ Story

In the original "Hurricane," a young wife and her secretary who are caring for a dying old millionaire living on an isolated island ask Black Jack to help him live long enough to rewrite his will. However, in this animated version, the old millionaire is afflicted with a mysterious endemic disease called Chimera Disease. The story is about Black Jack confronting this strange disease, which has no known cure. The episode about Chimera Disease is a quote from the original "99.9 Percent Water."

■Explanation

"Black Jack Karte I: Drift Ice, Chimera no Otoko" is one of the original video animation series based on the popular manga of the same name by Tezuka Osamu, but uses only the original setting to create a new work. Each episode is a new story inspired by the original manga, and the characters are not drawn by Tezuka Osamu, but are designed by Akio Sugino. This new interpretation and design will provide viewers with a fresh perspective and will surely appeal to fans of the original work.

■Cast

The cast of this work is a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Akio Otsuka as Black Jack, Yuko Mizutani as Pinoko, Norio Otsuka as Crossword, Yoshimasa Sakaguchi as Ernesto, Kazuhiro Yamaji as Dr. Kiriko, Toru Furuya as Leslie, Mugihito as Saburozaemon Taneda, Yu Mizushima as Shirabyoshi, Miki Nagasawa as Lawrence, Hideyuki Hori as Koichiro, and Fumiko Orihara as Tsukiko. The performances of these voice actors bring out the individuality of the characters and add depth to the story.

■ Main staff

The original work was written by Osamu Tezuka, the director was Osamu Dezaki, the animation director was Akio Sugino, the music was by Osamu Tojibayashi (Chart 1-5) and Eiji Kawamura (Chart 6), the medical supervisor was Akira Nagai, the planning was by Takayuki Matsutani and Yoshihiro Shimizu, the character design was Akio Sugino, the art directors were Kazuo Okada (Chart 1-5) and Masami Saito (Chart 1-3, 6), the editor was Seiji Morita (Morita Editing Office), the cinematographers were Hirotaka Takahashi (Chart 1-6) and Hajime Noguchi (Chart 5-6), the sound directors were Etsuji Yamada (Chart 1-5) and Tomoaki Yamada (Chart 6), the medical cooperation was by Toshitaka Takeshita (Chart 1-3, 5) and Yasumasa Shiratori (Chart 5), the producers were Minoru Kubota and Sumio Udagawa, the music director was Seiji Suzuki, and the music producer was Kazuo Kumada. The efforts and talents of these staff members were essential to the completion of this work.

■Detailed review

"Black Jack Karte I: Drift Ice, Chimera Man" maintains the essence of the original work, but introduces new storylines and characters to provide viewers with a fresh experience. In particular, Black Jack's challenge to the mysterious endemic disease known as Chimera Disease creates tension and excitement in viewers. Additionally, Akio Sugino's character designs, while straying from Osamu Tezuka's original work, firmly express the worldview of Black Jack.

The story is inspired by the original novels "The Hurricane" and "99.9% Water", and the setting of an elderly millionaire living on an isolated island suffering from Chimera disease provides a new perspective for the audience. Black Jack's fight against this rare disease highlights his passion and knowledge as a doctor, and impresses the audience. The characters of his young wife and secretary also add depth to the story and help the audience empathize with him.

The acting of the cast is also superb, especially Akio Otsuka's voice as Black Jack, who perfectly expresses the strength and passion of the character. Yuko Mizutani as Pinoko also brings out the cuteness and strength of the character. The other voice actors also play the individuality of their characters well, adding depth to the story.

The efforts of the staff should also not be overlooked. Under the guidance of Director Osamu Dezaki, Akio Sugino's character design and art direction by Kazuo Okada and Masami Saito provide visual beauty. In addition, the music by Osamu Tojibayashi and Eiji Kawamura enhances the atmosphere of the story and enhances the emotions of the viewer. The cooperation of medical supervision by Akira Nagai and medical cooperation by Toshitaka Takeshita and Yasumasa Shiratori was also essential to enhancing the realism of the story.

■Recommendation

"Black Jack Medical Record I: Drift Ice, Chimera Man" is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who like anime and medical dramas. The new story and characters, as well as the efforts of the gorgeous cast and staff, make this work special. In particular, it is a must-watch for those who want to be moved by Black Jack's passion and knowledge as a doctor. In addition, the character designs by Akio Sugino and the music by Osamu Tokairin and Eiji Kawamura can be enjoyed visually and aurally.

This work is one of the OVA series, so by watching it together with the other episodes, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world of Black Jack. Each episode is a new story inspired by the original work, so viewers will be able to experience new surprises and excitement every time. Please watch this work and experience the world of Black Jack.

■ Additional Information

"Black Jack Karte I: Drift Ice, Chimera no Otoko" is the first episode of an OVA series based on the original work by Osamu Tezuka, with the other episodes similarly developing new stories inspired by the original work. Throughout the series, Black Jack's passion and knowledge as a doctor, as well as the drama of the characters surrounding him, are depicted.

This work was released on December 21, 1993, and was produced by Tezuka Productions and the BJ Production Executive Committee. The copyrights are owned by Tezuka Productions, Akita Shoten, Nippon Columbia (episodes 1-7), and Bandai Visual (episodes 8-10).

Through this work, viewers can experience the world of Black Jack from a new perspective. For fans of the original work, the new interpretation and design will provide a fresh appeal, and for those who like anime and medical dramas, they will be moved by Black Jack's passion and knowledge. Please watch this work and experience the world of Black Jack.