Black Jack Karte III: Maria and the others' medals - A thorough analysis of the moving story and deep themes

Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal - A masterpiece OVA depicting deep emotion and medical ethics

■Overview of the work

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria and the others' Medal" is one of the OVA series based on Tezuka Osamu's classic manga "Black Jack." Released on December 21, 1993, this work develops a new story based on the original episode "Promise." It is directed by Dezaki Osamu, produced by Tezuka Productions and the BJ Production Executive Committee, and features character designs by Sugino Akio.

■ Story

The story begins when General Cruz, head of the Ortega Republic, is arrested by the Unites Federation on suspicion of drug trafficking. The general's subordinates believe him to be innocent and make a plan to bring him back to his homeland. However, the general is suffering from terminal cancer and needs Black Jack's help to prolong his life. In the midst of a fierce firefight with the Unites Federation's special forces, Black Jack performs an operation to save the general. This tense story will deeply move viewers and make them think about medical ethics.

■Explanation

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal" is part of an OVA series based on the original manga by Tezuka Osamu, but with a new story. While it uses the original setting, it features new character designs by Sugino Akio, and is drawn with its own unique visuals rather than Tezuka Osamu's "drawings". This new story is inspired by the episode "Promise" from the original manga, and delves into medical ethics and human dignity.

■Cast

The cast of this work is a star-studded lineup of voice actors, including Akio Otsuka as Black Jack, Yuko Mizutani as Pinoko, and Norio Otsuka as Crossword. Other actors, such as Yoshimasa Sakaguchi as Ernest, Kazuhiro Yamaji as Dr. Kiriko, and Toru Furuya as Leslie, add depth to the story by realistically portraying each character.

■ Main staff

The director is Osamu Dezaki, the animation director is Akio Sugino, and the music is by Osamu Tojibayashi (Chart 1-5) and Eiji Kawamura (Chart 6). The medical supervisor is Akira Nagai, the planning is by Takayuki Matsutani and Yoshihiro Shimizu, the character designer is Akio Sugino, and the art directors are Kazuo Okada (Chart 1-5) and Masami Saito (Chart 1-3, 6). The editor is Seiji Morita, the cinematographers are Hirotaka Takahashi (Chart 1-6) and Hajime Noguchi (Chart 5-6), the sound directors are Etsuji Yamada (Chart 1-5) and Tomoaki Yamada (Chart 6), and medical cooperation is provided by Toshitaka Takeshita (Chart 1-3, 5) and Yasumasa Shiratori (Chart 5). The producers are Minoru Kubota and Sumio Udagawa, the music director is Seiji Suzuki, and the music producer is Kazuo Kumada.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal" is a new story based on the original episode "Promise," but it also delves deeply into medical ethics and human dignity. The deep humanity of Black Jack's character and the tense storyline leave a strong impression on viewers. Other points not to be missed are the character designs by Sugino Akio and the performances of the stellar voice cast. In particular, the voice of Otsuka Akio, who plays Black Jack, realistically expresses the character's inner world, deeply moving viewers.

■ Recommendation points

This work is especially recommended for those who like medical dramas and suspense. The deep humanity of the Black Jack character and the story that makes you think about medical ethics will teach the viewer a lot. Also, the character design by Akio Sugino and the performances of the stellar voice actors are not to be missed. In particular, the voice of Akio Otsuka, who plays Black Jack, realistically expresses the inner thoughts of the character and deeply moves the viewer.

■ Related works

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal" is one of the OVA series based on the original manga "Black Jack" by Osamu Tezuka. Other related works include "Black Jack Karte I" and "Black Jack Karte II", which are also based on the original manga by Osamu Tezuka. These works also develop new stories based on episodes from the original manga, delving deeply into medical ethics and human dignity.

■How to watch

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal" can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. It can also be viewed on some video distribution services. If you are going to watch it, you can understand the work more deeply by reading the episode "Promise" from the original manga.

Conclusion

"Black Jack Karte III: Maria's Medal" is one of the OVA series based on Tezuka Osamu's masterpiece manga "Black Jack," and is a work that delves deeply into medical ethics and human dignity. The deep humanity of Black Jack's character and the tense storyline leave a strong impression on viewers. Also, the character designs by Sugino Akio and the performances of the gorgeous voice actors are not to be missed. In particular, the voice of Otsuka Akio, who plays Black Jack, realistically expresses the character's inner thoughts and deeply moves viewers. This work is especially recommended for those who like medical dramas and suspense.