Just watch it on DVD, 11 years after it was released. Tezuka was not keen for Rintaro to make an anime of it before his death in 1989. Rintaro dropped the idea until he talked to Otomo (who eventually wrote the script) in the 1990s and Mad House studio got involved in the animation as well.
The villain, Rock, also appears in other Tezuka manga - eg. Phoenix Vol 2. Part of the Tezuka Star System.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Have you fallen in love with someone you shouldn't fallen in love with...
Phoenix Vol 2 - hero fell in love with alien, which got him alienated.
Phoenix Vol 5 - hero fell in love with robot.
Phoenix Vol 6 - mother made love with sons and grandsons.
Phoenix Vol 8 - farmer/peasant fell in love with woman from the future.
Phoenix Vol 5 - hero fell in love with robot.
Phoenix Vol 6 - mother made love with sons and grandsons.
Phoenix Vol 8 - farmer/peasant fell in love with woman from the future.
Unfortunate Lives and Kiasu Times in 1980s and 1990s Singapore
Since the previous post was about Mr Kiasu, there is an article on Eric Khoo's Unfortunate Lives and Mr Kiasu in the latest issue of BiblioAsia.
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BIBA_0704Mar12.pdf
http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BIBA_0704Mar12.pdf
Monday, April 9, 2012
Not kiasu enough
Today (or tonight to be exact), I blog about Mr Kiasu again. Why? How often to we get locally produced comics that are culturally relevant? Chew On It!, Sir Fong Adventures, Resident Tourist etc. Quite a number. But how many of these comics directly poke fun at our local culture?
And that is what Mr Kiasu is truly about, thematically. It is about the quirks of our culture. Lee Kiasu, the title character (Mr Lee, not Mr Kiasu), is the average Singaporean, in a much more simpler and less stressful time in Singapore. He has his flaws, his ugliness, as well as his positive traits.
Given how stressful society is today, Mr Kiasu presents a more innocent time, where locals do not have to worry about "foreign invasions", or make such a big fuss over every little mistake our politicians make. A time when The Straits Times brand has not been sullied by STOMP, and citizens could go about with more privacy.
You know, when you see the things going on at STOMP, what do you think? I question: Who made Singapore more hostile to live in? Some unruly foreigners? No doubt. Some ugly Singaporeans? What a shame. What a shame indeed.
And that is what Mr Kiasu is truly about, thematically. It is about the quirks of our culture. Lee Kiasu, the title character (Mr Lee, not Mr Kiasu), is the average Singaporean, in a much more simpler and less stressful time in Singapore. He has his flaws, his ugliness, as well as his positive traits.
Given how stressful society is today, Mr Kiasu presents a more innocent time, where locals do not have to worry about "foreign invasions", or make such a big fuss over every little mistake our politicians make. A time when The Straits Times brand has not been sullied by STOMP, and citizens could go about with more privacy.
You know, when you see the things going on at STOMP, what do you think? I question: Who made Singapore more hostile to live in? Some unruly foreigners? No doubt. Some ugly Singaporeans? What a shame. What a shame indeed.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tezuka once more
I read a lot of Tezuka (Atom Boy, Black Jack) when I was younger and then I read none at all. So I missed out when the more serious Tezuka stories came out in the late 1990s and 2000s - Phoenix, Buddha and Adolf.
I started reading Late Tezuka and now moving to those tomes I've missed. Phoenix is good and Buddha is one of the best things I've read. The amount of research Tezuka must have done into Buddha's life, teachings and philosophy, I wonder if Tezuka is a Buddhist himself.
Check out this image of a prince from Vol 8, the last volume. Reminds me of Little Orphan Annie. And also Starfire from the Teen Titans.
The breaking down barriers typical of Tezuka is also here.
Article on Buddha:
http://comics212.net/2010/01/06/manga-milestones-2000-2009-10-manga-that-changed-comics-5/
I started reading Late Tezuka and now moving to those tomes I've missed. Phoenix is good and Buddha is one of the best things I've read. The amount of research Tezuka must have done into Buddha's life, teachings and philosophy, I wonder if Tezuka is a Buddhist himself.
Check out this image of a prince from Vol 8, the last volume. Reminds me of Little Orphan Annie. And also Starfire from the Teen Titans.
The breaking down barriers typical of Tezuka is also here.
Article on Buddha:
http://comics212.net/2010/01/06/manga-milestones-2000-2009-10-manga-that-changed-comics-5/