Word: mangas
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...This counterpoint of seriousness and play manifests itself most fundamentally in the artwork. The characters appear mostly in a silly "cartoon" style, with tropes like exaggerated brows, buckteeth and expressive eyes. (Tezuka defies expectations of what Japanese "manga" looks like.) These caricatures are then set against highly detailed backgrounds, with Tezuka often taking extra panels, or even entire two-page spreads, just to linger on the environments. He has such a mastery of the form that while providing every necessary panel to tell the story he has extra space just for breathing room. A temple sits stoically in the woods...
...role as a cartoon heroine in the new movie Cutie Honey, Eriko Sato pouts, giggles, and snuffs out a gang of villains who threaten to destroy Tokyo. It's exactly the kind of bubblegum part that might give a serious young actress second thoughts. But in Japan, where manga and anim? characters are treated with almost spiritual reverence, stepping into Cutie Honey's go-go boots means becoming the custodian of a national treasure?and Sato, 22, is delighted with the assignment. "You really think I look like a cartoon character?" she bubbles, pinching her cheeks as if to prove...
...started with the birth in 1952 of Astro Boy and has continued unabated?the average citizen can rattle off superhero names and special powers like a bona fide comic-store geek. "It's a matter of pride for Japan to keep up with the U.S.," says Atsushi Ohara, a manga and anim? critic for the daily Asahi Shimbun. "When it comes to superheroes, we don't like to be in second place...
...film, which opened in Japan last month, has more in common with this tamer version. "I wanted the movie to appeal to new audiences, not just fans of the original manga," says director Hideaki Anno. The result is a campy movie marked by performances that are so over-the-top you expect the actors to wink at the camera after every line. The special effects also reveal the movie's limited budget. Fight scenes are strangely static, and computer-generated visuals are unpolished. Despite a charming performance from Sato, much of the film seems devoted to giving people a chance...
...eight-volume series of stylish, $25 hardcovers, the third installment was released this month. Though Tezuka's characters are cartoonishly cute and he frequently inserts goofy humor, the series also explores adult themes of romance and violence. Literati and pop-culture mavens alike will enjoy this manga masterwork...