Latest news with #OsamuTezuka
Time Out
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
See early Astro Boy drawings and more at this Osamu Tezuka exhibition
Tokyo has no shortage of manga exhibitions, whether it's for classic or modern works – and now it's time to add another to the list. From now through November 24, you can see 'Save the Glass Earth', an exhibition featuring some of the works of legendary mangaka (manga artist), animator and cartoonist, the late Osamu Tezuka. The exhibition takes place at the famous-manga-artists'-apartment-turned-museum Tokiwaso Manga Museum and spans the bulk of Tezuka's artistic journey, beginning with his childhood sketches. You'll find over 100 works from notable series such as Phoenix, Metropolis, Black Jack and, of course, Tezuka's most recognisable character: Astro Boy. Dubbed 'the god of manga', Tezuka's themes often touched on environmental issues, the true essence of humanity and the invaluable nature of life. His simplistic yet highly expressive artistic style demonstrates an almost childlike sincerity toward humanity. The influential artist – whose notable works also include Kimba the White Lion and Dororo – was a visionary whose ideas 'transcended time and space,' according to Tezuka Productions president Matsutani Takayuki; this humble exhibition is certainly a testament to Tezuka's vision.
Tokyo Weekender
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Anison 101: A Beginner's Guide to Anime Songs
Anime songs, also known as anison, are more than just catchy intros. Anison is actually a well-established genre within Japan's music industry, with dedicated artists, composers and fans who celebrate these songs both inside and outside the anime community. Many anison tracks become mainstream hits, performed at concerts and karaoke bars nationwide, reflecting their wide appeal beyond just being theme music for shows. Whether you're just starting to notice how great the music is, or you've watched an entire series solely because you liked its theme, here's a guide to the world of anime songs — and exactly why they stick with us. List of Contents: Types of Anime Songs A Brief History of Anison Starter Playlists How To Enjoy the World of Anison Related Posts Types of Anime Songs Anime music blends storytelling and sound. Opening (OP) and ending (ED) themes are often written specifically for a series, echoing its themes or characters' emotional arcs. From intense battle tracks to tearful piano solos, anime songs span every genre, and often top Japanese music charts too. The various types of anison are broadly categorized into four genres: Opening Themes (OPs): Usually upbeat or dramatic, setting the tone at the beginning of the episode. Ending Themes (EDs): Often slower, offering emotional reflection after each episode. Insert Songs: Played during major scenes, including fights, deaths or confessions. Character/Image Songs: An interlude spliced into episodes in key moments for a character's development, often performed by the characters' voice actors. These themes offer extra insight into a character. A Brief History of Anison Anime music gained momentum in the 1960s with upbeat, kid-friendly themes like Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy — simple, catchy and easy to sing along to. By the '70s and '80s, series like Lupin the Third and Gundam introduced more dramatic, orchestral intros that matched the rising intensity of anime storytelling. The 1990s, often considered the golden age of anime, marked a turning point. Songs like 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' from Neon Genesis Evangelion became pop culture phenomena, blurring the line between anime theme and mainstream J-pop. Other hits like Sailor Moon 's 'Moonlight Densetsu' and Cowboy Bebop 's 'Tank!' helped anime songs climb real music charts. In the 2000s, artists like Yui, Ikimono Gakari and UVERworld brought rock and emotional ballads into the anime space, while seiyuu (voice actors) began holding concerts and releasing albums. Anime songs were no longer just theme music but full-fledged hits. With the rise of streaming in the 2010s and global smash hits like 'Gurenge' from Demon Slayer and 'Unravel' from Tokyo Ghoul , anison reached a worldwide audience. Today, anime music is a vital piece of modern Japanese pop culture. Starter Playlists You can know as many facts about anison as you want, but nothing beats actually listening to them. Here's a starting list of songs to get you familiarized in the extensive world of anime music. Happy bopping! Classics / Must-Know Anime Songs These are the timeless hits. Whether you're at karaoke or a convention, people will know these — and you should too. Cruel Angel's Thesis – Yoko Takahashi ( Neon Genesis Evangelion ) Tank! – The Seatbelts ( Cowboy Bebop ) Guren no Yumiya – Linked Horizon ( Attack on Titan ) Gurenge – LiSA ( Demon Slayer ) Silhouette – Kana-Boon ( Naruto Shippuden ) Again – Yui ( Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ) We Are! – Hiroshi Kitadani ( One Piece ) Moonlight Densetsu – Dali and Misae Takamatsu ( Sailor Moon ) Departure! – Masatoshi Ono (Hunter x Hunter ) Blue Bird – Ikimono Gakari ( Naruto Shippuden ) Peace Sign – Kenshi Yonezu ( My Hero Academia ) Unravel – Toru Kitajima ( Tokyo Ghoul ) Odd Future – UVERworld ( My Hero Academia ) Fly High!! – Burnout Syndrome ( Haikyuu!! ) Recent Hits (2020–2025) Songs that have dominated anime TikTok, YouTube and Spotify recently. You might have heard them or seen trending dances to it, without even realizing that they were related to anime. Idol – Yoasobi ( Oshi no Ko ) Kick Back – Kenshi Yonezu ( Chainsaw Man ) Zankyosanka – Aimer ( Demon Slayer ) Specialz – King Gnu ( Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident Arc ) Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts ( Mashle: Magic and Muscles ) Iro Kousui – Yoh Kamiyama ( Horimiya ) Paradox – Survive Said The Prophet ( Vinland Saga Season 2 ) Kaibutsu – Yoasobi ( Beastars ) Mixed Nuts – Official Hige Dandism ( Spy x Family ) Kaikai Kitan – Eve ( Jujutsu Kaisen ) Homura – LiSA ( Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train ) Request – krage ( Solo Leveling ) Niche Picks These are more niche, genre-diverse or cult-favorite picks that show you're a real anime music head. Don't worry, we won't tell anyone you found them from this list. Fuyu no Hanashi – Given ( Given ) Boy – King Gnu ( Ranking of Kings ) Hikarunara – Goose house ( Your Lie in April ) Sakura Kiss – AmaLee ( Ouran High School Host Club ) Ride on Shooting Star – The Pillows ( FLCL ) U – millennium parade × Kaho Nakamura ( BELLE ) Inferno – Mrs. Green Apple ( Fire Force ) Deal with the Devil – Tia ( Kakegurui ) Lilium – Kumiko Noma ( Elfen Lied ) Hacking to the Gate – Kanako Itō ( Steins;Gate ) For Fruits Basket – Ritsuko Okazaki ( Fruits Basket 2001 ) Namae no Nai Kaibutsu – Egoist ( Psycho-Pass ) Inner Universe – Origa ( Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex ) Shiver – The Gazette ( Kuroshitsuji II ) Fiction – sumika ( Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku ) How To Enjoy the World of Anison Listening is just the beginning. Part of what makes anime music so special is how it brings people together, whether online or in-person. Watch anime with friends and pay attention to how the music shapes each episode. Play the music videos or live performances on YouTube (there are some iconic The First Take episodes with popular anime hits) and you'll fall in love with the passion and talent of the artists. If you want to go deeper, you can join virtual anison events or a fan community: Discord servers, subreddits and even YouTube comments sections can be surprisingly wholesome spaces to trade recommendations. And if you're feeling bold, head to a convention or an anison club night, where you can belt out your favorite OPs or experience glow stick choreography up close. Yes, that's a thing: fans at concerts often bring penlights and memorize choreographed movements to support their favorite performers in sync. Learning a call-and-response or perfecting a glow stick routine sounds intense, but there's something uniquely immersive (and oddly cathartic) about dancing in time with thousands of other fans, all to the beat of a show you love. Whether you're queuing up playlists or planning your next karaoke night, diving into anison is one of the most joyful ways to celebrate the anime you love. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts 5 Things You May Not Know About Evangelion's 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' The Most Popular Anime Songs To Sing At Karaoke in 2024 A Guide to Nakano Broadway: Tokyo's Subculture Paradise
Straits Times
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Japan's manga artists can't ignore AI any more
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The brushstrokes of generative AI can help anime and manga to thrive. Japan's creative sector has been wrestling with the question of the role of generative AI in the production process. Imagine if the late Osamu Tezuka, Japan's revered 'Godfather of Manga' for his pioneering artistic techniques and visionary behind the iconic worlds of Astro Boy and Black Jack, were alive today. What would his stance be on generative artificial intelligence (AI)? His eldest son Macoto Tezka believes that he would have embraced it.
Times
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
My 11-year-old son stole this manga book from me — it's that good
Osamu Tezuka is revered as the 'godfather of manga'. When the Astro Boy creator died at the age of 60 in 1989 he left behind a legacy as one of the most influential cartoonists, but he also left one of his beloved characters without an ending. Unico is a 'brave, young unicorn' cursed to forget his identity, so he travels through space and time, spreading love wherever he goes, always on the run from the jealous gods and monsters who seek to destroy him. Unico first appeared in a manga magazine in the 1970s, but the series was never concluded. Now the baton — or should that be the magical, glowing unicorn horn? — has been passed to the American writer Samuel Sattin and two Japanese artists, Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano, better known by the name Gurihiru, who have been given permission to complete Unico's story in a rebooted series. The result is enchanting. Dropped by his protector, the West Wind, during a storm, Unico falls through the sky and wakes up in an abandoned factory town where he meets a resourceful mouse named Garapachi. In this strange, gloomy world he befriends Chiko, a sickly girl who lives with her grandfather. Unico learns that his new friends are trapped by Mother, 'the sinister robot who controls the town factory'. Mother is a great villain — imagine an AI nanny gone bad. She is a pointy, floating drone, no bigger than two paper hats stuck together, yet manages to be completely menacing. The artists have done justice to the cinematic sweep of Tezuka's work. It's not for nothing that he was admired by Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa and Guillermo del Toro. The artwork does all the emotional heavy lifting in the same way an orchestral score does in a film. The action leaps through multiple dimensions, from the gloomy, foreboding world of the factory to the celestial realm of the evil goddess, Venus, who brings a henchman back from the dead to hunt down poor Unico. Even the corny dialogue works: ''Why have I been awakened?' asks Iver, the resurrected ruler of the Red Forest. 'I have a task for you,' explains the goddess. 'There is a unicorn who imperils my reign. You will hunt him and kill him, but most importantly you will bring me a piece of his horn.'' This is the second volume of the series, but each one works as a standalone. Dav Pilkey, the creator of Dog Man, called it 'a spellbinding masterpiece' but don't take his word for it. No sooner had he finished it the first time, my 11-year-old son stole my review copy 'because I want to read it again'. • Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List Unico: Hunted (Volume 2), for ages 8+, by Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin and illustrated by Gurihiru (Scholastic £10.99 pp224). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dororo: The Timeless Tale That Reshaped the Samurai Genre in Anime
Based on Osamu Tezuka's legendary manga, the 2019 anime adaptation of Dororo delivered a moving and powerful story that redefined the potential of historical fantasy in modern anime. With emotionally driven storytelling, rich themes, and haunting visuals, Dororo not only honored its roots but left a lasting impact on the genre and its audience. Dororo: A Dark Story With a Human Heart Dororo follows Hyakkimaru, a young warrior born without limbs, eyes, ears, and more—sacrificed by his father to demons in return for power and prosperity. Determined to reclaim what was stolen from him, Hyakkimaru hunts the demons one by one. Along the way, he forms an unlikely bond with Dororo, a witty orphan who gives the series its emotional center. The anime is more than just a demon-hunting adventure. It dives deep into questions about humanity, morality, and what makes a person whole. Hyakkimaru's journey isn't just about recovering body parts—it's about understanding the pain, joy, and connection that come with being human. Each encounter challenges his growing soul, and Dororo's presence constantly reminds him of compassion, loyalty, and trust. Breathing New Life Into Historical Fantasy Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ready to Live in 2, 3 & 4 BHK from ₹3.60 Cr* in Sec 22 Ambience Creacions, Gurugram Learn More Undo In an anime landscape often crowded with high-powered battles and futuristic settings, Dororo's gritty, Edo-era backdrop felt refreshingly raw and grounded. It stood out not with flashy effects, but with meaningful storytelling and beautifully paced character development. Its art style was minimal but intentional—designed to evoke emotion and atmosphere. The score, often eerie and somber, added to the heavy themes without overwhelming the scenes. Studios and creators took notice. Dororo's success showed that audiences crave deeper narratives rooted in timeless themes like loss, redemption, and resilience. For fans of classic samurai anime or dark fantasy, Dororo reintroduced a genre with new depth, reminding us that a strong emotional core is just as vital as the action. Why Dororo Still Matters Dororo didn't just entertain—it made viewers think. In a world full of fast-paced anime, it slowed things down and made each moment count. Its themes of identity, trauma, and survival are universal and timeless, giving it continued relevance even years after release. Today, Dororo remains a touchstone for emotional storytelling in anime. It paved the way for more mature and thought-provoking narratives in genres that often prioritize spectacle over substance. As fans continue to recommend it and studios look to revive older works with fresh eyes, Dororo stands as proof that powerful storytelling can come from the most painful, personal journeys. For anyone looking for a meaningful, unforgettable anime experience, Dororo remains a must-watch—and a quiet revolution in itself. Best Hindi Movies | Best Tamil Movies | Best Telugu Movies | Best english Movies | Best Malayalam Movies |
