Black Jack

Possibly the best introduction to Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack. This OVA series features a more mature & darker tone than its other anime counterparts. The focus of this version is Black Jack's character as he is portrayed more mysterious here especially when Pinoko is hardly around.

Black Jack is known as the surgeon with the hands of god as he can accomplish difficult feats in medical science. The appeal of this doctor is his lack of a license therefore asking for huge sums of money & often dealing with shady customers such as mafia & the like. While his motivations can be unclear at first, ... it all comes full circle once the operation proceeds. This character best represents Tezuka's own beliefs & background as he did study for medical practice. Each episode is own tale ranging from medical epidemics, environmental issues, the consequences of war & the study of human emotions. Most tales are quite tragic questioning whether things were meant to be or could we learn from our past mistakes.

While the original manga was more humorous & kid friendly such as Black Jack Tv, this OVA places emphasis on a seinen tone where nothing is sugar coated to hide the dark truths of society. Tezuka has always believed that life & peace are sacred, & Black Jack is the closest to a representation of those beliefs. While the world can be gray, there's always a shred of humanity that endures the struggle to eventually find solace on this Earth.

Episodes can be hit or miss (definitely ep 6 & 3 was a bit out of place for me) but pull through & you'll see Tezuka's skills as a writer. Also Black Jack Final(eps 11 &12) are 2 recently made episodes from 2011 being the lastly made Black Jack material thus far. If you enjoyed this series then I highly recommend the following:
Black Jack The Movie (1996)
Black Jack The Two Doctors of Darkness
Black Jack TV
Black Jack 21
Monster
Mushishi

Story 10/10
The story follows Black Jack tackling many cases. Each episode follows a different case.

So, unlike the Black Jack TV show that came out in the 2000s, this "Black Jack" series is much darker. It is not family friendly.

Art 10/10
For a 90s anime, the art is outstanding. It's got that neo-noir kind of feel. They had a lot of OVAs that came out in the 90s, then they stopped for a bit, I believe. And they resumed in 2011, and they pretty much kept the same art style. I'm amazed that after all those years, they managed to keep the same art style and modernize ... it! So, the art is amazing and I really respect them for being able to keep the same art style while also modernizing it!

Sound 9/10
The series has four openings and four endings: Just Before Sunrise by Rhodes, Kioku no Kimi eby Another Moon, Moon Shadow by The Orange Vox, Rebirth by Kudo Eiko (openings); I'll Be Back Again --- Moonlight by Rhodes, Kono omoi tsutaerareru (I Thought I Could Convey This Feeling...) by Another Moon, Black Jack by The Orange Vox, HOPE --- Not to be defeated, not to cry, and not to be daunted by Kudo Eiko (endings).

I really like how they changed up the openings and endings depending on the episode. The reason I gave it a 9 out of 10 is because I thought ending 1 wasn't the greatest ending because it's pretty much a rock song and all their openings are pretty much rock songs, and at the end of each case, it's sad so I thought the best ending would be a mellow song and ending 1 wasn't a mellow song. But overall, the soundtrack is just great.

Character 10/10
So, if some people recall my review of the Black Jack TV show in the 2000s, I said that a bit of an issue was that the TV show didn't really go in-depth on their patients. Well, in the OVA, this issue is fixed. Not only do they go in-depth on how Black Jack views his patients, but they also go in-depth on the patient's past. We also see Black Jack interact more with his patients and grow a bit closer to them even. Also, Pinoco does not follow Black Jack in the OVA series, but in the appearances she made, they are good. I honestly prefer Black Jack alone rather than with Pinoco (Pinoco always follows Black Jack in the TV series).

Enjoyment 10/10
I honestly couldn't really find flaws with the OVA series. Everything is just good and the show keeps me intrigued and I feel some sense of sadness out of each case. I mean, this is a dark OVA, so it's suppose to make you a bit sad at times. But, I overall really enjoyed this OVA series.

Overall 10/10
To me, this series is just perfect in so many ways. I really can't find a flaw. So now people may ask, which one should I watch: The OVA series or the TV show? Honestly, watch both! They're both really good, they just have a different tones. If you're looking for something really dark and edgy, then watch the OVA series. If you're looking for something fun, watch the TV series. But, honestly, I recommend both. To me, the OVA series was a bit better, but it honestly comes close 'cause I also really like the TV series. But, I really recommend both.

Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts on this review and any feedback you may have for me. Until next time!

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile.
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✦Story
Watched OVA series after the newer TV series, nevertheless I found the story more boring. Had too much war mumbo jumbo, a really far-fetched cases, supernatural cases. Found at times story quite dull and boring. It wasn't bad, but probably story rating is affected by watching TV series beforehand (which had more earth-bound and medical cases)

✦Art & Sound
Absolutely beautiful art, animation and artistic side. Casually naked breast, that didn't feel fanservice'ly, but more of natural occurrence. Surgeries also felt really well presented. But, It loses perfect score ... with those smiles. Smiles that character provided were straight-on ugly and disturbing.

Music and OST was fine for the most part, did like some tracks, while some had no presence. But in the end I found music and OST quite good.

✦Character
The usual, genius kind doctor, that built himself as greedy, evil blackmailing doctor. And a really, really annoying sidekick brat.
Rest characters are case-specific and sidekicks. Most were build up fair enough. Some were intriguing, some I hated, some I liked. In short, characters were good enough.

✦Enjoyment & Overall
As mentioned before. I liked TV series more as the cases were more medical and interesting. Whilst OVA had too much of war, supernatural and far-fetched cases. The earth-bound ones I liked, but in the end I still enjoyed overall newer series more, whilst this had beautiful Art & Animation.