Black Jack, created by the late manga and anime master Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), is a brilliant but unlicensed underground physician/surgeon who specializes in hush-hush cases. In this second disc from the series (containing the third and fourth of 10 episodes), the opening tale seems quite prescient: a major power called the Federal Unites invades a smaller country, deposing and capturing its leader General Cruz, while Cruz's supporters claim that the Federal Unites is just after the country's oil. Sound familiar? When the terminally ill Cruz escapes, Black Jack is hired to keep him alive long enough to return home. The second story concerns an anorexic actress and a different rogue doctor, one who assists with euthanasia. Boasting fine animation with a more realistic look than Tezuka's original Black Jack manga, the English dub on this disc is good (the Japanese version is also here with subtitles), and director Osamu Dezaki provides interesting commentary for the third episode. U.S. Manga rates this 13-up, but given the bloody violence, explicit depiction of surgery, and nudity in suggestive circumstances, 16-up would be a more reasonable rating. Recommended. [Note: Black Jack: Incubation is also newly available.] Aud: P. (S. Raiteri)
Black Jack: Seizure
(1994) 100 min. DVD: $24.99. Central Park Media (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 1-58664-474-6. Volume 19, Issue 4
Black Jack: Seizure
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