Osamu Tezuka

Writing

Osamu Tezuka

Born — Died

1928-11-03 — 1989-02-09

Place of birth

Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan

Known for

Writing

Credits

48 titles

Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫, Tezuka Osamu) is a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, and animator, often dubbed as the "Godfather of Anime".  He was the originator of anime's trademark "large eyes" style of character drawing. Five years after his death, the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum opened.

Known for

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book poster
5.4

Bander is a 17-year-old boy from Earth who lives on a distant planet, which is populated by human shape-shifters who feed off of vegetables and animal tails. Violence soon breaks out, as invaders launch an attack on Bander's new planet. This was Japan's first 2-hour animated film for television. The program received high ratings when broadcast as part of a set of 24-hour TV programs called "Ai wa Chikyu wo Sukuu" on Nippon Television. After a long gap since his last animated film for television, this work fully reflects Osamu Tezuka's desire to achieve theatrical quality with this production.

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book

1978

A Thousand and One Nights poster
6.7

Aldin, a vagabond water vendor, embarks of a series of fantastical and tragic misadventures through the Middle East in search of love, fortune, and power.

A Thousand and One Nights

1969

Naoki Urasawa's Manben neo poster
8.5

Reboot of the original Manben series from 2014-2017. Naoki Urasawa is returning to visit eight different manga authors, observe them in their daily work and discuss the creation of manga.

Naoki Urasawa's Manben neo

2020

Phoenix 2772 poster
5.9

In the distant future, a young cadet is sent to find and capture "Cosmozone 2772", a mystical universal Phoenix which possesses the power to rejuvenate the drained Earth.

Phoenix 2772

1980

Cleopatra: Queen of Sex poster
5.8

Three people from the future, who travel spiritually to the era of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII Philopator and her Roman lovers Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, become their closest friends as they try to unravel the nature of the plan developed in their own time by a sinister enemy.

Cleopatra: Queen of Sex

1970

Vampires poster
NR

Based on the Osamu Tezuka manga

Vampires

1968

Film credits

1980s · 3 titles

Monster Heaven poster
7.0

An anthology of strange horror tales featuring yokai. It begins with astronauts finding a katana on the moon.

Monster Heaven

1986

Osamu Tezuka: Secrets of Creation poster
7.0

A Japanese TV documentary, NHK Tokushu Tezuka Osamu: Sosaku no Himitsu (Secrets of Creation.), was originally released as a book-mounted DVD, with cooperation from Tezuka Productions. Screened in Japan in 1986, it was filmed as Tezuka prepared for the Hiroshima International Animation Festival in 1985. It shows him working in his private studio and with his team, and gives glimpses of his wife, colleagues and old friends.

Osamu Tezuka: Secrets of Creation

1985

Brave Fire S09 poster
NR

This work was submitted in a special animation competition as part of a PR project for a power company, but was unfortunately not adopted. The reason is very clear: the setting of the story is the exhausted earth. There couldn't be a more instructive setting for a power company that uses enormous amounts of the earth's resources. Additionally, a girl robot discovered by the main character can store sunlight and convert it into energy; in other words, the robot does not require a power-generating company. In addition to this, the robot destroys herself to protect the established solar power generation system in space. The unsuccessful outcome of the competition for Tezuka Osamu was only natural, and it is clear that he created this piece, as it was intentionally, as he managed everything from the original story to the screenplay, animation, narration, etc., all the while knowing that the competition was sponsored by a power company.

Brave Fire S09

1987

Series credits

Behind the camera

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book poster
5.4

Bander is a 17-year-old boy from Earth who lives on a distant planet, which is populated by human shape-shifters who feed off of vegetables and animal tails. Violence soon breaks out, as invaders launch an attack on Bander's new planet. This was Japan's first 2-hour animated film for television. The program received high ratings when broadcast as part of a set of 24-hour TV programs called "Ai wa Chikyu wo Sukuu" on Nippon Television. After a long gap since his last animated film for television, this work fully reflects Osamu Tezuka's desire to achieve theatrical quality with this production.

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book

1978

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book poster
5.4

Bander is a 17-year-old boy from Earth who lives on a distant planet, which is populated by human shape-shifters who feed off of vegetables and animal tails. Violence soon breaks out, as invaders launch an attack on Bander's new planet. This was Japan's first 2-hour animated film for television. The program received high ratings when broadcast as part of a set of 24-hour TV programs called "Ai wa Chikyu wo Sukuu" on Nippon Television. After a long gap since his last animated film for television, this work fully reflects Osamu Tezuka's desire to achieve theatrical quality with this production.

One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book

1978

A Thousand and One Nights poster
6.7

Aldin, a vagabond water vendor, embarks of a series of fantastical and tragic misadventures through the Middle East in search of love, fortune, and power.

A Thousand and One Nights

1969

Phoenix 2772 poster
5.9

In the distant future, a young cadet is sent to find and capture "Cosmozone 2772", a mystical universal Phoenix which possesses the power to rejuvenate the drained Earth.

Phoenix 2772

1980

Phoenix 2772 poster
5.9

In the distant future, a young cadet is sent to find and capture "Cosmozone 2772", a mystical universal Phoenix which possesses the power to rejuvenate the drained Earth.

Phoenix 2772

1980

Cleopatra: Queen of Sex poster
5.8

Three people from the future, who travel spiritually to the era of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII Philopator and her Roman lovers Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, become their closest friends as they try to unravel the nature of the plan developed in their own time by a sinister enemy.

Cleopatra: Queen of Sex

1970

Unico: Black Cloud and White Feathers poster
6.8

The Goddess Venus is jealous of the beautiful human girl Psyche and blames her pet unicorn, Unico, as Psyche's source of good luck that keeps her from the harm of the goddess' cruel intentions. Unico has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's because of his personality or the powers of his horn, no one knows. Venus has Unico banished, and the West Wind now takes Unico from one place and time to the next. Taken to a heavily polluted city, Unico meets a sickly girl named Chiko who is suffering because of the pollution of a nearby factory that darkens the entire sky. Unico then is determined to cheer her up, cure her, and destroy the nearby factory.

Unico: Black Cloud and White Feathers

1979

Bremen 4: Angels in Hell poster
5.2

Cat Coda, donkey Largo, dog Allegro, and hen Minuet are transformed from animals to people with alien technology to form a musical group, the Bremen 4. But when invading forces led by Colonel Presto are slaughtering their peaceful village, the musicians must band together and spread a message of peace with music, might, and a little bit of underground anti-fascist guerrilla warfare.

Bremen 4: Angels in Hell

1981

Bremen 4: Angels in Hell poster
5.2

Cat Coda, donkey Largo, dog Allegro, and hen Minuet are transformed from animals to people with alien technology to form a musical group, the Bremen 4. But when invading forces led by Colonel Presto are slaughtering their peaceful village, the musicians must band together and spread a message of peace with music, might, and a little bit of underground anti-fascist guerrilla warfare.

Bremen 4: Angels in Hell

1981

Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad poster
5.3

Two young aspiring adventurers, Sindbad and Ali, find an old sailor who has washed up on the shore. With his final breath, the sailor tells them a tale of a hidden treasure and hands over the map he had held on to through his trials. And so, the two would-be heroes are off for adventure. But the road to riches is paved with hardships: their travels lead from stowing away on a ship to the sultan's dungeons -- only to escape with the sultan's daughter in tow!

Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad

1962

Fumoon poster
6.3

Nuclear testing has resulted in the abrupt evolution of the Fumoon, a tiny but highly intelligent humanoid race on a small island, who are detected by Dr. Yamadano. The Fumoon are kidnapping animals from around the world to bring with them as they use their space ships to evacuate the earth, because they know Earth is shortly to be destroyed by an enveloping cloud of black gas created by a stellar explosion.

Fumoon

1980

Fumoon poster
6.3

Nuclear testing has resulted in the abrupt evolution of the Fumoon, a tiny but highly intelligent humanoid race on a small island, who are detected by Dr. Yamadano. The Fumoon are kidnapping animals from around the world to bring with them as they use their space ships to evacuate the earth, because they know Earth is shortly to be destroyed by an enveloping cloud of black gas created by a stellar explosion.

Fumoon

1980

Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature poster
5.2

In 1984 the Japanese government approved gene recombination experiments. Baggy is Tezuka’s response. A cute kitten escapes a lab, and is befriended by lonely child Ryosuke. Years later, he joins her in a quest that’s part spaghetti Western, part contemporary adventure.

Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature

1984

Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature poster
5.2

In 1984 the Japanese government approved gene recombination experiments. Baggy is Tezuka’s response. A cute kitten escapes a lab, and is befriended by lonely child Ryosuke. Years later, he joins her in a quest that’s part spaghetti Western, part contemporary adventure.

Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature

1984

Unico in the Island of Magic poster
6.5

A young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who's trapped under his spell.

Unico in the Island of Magic

1983

The Green Cat poster
6.0

As a child, Sanbo was adopted by a mysterious green cat once owned by his father’s murderer. The cat grants his every wish, leading Sanbo to a lucrative life of crime, but the gift comes at a high cost. Ban, a family friend turned private detective, sets out to stop the cat’s influence before it can claim the young boy’s soul.

The Green Cat

1983

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico poster
7.0

When Unico, a young unicorn, is banished from his family by a pantheon of manipulative gods, his powers of joy and happiness are tested as he explores the lands with his friends Beezle and Katy.

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico

1981

New Treasure Island poster
7.0

This was the first episode of Mushi Pro Land, a unique series of 60-minute animated programs. It was also Japan's first 60-minute animated TV program. However, the series never materialized and only this episode was actually aired. The story follows Stevenson's "Treasure Island," featuring characters in the form of animals. For example, the pirate Silver is illustrated as a wolf, where the main character Jim is changed into a rabbit. This has, therefore, nothing to do with the "New Treasure Island," Tezuka's masterpiece Manga.

New Treasure Island

1965

New Treasure Island poster
7.0

This was the first episode of Mushi Pro Land, a unique series of 60-minute animated programs. It was also Japan's first 60-minute animated TV program. However, the series never materialized and only this episode was actually aired. The story follows Stevenson's "Treasure Island," featuring characters in the form of animals. For example, the pirate Silver is illustrated as a wolf, where the main character Jim is changed into a rabbit. This has, therefore, nothing to do with the "New Treasure Island," Tezuka's masterpiece Manga.

New Treasure Island

1965

Rain Boy poster
7.2

A lonely kid who lives in the countryside meets a strange boy who has a ragged umbrella over his head and there is always rain pouring over him. The rain boy is dazzled by the other kid's boots and offers three wishes in exchange for them.

Rain Boy

1983

Galaxy Investigation 2100: Border Planet poster
4.3

Tezuka Osamu crafts a love story in the time when humans are expanding into space at the end of the 21st century, employing an omnibus form similar to Bradbury's "Martian Chronicle." Leaving the earth after marriage, a woman is left behind in space when her husband suddenly dies of a cosmic disease. Her friends on the Earth head for space to save the woman who was once everyone's ideal lady. Tezuka Osamu emphasizes his concepts that "love can save the earth" and "only love can save humans."

Galaxy Investigation 2100: Border Planet

1986

Galaxy Investigation 2100: Border Planet poster
4.3

Tezuka Osamu crafts a love story in the time when humans are expanding into space at the end of the 21st century, employing an omnibus form similar to Bradbury's "Martian Chronicle." Leaving the earth after marriage, a woman is left behind in space when her husband suddenly dies of a cosmic disease. Her friends on the Earth head for space to save the woman who was once everyone's ideal lady. Tezuka Osamu emphasizes his concepts that "love can save the earth" and "only love can save humans."

Galaxy Investigation 2100: Border Planet

1986

Lunn Flies into the Wind poster
6.7

Akira is a lonely middle school boy, ignored by his classmates and bullied by his teacher. He falls in love with the image of a girl on a coffee advertising poster and names her Lunn. Through his "friendship" with Lunn, he gradually finds the strength to pursue his own dreams.

Lunn Flies into the Wind

1985

Tales of a Street Corner poster
6.0

The sad and happy times of a young girl and her bear doll, a young mouse and his family, a sycamore tree, an old lamp post, a hoodlum moth and an alleyway full of posters coming to life.

Tales of a Street Corner

1962

Tales of a Street Corner poster
6.0

The sad and happy times of a young girl and her bear doll, a young mouse and his family, a sycamore tree, an old lamp post, a hoodlum moth and an alleyway full of posters coming to life.

Tales of a Street Corner

1962

Yamataro Comes Back poster
5.0

After losing his parents, a young bear named Yamataro is chained as an attraction of a small kiosk near a train station. There he is encouraged by a C-62 train to runaway from the humans and become free.

Yamataro Comes Back

1986

Legend of the Forest poster
6.7

A tranquil forest and all of its residents must face the destruction of man. A squirrel, born and raised in the forest, fights to defend his home and faces trials and adversities along the way.

Legend of the Forest

1987

Mermaid poster
6.2

A dreamy boy in a distant country saves a fish beached on the shore. When he lets it loose in a pool of water, the fish turns into a beautiful mermaid.

Mermaid

1964

Mermaid poster
6.2

A dreamy boy in a distant country saves a fish beached on the shore. When he lets it loose in a pool of water, the fish turns into a beautiful mermaid.

Mermaid

1964

手塚治虫の戦争 poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

手塚治虫の戦争

2026

Tenguri, Boy of the Plains poster
5.5

The story surrounds a boy and a cow who have always lived their lives together. One winter, a famine strikes their village. The villagers resolve to the cow, but the boy secretly helped the cow escape. A few years ago, the boy (now grown-up) and the cow meet again...

Tenguri, Boy of the Plains

1977

Jungle Emperor poster
5.9

The story of a white lion cub growing to become the king of the jungle.

Jungle Emperor

1966

Jumping poster
6.6

A boy walks down the street and as he goes along his strides increase. Eventually he leaps over towns, forests, and oceans, seeing many things and surprising many people along the way.

Jumping

1984

Jumping poster
6.6

A boy walks down the street and as he goes along his strides increase. Eventually he leaps over towns, forests, and oceans, seeing many things and surprising many people along the way.

Jumping

1984

Pictures at an Exhibition poster
6.8

A series of short animated segments, without dialog, explore major characters of modern society, such as the plastic surgeon, the fashion-obsessed woman, the rumor-monger, and others, leading to a concluding comment on the progress of civilization.

Pictures at an Exhibition

1966

Muramasa poster
6.7

A wandering samurai finds a straw dummy with a magical sword, which makes him overwhelmingly powerful but begins to drive him mad.

Muramasa

1987

Kimba the White Lion: Symphonic Poem poster
4.0

After a spoken introduction describing the various musical instruments used, the film tells the story of Kimba the White Lion, from his birth, to his escape from a ship intended to take him far from home. The story is told entirely without dialogue, and showcases a symphonic tome poem composed by Isao Tomita, based in incidental music he composed for the original television series "Jangaru taitei" (1965)

Kimba the White Lion: Symphonic Poem

1991

Astro Boy: The Brave In Space poster
5.8

Compilation of Episodes 1,2 46, 56 and 71 from the 1963 Astro Boy series that were reproduced in color for this theater version.

Astro Boy: The Brave In Space

1964

Space Journey: The First Dream of Wonder-kun poster
4.0

This is the story of a friendship between a boy named Taro and the mysterious Wonder-kun, using "the first dream of the New Year" as a motif. Guided by Wonder-kun, Taro departs on a space trip searching for adventure...

Space Journey: The First Dream of Wonder-kun

1969

Memory poster
5.9

This is a short, privately produced animated film. While elucidating the mystery and fuzziness as well as merits and demerits of memory in idealizing reality, the story develops into a tale of destruction of human beings, turning the existence of the earth into a memory of the universe. The production, only 5 minutes long, greatly helps expand the viewer's imagination, embodying the enchantment of animation.

Memory

1964