Eminent Person Introductory Post

“Coincidence doesn’t happen a third time.” – Osamu Tezuka.

This year, I chose to research Osamu Tezuka, one of the pioneers of the manga industry.

Eminence

Osamu Tezuka pioneered techniques that revolutionized the manga art style

Tezuka first used many of the drawing techniques that we see in manga today, making manga a much better experience for the reader. In order to make the content further accessible to the consumer, he introduced the idea of adapting manga into anime, and then even distributing it around the world. This is important for the anime industry because many popular anime series rely on the original manga for the story. The anime industry today would not have been nearly as big if it weren’t for Tezuka’s ideas. Being one of the first manga artists to have such success, Tezuka proved that the profession can be financially rewarding. Today, there are over 3000 professional manga artists, whose manga are being translated and read by people all around the world. All of this is thanks to Tezuka’s contributions, which will be remembered for as long as the manga/anime industry exists.

Tezuka didn’t become successful in one day, though. Before Tezuka, being a manga artist wasn’t nearly the respected and rewarding profession it is today. Manga wasn’t as popular back then, so it must have been hard to get his work published. Tezuka had to take huge risks, such as giving up becoming a doctor, to pursue manga, which was not very reliable. Later, Tezuka didn’t have much time for manga again because he had to help with the World War II efforts. Nevertheless, he stayed confident and worked hard to rise to eminence.

Learning about Tezuka’s life story is not only important for manga readers, but also for anyone who enjoys animations and movies. Tezuka’s contributions are so significant that they have spread well outside of the industries he worked in. The insight we gain by learning about him will help us better appreciate any manga, animation, or movie. Being a pioneer of so many manga techniques with such a successful life, most other influential manga artists would not have been successful either, making Tezuka arguably more important than them.

Personal Connections

About a year ago, I started getting into anime and it became an important part of my life. Since then, my interests have expanded into manga and light novels as well. However, I never set aside the time to think about and appreciate the hours of work that manga artists put into their work. I think the Eminent Project is a great way to do this. Since Osamu Tezuka was one of the “pioneers” of manga, I hope to gain some insight into the life of a manga artist and the industry.

Both Tezuka’s and my parents are very supportive of our passions. In Tezuka’s case, his parents were willing to buy art supplies and sketchbooks for him to draw. Although are interests are different other than manga and anime, my parents are also supportive of me in my interests. My mom lets me use her programming books when I want to. If it weren’t for our parents, there is no way that we could develop our passions to the way they are now.

One quality Tezuka and I share in common is our attention to detail. We also both can work hard when we need to. Once we find something interesting to do, we devote all our time and effort to it. However, the difference is that I often lose interest in the tasks that I do after a while. The motivation to keep persevering even when something is boring is a quality that I would like to emulate from Tezuka. Tezuka’s motivation, along with his confidence to take risks, are qualities that were necessary for him to become eminent.

A goal that I had when joining Talons is to find opportunities to make contributions to society. Other people are what give me purpose in life, and it benefits everyone the more we give to each other. Tezuka demonstrated this very well and left an impact on the world for at least many decades.

For the next phase of my research (the next week or two), I will look deeper into his childhood and the specific ideas that he introduced to the manga industry. I will also find someone to interview to find out more about him.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

References

 

Osamu Tezuka Quotes. (n.d.). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/29482.Osamu_Tezuka

McCarthy, H. (2006). Manga: A Brief History. 500 Manga Heroes & Villains. Hauppauge, New York, USA: Chrysalis Book Group.

About Tezuka Osamu. (n.d.). Tezuka Osamu Official. https://tezukaosamu.net/en/about/1920.html

Romano, A. (2016). Osamu Tezuka was the “Walt Disney of Japan.” His beautiful manga biography shows why. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2016/8/2/12244368/osamu-tezuka-story-explained

5 thoughts on “Eminent Person Introductory Post

  1. Hi Colin! I loved the person you chose to research. You seem to be very passionate about him and I loved the quote you chose as well! I myself have gotten into manga and anime over the last year or so, so this was very intriguing to read. The personal connection you chose about how your parents support your passions just like his have, I thought was a very creative and great connection to relate to. The only feedback I have would be to make the pictures a little bigger and some of the formatting of the words was a bit weird to me. Other than that you did a great job!

    Thanks!
    Natalie

  2. Hi Colin. I really enjoyed reading your introduction to your eminent person! I liked how you put lots of examples into your text and that you put more than one trait that you share in common, that made it easy to see the connections between you and Tezuka. One thing that you could improve for next time would be to put a picture in the second half of the text. But other than that I think you did a great job and I liked how you put your sources at the bottom as well.
    Matthias

  3. Hey Colin!
    I thought your blog was really well done! The writing style was interesting and easy to read, and was written well. I also liked how detailed your connection was; it showcased how important Tezuka’s contributions are to you. The one critique I have is to maybe add a bit more pictures or media at the end of your post. Everything else was really well done and I look forward to learning more about him!
    Bridget

  4. Hi Colin!
    I really enjoyed how detailed your post was and all of the different pictures, fonts, and quotes you added to enhance your post. Your insightful connections showed how much of an impact anime and manga have had in your life and I admire you looking further into the creators of the industry. One thing I would add would maybe be manga/anime recommendations to the end of your posts so others can share your passion. Other than that, your post was very well written!
    Thanks,
    Rian

  5. Hey Colin,
    I liked how you chose a possibly less-known or obscure person to research, but found ways that his contributions might still be significant even if no large scientific breakthroughs were made. One critique I have is that the beginning “Eminence” section is a little repetitive, and cutting out some sentences while editing others to incorporate their key ideas could help the conciseness and readability a lot. Another thing I like is how you pointed out the similarities between yourself and Tezuka, but also the differences and disparities that you want to improve. Well written post.
    Kaiwen

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