The film also stars Ippei Osako in a dual lead role; takes place from March 20-24 in Tokyo
Tezuka Productions announced on Thursday that Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack manga will have a stage play titled”Black Jack”Mangeki!! Tezuka Osamu Dai-5-Kan The combination of manga and theater will have eight performances in Tokyo from March 20 to 24.
Image via Human Art Theater Website
© Tezuka Productions
The stage play will star voice actor Akio Ōtsuka as the titular Black Jack, reprising his role from many anime adaptations. Actor Ippei Osako was also cast as Black Jack, as the role was double-cast. The play is the fifth part in Mangeki!! Osaku Tezuka series.
Ryūsei Kudō is writing and directing the play. The play will use robots and projection mapping along with the actors.
Tezuka’s original Black Jack manga focuses on a brilliant doctor who practices without a license. Tezuka published the manga in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from 1973 to 1984. Osamu Tezuka’s official website describes the manga:
This is a medical drama in which the main character is an unlicensed but talented surgeon, Black Jack. Blessed with excellent surgical techniques, Black Jack always miraculously saves the lives of seriously ill patients and those near death. But he always demanded a hefty price for his surgery, which is why his presence was rejected by the medical community.
Black Jack lives quietly in a clinic in the desolate wilderness with his assistant, Pinoko, whose life he saved. Patients that other doctors had turned away came to see him every day; he represents their last hope.
The manga has inspired many anime adaptations as well as spin-offs from other creators. The manga has inspired several Japanese live-action adaptations, including a film in 1977, a series in 1981, a video in 1996, a special in 2000, and a another special in 2011. A new live-action series will premiere in 2024.
The manga is also inspiring a Chinese live-action adaptation. Beijing Enlight Pictures announced the adaptation at a press conference announcing new works in production. Beijing Enight Pictures’ subsidiary Coloroom Pictures is producing the work.
“Black Jack Kikai no Shinzō-Heartbeat Mark II”(Black Jack Mechanical Heart-Heartbeat Mark II), a new 32-page AI-produced film partly produced by the Black Jack one-shot Manga, debuted in Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine on November 22. A previous project “TEZUKA2020″ launched a manga titled “Paidon” in February 2020, which used AI to learn and imitate Tezuka’s style.
Source: Human Arts Theater, Natalie Comics