Lion Books
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| Lion Books | |
 Cover of volume 1 of Lion Books, from the Osamu Tezuka Manga Complete Works edition | |
| ライオンブックス (Raion Bukkusu) | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Osamu Tezuka |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Magazine | Omoshiro Book |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | August 1956 – July 1957 |
| Volumes | 11 |
| Manga | |
| Lion Books II | |
| Written by | Osamu Tezuka |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | March 22, 1971 – February 19, 1973 |
| Volumes | 24 |
Lion Books (Japanese: ライオンブックス, Hepburn: Raion Bukkusu) is a 1950s Japanese manga series by Osamu Tezuka. It was published by Shueisha in the Omoshiro Book as a supplement. The same company published Lion Books II in Weekly Shōnen Jump in the 1970s, which would commonly be referred to as The New Lion Books. The series was partially adapted into an experimental anime series in the 1980s and 1990s.
1950s manga series[edit]
There are no continuations or relations between any of the stories.
| # | Name | Original Name | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Next Human Beings ( |
August 1956 | |
| 2 | The Black Space Ray (くろい |
September 1956 | |
| 3 | Spaceport ( |
Spaceport | October 1956 |
| 4 | Orion No. 137 (オリオン137 |
November 1956 | |
| 5 | The Green Cat ( |
December 1956 | |
| 6 | Earthquake Predicting Old Lady ( |
Earth Theater 1 ( |
January 1957 |
| 7 | Twin Murder ( |
Earth Theater 2 ( |
February 1957 |
| 8 | The Crazy Border ( |
Earth Theater 3 ( |
March 1957 |
| 9 | Multiple-Eyed Devil ( |
Multiple-Eyed Devil: Part 1 ( |
April 1957 |
| 10 | Multiple-Eyed Devil: Part 2 ( |
May 1957 | |
| 11 | Skipper Skeleton ( |
June 1957 | |
| 12 | Bullet Hole in the Wilderness ( |
July 1957 |
1970s manga series[edit]
There are no continuations or relations between any of the stories.
| # | Name | Original Name | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adachi-ga Hara ( |
March 22, 1971 | |
| 2 | Mirage ( |
April 26, 1971 | |
| 3 | Serenade of Pig's Navel (ブタのヘソのセレナーデ, Buta no Heso no Serenāde) | May 24, 1971 | |
| 4 | The Closed Classroom (あかずの |
June 21, 1971 | |
| 5 | A Hundred Tales ( |
Wandering ( |
July 26, 1971 |
| 6 | Osorezan ( |
August 23, 1971 | |
| 7 | Gold ( |
September 27, 1971 | |
| 8 | Usurpation ( |
October 25, 1971 | |
| 9 | Mosa, the Flying Squirrel (モモンガのムサ, Momonga no Musa) | November 22, 1971 | |
| 10 | Collapse (コラープス, Korāpusu) | December 27, 1971 | |
| 11 | The Moon and Wolves ( |
January 17, 1972 | |
| 12 | Mother River (おふくろの |
February 14, 1972 | |
| 13 | Mansion OBA (マンションOBA, Manshon OBA) | March 20, 1972 | |
| 14 | Color of Full-blown Flower in Spring ( |
April 17, 1972 | |
| 15 | Mimigarasu ( |
Mimigarasu | May 15, 1972 |
| 16 | Dendekoden (でんでこでん) | June 19, 1972 | |
| 17 | Seven Men from Outer Space ( |
July 17, 1972 | |
| 18 | The March Covered with Mud ( |
August 14, 1972 | |
| 19 | Muse and Don (ミューズとドン, Myūzu to Don) | Muse and Don 1: Wicked (ミューズとドン1-妖獣, Myūzu to Don 1 - Yōjū) | September 18, 1972 |
| 20 | Muse and Don 2: Call of Field (ミューズとドン2- |
October 16, 1972 | |
| 21 | Muse and Don 3: Timetable of Underground (ミューズとドン3 |
November 20, 1972 | |
| 22 | The Sweet Smell of Success ( |
December 18, 1972 | |
| 23 | The Distant Planet (はるかなる |
January 22, 1973 | |
| 24 | The Strange School ( |
February 19, 1973 |
Anime adaptations[edit]
Two of the stories in the manga were adapted into an experimental anime series titled the Lion Books collection. The original concept was to make 26 new anime episodes and canvass them for sale without any broadcast contract with TV stations.[1] The first adaptation came in 1983 using the story "The Green Cat". It is regarded as the first attempt to produce an original video animation release on October 10, 1983. If the episode was finished independently on October 10, 1983 with no other episodes to follow in production, it very well could have been qualified as the first anime OVA. Because there is uncertainty as to whether the VHS was actually available for sale at the production end date, Dallos is credited to be the first official OVA released by the industry. The Green Cat is known to be screened in the "4th Tezuka Osamu Fan Club Meeting" on October 10, 1983.[2]
The second story "Adachi-ga Hara" was adapted in 1991, and became the only movie in the series to be released to theaters.[3] Four other stories were filled in from non-manga sources.[citation needed] The series was re-released as a DVD on March 21, 2003.[citation needed] It is also available on the streaming service Viki.[4] The five first episodes were directed by Osamu Tezuka himself, while the last, shown at a Hong Kong Film Festival, was the first anime directed by his son Makoto Tezuka.[3]
| Story | Anime | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Green Cat ( |
October 10, 1983 |
| 2 | Rain Boy ( |
December 24, 1983 |
| 3 | Lunn Flies into the Wind (るんは |
April 13, 1985 |
| 4 | Yamataro Comes Back ( |
August 15, 1986 |
| 5 | Adachi-ga Hara ( |
November 16, 1991 |
| 6 | Akuemon ( |
July 16, 1993 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Tezuka Info. "Tezuka Info." The Green Cat. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ Tezuka Accomplishments. "Tezuka Accomplishments." The Green Cat Screening. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
- ^ a b Clements, Jonathan. McCarthy Helen. [2006] (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5
- ^ Japan - TV - Tezuka Lion Book Series "Tekuka Lion Book Series." Retrieved on 2012-09-13.
External links[edit]
- Publishing timeline of Lion Books manga and anime – Tezuka Osamu @ World at the Wayback Machine (archived March 13, 2008)
- Synopses for the Lion Books 1950s manga – Tezuka Osamu @ World at the Wayback Machine (archived September 30, 2007)
- Synopses for the Lion Books 1970s manga – Tezuka Osamu @ World at the Wayback Machine (archived November 3, 2007)
