★★★★★ 4
Another Tezuka scifi classic
Format: Paperback
The story is a collection of short, loosely connected, stories concerning birds. Attaining higher intelligence, they begin fighting back against humanity for dominance and freedom.
The first few chapters are very reminiscent of Hitchcock's "The Birds" as they, seemingly out of nowhere, start attacking people and whole cities. Eventually there is a way to communicate and negotiate with them and a truce is made, however it doesn't end there. Many generations pass and birds start gaining larger brains, talking, wearing clothes, etc. And humans devolve into feral cavemen a la, "Planet of the Apes".
It is worth noting that there is a chapter featuring a black character who is drawn in a outdated, racist, charicature style. As in all Tezuka books, there's a disclaimer about things like this given the time they were written. I believe, however, that it's worth mentioning as some people feel differently about things like that and with a disclaimer you can now decide for yourself if you want to make your own judgement of the work.
That one part aside, I think the work is some of his best. His ideas and artistry really are top notch. You can also plan to lookout for more manga reviews from me Mangamatt, whether here or on other platforms.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
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