StoryBest described as the bastard love child of a rather dodgy
soap opera and a James Bond film, Black Jack 21 is the latest instalment
of Osamu Tezuka’s popular franchise. This time Black Jack becomes the target of
a group of assassins hired by a mysterious corporation. With only a single
photo as a clue, the surgeon sets off on a worldwide expedition to discover
exactly who wants him dead and why.
Conspiracies abound, and interesting – if not predictable –
plot turns ensure that Black Jack 21’s storyline remains entertaining
throughout, albeit occasionally difficult to take seriously. While
assassination attempts and collusion naturally bring about plenty of action,
Black Jack often finds himself in situations best left to 007 rather than an
unlicensed surgeon. Although the Black Jack franchise is not known for
its particularly plausible plots, inclusions of scenes such as our protagonist
scaling a plane’s exterior mid-flight push the boundaries of believability. Mix
this with familial conflict and shocking revelations that are more at home in a
daytime drama, and the product is a bizarre creation, dangerously close to
becoming utterly laughable.
Black Jack 21’s
inclusion of an actual plotline makes a pleasant change from the usual episodic
content the franchise relies on, with every episode seeing Black Jack swoop in
to save the day. However die-hard fans need not fear – expect plenty of
‘swooping’ in this chapter of the Black Jack series as well.AnimationBlack Jack 21 follows a visual style typical of most of Osamu Tezuka’s creations with his
character designs heavily influenced by 1920’s western animation. While the
series displays relatively polished movement, I find the constant use of static
images with dramatic ‘action lines’ (a Black Jack standard)
unimaginative and repetitive. As with many other recent anime series, small
amounts of CGI have been included. While not only as obvious as Black Jack’s
scars, the series’ use of computer graphics often serves little purpose other
than enabling the use of sweeping and supposedly dramatic camera movements.SoundBlack Jack 21’s sound design serves its purpose of
heightening the tension of certain scenes. However during its more ridiculous
‘dramatic’ moments, the series’ exaggerated score merely makes an already
farcical scenario all the more laughable and thus acts as somewhat of a
double-edged scalpel. Though neither outstanding nor memorable, both the
opening and ending themes fit well with the series’ mood.
Reprising his role as title character, voice actor
Akio Ohtsuka provides a stellar performance. Showcasing his ability to express
the desperation and motivation required for Black Jack’s situation, Ohtsuka’s
performance adds a slight plausibility to an often far-fetched plot.CharactersDuring this series Black Jack embarks on a long mental
journey aside from his physical one. Back Jack discovering secrets hidden in
his past provides the anime with an excellent chance to develop its main protagonist
– and it does not disappoint. To see a character such as Black Jack, who often
shows little emotion, reliving his painful history and learning of the truth
behind the tragic events of his childhood comes as a refreshing change and
provides the highlight of the series.
Black Jack 21 also introduces an array of new characters, most of whom appear in one or two
episodes and thus only a select few enjoy any form of development. Those that
do receive a more in-depth exploration of their character undergo their own
personal transformation during their encounters with the genius surgeon. This
selection of more evolved secondary characters, as well as the series’
demonstration of the consequences that befall those surrounding its
protagonist, breathe life into this anime, something that the other Black
Jack series fail to achieve.OverallGoing into this show expecting a dramatic and
gripping thriller is probably a bad idea. When viewing this as a fairly
light-hearted series with a decent plotline and some cheesy, extravagant action
it becomes possible to forgive the ludicrous events scattered throughout. While
nothing more than easy watching, Black Jack 21 succeeds in providing
entertainment without being pointless, also managing to throw in some
respectable character development to boot. Fans of the Black Jack series
will find this highly enjoyable, and those new to the franchise may find it
more engaging than they imagined.
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