Between 1968 and 1970, some short stories by Osamu Tezukain which the author experimented with the genres and themes that were most interesting to him. These stories are collected in the volume At the bottom of the skypublished by J-POP Manga and inserted in the Osamushi Collectionwhich includes numerous works by Tezuka. Each new addition to this series expands the amount of available works by the famous mangaka, and today we are talking about this lesser-known anthology of his.
- Original title: The Little Mermaid (Kuuki no Soko)
- Italian title: At the bottom of the sky
- Japanese release: 1970
- Italian release: August 2, 2023
- Number of volumes: 1
- Publishing house: J-POP Manga
- Type: Seinen, Drama
- Drawings: Osamu Tezuka
- History: Osamu Tezuka
- Format: 15×21
- Number of pages: 288
We reviewed Sul fondo del cielo using the print volume provided to us free of charge by J-POP Manga.
Simple but effective
In the 14 stories of At the bottom of the skywe have a great variety of themes covered and settings: Tezuka moves from classic western or science fiction settings to more common ones, such as the metropolis of Tokyo and the villages on the outskirts. This clearly influences the type of plot we will find in front of us, from a purely fantastic one to semi-biographical stories, some of which are inspired by events that happened directly to the mangaka.
An element in common with the various stories, and on which there is greater attention, is the dualism of Tezuka’s characters: even the coldest of criminals can make a gesture of affection, just as an innocent and generous man can actually turn out to be false and mean; in the thirty pages dedicated to each storywe have protagonists who are very different from each other and intriguing even in their simplicity.
This simplicity in the characters is well managed, while in the plot it becomes both a strength and a weakness: it is definitely interesting to see the variety of themes and settings that Tezuka experiments with, as well as his ability to juggle between different genres to give the reader completely different stories, but, unfortunately, this takes away much of the impact and maturity of the author, which here is not shown to its full potential.
Although the topics covered are interesting, Tezuka does not reach the level of storytelling that one may be accustomed to: Of the various stories in this anthology, there are actually only a few that remain well impressed in the reader’s mind once the volume has been finished, while the majority present a decidedly lower emotional chargeprobably also caused by the small number of pages dedicated to each story. Although each story has a solid premise and interesting characters, the whole thing is sometimes hastily concludedwhether with an explanation in the last tables or with an ending that gives half-answers. This, unfortunately, also causes little depth (in certain stories) of those that are the themes dearest to Tezuka, and which, consequently, are addressed in a somewhat superficial way.
Ups and downs
Among the various topics covered, we have some very interesting (more or less veiled) social criticisms: in addition to the aforementioned duality, we have references and observations on the political and social situation of Japan in those years, which is told through corrupt characters or those who follow their own agenda without caring about the opinions of others; we also have comments on racism, pollution or the sickest love, all told through morally gray protagonists. In fact, although the plots of some stories are not very in-depth, the presence of such protagonistsmore realistic and mature, It helps make reading much more stimulating.
The stories that stand out the most are probably the ones that address these still current themes, managing to provide interesting food for thought in cases where they become the focal point of the entire story. On the other hand, western or science fiction stories present settings with a background that is sketched out and sometimes narrated through long lines of text or explanations that, in turn, are also used to reveal certain plot twists.
About Tezuka’s drawing style, there is little to say that hasn’t already been said over the years: simple, clean and recognizable, it possesses an expressiveness of the line that has made school and that still maintains its charmboth for its historical value and for its truly pleasant visual impact.
Talking about the Italian edition, At the bottom of the sky It is part of the aforementioned Osamushi Collectionnecklace of J-POP which includes numerous works by Tezuka, and therefore boasts particular attention to the quality of the paper and binding; given the technical care for the volume (of almost 300 pages), we therefore have a fairly good price, without counting that the pleasant aesthetic side of the edition encourages you to recover other volumes of the series to display them in the bookshop.
As usual in his anthologies, Osamu Tezuka experiments with the short story the best ways to blend his favorite genres (such as science fiction, thrillers and westerns) with the messages and themes dearest to him. In these stories, dating back to 1968-1970 and characterized by mature themes and atmospheres, his attention focuses on the dualism inherent in every human being: how can we be capable of infinite cruelty, wars and racism, and at the same time of gestures full of sweetness and love? In the distant past as in a robotic future, the questions posed by the God of Manga remain as vital and important as these stories.
Who do we recommend At the Bottom of the Sky to?
If you are passionate about Tezuka and his storiesyou may surely be interested in recovering it too At the bottom of the sky to learn about some of his short and experimental stories, allowing you to broaden your knowledge of the author (or even, trivially, own all his works for pure collecting). On the other hand, if you have not read none at all of Tezuka’s works and you are not familiar with his way of narrating, I feel I would not recommend this as a first time readas it cannot stand up to the comparison with his more mature and complete stories; in the case of a first approach to Tezuka, it is preferable to start from his most famous and appreciated manga, such as The Story of the Three Adolfs, Black Jackor Princess Sapphire (just to name a few). You can still recover this collection of stories later, once you have become fond of the mangaka.
- Variety of stories, genres and characters covered
- Interesting for those who want to learn more about Tezuka
- Fiction less appreciable if you don’t know the author
- Some stories with untapped potential
At the bottom of the sky
A good read for Tezuka fans
For lovers of Tezukait will be interesting to see his more experimental side and find, in certain stories, traces of themes and messages that he often reported in his most famous works. The type of narration, as you can imagine, is easier to appreciate for those interested in rediscovering older manga. Given the quality (up and down) of the various stories, it is not recommended as the author’s very first reading, and in that case it is better to get to know him starting from his most complete and mature works. At the bottom of the sky It remains a pleasant read in general, but the stories, with their somewhat approximate developments, risk being difficult to appreciate or not suitable for all types of readers.
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