"Black Jack TV" is a sixty-one episode Japanese anime series that was directed by both Makoto Tezuka and Satoshi Kuwabara. It was produced by "Tezuka Productions." Though, the series has been released in 2004, it has the feeling of the 1960-1970s. This is because that this series is based off the manga created by the legend named Osamu Tezuka who was known for numerous works such as "Dedoro." However, Osamu Tezuka is also known for his most popular work called "Astro Boy" which had started out as a puppet show. But the series has an interesting premise as it revolves around a man who goes by the name of "Black Jack." He really stands out due to the way he dresses.
Black Jack is an unregistered doctor. It means that he doesn’t have a medical license at all. But it enables him to move freely as a mercenary of life with very "godly" medical skills such as using tools like a scalpel. Black Jack is what you would call a medical mercenary or a mercenary doctor. He sells his skills to the highest bidder and doesn’t turn his back on anybody. Black Jack will treat people from everyday people, business tycoons, Yakuza leaders, and everybody else. However, to the "VIP" patients, Black Jack charges very outrageous sums.
He has a huge scar across his face that is stitched up. His hair is both black and white as a result of an event he suffered as a kid. Black Jack looks to be a very shadowy figure as he also sports on a black cape everywhere he goes. To most people, Black Jack comes off as a strange and scary figure. Black Jack is the way he is due to a tragic event as a child. His real name is Kuro Hazama and looked pretty normal until a tragic event at the beach. On a trip to the beach with his mother, the two of them stumbled onto an area where they had un-detonated mines. His mother saw the sign but it was too late as one of the mines detonated.
Kuro was left scarred. Coincidentally, Kuro’s mother lost both her arms and legs. She got put into a coma and died afterwards. Kuro’s body was fixed by Dr. Hotaro Honma. From there, Kuro aspired to be a genius himself. He becomes the genius doctor known as Black Jack. However, he chose never to get a license as he would have to follow certain rules. Without a license, Black Jack has more bargaining power. He is accompanied by a girl named Pinoko who serves as the comic relief and sidekick. But it’s also revealed that Pinoko is a "Tertatogenous Cystoma" which is a tumor also known as "teratoma."
People tend to think that Black Jack is in it for the money when he "overcharges" the rich. But, it’s not the case with Black Jack. He’s very much anti-capitalist and anti-prestige. He uses the money to help the poor and so forth. Black Jack firmly believes that merits of a people matter more than their wealth or prestige. He very much opposes wealth as it’s believed that it’s the root to many problems of the world. But at very important times, Black Jack will not ask for money but instead provide stipulations.
In the first episode, Black Jack gives a stipulation that a case against him gets dropped and that a specific island full of endangered species gets left alone. The series very much shows how noble in character that Black Jack can be. The reason that Black Jack charges a lofty fee is to teach "capitalist pigs" a major lesson in humility. This basis is very much inspired from Tezuka’s views towards capitalism. Like most of Tezuka’s work, powerful men in Black Jack are usually portrayed in a negative light.
The inspiration behind Black Jack comes from Tezuka’s original job as a physician. Long before he became famous, Tezuka went to medical school. Overall, Black Jack is an interesting series to watch. It is unknown if there is an English-dubbed version. It’s not known if or when there will be a licensed North American release.