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I'm not sure if I really want to bother with any sort of "trial" of anything... But I am glad for the information!

http://www.crunchyroll.com/young-black-jack/episode-1-wheres-the-doctor-686185

Episode 1 became available to free users tonight, so I finally got to watch Young Black Jack. So far, I'm impressed.

I did not expect the character models to be similar to Tezuka's style, but rather I expected them to be similar to the style that Kuroo is drawn in. I was happily surprised that that wasn't the case. It is somewhat weird to see a 22-year-old bishonen Hazama Kuroo rather than the typical appearance we're used to seeing of him from past versions, but I'm not bothered by it. I'm sure I'll get more used it as each episode becomes available to watch.

Also, I will admit that I'm okay with having a Black Jack series without Pinoko in it. I don't mind Pinoko, but she would seem incredibly out of place in a series like this, continuity and canon aside. That's one problem I have with the '90s OVA of Black Jack: Pinoko seems out of place with everyone else in the show. So, to watch Young Black Jack without her is refreshing.

Lastly, I like the end credits with the two cards showing Tezuka's manga version of each Black Jack character on one card and the YBJ version of those characters on the other card (you can see a couple images of this in Uran-chama's post on the previous page). I was amused to see that Hyotantsugi was given a human form. I wonder if we'll see all of these characters in this series, given that it's only 12 episodes long. I suppose we'll have to wait and see (though it looks like Lamp shows up in Episode 2).

Overall, I enjoyed this and will admit that it was better than I thought it would be. As long as you're 13 or older and are not grossed out by medical stuff, I would recommend this series.

"Shiyonasan" wrote:I did not expect the character models to be similar to Tezuka's style, but rather I expected them to be similar to the style that Kuroo is drawn in. I was happily surprised that that wasn't the case.

Overall, I enjoyed this and will admit that it was better than I thought it would be.

Same here. I was pleasantly surprised by how this seemed like a typical Tezuka anime if not for Kuroo's design. I had low expectations but in the end I think this could end up almost on the level of the 2004 series.

somehow I don't think that Black Jack would have asked for 5,000,000 yen for his first surgery. They made him seem just a bit too arrogant. I would have thought that his being a rouge doctor didn't happen until after he had graduated from medical school and came to odds with the medical establishment.
Still, it was a good story. The young intern who assisted him reminded me of Wato-san.

I would have thought that his being a rouge doctor didn't happen until after he had graduated from medical school and came to odds with the medical establishment.

I have not even seen the first episode yet, so I am unsure what precisely this is referencing but you are right. He did not start asking for "exorbitant" fees for his surgeries until after he lost his license and started practicing without one. He at least was practicing with his medical license for one year before he lost it. Hmm.

Just saw the second episode. Lamp was in this one (no candle on his head though!). Just noticed that in the credits they have a flip show with cards showing how some of the characters appeared in the original manga vs this anime.

"Tetsuwan Penguin" wrote:Just saw the second episode. Lamp was in this one (no candle on his head though!). Just noticed that in the credits they have a flip show with cards showing how some of the characters appeared in the original manga vs this anime.

Lamp was indeed in the second episode, though he went under a different name which I can't remember at the moment. The character with sunglasses and black sideburns was also from the original manga.

Also, I didn't realize this, but the second episode is a retread of Black Jack's first chapter. This review of the first 3 episodes of Young Black Jack talks about it.

Overall, I did enjoy the second episode. I thought the ending was kind of weird, but hey, Black Jack is a weird series like that.

The plot of the second episode reminds me of a story from the manga (and anime series) where a young man is convicted by a corrupt court of causing the near fatal injury to the brat son of a "made man", and is sentenced to have his body used to heal the boy. Black Jack is forced to perform the surgery (Pinoko was kidnapped), but what he actually does is to perform 'plastic surgery' on the convicted boy so he looks like the gangster's son (who died on the operating table). The young man takes the place of the son, and then runs away. Black Jack then changes his face again so he can leave the country.

Just watched episode 3. Pretty good episode, and my personal favorite so far.

The blonde character that's the patient in this episode, Smith, reminds me of Cobra from Space Adventure Cobra.

It looks like the next couple episodes will take place in the Vietnam War. Episode 3 is centered around a deserter of the Vietnam War, but the next two episodes are actually in the battlefield.

Sounds like they are mixing Black Jack with the story line from "Angel of Vietnam". Tezuka would approve, I'm sure.