Ode to Kirihito

Osamu Tezuka’s haunting medical drama, originally serialized in the late 1960s and early 1970s, follows a young doctor whose investigation into a baffling, disfiguring disease pulls him into a web of professional rivalry, personal sacrifice, and existential dread. Translated by Camellia Nieh and released in English by Vertical starting in 2006, this single-volume edition collects Tezuka’s full, mature story—a stark exploration of humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and compassion. It stands as a vital, lesser-known work from the god of manga, showcasing his ambition beyond Astro Boy and into serious, character-driven adult fiction.