Young Black Jack" Yuichiro Umehara visits the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum!　I thought the roots of Black Man in between were Osamu Tezuka himself."

From the TV anime "Young Black Jack," here is a report from Yuichiro Umehara's visit to the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum.

Young Black Jack" is an anime adaptation of the manga "Young Black Jack," based on Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece "Black Jack," set in the 1960s and depicting the unknown past of a man named Kuroo Makuro who later becomes the genius surgeon Black Jack. Directed by Mitsuko Kase of "Ristorante Paradiso" and "The Last Weapon Girlfriend," series composition and supervision by Ryosuke Takahashi of "Firebird" and "Armored Trooper Votoms," and animation production by Tezuka Productions.

Yuichiro Umehara, the voice actor who plays the main character, Makuro Otoko, visited the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum. In addition to visiting the exhibits, he also had a chance to experience hands-on activities such as coloring and purikura (photo booth). Here is the report.

The museum is located in Takarazuka City, where Tezuka Osamu spent about 20 years from the age of 5 to 24. After passing through the entrance hall, which is reminiscent of the royal palace in "Knight of the Ribbon," visitors enter the museum, where a number of valuable items that reveal the history of Tezuka Osamu's works are on display. The 40 display capsules, which are based on the life-support system in "The Bird of Fire (Future Edition)," display many items and materials related to Osamu Tezuka's works, and there is also a book corner where visitors can browse first editions and almost all of Osamu Tezuka's works. There is also a jungle café with a "Jungle Emperor" motif and a store selling limited-edition merchandise.

Yuichiro Umehara, who said this was his first visit to the museum, looked around the exhibits with great interest at each corner. Among them, he was particularly interested in the "Young Black Jack" exhibition (*opening until February 21), which was the main purpose of his visit, as he gazed intently at each of the exhibits. In the corner that resembled a medical examination reception area, storyboards of the original story, the script of the animation, and the script, as well as other valuable items, were lined up. In the illustration experience corner, visitors tried their hand at coloring in the Yamburai illustrations. At the "Purikura" corner, which is available only at the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum, visitors could take Purikura pictures with Black Jack in the background, and at the hands-on animation production corner, they could actually draw illustrations and try their hand at creating animation. Visitors enjoyed the world of Tezuka Osamu to the fullest.

We asked Yuichiro Umehara, who said he felt even more strongly about "Black Jack" through his visit to the museum, about his impressions of the visit.

--How did you feel when you saw the "Young Black Jack Exhibition" this time?
Umehara: I was able to get a deeper sense of the world of Young Black Jack through the animation materials, scripts, and familiar scripts that I could not see at the recording studio. I was very happy to have such an exhibition at the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum. I have also wanted to visit the museum itself for a long time, so I was very moved to see it in person.

--Young Black Jack Exhibition" is themed "Exploring the Roots of Black Man," where do you think the roots of Black Man lie?
Umehara: When I went around the Osamu Tezuka Memorial, I thought that the roots of the Black Man in between were Mr. Osamu Tezuka himself. I felt "Makuro Otoko" in many places, such as Mr. Tezuka's war experiences and the fact that he himself obtained a medical license.

--Except for the "Young Black Jack Exhibition," which other exhibit attracted you the most?
Umehara: The section where you can try making simple animations in the manner of a flip-book manga. I am familiar with animation because I am exposed to it in my work, but when I actually experienced it, I realized that it is a process that requires tremendous effort and passion. I felt honored to be able to breathe life into these animations with my voice.

--What would you recommend to visitors to the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum, and what are some of the highlights?
Umehara: When you step into the museum, you will see the world of Osamu Tezuka everywhere you look. You may feel differently about Tezuka's works when you see the valuable materials related to Tezuka and feel the era in which he lived. There is also a hands-on corner, so we recommend that you take your time and visit the museum. We hope you will take the time to visit the museum.

The "Young Black Jack" exhibition will be open until February 21, so be sure to stop by. The Blu-ray and DVD Vol. 3 of the TV anime "Young Black Jack" will be released on February 24. The package will include a pre-order serial for the event to be held on April 17 in Tokyo, featuring the main cast. In addition, to celebrate the release of the BD & DVD, a campaign will be held at animate to win an original illustration by Yugo Okuma and a panel autographed by Yuichiro Umehara, so be sure to check it out as well.

◆Young Black Jack Exhibition: Exploring the Roots of the Black Man
Location: Tezuka Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum (7-65 Mukogawa-cho, Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture)
Exhibition Period: Until Sunday, February 21, 2008
Time details: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Admission until 4:30 p.m.)
Admission: Adults 700 yen / Students (junior high and high school students) 300 yen / Children (elementary school students) 100 yen
Closed: Every Wednesday
http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/tezuka/