In a continuing effort to show Americans the more literary and adult side of Osamu Tezuka's manga-graphic novels, Vertical proudly introduces Apoll...
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reviews
Apr 02, 2008
Ivan
rated it: 
Osamu Tezuka truly is the god of manga. The attention to detail is simply staggering, and he produced his hundreds of thousands of pages of manga over the decades the long, hard way. Sometimes, when reading his work, one simply must stop and marvel at the art, even during the most engrossing of tales.
Apollo's Song, given to me by a friend, is quite epic, whether examined alone or alongside Tezuka's other works. It features, of course, Tezuka's unmistakable comic drawing style, combin More...
Apollo's Song, given to me by a friend, is quite epic, whether examined alone or alongside Tezuka's other works. It features, of course, Tezuka's unmistakable comic drawing style, combin More...
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Dec 03, 2011
Peacegal
rated it: 
This book was…different. The story centers on a teenage boy who, abused by his floozy of a mother, develops a pathological hated of love, or, more appropriately, sex. He has begun to act out his rage by slaughtering animal couples, and it is this behavior that sends him to the asylum in which our story begins.
First, the good. I appreciated that the storyline treats animal cruelty and killing for the pathology it is, and the act of harming animals is always taken seriously. There’s no More...
First, the good. I appreciated that the storyline treats animal cruelty and killing for the pathology it is, and the act of harming animals is always taken seriously. There’s no More...
Feb 20, 2010
Kyle
rated it: 
Apollo's Song is an interesting manga by the God of Manga himself, Osamu Tezuka. It starts out by introducing Shogo, a kid that hates love so much that kill animals that show any signs of affection. Because of this habit, Shogo is sent to a mental hospital where he goes through electroshock therapy (it was written in 1970 after all). During one of his sessions, Shogo has a vision of him talking with a Greek goddess who then curses him for committing crimes against love. Shogo is sentenced to lov
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Sep 14, 2011
Kaion
rated it: 
Lesser Tezuka. It has some of the experimentation that I found so invigorating in Ode to Kirihito, notably the opening sequence, in which conception is imagined as a race for a goddess is a jaw-dropper and the only must-read portion of Apollo's Song. However, the rest of the short work falls flat from a lack of well-rounded story... Tezuka is a bit of a chameleon, and part of his "God of Manga" title comes from his ability to do all genres, but he's really characterized by his unrepete
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Aug 11, 2008
Eric
rated it:
An interesting exploration of male-female relationships and the distance between people. Pretty disturbing at times as well.
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Aug 22, 2011
Thynk2much
rated it:
It's hard to rate this book. On one hand I can fully appreciate its originality, its powerful creative spark, its sad and dark storyline. On the other hand something about it made me very uncomfortable, like seeing someone's secret personal psychoses or private sexual fantasies, and I couldn't quite shake my discomfort from that feeling, so it's hard to rate it more than "I liked it". I like uncomfortable stories but.... I dunno, am struggling for the right words. I will read more
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Jan 22, 2010
raman
rated it:
osamu tezuka really is the "father of manga."
the first series i read of his was Buddha, which really impressed me in it's simple, yet subtly complex storytelling. so when i saw this at the library i was intrigued.
the story is solid, if not long (from his "transitional," ie, "pessimistic but hopeful about love," phase) but that's manga for you. while most of his art is pretty simplistic, there are some really sweeping, poignant visuals withi More...
the first series i read of his was Buddha, which really impressed me in it's simple, yet subtly complex storytelling. so when i saw this at the library i was intrigued.
the story is solid, if not long (from his "transitional," ie, "pessimistic but hopeful about love," phase) but that's manga for you. while most of his art is pretty simplistic, there are some really sweeping, poignant visuals withi More...
Dec 28, 2009
Rosalia
rated it:
This was a moving book. Shogo's mother has mentally abused him and her "dates" have physically abused him. This has lead to a hatred of love on his part. He acts out and lands in a mental institution. His strong feelings have caught the attention of the Gods. They punish him to keep experiencing life over and over, always meeting his true love, but both of them dying tragic deaths before they can do anything about it. Shogo does seem to finally learn the Gods lessons, but the pun
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Sep 29, 2009
Alajandro
rated it:
Tezuka clearly shows in this piece why he's nicknamed the God of Manga. The art style is primitive from today's standards, and there is lots of perverted humor and suggestive scenes for effect. But as for the message, this is one of the most powerful pieces on displaying the magnitude of the depth of human love and reproduction I've ever seen. It does more than show why love is important to the continuation of the species; it delves into detail about why it is so important that there be male and
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Apr 18, 2008
Damian
rated it:
it's taken me a little time to review this book, since finishing it. I read it as part of our book group, and i certainly wouldn't have approached it otherwise. i haven't read any other full length graphic novels, so my background on this is thin, to say the least.
that said, the only way i have to judge it is, did i enjoy the experience of reading it? on the whole, yes. it's essentially the same story told a few different ways, like a series of variations on a theme in a classical mu More...
that said, the only way i have to judge it is, did i enjoy the experience of reading it? on the whole, yes. it's essentially the same story told a few different ways, like a series of variations on a theme in a classical mu More...
Sep 27, 2007
James
rated it:
Osamu Tezuka is one of my favorite writers of all time, so when publishers decide to release another one of this under appreciated writer/illustrator's works, its cause for celebration. Tezuka is the father of Japanese comics and illustration, and though I do not partake in the guilty pleasures of Anime or Manga, Tezuka has been a strong force in forming who I am since I used to watch The Fantastic Adventures of Unico when I was three, not even knowing he was behind it. Tezuka died of cancer d
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Jul 27, 2011
Black Cynocephalus
rated it:
As a time capsule, this one was really interesting. Unfortunately, Apollo's Song stood too proudly on the soapbox for me, even for a morality tale, I think. Churned the stomach a little bit. But Tezuka also wrote something that I haven't seen in any other comics before, for japanese, american, or anywhere else, for that matter. There are over 500 pages to this one, so expect an investment of a couple hours. Not sure if it was worth the time, to be honest.
Sep 01, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
This was my first time reading Tezuka, who is widely considered the godfather of Japanese manga. Apollo's Song definitely shows that manga can be complex and deal with literary themes. However, I found the device of the protagonist jumping through different times and different imaginary worlds jarring and a bit hard to follow. The storyline also tends strongly to the melodramatic, and as with all manga I felt like I was missing some cultural cues.
Jun 08, 2010
Marissa
rated it:
Tezuka's exploration of sex and romance is definitely interesting and I enjoyed the multi-layered structure of the narrative, but the take away moral of the book as a whole is more than a little cheesy. Also, this is yet another book groaning under the endlessly bogus weight of Freud and his Oedipus Complex Theories, which is kind of irritating.
Jan 08, 2009
Brian
rated it:
My first manga. I liked some of the pictures and enjoyed the creativity of the story, but felt too much of the text was banal (bad translation?) and learned I didn't much like seeing what the characters looked like.
I'll try 1-2 more manga books to see how I like other others, but I was disappointed that I didn't like this more.
I'll try 1-2 more manga books to see how I like other others, but I was disappointed that I didn't like this more.
Sep 17, 2009
matt
rated it:
I enjoyed this book, though it doesn't reach the heights of Tezuka's "Ode to Kirihito." Like "Ode," however, it does feature excellent comic art (with an interesting play between "cartoonish" and realistic illustration), the pleasingly efficient realization of many bizarre locales, and pulpy action and characterization.
Feb 16, 2011
dejah_thoris
rated it:
Tezuka does it again. Changing troubled Shogo from a boy who despises love to a complete person through the healing love of Hiromi is a difficult task, but Tezuka does it in wonderful style and pathos. Too bad poor Shogo is doomed to repeat his fate for all eternity.
Dec 27, 2009
Starbubbles
rated it:
honestly, really well done. i'm looking forward to tracking down some of his other works. in a way, i'm glad the ending stayed bitter, with a slight bit of sweet. i can see why tezuka became such a heavy-weight in the comic, er, manga world.
Sep 23, 2010
Joseph
rated it:
Powerful, gripping, provocative, poignant, and even cathartic, Apollo's Song is more than a good story, it is a wonderful study into the human psyche, and the glorious, albeit sometime's heartwrenching affects of love and love lost.
May 24, 2010
Mara
rated it:
I really appreciated the medical/mental health aspect of this book and given that it was originally published in 1970, I was impressed by the issues of the environment and sustainability that were woven into the story. Despite myself, I liked Shogo, apart from his violent tendencies; his issues around trust and his discomfort with love resonated for me.
Mar 04, 2009
Christopher
rated it:
Osamu Tezuka is truly a master. This wasn't the best thing I have ever read by him, but still enjoyable. One of these days I am going to tackle his Buddha series.
Aug 11, 2009
Bobby Shane
rated it:
It was good, kind of disturbing in parts, I don't completely know what happened in the end but I'm still thinking about it and I think that's a good sign.
Jun 23, 2009
Molly
rated it:
Tezuka is a genius. This book triggered every emotion in me at various times. It was very good- and not part of a series, for those who don't like series.
May 21, 2009
Catherine
rated it: 
Even Tezuka can't bat a 1000 all the time. An unsympathetic protagonist and a lot of dismal sex can't save this interesting concept.
Dec 12, 2007
Bryan
rated it:
Osamu Tezuka is fascinating but does not inspire love. A sociopathic boy is sent by a goddess through a 5 story cycle to get him to understand love by making him feel pain. The stories interweave and mirror like a grade school Calvino book. There is constant nudity and sexual content but it lacks nipples and genitalia. The tone vacillates wildly. The plotting is childish. But there is a compelling derangement. Once again there are robots in human form at war with the human race. Some Naz
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May 18, 2009
Ryan
rated it:
Although not one of Tezuka's best stories, this book is entertaining and the artwork is, as always, brilliant.
Jun 03, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The first manga I've ever really given a shot and it was amazing. It's a long read but completely worth it!
Aug 12, 2010
Ben
rated it:
Not as good as the other title of his that I read. Still interesting, and nice exploration of love and pain.
Jan 10, 2009
Georgia
rated it:
This was an interesting idea. A meditation on love and karma, and learning the lessons of life. Unfortunately it stayed pretty shallow, both in writing and imaging.
Sep 23, 2010
Sancaka
rated it:
moral cerita sekaligus nasihat orang-orang tua saat ku kecil dulu: jangan ganggu hewan-hewan yang lagi kasamaran, mengko mundhak kuwalat :D
