Title

Black Jack

Also known as: ブラック・ジャック, Burakku Jakku

by Osamu Tezuka

Score from AniList: 81/100finished25 volumes243 chapters

Drama More like Black Jack

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Among adult readers in Japan Black Jack is Osamu Tezuka’s most popular achievement, and perhaps the most close to the creator’s heart, as Tezuka considered entering the medical field—majoring in medicine in college—before devoting his life to comics. Black Jack is a genius surgeon who never acquired his license due to his clashes with the medical establishment. He is hired out by anyone willing to pay his exorbitant rates and is perceived as a heartless rogue because of his enigmatic nature and antisocial manner. But as readers will soon discover, that is not the whole story. (Source: Kodansha USA) Note: Won the 1st Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen category in 1977.

Chapters available: 243
Type: Manga

Hoard Verdict

The StoryHoard editorial verdict

★ 4.5/5

A timeless medical-drama classic in which a rogue surgeon without a licence performs miracles for the desperate, with episodic stories that stay moving for decades.

Pros

An iconic, enduring anti-hero
Episodes with real moral weight
A substantial, complete 25-volume run

Cons

The episodic structure can feel uneven
The older style may feel dated to some

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Read the full take

Black Jack remains one of the most important medical comics ever written. Osamu Tezuka's surgeon never acquired a licence after clashing with the medical establishment, yet he is hired by anyone who can meet his steep rates. The premise is a rogue hero with a genius for the operating table, and his enigmatic nature makes him a compelling figure from the first episode.The episodes work as moral parables. Each patient brings a different ethical dilemma, and the story treats life and death with real seriousness. Tezuka's humanism gives even the hardest cases a sense of dignity.The weaknesses are an episodic structure that can feel uneven and an older style that will feel dated to some readers. Fans of medical drama and morally complicated heroes will find it essential. Readers wanting a continuous plot may find the format loose, though the individual stories remain powerful.