Looking back on the history of the Japanese anime industry, Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989) was the key figure in Japanese manga and animation entering the West. For most foreigners, Tezuka is the origin of Japanese manga. For anime fans, the talented Tezuka holds god-like status. When he was alive, he was bestowed the reverent title "God of Manga." From a young age, Tezuka devoted himself to manga for 50 years. Throughout his life, he diligently composed and created a large body of work, including approximately 450 manga (some say 700). Tezuka once said, "In our era, manga, like air, is everywhere." He considered anime an orthodox culture and strived to overturn the public view that manga belonged to a subculture or was negative. Be it manga or later animations, he and the creative team he led profoundly influenced this industry.

In 1951, in the Manga Shōnen magazine, Tezuka serialized Ambassador Atom . The editor of the magazine suggested that he isolate the supporting character, Astro Boy. Later, Astro Boy was serialized in the same magazine and was wildly popular. The stories were adventurous and inspiring, and the forever-young boy, Tezuka's signature work, conquered manga and anime fans worldwide. In 1963, the first Japan-produced black-and-white TV anime show, Astro Boy, premiered on Fuji TV. From then to 1966, the 193 episodes had substantial viewer rates. The anime was also translated into English and sold to other countries. In late 1963, the US television channel NBC broadcast the English version of Astro Boy . In 1980, 60 episodes were reissued; these are the versions broadcast in Taiwan and Hong Kong in the 1980s. In the same year, China imported the black-and-white version, which became one of the earliest anime to enter the Chinese market. It was only in 2003 that the third version, the color version, was shown in China.

Tezuka once joked that manga was his wife, and animation was his lover. Animation is an international language, a pathway to communicate with the world and realize his dreams. However, animation production was both time-and labor-consuming. Worse, it was expensive. The 1960s was a period not long after the post-war recovery. Even though Tezuka's manga and animation career peaked and earned him a substantial income, he still encountered financial difficulties. Disney animations used at least 24 pictures per second, and 1 minute required 1,440 pictures. By contrast, Tezuka economized in Astro Boy , using only 12 pictures per second. Later, he further reduced it to only 8 pictures per second. This so-called "limited animation" with its unique style became an alternative style for Japanese animation.

In any case, each picture required the superb skills and teamwork of animation artists. Before the emergence of 3D animation, all animation was painted on celluloid films, colored by hand, and shot on watercolor backgrounds to form a video. Celluloid film manuscripts were like beautiful pictures. As time progressed, pure hand-made pictures were replaced by products of computer technology. In 2007, digital techniques were adopted. However, due to a lack of awareness of preservation, the classic manuscript papers by Tezuka were mostly lost or damaged. The few surviving ones bear witness to the master's extraordinary creativity.

Tezuka was also the first manga artist in Japan to introduce the assistant system and corporate management, which had a substantial influence on the later Japan manga industry. In 1961, he established his own animation production company, Mushi Production. In 1962, he officially established the Mushi Production Corporation. Famous TV animations he released under Mushi Production include Astro Boy , Princess Knight , Kimba the White Lion , Dororo and Ashita no Joe . Mushi Production also had adult-oriented works such as A Thousand and One Nights , Cleopatra , and Belladonna of Sadness .

The expensive animation production fees were too much for Tezuka to cover. In 1973, Mushi Production declared bankruptcy. After all, he was painting in his studio all day and had no time for other matters. He also lacked good corporate management skills. The owner of a furniture company who had received favors from Tezuka heard about his hardship and offered to pay off his debts, gradually assisting him in overcoming the difficulties. Despite the financial hardship, Tezuka did not neglect manga or animation. The outstanding science fiction works The Three-Eyed One and Black Jack were both generated in this period and brought him out of the pit of despair. Specifically, the sense of loneliness from bankruptcy gave Black Jack a surreal feeling. It was the first medical manga in the world to be created by a medical doctor.

In 1977, the union of Mushi Production established the Mushi Production Co., Ltd. in Tokyo as a continuation of the old company. It mainly contracted animation works from that company and is still running today. However, when Mushi Production declared bankruptcy, Tezuka left the company. In 1968, Tezuka established Tezuka Productions Co., Ltd., to facilitate manga production and copyright management. It is still running today. At first, Tezuka would contract his works to the Mushi Production Company and have them turn the manga into animations. However, in the later period, not many manga could be adapted into animations. The limitededition Astro Boy figurines and licensed products were issued by Tezuka Productions.

Overworked, Tezuka passed away in Tokyo from gastric cancer on February 9, 1989, at the age of 60. In his legendary life, he immersed himself in the imaginary world of manga and anime. His success and failures in his manga career were woven into one work after another. His works are like a splendid history of Japanese dongman. Most Japanese manga artists have been influenced by Tezuka, including Fujio Fujiko (the penname shared by Japanese manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko), who created Doraemon ; Hisashi Sakaguchi, author of Ikkyū-san ; Akira Toriyama, author of Dragon Ball ; Go Nagai, author of Mazinger Z ; Riyoko Ikeda, author of The Rose of Versailles ; and later artists such as KAWS.

His achievements could be observed in the 90-year anniversary special exhibitions in 2019. For example, his works were included in "The Citi Exhibition: Manga" at the British Museum in London, in the "BISHOJO: Young Pretty Girls in Art History" special exhibition at the Museum of the National Taipei University of Education, at the Tampere Art Museum in Finland, and at the "Osamu Tezuka, the God of Mang" exhibition at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Spain.

At the Ravenel Spring Auction, "Select: Modern & Contemporary Art," a subunit "The God of Manga and Anime: Osamu Tezuka" will be launched. Over twenty sets of manga and anime manuscripts will be introduced, including representative works of Astro Boy , Kimba the White Lion , Black Jack , Princess Knight , The Three-Eyed One , and GoKu's Great Adventures . These pictures, generated for animations, were carefully plotted and painted in elegant colors. This will be the chance to collect the classic creativity of this god-like master all at once. The opportunity to obtain these meaningful artworks is rare. It is hoped that it will lead a trend in classic manga and animation arts. (Excerpt from the Column "Art & Investment" of Ravenel Quarterly No. 30)