literadreams's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
brantelg's review
4.0
a weird, wonderful and though-provoking addition to the adult Tezuka canon published in English.
zorpblorp's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rosalumina's review
5.0
Clearly, a masterpiece of the turbulent times that Japan experienced during the 70's and 80's. Barbara is more than just a manga, it represents the whole society's downfalls and the "lack of morals" the youth had, since they were diverging from the standard attitudes older generations had. A spiraling descent to chaos and the dark corners of Tezuka's mind that will leave you speechless with the sheer genius within him.
"You there, what have you done, always in tears?
You there, what did you do with your young years?"
-Paul Verlaine
"You there, what have you done, always in tears?
You there, what did you do with your young years?"
-Paul Verlaine
morebedsidebooks's review
dark
mysterious
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One of Tezuka’s more mature works from a dark time in the early 1970s inspired by Les contes d'Hoffmann, Barbara is a trip. In this comic the successful author Yosuke Mikura can’t seem to leave the alcoholic, mysterious hippie Barbara alone, coming to rely on her as a muse. Literary, violent, sexual, supernatural and serious its pages are a startling and experimental tale for older readers asking many questions about sanity, art, and celebrity while providing a snapshot of 1970’s Shinjuku.
I’ve read so many comics by Osamu Tezuka since I was young and continued to do so into adulthood. I’ll always put some of those comics for younger readers forward as his legacy works. His darker works are often shambolic or, prone to offend on various counts. In Barbara at one-point Mikura asks “Yet who could be inspired by this sleazy, heedless world?” Yet, despite the violence, alcohol abuse, sexual escapades and portrayal of witchcraft (very reminiscent of the time) this freaky world from the pen of its creator, this art spoke somehow to me. Barbara is my favourite mature comic by Osamu Tezuka. I’d say I’m not alone in appreciating its weirdness. The English edition translated by Ben Applegate with lettering by Evan Hayden was also nominated for an Eisner in 2013. And thirty years after Tezuka’s passing, 2019 saw Barbara as well adapted to a live-action film directed by his son Macoto Tezka. Recreating, refashioning, and melding some of the most memorable chapters of the winding 450-page comic in the present-day, Tezuka’s mature tale still assaults to the core. There’s just something about it.
I’ve read so many comics by Osamu Tezuka since I was young and continued to do so into adulthood. I’ll always put some of those comics for younger readers forward as his legacy works. His darker works are often shambolic or, prone to offend on various counts. In Barbara at one-point Mikura asks “Yet who could be inspired by this sleazy, heedless world?” Yet, despite the violence, alcohol abuse, sexual escapades and portrayal of witchcraft (very reminiscent of the time) this freaky world from the pen of its creator, this art spoke somehow to me. Barbara is my favourite mature comic by Osamu Tezuka. I’d say I’m not alone in appreciating its weirdness. The English edition translated by Ben Applegate with lettering by Evan Hayden was also nominated for an Eisner in 2013. And thirty years after Tezuka’s passing, 2019 saw Barbara as well adapted to a live-action film directed by his son Macoto Tezka. Recreating, refashioning, and melding some of the most memorable chapters of the winding 450-page comic in the present-day, Tezuka’s mature tale still assaults to the core. There’s just something about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Incest, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
One chapter includes bestiality, another necrophilia. Also brief references/depictions of animal sacrifice. Some depictions may further be outdated or racially insensitive from the time period in which they were created.
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