The Astonishing Work of Tezuka Osamu, or Osamu Tezuka for us English speakers, is a DVD I got via Netflix. It is a collection of Tezuka’s short films, ranging in length from about 3 to 25 minutes each.

Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy, is called the “Father of Anime,” though none of these short films look like what we would call anime today. It is not just that these are hand drawn films mostly from the 1960’s, but the art style is quite different. And I must admit, not all of these shorts are interesting to look at, and not all of it is what I call animation. The Genesis, a story of what creation would be like if Eve was created first, is mostly a series of stills. For some reason, the credits state that it is directed by John Huston, though imdb.com confirms Tezuka as the director. Maybe it was a nod to Huston’s film The Bible: In the Beginning. Anyway, I don’t even consider The Genesis to be animation since nothing moves.

On the other hand, there are several other selections which are quite impressive.

Tales of a Street Corner is not directed by Tezuka, but is included here as he wrote the screenplay. Easily the best offering, it tells the story of life at a city street corner starting with a young girl who loses her teddy bear dropping it from a window. We then meet a family of mice, a mischievous moth, and the inhabitants of several advertising posters who have a life of their own. We soon realize that the country is under the control of a military dictator, and war and destruction come to the peaceful town. Powerful, poignant, and bitter-sweet, this is a film worth re-watching. Actually, I posted a YouTube link to this film elsewhere.

Broken Down Film is a brilliant joke. Presented as a silent animation from the late 19th century, we get a western about a cowboy saving a damsel in distress from the villain. Only the film is badly deteriorated causing difficulties for the characters. Debris on the film trips up a horse. The hero and villain lose sight of each other when the film skips off track. Missing frames cause confusion. Markings on the film rub off on the hero's face. It’s actually a pretty funny send off.

Legend of the Forest tells of two stories concerning the threat man poses to nature. It is also a salute to animators of the past, including Winsor McCay, Disney, Max and Dave Fleischer, and those from Looney Tunes. This one proves that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

The Astonishing Work of Tezuka Osamu is an interesting look back at Japanese animation from an era when most of us were either not alive or at least not aware of anything going on in Japan. Consider it a slice of history, with some interesting work.