The OG Sci-Fi Manga and OVA: Black Magic by Masamune Shirow
When reality doesn’t suffice, we turn to fantasy.
Magic kingdoms, the far-away future, outer space: imagination is a very popular tool for escapism, and as delusional as we can get, it’s the absolute foundation for creativity - so no wonder fantasy and sci-fi are such coveted genres. There is so much freedom found, and maybe that’s what’s lacking in our standardized, average lives. Regardless, it’s an unchanging favorite.
Manga and alternate realities are two peas in a pod, and Masamune Shirow is arguably the king of both, especially for cyberpunk sci-fi. After all, he is the father of Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. However, his first work is less known than its younger counterparts but is actually a pivotal piece for the universe of cyberpunk manga and anime: Black Magic.
Don’t get fooled by the title: the plot of the manga isn’t exactly swiveling around the notion of the occult. It’s actually set on Venus in an undefined time frame, but the story is fragmented and mostly reliant on interpretation, as they seem like separate short stories set in the same universe. Since this was Shirow’s earliest work, he didn’t have an editor to weed out the fluff and self-published it in 1983, but it nonetheless has a lot of charm, especially if you’re familiar with his best work; you will be able to find prototypes of future characters, machines, and themes.
The OVA, titled Black Magic M-66, is far more concrete in story, and being released in 1987, its animation actually ranks high in terms of quality. In the animated film, M-66 are vicious battle androids, and when they’re accidentally abandoned in the middle of the forest, the armed forces try to recover them before any further damage. Sybel, a fearless journalist, finds a way to document this alarming event, but, to the knowledge of none, the androids escape from their pods and unredeemable chaos ensues.
Shirow is an utter necessity for the world of manga and anime, and it’s clear that his love for world-building and mind-blowing technology is an innate talent, and the niche Black Magic was the first to show that.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
