Skip to content

Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako Hardcover - 2010

by Osamu Tezuka; Mari Morimoto (Translator)


From the publisher

Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is the godfather of Japanese manga comics. He originally intended to become a doctor and earned his degree before turning to what was then a medium for children. His many early masterpieces include the series known in the U.S. as Astro Boy. With his sweeping vision, deftly interwined plots, feel for the workings of power, and indefatigable commitment to human dignity, Tezuka elevated manga to an art form. The later Tezuka, when he authored Buddha, often had in mind the mature readership that manga gained in the sixties and that had only grown ever since. The Kurosawa of Japanese pop culture, Osamu Tezuka is a twentieth century classic.

Details

  • Title Ayako
  • Author Osamu Tezuka; Mari Morimoto (Translator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 699
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Vertical, New York
  • Date 2010-11-30
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781934287514 / 1934287512
  • Weight 2.11 lbs (0.96 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.24 x 6.3 x 2.17 in (20.93 x 16.00 x 5.51 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Graphic novels, Graphic novels - Japan
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2011281862
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

A 2010 About.com Best Manga of the Year Selection

“Best New Seinen/Josei Manga of 2010—Drama
Ayako depicts horrifying events, but it is beautifully presented. Connoisseurs of comics craft will find much to admire in Tezuka’s cinematic approach to paneling, pacing, and illustration. Peter Mendelsund’s striking design gives this 1970’s story a modern mood to attract mature readers.”—About.com

“Panel after panel flows effortlessly, composed in such a way that it draws you in, despite the cartoonish characters that Tezuka is so well known for. His scenery and backgrounds show a vibrant land slowly weighed down by filth and corruption… While I have been dismissive of Tezuka’s work in the past, I am fully convinced by Ayako… This book is one of Vertical’s finer achievements and a must-have for any Tezuka or intelligent comics fan. 9.5/10” —Comics Village

“It is a portrait of humanity’s dark side on par with Dante’s Inferno… With so many interlocking storylines, all meticulously charted up to the final page, this drama plays out on a stage so grand that only Tezuka could have conceived it. Even the artwork reaches heights that are yet to be surpassed today… For pure story and visual impact, one of the best ever. A-” —Anime News Network

“Like some of Vertical’s previous long-form Tezuka releases—MW and Ode to Kirihito in particular—Ayako isn’t afraid to get dark and dreary. In fact, Ayako may be one of the bleakest yet. That is, of course, said as a term of endearment; this nearly 700-page work sucks you into its twisted narrative from the very first chapter, and its grip only gets icier as the pages turn… From Peter Mendelsund’s elegant cover design to Mari Morimoto’s dialect-infused translation, this is another must for fans of Osamu Tezuka and comics in general.” —Otaku USA

“It’s all fearless stuff, and all in the service of a story that looks pitilessly at the way people cling desperately to scraps of power and influence even as it corrupts them from within all the more. No lie is great enough to tell, no sin mortal enough to contemplate, no life sacrosanct in the face of such need. What’s remarkable is how Tezuka’s storytelling makes such dank and horrific things into the stuff of compulsively readable, wide-gauge visual drama. You’re drawn in despite yourself, not just once but many times over.” —Genji Press

About the author

Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is the godfather of Japanese manga comics. He originally intended to become a doctor and earned his degree before turning to what was then a medium for children. His many early masterpieces include the series known in the U.S. as Astro Boy. With his sweeping vision, deftly interwined plots, feel for the workings of power, and indefatigable commitment to human dignity, Tezuka elevated manga to an art form. The later Tezuka, when he authored Buddha, often had in mind the mature readership that manga gained in the sixties and that had only grown ever since. The Kurosawa of Japanese pop culture, Osamu Tezuka is a twentieth century classic.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako

by Tezuka, Osamu

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Simi Valley, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$23.68
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Vertical, 11/30/2010 12:00:01. hardcover. Good. 2.2000 8.1000 6.1000.
Item Price
$23.68
$3.99 shipping to USA
Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako

by Osamu Tezuka

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$40.72
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Vertical, 2010-11-30. Hardcover. Good.
Item Price
$40.72
FREE shipping to USA
Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako

by Tezuka, Osamu

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Interior is excellent
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$44.00
$4.67 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Vertical, 2010-11-30. Hardcover. Interior is excellent. 8x6x2. Light colored cover is lightly soiled with soft spine tips and corners. x library
Item Price
$44.00
$4.67 shipping to USA
Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako

by Tezuka, Osamu

  • Used
  • Very Good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$74.95
$4.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
E-307: Vertical. Very Good. 2010. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Hardcover. Large 8vo. Vertical, New York, NY, 2010. 704 pgs. Illustrated with black and white line drawings. Text in English. First Edition/First Printing. Bound in illustrated paper covered cloth with titles present to the spine and drawing present to the front board. Boards lightly rubbed and worn. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks, binding tight and solid. Long considered as one of Osamu Tezuka’s most political narratives, Ayako is also considered to be one of his most challenging as it defies the conventions of his manga by utilizing a completely original cast and relying solely on historical drama to drive the plot. Ayako, pulls no punches, and does not allow for gimmicks as science-fiction or fantasy may. Instead Tezuka weaves together a tale which its core simply focuses on a single family, a family that could be considered a metaphor for a rapidly developing superpower.… Read More
Item Price
$74.95
$4.99 shipping to USA
Ayako
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Ayako

by Tezuka, Osamu

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Newport Coast, California, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$104.77
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
Item Price
$104.77
FREE shipping to USA
Ayako

Ayako

by Tezuka Osamu; Morimoto, Mari (tr)

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine with no dust jacket
Edition
Stated First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781934287514 / 1934287512
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$140.00
$4.95 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Vertical, 2010. Stated First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine with no dust jacket/No Dustjacket. First American edition, with artwork reproduced in mirror image to accomodate English language left-to-right reading format. Crisp and clean except for two small, pale droplet marks on the right edge of the book; square, secure binding, hard cover showing only small wrinkles at the spine heel and bottom of the rear gutter as well as two tiny spots of rubbing at the bottom free corners, otherwise excellent.
Item Price
$140.00
$4.95 shipping to USA