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Osamu Tezuka
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Princess Knight, Part 1 Kindle Edition

by Osamu Tezuka (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 72 ratings
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Set in a medieval fairy-tale backdrop, Princess Knight is the tale of a young princess named Sapphire who must pretend to be a male prince so she can inherit the throne. Women have long been prevented from taking the throne, but Sapphire is not discouraged and instead she fully accepts the role, becoming a dashing hero(ine) that the populous is proud of.

The playful cartooning style of Princess Knight is comparable to that of Disney, à la Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Considered by many as one of the first major shojo works, inspiring comics for girls such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon for generations to follow. A rare shojo property from the godfather of manga, Princess Knight has been long considered one of Tezuka's most popular works worldwide.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 17 years
  2. Part of Series
    Princess Knight
  3. Print length
    384 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    7 - 12
  6. Publisher
    Vertical Comics
  7. Publication date
    August 12, 2015
  8. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  11. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  12. ISBN-13
    978-1935654254
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"PRINCESS KNIGHT is regarded a defining masterpiece of the [shojo] genre." - Shojo Beat magazine

"Princess Knight has the structure and feel of a Disney cartoon, which is not surprising, as Tezuka was a big fan of Disney's work. The story has a classic fairy-tale setting, a vaguely European country during the middle ages, with a king and queen, a Royal Guard who are a bunch of bullies, and quaint villages filled with peasants. The characters have the rounded, big-eyed look of classic Disney characters, and the pacing and slapstick humor conjure up such classics as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."...Still, Tezuka's story seems to have caught the popular imagination in a way that earlier shoujo manga did not." - MTV

About the Author

Osamu Tezuka was born on November 3, 1928, in Osaka. He grew up in an open-minded family exposed to manga and Walt Disney. Having developed an intense understanding of the preciousness of life from his wartime experience, Osamu Tezuka aimed to become a physician and later earned his degree, but ultimately chose the profession he loved best: manga artist and animated film writer.

Tezuka’s work changed the concept of the Japanese cartoon, transforming it into an art form and incorporating a variety of new styles in creating the “story cartoon.” Osamu Tezuka lived out his entire life tirelessly pursuing his efforts, producing more than 150,000 pages of graphic storytelling before his death in 1989.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B010GHIJ7C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vertical Comics (August 12, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 12, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 184292 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 72 ratings

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Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka

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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, who 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.

Photo by Unknown, scanning and editing was done by Ogiyoshisan (Last edited Desember 27, 2013) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
72 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Choux
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2016
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Princess Knight is a lovely tale about a princess who was accidentally given both a "boy heart" and "girl heart" due to a playful angel's antics! Not only that, she was accidentally announced as being a prince instead of a princess, so she must keep her secret and maintain a farce as Prince Sapphire! It's a funny and sweet tale filled with suspense and gorgeous vintage art that is perfect for any fan of shoujo! Or if your aesthetic is vintage shoujo~ Although, I must warn anyone who is passionate about feminism, it does center around adhering to old gender roles and can be interpreted as "cissexist" if you choose to read that much into it. Keep in mind, though, it was written in a time when people weren't as aware of those issues as they are today. All that aside, the story is nice and easy to follow (a bit past paced and filled with ass-pulls, but I'll let it slide), the cover is simplistic and pretty and it's such a thick book, really worth the price.
5 people found this helpful
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JoMo
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful fantasy!
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2011
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Newcomers to the 'manga' style of comic art as well as longtime fans will find Osamu Tezuka's groundbreaking work engaging and fun. The tone and story style of Princess Knight is deceptively simple, so when the plot takes a more weighty turn, (as when certain characters die,) or the message becomes sublime (female empowerment yes, but also matters of unresolved gender identity,) it comes as a welcome surprise. Of Tezuka's legendary work (Astro Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion, etc,) Princess Knight is one of the more under-recognized in English-speaking countries, and it's refreshing to see it made available again in this handsome squarebound paperback. Get one before the collector's market gobbles it up!
7 people found this helpful
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Egoraptor
5.0 out of 5 stars For boys and girls!
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2011
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Not enough people give Tezuka the credit he deserves. On the surface Princess Knight looks like a girly comic that might not be too exciting, but the duality of Sapphire's character appeals to both girls and boys.

Right from the beginning Tezuka with draw you in with his interesting and almost risqué subjects and have you guessing and wondering all the way to the end with his unorthodox pacing and storytelling. This is a book I would suggest to anyone.
3 people found this helpful
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Elisha Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars Weirdest thing I ever read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2022
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[spoliers ⚠️] Ok well not the weirdest but tbh I can’t tell you the main plot of this manga. A princess who thinks she’s a boy but knows she’s not but also still believes she is? It’s also from a different time so it can be misogynistic at times but not purposely. Like inferring that Princess Knight becomes stronger because of her boy heart rather then her physical strength staying the same regardless. She also stops being a damsel because of her boy heart it apparently makes her strong. Also a lot of God talk in all three books of this series I read. Angels, devils, demons, and praying, this was obviously based around Christian beliefs. Despite Princess Knights heroic demeanor she is almost always a damsel in distress which is fine as it works well for the plot but is again problematic. Actually this book tries to take a progressive view of women but inevitably fall short due to just lack of understanding given the time period. In one case the women of the castle attack the guards to protect Sapphire for, being arrested, calling themselves feminist, but they do it through nagging their husbands and spousal black mail which seems contradictory to the first statement. Like I get where it was going but it missed the mark by a hair, apparently no version of this Manga is complete as the creator always had new ideas for how the story should go and was always revising it. This explains how some plot points are picked up and dropped. Like Tink the angel sent to collect her boy heart just like, forgetting to do so? He leaves without it back to heaven despite that being his whole goal to begin with. Very odd,but still fun and campy to read.
2 people found this helpful
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Scott H Berwanger
5.0 out of 5 stars Scott Berwanger
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2013
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I now know why Tezuka is considered the godfather of manga. As I become more acquainted with his work I find myself actually falling in love with manga for the first time. I now know for a fact that, not only do Japanese comics boast a tremendously significant tradition, but that by the time East fully meets West, the world MUST redefine it's understanding of comics forever
One person found this helpful
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t.fleenor
5.0 out of 5 stars evryone should own this!!
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012
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This manga is amazing and every one should read I love almost everything Tezuka has done that i can legitimately get my hands on. I had been wanting to read this for years. I purchased both volumes and have shared it with my Nieces and Nephews. it's good for both boys and girls so good! Good for all age ranges!!!
One person found this helpful
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Julio Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book of Princess Knight
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2013
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I bought this product for my sister as a birthday present, she was surprised that I found something about this wonderful japanese cartoon, we used to watch this when we were little kids. Nice cover and good quality. One thing you have to read the book backwards that's how the book meant to be.
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Santino C
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Tezuka fans
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016
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Tezuka was ahead of his time with the concept of gender identity and his awareness of gender roles. This book is one of his most understated works that everyone should read at least once!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars 忙しい人、毎日ビビットに生きてる人、たまには手塚治虫作品で息抜きを
Reviewed in Japan on February 18, 2017
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やっぱ 手塚治虫さんの作品は面白いな。疲れた心を癒やしてくれる。多くの人にお勧めだよ。
One person found this helpful
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C.S.
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece!
Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2014
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A nice story and is nicely drawn. The book is a really pretty book too.
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Ian Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Tezuka
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2011
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Osamu Tezuka is one of the greats of graphic storytelling. Not to have read anything by him is akin to not having read anything by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Alan Moore, Moebius, Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez, Will Eisner, Frank Miller, etc. Tezuka makes you see the form in a completely new way just as Akira Kurosawa (film), Hayao Miyazaki (animation) and Haruki Murakami (contemporary fiction) do. He is that important.

Tezuka (1928-1989) was an astonishingly prolific writer/artist. His dying words were, apparently, "I beg you, let me work." He died aged 61, still at the height of his powers, but leaving a vast legacy behind. Although known at the time only as a cult figure to western audiences, he was honoured in Japan where he was accorded the nickname "The God of Manga" for his influence on and contribution to this uniquely Japanese form of graphic storytelling.

His work is enormous in scope ranging from fairly simple children's adventures to his dark adult-orientated work of the 1970's, not forgetting his masterpiece, the playfully philosophical multi-volume series Buddha. But for all the range of work , it is always recognisable as that of the same person. Even in his children's books there is an underlying compassion, open-mindedness, and empathy for humanity and all our foibles. Even his most famous creation, the exhuberant series of adventures about the child-robot Astro Boy (aka Mighty Atom), is a parable about racism. Yet Tezuka never openly preaches, he lays down his work for the reader to take away what they will.

Which brings me, finally, to Princess Knight, an early work originally published in serial form 1953-56 and then revised and republished 1963-66. Vertical, the publisher who has, and still is, re-issuing many of Tezuka's finest works state on the blurb that "Princess Knight mixes themes of gender identity and politics with classic shojo-style illustration to create a charming proto-feminist masterpiece..." Wow! Now while this is actually true, it doesn't make it doesn't exactly make it sound suitable for children. In fact this is an all-ages fantasy , originally aimed at children (particularly girls) but does possess a certain charm for the older reader. Vertical, however, are clearly aiming this at an adult audience.

Accidentally given a boy's heart as well as a girl as a result of the angel Tink (who looks like a young boy) Sapphire has to pretend to be a boy because of the rules of primogeniture in order to stop a nasty person taking the crown. Tink is sent by God to Earth to get the boy's heart but ends up protecting Sapphire. I may as well quote again from the blurb otherwise I'd only be paraphrasing it anyway. "Filled with narrow escapes, treacherous, courtiers, dashing pirates, meddlesome witches, magical transformations and cinema-worthy displays of derring-do..." It could almost be the full-length feminist cartoon that Disney never made, though they did rip off Tezuka's Jungle Emperor when they made The Lion King. Vol.2 is to be published in January and I've already ordered it.

But, when you buy your copy, do share it with a child under ten, or, better yet, buy them their own. It's too good to keep to yourself.
8 people found this helpful
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Zara McAspurren
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Manga With Heart
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2017
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I've been wanting to read Princess Knight for a while, but the paperback copies are unfortunately out of print. I was delighted to be able to get it on Kindle, and the story is a delightful little romp. prince Sapphire js a very endearing lead, and the art work is some of Osamu Tezuka's best. Definitely a manga that everyone should read, at least once.
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headbangingfool92
5.0 out of 5 stars worth every penny
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2013
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This is Osamu Tezuka. Enough said really. All of his work has been fantastic, truly moving stuff. Princess Knight is a lovely little adventure tale I know everyone of any age would enjoy. It has a sense of Shakespeare in it, so if you're a hardcore literature fan, this is definitely recommend to you! Personally, I loved every second of reading this fine, fun packed book.
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