Mitsume ga Tōru


is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by legendary Japanese mangaka Osamu Tezuka. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 7 July 1974 through 19 March 1978 and was later published into thirteen tankōbon volumes by Kodansha.
In 1977, Mitsume ga Tōru tied with another Tezuka manga, Black Jack, for the Kodansha Manga Award. The manga has since spawned an animated television film,, produced by Toei Animation for Nippon TV that aired on 25 August 1985, and five years later, an anime television series produced by Tezuka Productions, which ran on TV Tokyo for a total of 48 episodes from 18 October 1990 until 26 September 1991. The latter series adaptation was planned in the wake of the first anniversary of Tezuka's death on 9 February 1989.
The main character, Hosuke Sharaku, had had appearances outside the manga as a recurring character in Tezuka's Star System, appearing in two television films, One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book and Undersea Super Train: Marine Express respectively, and one episode of the series Blue Blink. Sharaku also appeared in three video games: Mitsume ga Tōru: The Three-Eyed One Comes Here by Natsume Co., Ltd. on the MSX in 1989, Mitsume ga Tōru by Tomy on the NES in 1992, Astro Boy: Omega Factor by Sega on the Game Boy Advance and Astro Boy by Sega on the PlayStation 2.

Plot

The premise of the story revolves around the main character Hosuke Sharaku. Hosuke is the heir apparent to an ancient civilization of three-eyed superhumans who built an advanced civilization long ago. The story sees Hosuke go around solving problems and investigating lost ruins to learn more about his origins. He is often accompanied on these deeds by his best friend Chiyoko Wato.
On a stormy night, Dr. Kenmochi was visited by a strange woman bearing a child. The woman, who had a third eye on her forehead, encourages him to take care of his child in exchange for her having a "long and prosperous life" she will want for nothing and ran off from the house. Before Kenmochi could stop her, she was hit head first by a lightning strike, and burned to a flaming cinder. Kenmochi went on to raise the child, named Sharaku, as his own. As the doctor was taking care of Sharaku, he noticed that a third eye was forming on his forehead; after the eye grew, Sharaku began to develop a high intelligence and an evil behavior beyond that of any mortal. To repel any further development from this weird desposition, Kenmochi stuck a cross-shaped bandage on his forehead shutting his third eye, and Sharaku went on to have a mostly normal childhood, bearing a dumb mind and being a strictly obedient person.
Sharaku is frequently bullied for his childishness, and as such the story is also about how he fights back when the cross-shaped bandage that covers his third eye is removed. Hidden behind the bandage is Sharaku's malicious third eye, and the boy's hidden evil genius emerges when it can see. Sharaku's rivalries with teachers or students are occasionally developed into major plot points.
To learn about his roots, Sharaku must investigate the mysterious ruins that a long lost civilization called the Three-Eyed Ones bequeathed to him. In his worldwide search, which takes both he and Wato-san to locations like Arizona, Easter Island, and Mexico, Sharaku deciphers ancient scriptures and uses gadgets he invents to help solve problems and mysteries.
Some of the story's appeal is that Osamu Tezuka, the story's author, has Sharaku investigate actual historic ruins that are shrouded in mystery and offer his own unique ideas.

Characters

Main characters

  • Hosuke Sharaku
  • Chiyoko Wato
  • Dr. Kenmochi
  • Higeoyaji
  • Police Inspector Unmei "Heppoko Inspector"

    Other characters

  • Sharaku's Mother
  • Saburō Kidō
  • Osamu
  • Takashi
  • Bankara
  • Skunk Kusai
  • Bumpuku Fukutaro
  • Noble
  • Garon
  • Aira, Moegi
  • Pogo, Bogota, Bokor, Ruby
  • Ancient Prince Godaru
  • Princess Shiguana
  • '''Moa'''

    Staff

The following staff is the anime series of 1990.
  • Director :
  • Series composition : Mayori Sekijima
  • Scenario : Mayori Sekijima, Nobuaki Kishima, Toshihisa Arakawa
  • Character design : Kazuhiko Udagawa
  • Music : Toshiyuki Watanabe
  • Sound director : Satoshi Katō
  • Animation director : Kazuhiko Udagawa, Eiji Uemura, Teruo Handa, Toshi Shishikura
  • Art director : Kazuo Okada
  • Producer : Toshishige Arai, Kuniaki Ōnishi, Mitsunobu Onaga
  • Planning : Takamasa Matsuya, Hideki Furuoka, Susumu Gotōda

    Theme songs

;Opening theme
  1. Boomerang of Hatena
  2. * Singer : Tomoko Tokugaki
  3. * Lyricist : Kumiko Aoki
  4. * Composer : Yasuo Kosugi
  5. * Arranger : Kazuo Nobuta
;Ending theme
  1. Adhesive Plaster with a Little Magic
  2. * Singer : Anna Nakajima
  3. * Lyricist : Kayoko Fuyumori
  4. * Composer : Gōji Tsuno
  5. * Arranger: Kazuo Nobuta
  6. Friend
  7. * Singer : CHIEMY
  8. * Lyricist : Kumiko Aoki
  9. * Composer : Yasuo Kosugi
  10. * Arranger : Saburō Makino

    Episodes