Shin Takarajima (manga)
| Company type | One-shot manga |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manga publishing |
| Founded | January 1947 |
| Founder | Sakai Shichima (author), Osamu Tezuka (illustrator) |
| Products | Manga |
Shin Takarajima (新宝島, meaning "New Treasure Island") is a Japanese one-shot manga released by Ikuei Shuppan in January 1947. Authored by Sakai Shichima and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka, this work represents Tezuka's first full-length manga and is widely recognized as the foundation of postwar Japanese comic art.
Despite sharing its title with Treasure Island, this manga is not a direct adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel; rather, it draws inspiration from that story alongside other adventure tales such as Tarzan and Robinson Crusoe.
In 1984, Tezuka revisited the manga for Kodansha's Osamu Tezuka Complete Manga Works collection, extending it to 250 pages with modifications to the storyline and introducing a new ending that includes an unexpected twist. This updated edition was later made available in English digitally by Digital Manga Guild in December 2019.
Plot
After discovering a treasure map left behind by his deceased father, Pete sets out on an expedition accompanied by a ship's captain and a stray dog. Their journey involves evading pirate assaults led by Boar, weathering a severe storm, being captured by cannibals, and encountering Baron—a guardian figure reminiscent of Tarzan who protects the treasure island. With Baron's assistance, they manage to outrun the pirates, locate the treasure, and escape when the captain’s crew arrives to rescue them. Pete envisions using the treasure to establish a zoo on the island that would welcome children from around the globe.
The 1984 revision reveals that the entire adventure was actually a dream experienced by the stray dog, who is unveiled as a fairy fulfilling Pete’s desires during his voyage; at that time, the treasure no longer exists.
Characters
Tezuka utilized a star system—a method of reusing character designs across various stories inspired by Hollywood actors. Several characters making their first appearance in this manga also appear in his subsequent works.
- Pete
- A courageous and kind-hearted boy with an adventurous spirit, modeled after the cartoon figure Scrappy. He later appears as Ken'ichi in prominent Tezuka titles such as Astro Boy and Black Jack.
- Dog
- A stray dog found by Pete on the treasure island. In the 1984 edition, this dog is revealed to be Pan, a fairy.
- Captain
- A lively middle-aged man who was a friend of Pete's late father. This character previously appeared as Butamo Makeru in Lost World and later featured in Dr. Mars and Metropolis. His role as Pete’s companion would eventually be taken over by Shunsaku Ban.
- Boar
- The obstinate leader of pirates who is disabled due to an encounter with a shark, inspired by Disney's Pete. Boar reappears in Tezuka’s works including The Mysterious Underground Men and Next World under the name Buku Bukk.
Reception and legacy
With sales exceeding 400,000 copies, Shin Takarajima significantly influenced numerous future manga creators such as the Fujiko Fujio duo, Shotaro Ishinomori, Tetsuya Chiba, Mikiya Mochizuki, Mitsutoshi Furuya, Kazuo Umezu, Noboru Kawasaki, Keiji Nakazawa, and Yoshiharu Tsuge. It also impacted early pioneers of gekiga manga like Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Takao Saito, Shoichi Sakurai, and Masaaki Sato. Before establishing himself as a renowned science fiction author, Sakyo Komatsu began his career as a manga artist inspired by this work.
Motoo Abiko reflected that encountering Shin Takarajima in 1947 played a pivotal role in shaping his professional journey. In 2025, Naoki Urasawa identified two landmark moments in manga history: the 1947 release of Shin Takarajima and Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1980 manga Domu.