I debated on writing this post, but I’ve noticed a massive jump in visitors showing up to the site looking for more information about the second volume of the Unico manga by Samuel Sattin and the artist duo Gurihiru. This is understandable because it was discussed during the Discover the Magic of Osamu Tezuka panel at San Diego Comic Con in July, and while not everyone could make it to the panel, several readers learned about the second volume at the end of Unico: Awakening.
The second volume, titled Unico: Hunted, will be available on June 3, 2025, so we have some time before they release it. As the year goes on, I’m sure Scholastic and Samuel Sattin will share more information with the public, but I figured I’d write up a post to give fans some information about what may go on in the next volume based on the original works by Osamu Tezuka.
※ Please note, this is a fansite/blog, so I am not affiliated with Scholastic, Samuel Sattin, Tezuka Productions, or Unico in any way other than being a fan. My goal is to help spread helpful information to those looking for it. The purpose of this post is to share what I know and shed light on the original manga, not to spoil the plot of the new book.
What’s Unico: Hunted about?
A brief plot description of Unico: Hunted was mentioned at San Diego Comic Con, but further details are still unknown. From LumRanmaYasha’s Twitter/X post, we learned Unico arrives in a new time and place where a factory believes a little rat girl is its child. We also know that Unico: Hunted is a retelling of the “Black Rain and White Feathers” chapter originally written by Osamu Tezuka. If you’ve read the original chapter, the preview images shared during the panel show familiar characters.
Edit 9/16/2024:
Barnes & Noble and Amazon have a small blurb for their pre-order pages:
Still hunted by Venus, Unico befriends a sickly girl imprisoned by an evil robotic machine.
Lost in space and time, Unico awakens in an abandoned factory town. Saved by the resourceful mouse, Garapachi, Unico befriends Chiko, a human girl. But he soon learns that a sinister force is at work in the town’s factory, bent on killing all living things. Meanwhile, Venus unleashes a fierce hunter who will stop at nothing to find Unico. Can Unico save Chiko? Can the West Wind save Unico?
So what was the original chapter about?
If you’re new to Unico or have yet to read the original manga, “Black Rain and White Feathers,” which was first published in Sanrio’s Lyrica Magazine in June 1978 under the title “Black Rain and White Flower” (which was later renamed), featured Unico helping a young girl in a polluted city. The girl, Chiko, was very ill from the pollution caused by the nearby factory. The factory had fallen in love with Chiko and wanted her to be its bride. It kidnapped the girl and Unico came to the rescue.
Besides the manga, Sanrio made the chapter into an animated short titled “Black Cloud and White Feather,” which was shown to members of the Tezuka Fan Club on April 30, 1979. They made some slight tweaks to the story where the Black Cloud (aka the factory) is simply content with holding the city hostage and creating an unhealthy environment for the people. Chiko is purely another victim of the factory’s pollution. Of course, this is where Unico shines and can help before leaving again.
My thoughts…
For the second volume, I assume that while Unico deals with the factory and other matters, Venus and the rest are still on the hunt for Unico to eliminate him once and for all. This is an element I enjoy seeing in this new series because we never saw Venus and her minions actively pursuing Unico in the original manga. The West Wind was quick to take Unico away to avoid any conflicts, so this makes Venus a more interesting villain for Samuel Sattin’s Unico.
The “hunted” in Unico: Hunted may also refer to other characters being hunted in the story as well, but we’ll see. The images shared at the SDCC panel showed machines with search lights, possibly showing they’re looking for someone or they’re simply security for the factory. From the original manga and pilot film, we know the people living near the factory cannot shut it down as it’s become sentient, which causes several problems. Something similar may go on in this book.
This brings me back to the “rat girl” mentioned earlier. In one of the comic pages shared at the event, there is a cloaked character who might be a rat girl, and if that’s the case, are they who the factory is looking for or is the factory looking for the human girl on the other page? Will there be some sort of mixup and Unico and his friends will have to save the day? I’m sure we’ll learn more the closer we get to the release of the book.
I think what’s exciting for me is guessing how this classic chapter will be retold. With today’s growth in AI and technology, I could see that playing an element in this story regarding the factory. Osamu Tezuka wrote a lot about science and technology and emphasized how it’s harmful to people if we’re not careful. While I’m unsure if there’s an overall message for Unico: Hunted, I’m reminded of the “Saving Our Fragile Earth” special chapter featuring Unico. In this film, Earth was uninhabitable because of humans’ greed and consumption of all the natural resources. When Unico and his friends go back in time to save the world, there is a line of people discarding their technology and a massive machine that relies on natural resources to create new items for them. There are mountains of garbage and no one is taking steps to clean it up. The people ignored the dangers, fixating solely on their own desires.
The reason I bring up this film is that both “Black Rain and White Feathers” and “Saving Our Fragile Earth” have similar themes that deal with the environment, science and technology, and having a safe place for our children. This message remains relevant today as technology continues to advance. Tezuka’s message appears in many of his works and is a warning about taking care of our planet for future generations, especially as we rely more and more on computers. Science and technology are meant to assist us, not do our jobs. While young readers may not understand the depth of how our technology shapes us and the world, they’ll understand the theme.
I might be delving too deeply into a book intended for young readers, but Unico’s story and Tezuka’s message have the power to inspire people of all ages. It’s been an amazing journey to see this little unicorn capture the hearts of new fans, and I still look forward to seeing what the future has in store for this wonderful character.
For now, I’ll continue to keep an eye out for any news and information to share with you all. If you want to check out the original Unico manga in English, it’s still available for purchase digitally on eManga’s website. If you’re interested in watching the pilot, “Black Cloud and White Feather,” it is available on Blu ray here in the US along with the films.
Source:
– LumRanmaYasha on X: “Spotlight on Team Phoenix, an Avengers-ish crossover between manga reimagined Tezuka characters. A robot vs organic beings story. Kenny Ruiz is a Spanish artist, but the manga was serialized in a Japanese manga magazine. Ben has an intense desire to play a Team Phoenix card game https://t.co/gYZeXnrmzD” / X
– Future｜MESSAGE FOR EARTH｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL
– Unico (2nd Edition) – eManga
– Amazon.com: Unico Double Feature: The Fantastic Adventures of Unico / In the Island of Magic [Blu-ray] : Katsue Miwa, Moribi Murano: Movies & TV
– Unico: Hunted (Volume 2): An Original Manga by Samuel Sattin, Gurihiru, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
– Unico: Hunted (Volume 2): An Original Manga: Sattin, Samuel, Tezuka, Osamu, Gurihiru: 9781546110460: Amazon.com: Books
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