AstroBoy Online Forums

I'm surprised this isn't more well-known.

Those who have Tezuka Osamu Magazine Club are able to read some of Tezuka's manga.

Without a subscription, a volume is available every week, but they might change it every week (I only bought the app yesterday). Note that the app itself is free, but in order to get the app in English, you must have an iPad and it cost $9.99 a month in subscriptions (The Japanese does have a website dedicated to it, for those who know the language). I haven't paid yet, but I do plan on getting a subscription soon.

These are what are available in English once you buy a subscription:

- Black Jack (ten volumes)
- Astro Boy (twenty-three volumes)
- Ode to Kirihito (three volumes)
- Apollo's Song (two volumes)
- Dororo (three volumes)
- Phoenix (six volumes)
- Buddha (eight volumes)
- MV (two volumes)
- Adolf (five volumes).

This isn't the entire set as there are volumes missing from at least a few of these manga (I know that Black Jack and Phoenix are incomplete, but Astro Boy should be at least almost complete). The Japanese version (which I also downloaded, but can't use due to lack of knowledge of the language) also offers a lot more, offering the entire Black Jack series along with Phoenix and other series such as Kimba (which was never released in English).

The site also has motion mangas available. Black Jack has eleven, Dororo has ten, Phoenix has thirteen (all with karma on the title), and Astro Boy has five (although they are all titles The Greatest Robot on Earth and is missing the 5th part). Although again, a lot of motion mangas are Japanese-only.

This is pretty much what I got so far. I'll probably say more once I buy the subscription as I comment on how well it functions, but I just though people would be interested (especially for those with an iPad).

I wonder if it would also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Many Apple applications work across the board, though the iPad has higher screen resolution so if the app is specific to that it might not work on the other devices. All three are iOS devices so somewhat S/W compatible.

"kscharf" wrote:I wonder if it would also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Many Apple applications work across the board, though the iPad has higher screen resolution so if the app is specific to that it might not work on the other devices. All three are iOS devices so somewhat S/W compatible.

It's for iPad only, but there is the "Astro Boy Magazine" app for iPhone/iPod Touch which offers similar Tezuka titles. However it's a fixed price per volumes, so you don't save as much as with a $9.99 fee per month (unless you read very slowly).

Ooh, that sounds really cool. I should probably check this out!

"F-Man" wrote:

"kscharf" wrote:I wonder if it would also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Many Apple applications work across the board, though the iPad has higher screen resolution so if the app is specific to that it might not work on the other devices. All three are iOS devices so somewhat S/W compatible.

It's for iPad only, but there is the "Astro Boy Magazine" app for iPhone/iPod Touch which offers similar Tezuka titles. However it's a fixed price per volumes, so you don't save as much as with a $9.99 fee per month (unless you read very slowly).

I tried finding that, but I found it nowhere on my iPad. Perhaps they removed it?

Plus I heard some issues with it as well, which made me hesistant to pick it up.

"astarisborn94" wrote:

"F-Man" wrote:

"kscharf" wrote:I wonder if it would also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Many Apple applications work across the board, though the iPad has higher screen resolution so if the app is specific to that it might not work on the other devices. All three are iOS devices so somewhat S/W compatible.

It's for iPad only, but there is the "Astro Boy Magazine" app for iPhone/iPod Touch which offers similar Tezuka titles. However it's a fixed price per volumes, so you don't save as much as with a $9.99 fee per month (unless you read very slowly).

I tried finding that, but I found it nowhere on my iPad. Perhaps they removed it?

Plus I heard some issues with it as well, which made me hesistant to pick it up.

Hmm, what happens if you go to the website and click on the AppStore button there?

"F-Man" wrote:[QUOTE=astarisborn94;207167]

"F-Man" wrote:

"kscharf" wrote:I wonder if it would also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Many Apple applications work across the board, though the iPad has higher screen resolution so if the app is specific to that it might not work on the other devices. All three are iOS devices so somewhat S/W compatible.

It's for iPad only, but there is the "Astro Boy Magazine" app for iPhone/iPod Touch which offers similar Tezuka titles. However it's a fixed price per volumes, so you don't save as much as with a $9.99 fee per month (unless you read very slowly).

I tried finding that, but I found it nowhere on my iPad. Perhaps they removed it?

Plus I heard some issues with it as well, which made me hesistant to pick it up.

Hmm, what happens if you go to the website and click on the AppStore button there?[/QUOTE]It brings up that it's not available in U.S. stores. I have no idea why it's doing that.

Here's the Japanese website for those curious: http://tezukaosamumagazineclub.com/

Did some digging on the reception of the app... it hasn't been good and the English version hasn't been updated since August, 2011 (correct me if I'm wrong) while the Japanese version is being constantly updated. Still am going to try out the app, but I am going to be more cautious about it.

Astro Boy Magazine hasn't been updated in awhile either (not since 2010, but again, I could be wrong). I also don't know where to contact them in English in regards to the problem. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a place to contact the Osamu Tezuka Magazine Club in English.

I hope this is worth it because the last thing I want to do is to have to throw away hundreds of dollars just for Phoenix Vol 1.

I'm pretty sure the Club app has been updated many times. Last update was December 10, 2012 according to the iTunes page.

Facebook page (might be abandoned): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tezuka-Osamu-Magazine-Club/209316689090659

D-Arc (Astro Boy Magazine Digital Publisher) email: info@d-arc.biz

I'm supposed to get a six month subscription to Astro Boy Magazine as a Kickstarter supporter of Tezuka's Barbara. It was originally supposed to come through last summer, and I questioned what happened.

It's taken MONTHS but I heard last month it won't be until the spring of 2013 until I get the subscription ... I'm wondering if this is the same thing. I do have a free "trial" app on my Ipod Touch I downloaded a couple years ago - it actually works pretty good, but you don't have any choice over what you are reading (they give you chapters from a number of Tezuka mangas, whereas I would prefer to focus on one title at a time).

Still I would say it's enjoyable - and on an Ipad I imagine it would be even better to read.