In a fictional era of war, there is a gray-area occupation that profits from collecting the organs of dying soldiers—Organ Harvester. She wears an armband decorated with a blue cross on. Over time, people begin to call her “The Blue Azrael.” She is Agnes, a kind and skilled Organ Harvester who excels at extracting and transplanting surgeries. However, due to some psychic trauma, she can’t perform any surgeries other than organ harvesting.
Young Adult, Adventure
Young Adult
300 pages
Black Jack By Osamu Tezuka
The core of the story revolves around Agnes’ path to atonement. She embarks on a journey, where she is forced to face her own trauma. She begins her work of exchanging one life for another, but fate demands more from her. In each chapter, Agnes has different encounters, such as her previous patients, a military doctor who shares completely opposite goals, and a high-level official who tries to pursue her and exposes her past as an Organ Harvester. Despite the fact that Agnes' actions have brought about a lot of reproaches, she is able to promote human values and principles.
In the end, Agnes discovers a sense of belonging from the people she meets on her journey and establishes a medical organization with moral neutrality.
Protagonist. Despite her fierce nickname, “The Blue Azrael,” Agnes always has her patients’ best interest at heart, even if her methods are a little unorthodox. Hailing from Etalio, she joined the military at age 15 and later trained under her brother as a medical apprentice. But even as an apprentice, she couldn’t save her brother’s life on the battlefield—an emotional scar she still carries even ten years later.
Burdened with guilt, Agnes leaves the military and starts her career as an organ collector. At best, it’s a job that operates in the gray-area of society. At worst, it’s a job that reaps lives. She is known as the Organ Harvester.
Jacob is a military doctor from Aliyas with bronze skin, light golden hair, and keen medical expertise. Although he’s a doctor, he kills people without batting an eye. Due to his religious upbringing in Aliyas, he sees organ extraction as a sin punishable by death.
The first time Jacob stumbles across Agnes harvesting organs, he insists on taking her back to Aliyas for trial. However, the more time he spends with Agnes, the more he grows to trust her. And when he’s captured by enemy troops, it’s Agnes who comes to his rescue. In Chapter 4, upon learning that Agnes is a wanted person, Jacob doesn’t hesitate to go to Agnes’ aid.
Colin is a military physician from a powerful family. He is a newcomer to Benno’s squad and has a curious soul and cheerful personality. When he observes Agnes’ excellent technical skills firsthand in Chapter 1, Benno asks him to assist Agnes in the organ black market.
In Chapter 4, Colin starts to develop feelings for Agnes during a mission and later helps Agnes escape Eitalo.
Benno is a (AGE) military doctor from Eitalo. Agnes’ brother, Elbert, served under Benno, and after Elbert died, Benno took Agnes under his wing. He genuinely hopes that she will be able to move past her guilt over her brother’s death. After Agnes leaves the military, Benno keeps in touch with her.
Benno sometimes calls upon Agnes to tend to dying soldiers and harvest their organs. In Chapter 4, Benno is imprisoned for assisting Agnes as a fugitive.
Britney is a naive, romantic, loyal, and demanding lieutenant from Eitalo. She is assigned to track and capture Agnes, whom she admires greatly. Despite everything, Britney does have a sense of humor, often making Thomas call her “Senpai.
Thomas is Britney’s partner. He’s old-fashioned, stubborn, and task-oriented. But unbeknownst to everyone, he’s a double agent who’s planning a coup for the Republic of Hasinica.