Unico's Thrilling Adventure Continues in Unico: Hunted - Review
Osamu Tezuka is widely known as one of the most influential figures in manga history, best known for Astro Boy, known in Japan as Tetsuwan Atomu. In 2022, Tezuka Productions launched a Kickstarter campaign to support Unico: Awakening, a modern reimagining of Tezuka’s 1976 manga Unico. The adaptation is written by Samuel Sattin and illustrated by Gurihiru. The sequel volume to Awakening is titled Unico: Hunted and is set to go on sale on July 1st, 2025.
Last year, I read Unico: Awakening, and I was super excited to jump into it as a fan of Osamu Tezuka's works. I was easily drawn into the story and characters and couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel volume, Unico: Hunted.
This reimagined story brings together California-based writer Samuel Sattin and the award-winning Gurihiru, based in Saitama, Japan. The work blends elements of Western comics with Japanese manga, and I find the idea fresh and intriguing to young readers wanting to jump into manga or comics for the first time. We won't be giving away too much in this review about the story, but rest assured that if you enjoyed volume one, volume two is a must-read. Don't worry if you haven't read the volume yet, as I'll keep this free from spoilers.
Tamara Lazic
Unico: Hunted continues the story of a young and kind unicorn named Unico as he is transported from world to world, having his memories wiped every time he enters a new world. In this volume, Unico continues to be hunted by Venus, the evil goddess of love and beauty, while exploring and discovering the new world he has been transported to. Volume one walks in order to introduce characters and lore, while volume two sprints into the action and suspense.
Hunted feels slightly darker than the volume that came before it. The new location Unico finds himself in is a grimy factory town where he meets a sickly girl and her grandfather. The volume dives into themes such as parenthood and environmental crises. The contrast of whimsical and cute characters with the darker tones of this volume's location is intriguing. The cooler color palettes of the illustrations appropriately represent the depressing city Unico ends up in. In contrast, Unico himself stands out against the darker tones with his pastel colors and innocent design. There's no mistake that Unico displays Osama Tezuka's style within the volume.
This sequel volume was even more of a page-turner than its predecessor. The story introduces extremely lovable characters such as Garapachi, a mouse that becomes Unico's sidekick in this world, and Chiko, a young girl with an illness. I wished nothing but these characters' safety while reading the volume, so the suspense kept me on my toes and glued to the pages. I was glad to find that volume two isn't the end of Unico's story, as he's clearly on the way to his next adventure.
While volume one was a perfect introduction to Unico's character and the universe surrounding his adventure, volume two expanded on his kindness and, contrastingly, the cruel intentions of the enemies that he faces. Unico's biggest flaw shows throughout volume two: he has a kind heart that can often get him and others into trouble. I can't help but think that one day his unconditional kindness may not get him out of messy situations. Some people (or robots or gods) are just pure evil, but Unico sees through that, for better or worse. He tries to see the good in his enemies and wants to talk it out before resorting to violence. I can't wait to see where the road takes him as his enemies get more and more vicious, and the likelihood Unico will be able to talk his way out of things may get slimmer.
Unico reimaging continues to be a thrilling read for adults, kids, veterans, and newcomers to manga, and Osamu Tezuka fans. While I feel that the work is more aimed at kids and young teens, Unico offers a nostalgic feel through its characters and world, making the comic also touch the hearts of adult readers. The story isn't over yet, with volume three, Unico: Lost, slated for 2026.
SCHOLASTIC TM/ ® SCHOLASTIC INC. ART © 2024 BY GURIHIRU AND TEZUKA PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD.
Anime Atelier was provided with a review copy for this title.
