Gurihiru and Samuel Sattin’s fantastic reimagining of Osamu Tezuka’s Unico, Unico Awakening, comes out from Scholastic tomorrow! Tezuka’s Unico tells the story of a fierce young unicorn who inspires with his hope and positivity. Unico is banished from the heavens by the envious goddess Venus and forgets all he once was, only to be saved from oblivion again and again by the kindhearted West Wind.
Written by Sattin with art by Gurihiru, Unico: Awakening marks the first ever manga publication from Scholastic. It’s the first volume of the highly anticipated, multi-volume publishing event will be released in 12 languages.
In Unico: Awakening, Unico awakens on Earth and is befriended by a resourceful cat named Chloe, who feels protective of the young unicorn. When they find themselves near a small village in the forest, they take refuge with a kind, but lonely, old woman. Chloe begs Unico to turn her into a human girl so she can help the old woman, but that act of kindness has unforeseen consequences: Unico’s use of his power alerts Venus to his location, and now she wants to destroy them both!
Sattin provided an exclusive quote as to his thoughts re-imagining a creation from Tezuka who is referred to as the “God of Manga.”
Unico’s story is propelled by the power of friendship. Wherever Unico goes, he meets new friends; it’s almost as if they’re drawn to him. And as he continues to help them, his power grows. Chloe’s relationship with Unico is one of the most powerful. She initially saves Unico when he wakes up in an unfamiliar city and is put in harm’s way. Soon after, she is abandoned by her beloved owner, and stops trusting humans as a result. So much so that she wants to become a human, in order to have the power to protect herself from them. Unico understands Chloe’s fears and agrees to help her…but becoming something that you’re not doesn’t come without consequences.
No matter what Chloe does, however, Unico will be there for her. And Chloe will in turn be there for Unico. The two of them have a friendship that transcends immediate wants and needs. Both abandoned in a way, they find a new family in each other’s company.
– Samuel Sattin
Get a look at some art from Unico: Awakening and get it at bookstores starting tomorrow and comic shops starting Wednesday!
