Ryuichi Okuno

Ryuichi is a reliable young man who serves as the recurring protagonist of The Crater 196970. The Crater is a series of independent sciencefiction and fantasy short stories similar to the Twilight Zone in structure and theme. He appears in each issue as a different person with a different backstory and different life. Here he comes into repeated conflict with tricks of fate alternate lifetimes and universes and issues of reincarnation and immortality again making the Phoenixs choice in Future make more sense. He also suffers repeatedly in these brief lives since morality plays tend to end badly and in the course of this brief series he suffers as much as even Tezukas most illfated recurring characters such as Rock/Makube or Saruta/Honma. Ryuichi bears a striking similarity to Yamanobei the protagonist of the Future chapter of Phoenix written two years earlier if the two are indeed the same then Ryuichis long trials may be another reason for Yamanobeis selection by the Phoenix. Also goes by Okuchin. A young man who lets his hair grow to hide one eye. His official name is Ryuichi Okuno which is often also used as his characters name. He debuted in The Crater 1969. His guest appearance in Black Jack is similar to that in The Crater in that he plays many different roles. Mitsutoshi Ishigami contends that Yahachi Yakeno the protagonist of Yakeppachis Maria 1970 is also played by Ryuichi. Source: Tezuka In English edited