Tezuka's Barbara
ばるぼら
Barubora
One of Osamu Tezuka’s most adult and sexually-charged works, Barbara (1973-74) was originally serialized as a follow-up to Ayako (1972-73) in Big Comic from July 1973 to May 1974. It was recently published in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, garnering enthusiastic fans around the world, including hundreds who made history by crowdfunding a recent English re-release of the manga in a limited edition format.
The story is set in modern-day Tokyo.

Famous novelist Yosuke Mikura encounters a young girl in the subway station and brings her home to his condominium. The girl's name is Barbara. For all her bad manners and constant state of drunkenness, she has a certain charm that is hard to put your finger on. Much like a stray cat claiming her territory, Barbara settles herself into Mikura's apartment. This propels the creatively congested Mikura to write again. His life takes a drastic turn for the better. Is Barbara a muse? An artist's savior? Or is she a spell-casting sorcerer?
Before long, the two become intimate and Mikura asks for her hand in marriage. The wedding ceremony is something of a black mass, but a sudden interruption forces them to abort the proceedings. Heartbroken, Barbara runs away. Mikura's life now takes a sharp tum downhill, causing him to suffer from paranoia. No longer able to tell delusion from reality, he incessantly pursues her and when he finds her they flee to the countryside. Mikura takes Barbara to a mountain lodge, but things get stranger and stranger.

Now worn out and at the brink of death, Mikura is suddenly gripped with the creative urge to write…