Spotlight: Unico’s Family

This post will focus on Unico’s family as they are an aspect of Unico we rarely see. Since the manga is about Unico and his travels, we only get to see the family for a moment before Unico must leave again. But what do we know about his parents? What about his siblings? What are they doing while Unico is traveling with West Wind?

Let’s start with when we first see Unico’s family. They first appear in “A Hometown Visit” (ふるさとをたずねて) first published in the May 1978 issue of Lyrica magazine. In this chapter, West Wind drops Unico off to visit his homeland. Unico encounters a cute unicorn, and she gives him a flower, which Unico doesn’t understand why. He lets it fall to the ground, and the female unicorn grows frustrated. She dashes off to grab another, and the same thing happens. After failing again, she runs to her mother, who immediately spots Unico. This is where we learn Unico has found his family, and that little female unicorn was actually his older sister.

Family Members

Let’s take a closer look at Unico’s family. There isn’t much information about them, but what I know, I’ll share in this post. Overall, we get a glimpse of Unico’s family thanks to the manga, but I’ve often wondered if Tezuka had written notes about them somewhere. Do his parents have names? What about his other siblings? Did Tezuka have additional story ideas with them? It’s still a mystery to me, but a fascinating one to ponder.

Unico’s Father

While Unico’s father appears in the original manga, we can tell that he’s a loving and protective parent. He is happy to see Unico again and is seen taking the children to their source of food. As you can see from the image, Unico’s father has a golden mane and a blue body. While he doesn’t use any other magic in the manga, we know that, like Unico, he can fly by giving himself wings.

In the Unico and the Golden Planet manuscript, we learned that Tezuka originally included Unico’s parents in the draft. We also see that Unico’s parents can locate him the moment Unico emits a bright light from his horn. Unico’s father showed up to rescue his son, believing the woman next to Unico to be the one who hurt him. After realizing his mistake, he thanked the young woman and used his magic to heal Unico’s broken leg.

Something similar happens in the Unico and the Kingdom of the Sun manuscript, where a young girl helps Unico and then his parents show up to protect their son. Unico’s father snatches the girl and is ready to drop her until Unico explains what happened. This is where Unico’s parents apologize and tell her they’ll repay her for helping their son. In the end, they let Unico return to help the girl.

Unico’s father has a small cameo in Unico: Awakening when Unico transforms into his adult form and is surrounded by those who love him.

As mentioned above, what ideas did Tezuka have involving Unico’s parents? Did he want them to play a larger role? Let’s learn more about Unico’s mother next.

Unico’s Mother

Unico’s mother appears not only in the original and new manga, but in the first film as well. She’s often surrounded by Unico’s younger siblings when shown, and she has red hair and a pinkish body. While we never see her use magic, a few pieces of artwork over the years also show her flying.

As I’ve already mentioned, Unico’s parents appear in a few manuscripts by Tezuka. While Unico’s father actively protects Unico, the mother is also present and ready to save her son. Though she’s portrayed as a loving mother who comforts her children, perhaps she also has unique abilities as well. Tezuka has written several stories involving a mother’s love for her children, and I think only those who know Tezuka well will know if this is because of his own mother’s influence or simply something he enjoyed writing about.

Corn

Corn is Unico’s older sister and appears in the original manga. She has orange hair and a pinkish or yellow body depending on where she’s appeared. Unlike the parents, Corn doesn’t seem to remember her younger brother well, but this is probably due to him leaving so soon after being born and meeting Psyche. While their reuniting is comical, Corn and Unico care for one another and have a unique bond.

The manga did not show her using any magic, so we’re unsure of what kinds of things she can do. It’s obvious Unico is special with how his magic affects others, but maybe Corn possesses at least a normal level of magic like her parents. When we first meet her, she’s interested in boys. I believe many readers could relate to her because the manga’s original target audience was young girls. She makes a cameo in Unico: Awakening, but I’m unsure if she’ll appear in future volumes or not. While not as well-known as her brother, Corn has appeared on several pieces of merchandise over the years. A treat for her fans!

Younger Siblings

The rest of Unico’s siblings aren’t named or do much else other than appear in the manga and first film. They come in a variety of colors, and there looked to be about 15 of them when originally introduced, though I don’t know the real number. Unlike Unico’s father, mother, and sister Corn, the other siblings are mostly background. You can see them arguing with each other, crying, making faces, and more. Regardless, they’re still super cute.

Will we get to see more of Unico’s family in the future? Next year marks Unico’s 50th anniversary, so anything is possible. Until then, hopefully you enjoyed learning more about Unico and his family. Until next time!