UPDATE: It looks like a new complete 2003 fansub released during production of this video so I missed it. However, you'll likely have difficulties finding it on streaming sites since idk how often they update things like this but they are available if you know where to look.
@@TheFrostedfirefly @RockinSockems Okay so I think i found them. the EMPT DVD raw release has them. I think the OG was a User on Nyaa Windii that dumped the DVD iso's themselves then made the subs by scratch. Going through it the Subs are Accurate post EP 25. They also released the Subs as Separate files.. I will try posting the Drive folder with ONLY the subs in a comment after this.
I just watched Netflix's Pluto and... It was mindblowing. I honestly think that Urosawa is among top 3 best mangakas to ever live. I just hope this will pave the way for good adaptation to 20th Century Boys.
As much I want it I think it will take a long time before it comes out. The author was very draconian on the animation studio and they all hated working on Pluto because how much he forced them to stick to the original manga, even for very little and insignificant things. As such it took 5 years just to make Pluto, so I fear it will take them longer to make the 20th Century Boys Anime
People bash the 2009 movie but it’s what got me into Astro Boy, so I have a soft spot for it. Heck, I even bought the Pluto manga when I learned about it on Twitter once.
For real though, i just watched Astro Boy 2009 today, i can’t believe i waited so long to watch it, it made me cry, i can relate so much to it, going through youtube wanting more of astro boy i came across this dumb review showing no love for the 2009 movie lol
People didn't bash on it. It just didn't do well financially. That's different. Heck, I've seen lots of love for the movie which puts a smile in my face.
Well, it wasnt good. Especially the art style. It was like a cheap knock off of a Tetsuwan Atom movie. I actually went back and watched the 1980s series just to get my fix.
I just watched the Pluto anime on Netflix and it was incredible. I didn't even know it was based on astro boy until looking up discussions about it on RU-vid
I just finished Pluto on Netflix, and I can't stop thinking about it. It was amazing. Thank you for all the helpful information. Definitely checking out the 1980s version.
I grew up with the 2003 series, which I recently rewatched in preparation for Pluto's anime. It was just as amazing as I remembered it! The 1960s and 80s version were also good, and putting them side by side show how well the series story and characters have aged and become more relevant in modern times, which Pluto highlights in crisp detail and should not be passed over.
I've wanted to watch Astro Boy for a long while, but always end up just setting it to the side because I didn't know where to start and was too lazy to properly look into it. So this is perfect! Excited to start the 1980 series soon :)
I know you've been putting a lot of hard work and effort into this video, and I just wanna say it paid off. Keep it up king, you're the only anituber I feel akin to and keep up with and that's because videos like these are a blast to watch and listen to.
I think Astro Boy is awesome and I have seen all three the 1963, 1980, and 2003 series. I found all three to be similiar yet different but all were enjoyable.
I grew up watching some of the 2003 series, and I actually enjoy the English dub of it. I haven't watched much of all three series, but I love each one. I also really enjoy the manga from what I've read so far. It's deeply interesting, with the Hot Dogs Corps arc being what I'm currently reading, and it's one of my favorites.
I was planning on reading Pluto in the near future and wanted to know a bit about Astro Boy beforehand, so this video came at the perfect time. Thanks!
I grew up with the 2003 Astro Boy anime, so it will always have a place in my heart. I rarely see it, or any other Astro Boy media get any attention, so this video Essay was a really sweet treat!
OH MY GOD !! There were multiple times I wanted to comment throughout this video because of how excited I was watching it, but I’ve held off to leave one big comment once I got through it all . I’ve been a MASSIVE fan of Astro Boy for years, it’s one of the most prominent series in my life and means more than the world to me. So when I saw this video I cannot put into words how much I screamed with excitement. The way you spoke in this video made it so easy to digest and follow along with all the facts. And the amount of research and effort you’ve put into this video is so easy to see with how you’ve covered even lesser known Astro Boy re-imaginings like Atom the Beginning and Pluto. It’s so wonderful to see how much passion you have for this franchise. This has been so lovely so watch and made me instantly subscribe, eager to see more content from you !! Amazing work man !
I grew up watching the 80s version (not all of it though, just a few episodes here and there, when it was shown locally), and thought that it was the only one (I vaguely know of the 60s version, but thought it was a different anime entirely. Watched the new Pluto anime, and vaguely remembered the characters. It does not need prior knowledge of the original anime, but it does help to characterize how special Astro (Atom) is.
I found the manga is a much mature version since the anime trying to be a kid show(i mean, even the manga itself is a shonen, but you can feel the brutality of it and the story for sure feels darker despite its shelf of a shonen manga). Even Tezuka himself didnt like that part of his anime. But yeah, somehow this masterpiece got underappreciated
had no idea pluto was an astro boy thing but after a friend told me I had to watch astro boy, thanks for your recommendation I am going to go watch fansub 2003 (maybe read the manga after)
i would like to mention that the Atom: the beginning manga can be tied to the 1963 manga as it has a bit of time travel which serves as a sort of prequel to Astro Boy. if i remember correctly, its around the Vietnam war where Astro later gets stuck in the past. at the moment, the manga is in the Tobio arc but the translations stopped after chapter 62
Omg thank you for making this! I’ve been an Astro boy fan since I was a kid. It’s a huge source of comfort for me to this day as an adult and osamu tezukas work has forever impacted me ❤️❤️
I can't believe this was made two weeks ago and I am only just seeing it now. As an interesting side note, the virtually unknown Jetter Mars serves as a direct prequel to the 1980s Astroboy series and Jetter is the robot that is later rebuilt to become Atlas. Its a crime it has never received an official dub or sub. Excellent video as always Bob!
@@bobsamurai what happens to Jetter is insanely fucking sad. Short version, he is built to be the ultimate fighting robot. Defeats a ton of robots and gains fantastic powers. Then Tenma dresses up as a knight, tricks him into thinking he is a robot and promises to repair him. Then shuts him down, steals his schematics, and uses them to build Astro. Tobio is killed in the car accident near the last episode of the series, leading directly into Astroboy (1980).
@@liamgray6473 wait..that’s actually a plot line from the Jetters mars anime? I’ve never heard of this. I know very little about that anime but I didn’t expected this!
@@ewoutverheij4745 no one ever talks about it. It leads directly into 80s Astroboy. I had no idea either, its basically not covered. And what Tenma did do Jetter (Atlas) was freaking heartless (but awesome).
There is a Canadian Dub version of the 80s show that, although re-edited to cut out a lot of violence, had much better voice acting. I always find that the US Dub Astroboy had a whiny voice. The Canadian original recordings I think are all but lost, though you can still find a few episodes online lifted from VHS recordings.
*Well Done...* I grew up on *Astro Boy* I'm Kinda Glad Someone Actually Givin Him His Flowers 💐 With Todays CGI I Wonder If They Can Make Cinematic Adaptation To *PLUTO*
5:49 This made me laugh more than it should've XD 2003 version looks cool, I hope they make a better release for it. Also Pluto is the first manga I ever owned in physical form, it's simply great!
Thank you soo much for making this review i grew up on Astro boy 2003 and it made me an anime fan i am today i just wish that Astro boy will come back in the Anime world but still thank you for making this video man keep it up
Great review, I also recommend getting into Astroboy before watching/reading Pluto, you need to have the context of the human robot coexistence. In the 80's anime there's even a country with a Robot president and in others Robots are just slaves.
The 2003 series is my personal favorite anime series overall, it felt like the perfect balance between episodic with serialized storyarcs. Pluto is also my favorite manga. The Atom: The Beginning manga is much better than its anime adaptation.
There's an Black Jack anime from the earlier 2000s, maybe later 90s, that I enjoyed a lot. It's also episodic and you can identify it with the little pink girl they added in. The story was beautifully animated with touching stories adapted from the manga. If you've seen that one then would you say that Astro Boy 1980 is similar to or of the same quality? I got the same vibe of the Black Jack anime from the clips you showed and I would dive head first if it's on par to even a slight extent.
Its incredible how hard is to get the 2003 original japanese cut. Its a thousand times better than the us mess and it makes more sense and the story is a lot better. Even the intro and outro songs are infinitely better
I liked the 1983 episode with the shapeshifting robot ponchy where he was dubbed as defective and after being used by Mandrake , when he was broken astro said even he was defective he would always be his friend. Also the iconic balloon bomb you had ha politician who hated industrilization of robots and caused a scare to get elected only to realize he mad a mistake working with Skunk. Though had a hard time accepting astro forgiving after attempting to ruin his good name.
Fortunately the 2003 version was fully translated and dubbed to latin american spanish for cartoon network of latin america and included as audio track on the dvd official released my brother got years ago.
space vikings had the funniest line of the whole series. The pirates traveled on a ship called the Lolly. When bombardment destroyed the ship, the captain exclaimed "oh pooh. The good ship Lolly popped"
The Atom the beginning Anime barely covers the manga’s continuing story it’s not worth going over, but I absolutely can recommend the manga as an avid Astro boy fan I can say that it’s setting plot and characters are really well done. It stands strong among the other adaptations.
I grew up on the 2009 Astro Boy film. It was that one early 2000s movie I’d watch at my dad’s. It’s one of my favorite animated films. It wasn’t until I took a peak at the behind the scenes of the film on the dvd that I found out it was an anime and the reason a lot manga and anime even exist today. I’ll be honest I’ve never been interested in the manga or animes but I’m interested in checking out the 2003 anime soon!
The 1980 series is fantastic, while the 2003 series is just good. The 1980 series is darker and doesn’t play it safe, having several episodes that end in heartbreak. The majority of the stories in this version are really good, like The Robot President, Goliath’s Head, The Genie From Outer Space, Astro vs Aliens, Robot Land, The Liar Robot, Speeding Through the Storm, The Return of Cleopatra, The Baby Elephant Pook, The Secret of Bee City, The Man Made Solar Sphere, The World of Odin, Outer Spaceport R-45, The Secret of the Mayans, The Transformation Robot, Blackie Young which the gangs origin scared the shit out of me as a kid and a fitting finale in Astros First Love. The series of episodes involving Atlas, except The Robot Vikings, are all great as well. Livian is a really good foil for Atlas and the reveal to Astro that they’re brothers is a standout moment. I think The Greatest Robot in the World is done pretty perfectly in the series and I really liked the reveal of Bora after Astro and Pluto’s fight. The music in the series is fantastic as well, making deaths feel sad like they should and making menacing moments feel menacing. The comedy with Daddy Walrus is consistently good as well. The voice acting can hit or miss sometimes like Astro randomly telling “Yippee!” After bursting out of a giant Egyptian robots ass. The show also didn’t stray away from killing characters and gave villains understandable motivations, like Blackie Young. Plus, the uncensored version of Blackie’s gangs first attack is rather dark compared to other episodes. The guard and the owner are blown up and it doesn’t cut away from the impact of the laser. I appreciate that the 2003 series kept Dr Tenma around and actually did something with the rising tensions between humans and robots but at the same time, didn’t fully capitalize on that. The arc of Robotonia should have been longer then what it was. Visually it looked really good for the time and holds up well today, with them making Astro the cutest he’s ever looked and that works well for the characters overall aesthetic of being a young boy. Uran wasn’t as annoying in that series though so that was a positive. They also didn’t use Atlas nearly enough in this series, although his backstory was a good addition and made his acknowledgment of his crimes fit with that story. Candi Milo did a really great job as Astro in the series too. I saw the trailer for Pluto a few hours ago and now I’m stoked not only because it looks great, but because Yoko Hikasa is voicing Astro and she voiced Yoh Asakura in the 2021 Shaman King remake and Yohs one of my absolute favourite characters. She did a phenomenal job as Yoh so I’m sure she’s gonna kill it as Astro. 5:58 you had to have said that as Astro punched that guy on purpose right? 6:18 does that mean the Dead Cross Party in the 1980 series are indeed supposed to be a reference to Nazis? Just one note, you should have mentioned that the dub of the 1980 anime combined the first two episodes to remove all traces of Atlas thus making his return in what ended up being episode 4 confusing for a viewer that did not know about the first two episodes being combined.
Ah sorry about that. I don’t watch dubs unless I don’t have a choice so I’m oblivious to some issues like this. As for the 2000s dub, the problems were so severe that it was impossible to miss due to their reputation
@@bobsamurai I actually found out just yesterday that many of the stories in the 1980 anime like Goliath’s Head, Blackie Young, The Man Made Solar Sphere, The Genie From Outer Space, The Transformation Robot, The Robot President, Robot Land, The Red Cat, The White Planet and Astro’s First Love were manga chapters. I had only ever thought the first two episodes with Astros creation and The Greatest Robot in the World episodes were adapted from manga chapters.
I have been watching Bouken Shounen Shadar in the dub and you're goddamn right, especially since the grating picture and audio quality, along with that outdated animation and voice acting makes it impossible to take it seriously.
First watch the 80s version as a kid( probably 4~5 years old) and was blessed to see the 1960s version when it aired off the cable station WowoW. Astroboy was perhaps my gateway anime as a kid and had fond memories of it especially the Rushing through the Storm episode where a village was in danger of being drowned by an incoming flood and Astro/Atom's jetboots starts malfunctioning. Really had a bittersweet ending. Also had the unfortunate chance to watch and be amazed with the strongest robot in the world arc but missed watching the 2nd episode/conclusion and only got to see it yesterday after I finished watching Pluto.
1:09 My mom, sometimes, occasionally talk about _The Jetsons_. 6:39 The text in the video does clarify what you and, more importantly, the writers meant by "no emotions." 7:08 You explained your reasoning much better than how others who share the same view as you have explained it to me. I understand that viewpoint much better now. Thank you! 8:22 While I understand their reasoning, the editing out of content in the story still does irk, worry, or irk and worry me; this action is essentially telling me that those excluded scenes were unworthy of the being told. However, this case of Astro Boy may be one of those rare exceptions to this subjective rule of mine considering your explanation. 9:52 Those imperfections do give me a sense of nostalgia, which I appreciate when it comes to retro anime. 12:57 Anime references in an anime do bring me joy, even if minimally, in the same fashion as puns. 13:12 I cannot tell you how much I subscribe to the belief of "Less is more" when it comes to combative action in fictional storytelling. In my opinion, only few authors can get away with a lot of combative action because they understand how to keep it suspenseful, tense, or a mix of the suspenseful and tense. Heck, I would not be a One Piece fan or Naruto fan if Oda and Kishimoto did not keep their action-packed stories suspenseful and tense. 13:32 Oh, believe me! I agree! 16:53 I usually do dismiss cancelled stories, but because you had responses that were answers to questions that I would pose for cancelled media, I may make an exception with the 1980's Astro Boy next year or the year after it. 17:22 This sentence alone(, although coupled with the genre and age of this rendition's release,) does entice me to watch the 2003 version. 18:08 Is this a Team Rocket reference or is it just me? 19:58 Yikes! Hopefully, a better release occurs for 2003 (and for 1963) in the future! 21:15 Based on my "completer's mindset" and how well you have described them, this section does tell me that I'd only watch these other Astro Boy media if I have the urge to watch all things _Astro Boy_. 24:06 Naoki Ursawa and _Monster_ are attention grabbers for me. What is the relation of _Pluto_ to _Astro Boy_, though? 26:33 I love this sentence; it's highly intuitive for the possibility of a better translation and well-detailed. All in all, you were highly detailed throughout this video while only giving necessary spoilers to explain your analysis of the stories, which I strongly appreciate. Likewise, I also strongly appreciate that you made references to other media that you have consumed throughout the video as it highlights your tastes and similar stories to help drive your explanations with well-dressed examples. I'm sorry for the long comment; I had a lot to say for this video despite not consuming any Astro Boy media yet.
thanks for the detailed thoughts! Glad you enjoyed the video! nah wasn't a Team Rocket reference though that would have been clever. "blasting off like jessie and james after failing" lol
@@bobsamurai Thanks! I'm glad you appreciated my detailed thoughts because I tend to have either extensive thoughts or really short thoughts. I debated not posting the comment because of it's length, but I'm elated that you appreciate it because these are genuine thoughts that I had. I do have one question, though, with regards to _Pluto_ that was unclear to me in the video: How is _Pluto_ related to _Astro Boy_?
@@zakariaorzak a retelling of the world's strongest robot arc, must read for an astro boy fan. The characters are a little different but the whole theme and idea is explored more thoroughly
My issue with the manga is the reading order, with chapters from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s all mixed together in a order that Tezuka made himself, the change of art, style and tone from chapter to chapter is a bit too distracting. Really prefer if there were a collection in chronological order.
Saying all this before watching, but as a Mega Man fan, Astro Boy’s always been something I’ve kept in the back of my mind. But it was always something I’ve never really gotten into. It does all look super interesting though, and has always been something I’ve considered worth checking out! I *am* most definitely gonna check out Pluto tho!
the massive difference between the 60's series and the 80's series was the earlier production had voice actors who were more proper for their characters, with Astro Girl sounding more a toddler and Astro Boy a husky but intelligent child. Other proper voices were Astro Boy's mother's angel-like expression, Elefun's sorta British accent and Pompous's falsetto which made his mistake-prone nature even more funny. Briefly put, they were unique and surprisingly appropriate. That plus the theme music of the 60's with its very witty children's chorus against the 80's anything-that-rhymes-will-do theme.
Astro Boy Series are such truly a fairy tale of space, science, future, industry, technology, magic (of future science), robots&humans, etc. When I saw Osamu Tezuka's 'Astro Boy Atom' TV series and movies, it actually feels like and truly fits to Walt Disney (Fantasies / Fairy Tales / Characters / Etc.) Studios. So, (in our opinion) if new (outer-media) remake "Astro Boy Atom" 3D animation movies and TV series are released in the long-term future, we hope "Astro Boy Atom" 3D animation movies and TV series should/will be produced by Walt Disney (3D) Animation Studio. We hope these 'Astro boy' movies should/will have approximately 10 sequels, while TV series should/will have approximately 10 seasons first of all. We also hope it will portray 'Astro Boy Atom' as a global peacemaker on Earth(+even space) (to protect & survive & save humans and robots) and even a (potential) defender of Walt Disney, as well as a robot with numerous magical powers (of science). I would even like a lot of 3D cameo characters (+ humans & robots) (in the new (different) ancestor universe) from other Walt Disney studio movies to be featured in this 3D animation TV series and movies. For example, there are ...... - Walt Disney Animation Studios - Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert, Cassandra, Varian, etc. (from Tangled Series), Ralph (as a tall-grown ordinary human), Vanellope (as a tall-grown human), etc. (from Wreck-It-Ralph Series), Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf(, Hans, Oaken, Kai, Mattias, Northuldra), etc. (from Frozen Series), Hiro Hamada, Tadashi Hamada, Baymax, Honey Lemon, Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, Fred, Aunt Cass, Alistair Krei, Yokai, Mr. Yama, etc. (from Big Hero 6 Series), Moana, Maui(, Tala, Tui, Sina), etc. (from Moana Series), Asha, etc. (from Wish Series), Mirabel Madrigal, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal, Bruno Madrigal, Félix Madrigal, Luisa Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal, Pepa Madrigal, Isabela Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal, etc. (from Ecanto Series), Raya, etc. (From Raya and the Last Dragon Series), Ethan Clade, Searcher Clade, Jaeger Clade, Diazo, Penelope Clade, (from Strange World Series), Lewis Robinson, Franny Robinson, Wilbur Robinson, Lewis' Mother, Bud Robinson, Tallulah Robinson, DOR-15, etc. (from Meet the Robinsons Series) Bolt as a pet dog, Mittens as a pet cat, Penny, Rhino as a pet hamster, Penny's Mother, (from Bolt Series), etc. - Pixar Animation Studios - Merida, etc. (from Brave Series), Buzz Lightyear as a human, Woody as a human, Jessie as a human, Bo Peep as a human, Andy Davis, Bonnie Anderson, Izzy Hawthorne, etc. (from Toy Story+Lightyear Series), Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible), Helen Parr (Elastigirl), Violet Parr, Dash Parr, Jack-Jack Parr, Frozone, Edna Mode, Rick Dicker, Snug, Winston Deavor, etc. (from Incredibles Series), Miguel(, Héctor, Ernesto de la Cruz, Mamá Imelda, Abuelita, Mamá Coco, Chicharrón, Papá Julio, Tía Rosita, Tía Victoria, Tíos Oscar and Felipe, Papá), etc. (from Coco Series), Luca Paguro, Alberto Scorfano, Giulia Marcovaldo, Ercole Visconti, Massimo Marcovaldo, Mrs. Marsigliese, etc. (from Luca Series), Meilin "Mei" Lee, Ming Lee, Miriam Mendelsohn, Priya Mangal, Abby Park, Jin Lee, Tyler Nguyen-Baker, Mr. Gao, Devon, Mr. Kieslowski, Stacy Frick, Lauren, etc. (from Turning Red Series) etc. ...... Of course, the background of this TV series and movies is mainly Metro City.
I really think you did a great job with this. Is there any word on a new Astro Boy and Pluto anime series? Perhaps if they do a new one they can make them the ultimate versions.
There's going to be a Pluto anime as a Netflix original series. It was recently announced this week. As for Astro Boy itself, there's a French animated series called Go Astro Boy Go and another European animated series called Astro Boy Reboot but that one is still in development hell.
I heard that they've found a new director for the Astro Boy reboot (the person who directs Miraculous Ladybug) and that it's becoming a CG project. I'm honestly not very excited about this developement. I don't think CG's a great style for the character.
The Pluto anime is coming out on October 26 on Netflix. There was a bit of info about the new Astro Boy reboot that came out last year. It said a French studio was doing the animation but that’s all it really revealed.
Astroboy 2003 in its unaltered Japanese version without the changes to the music, characters and scripts is my favorite version by far. I always found old animes and mangas to have less momentum and lots of tone deaf moments of humor that does more of a disservice to the story than anything. For sure, it was something that Tezuka does a lot in his mangas (including blackjack), but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Astroboy 2003 was a lot more consistent in its pacing, tone and characters. It made everything matter thanks to its continuity and coherence in the characters' growth. I can't stand Chibugaki being a pro-astro in one episode to very anti-astro in the next one, in the 80's. In the same vein, his 2003 counterpart simply states at one point that it's difficult to be friends with a robot as he apologizes. The biggest change has to be the reimagining of the theme of fatherhood. 2003 has Ochanomizu as the father figure to Astro without them outright stating until the very last few episodes where it all comes to a head (which is epic). I know many might love how he built parents for Astro in some versions, but when I watched those, it felt like those relationships are just.. there. They're not earned. The 2003 version built up that relationship from the beginning to the very last episode and it's very rewarding. So yeah... if a new sub comes out, or if you understand Japanese, do yourself a favor and watch the 2003 version in its original script. It's simplistic yet very effective in conveying difficult themes and strong emotions, and the changes in the localizations ruin them.
Been looking forward to this review, and it was great as always. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. I am also glad you enjoyed Pluto, as it is one of my favorite Urasawa works. On the topic of gritty remakes, i noticed you were watching Tetsujin go-28. If you are interested, I think it would be a good time to also check out Mitseru Yokoyama's other popular work, Giant Robo. It had a late 60s manga and Tokusatsu series, which I have let to check out. But its definitive incarnation is the 90s OVA Giant Robo: The Day The Earth Stood Still, which is amazing. You can jump into it just like Pluto, but it as made with the idea of feeling like a Saturday morning cartoon you just jumped into, where the world already has developed character relations and drama. That' because its basically a crossover event between the authors multiple series. Also cannot wait for oyu to get to 70s anime for a review of Gatchaman. Keep up the great work.
I always wandered why the 2003 anime was so confusing, I saw bits of the 80s one and thought the 2003 one was going to be super cool but i was so lost. I liked the 3d movie, it was different but it was cute, it felt like a cash in but I enjoyed it.
@@bobsamurai Sony basically gave Astro Boy 2003 the 4Kids treatment. They basically tried to add "cool" dialogue. Eliminate the heavier and more dramatic elements of the show for typical Saturday morning antics. Changed the orchestral score to more synthy techno music that didn't fit and the fact that the episodes were run out of order didn't help either. It also came on Kids WB. Take that as you will.
17:30 2003 Tetsuwan atom it's not A late era cel animation. It is THE late era cel animation. That show was the very last anime fully produced using cel animation from beginning to end, with roughly 70% of the animation being in cels and 30% digital for the tech and space effects. By 2000 Fujifilm stopped making the cels used in animation and most studios were forced to pivot by that point, . That's why a lot of running shows like Pokemon or Inuyasha switched to digital or why 1999 Hunter x Hunter started looking worse in ep 70 of the OVA. Only a handful of shows using cels were released after 2000. Astro boy was being made for the anniversary of the franchise so the producers wanted it to be on 35mm film. After it, no other show was made using cels and the only one that kept using them was sazae san until 2013, but it being a show that's been running for almost 50 years, they had some difficulty switching to digital, or maybe they wanted to keep the cel look.
@bobsamurai I had 2 favorites: the first was Astroboys birthday when we met Astrogirl, and my second was when he met Lodar. Looking back now I am amazed at how adult the themes were for many of the episodes. It was way more than just a child's cartoon
@bobsamurai He was a genius and way ahead of his time. I don't know if you know who Ray harryhausen was. He did the stop motion for many classic movies, Jason and the Argonauts,etc.-- Both were geniuses.
The 2003 series was probably the first anime I had ever seen, and for a long time I looked for it based off the scattered memories I had of some episodes and the opening theme
"The audio preservation aged the worst" Don't worry, as a guy who watched 6 seasons worth of 1960's black and white episodes of Doctor Who, I'm used to it. (Speaking of Doctor Who, I have to wonder, do the OG Astro Boy have any missing episodes?)
Years ago I watched and read almost everything available on internet, so I read "Pluto", I watched the main three anime series and I also found this "little Astro" made in Nigeria (as I knew back then) and many comic, American and Brazilian, using Astro/Atom as main character. First of all, I watched the English version of 2003 anime series, then I found it was all cut, whole episodes swapped, mistranslated and even erased (the "Peter Pan" one, in which Astro/Atom has to deal to the fact he will never grow up). So, for that series, I preferred the Japanese and English subbed one. But, as you reported, names are a mess, some translations are puzzle and when Tenma calls Atom "Robita" I can't stand the screen. However, in spite of the cringe, I recommend to find an original Japanese version or a French translation of 2003 AstroBoy, that are faithful, complete and the music is the original one. There's no catchphrase for Astro taking off, there's nothing more or less than the story itself. And it's a shame that English translation is too bad, as some phrases that in Japanese version don't exist, are very cool: there's an episode about an AI robot family and the robot-kid asks his father to help him with his homework. In the original Japanese, they don't give us details about the kid's homework, while in English they give us real hints of Physics. Like in 1963 series, the circus ringmaster has given an Italian name, but those characters are the perfect opposite; I suppose that the kid's name is "Rino", with i, not "Reno", as with i it sounds Italian too. My first AstroBoy anime was the 1980s one, and I was a kid; the 1963s one is sometimes available on some you-tube channels, but English, Russian, English subbed, Japanese only and, as you said, sound is very weird and bad. 1980s anime made me anxious as I was too used to winning superheroes and, instead, that Astro was on a misadventure after another. I also watched the 2009 movie. It could be better, yep, but it's not so bad. An apocryph, if you can pass me the term. Conclusion: I love AstroBoy and I am still waiting for that CGI and 2D reboot that had to come in 2014...
Grew up loving 03 Astro boy and my folks knew it. One day I rented an astro boy dvd and Lo and behold it was the 60s astro boy and it threw me for a loop. I grew up on dragon ball Z so the difference in tone and style was jarring. It’s still stuck with me though and I always wanted to delve deeper (the episode I saw had a robot cleopatra that astro was trying to save) Didn’t even know about the 80s astro boy though so I might jump in to have a good blend of what I grew up with and Astros growing pains in the earliest stuff
2009 Astro Boy, i just watched today, i can’t believe i waited so long to watch it, i can relate to much so much i cried, 2009 astro boy brought me here and it got no love lol dumb review
I actually own the English boxset of Astro Boy 2003 and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I PRAY we get an uncut rerelease of 2003, but I feel like that won't happen. I really want to see it as it was meant to be seen and I'm angry that the Dub butchered the anime for Saturday morning consumption. The fansubs are an option, but I ultimately feel the show DESERVES much more exposure than it's getting.
I seriously love Astro Boy! The 80s series and the 2003 one are one of my top favorite anime shows. I swear this anime or when it comes to Tezuka works doesn't get enough love and appreciation to them. Modern anime and manga wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Tezuka.
I watched Pluto on Netflix first, and I'm glad I was not exposed to Astroboy beforehand. It would just ruin my suspense and excitement with Pluto. Because the basic plot and beat remains the same but it just expanded it more making it darker, relatable, exciting and making me care for each characters in Pluto. I tried the 1960 and 2003 anime and found myself really bored with it to bother. Haven't tried the 1980 yet but the animation of 1980 looks the best among the three in my opinion.
Anyone here hoping he would mention “Astro Boy Omega Factor” for the GBA? That was my introduction and it’s still holds up today for it’s incredible replayable linear beatemup style gameplay and 2003 style for the characters and story
