Astro Boy: Volume 1 (DVD)
APPROX. 202 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2003 - MPA RATING: NR
" ...a worthy update of a classic franchise.
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In a futuristic metropolis, where retro 50's clothing styles co-exist with towering skyscrapers and hover cars, the Ministry of Science is abuzz with activity as an important project is about to reach its culmination. At the helm of the project is a bulbous-nosed scientist named Dr. O'Shay, a man of fierce determination. He watches with excitement as a mighty blast of energy is released, and a new being is created. It is a small robot, formed in the shape of a young boy. As the boy´s large eyes slowly open to view his new world, Dr. O'Shay rejoices. Astro has been born!
Astro is not an ordinary robot. In this future age, robots are everywhere. They are programmed for a specific purpose and work tirelessly at all manner of menial labor. From washing windows to road construction, each robot has its place. But this new robot, this "Astro," has one thing those other robots don't: Kokoro. "Kokoro" means heart, soul, or spirit. It is that special essence that makes something close to human. It is the most advanced form of artificial intelligence for robots available. Thanks to Kokoro, Astro can think and feel on his own, learn about his surroundings, and make his own decisions.
Dr. O'Shay couldn't be more proud of his achievement. Astro is a fine young boy with a happy, optimistic nature, natural curiosity, and a great capacity for learning. O'Shay does his best to act as a caring mentor for the young robot, and delights in watching him develop a unique personality.
Astro is constantly amazed by the world he lives in. He is wide open to new experiences, and can rush into perilous situations with impulsive abandon. He has a childlike innocence that forms the basis of his firm belief that everyone should live in peace. He is fascinated by all the robots surrounding him. They all have a specific role, a particular use. But what is Astro's purpose? The quest to find his place in the world is a major theme of this story.
The people of this era, even though they rely on robots for so many menial tasks, have a habit of treating them with casual disregard and fearing them when something goes wrong. Technology has advanced far enough that more robots are being given realistic AI systems, causing them to behave with less predictability. Thus, robots are often misunderstood. Unfortunately, the natural reaction of humans is to retaliate with violence. A great conflict between mankind and the robots is brewing, and soon Astro will be caught in the middle. Once Astro sees this, he realizes that he has found his role in life. He will work to unite human and robot kind, to act as a bridge of communication so that everyone can understand each other better and live in peace.
In his efforts to help people, Astro has the support of Dr. O'Shay, and his ever widening circle of friends. He even gains a robot sister. However, lurking behind the scenes is the mysterious and sinister Dr. Tenma. Tenma, a brilliant scientist, is the true creator of Astro. After the tragic death of his young son Tobio, Tenma used his skill in robotics to construct a robot version of Tobio to replace his dead child. However, a robot cannot be a true replacement for a human son, and in a fit of rage, Tenma trashed his laboratory. He gave up on the robotic Tobio and abandoned him. But when Dr. O´Shay revives Tobio and christens him "Astro," Dr. Tenma sees an opportunity. He and his small robot can rule this world, create a new society... but first he must test Astro, make certain he is worthy of the task.
Thus, poor Astro is forced to face many horrible and dangerous tests devised by his "father," Dr. Tenma, to toughen him up. At the same time, Astro is haunted by memories of his life as Tobio, experiencing thoughts and feelings which confuse him. Astro ends up facing many colorful enemies and dangerous situations. However, his cheerful personality and willingness to listen and understand his enemies, often helps him defuse situations using non-violent means. When Astro does have to resort to fighting, it is with great reluctance, but with great power as well.
"Astro Boy" is a fun adventure series aimed at kids, but with some darker adult themes included as well. Astro, even though he is modeled after a young boy of about 6, deals with many mature and traumatic issues, in particular his troubled relationship with his "father," Dr. Tenma. With each new adventure, Astro learns a new lesson, gradually forming a sense of purpose and strong personality. While the villains and challenges Astro faces become bigger and more dangerous as time passes, so does Astro's strength and will.
"Astro Boy" volume 1 contains the fist 10 episodes of this 50 episode series. This volume, along with the 4 other volumes released simultaneously by Sony, contains the exact same content as the "Astro Boy" DVD box set released back in 2004. They have just spread the 50 episodes out into 5 individual volumes.
This is actually the third incarnation of "Astro Boy" on TV. The first animated series aired in 1963. It was in black and white, featured simple, but effective animation, and used streamlined stories that evoked the original comic. The second series was created in the early 1980's. It was in color, and also brought to life many of the events of the comic. This series from 2003 is the first one produced after Tezuka's death. It is also in color, and while there are some changes from the comic, it also does a reasonably good job of bringing the themes of the original story to life. However, when the series was brought over to America, to be aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami lineup and the Kid´s WB cartoon block, it was given an erratic schedule and many episodes were never aired — one episode was dropped entirely — and they were aired out of order. Furthermore, the US adaptation was the victim of several alterations. The original Japanese opening theme song and animation, which emphasized hope and friendship along with action and adventure, was replaced with a generic action game instrumental track, and the animation was edited and rearranged to focus on the fighting and action. The background music was replaced with a more generic kids techno sound. Astro´s dubbed voice sounds more like an 11 or 12 year-old, not the young child we was supposed to be.
