Astro Boy (2003)

Synopsis

Continues the story of Atom: The Beginning

In the near future, a catastrophic event of unknown cause strikes Japan. Five years later, the nation is still recovering. At a local university, two budding scientists dedicate themselves to robotics research. This story delves into the origins of the legendary hero Astro Boy, laying the groundwork for his eventual birth.

In this installment

At the Ministry of Science, dedicated Professor Ochanomizu and his team work tirelessly to bring back online Atom—the first robot endowed with a human heart. Atom was crafted by the mysterious Professor Umatarou Tenma as a replacement for his late son, Tobio. Despite Tenma's sudden disappearance after deactivating his own creation, Ochanomizu remains committed to realizing the full potential of this groundbreaking technology. Despite his youthful appearance, Atom boasts exceptional strength and intellect, along with a conscience and empathy that mirror those of a human. Unfortunately, the robotic boy encounters hostility, discovering that not everyone shares Ochanomizu’s open-mindedness. While automatons have found their place in society, they are often viewed merely as utilities and sometimes feared as a challenge to human supremacy. With dreams of a future where humans and robots live together peacefully, Atom devotes himself to safeguarding both communities and fostering genuine connections between them.

Background

Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom was produced to celebrate Atom's birthday—on April 7, 2003—as well as the 40th anniversary of the original series. While it keeps Osamu Tezuka's art style, the remake features modernized animation and various new Western characters. The anime aired on Fuji TV in Japan; overseas, it was broadcasted on Animax and on local televisions such as Kids WB in North America and YTV in Canada. The series won the 2004 Tokyo Anime Award in the Television Category. In Japan, 13 DVD volumes were released between October 3, 2003 and October 1, 2004. In addition, four limited-edition DVD boxes were made available from December 5, 2003 to October 8, 2004. The boxes included: three discs, three postcards, an action figure, and a 16-page booklet. The first box exclusively contained three additional trading cards. In North America, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a complete series DVD collection in 2005 and five single discs in 2009; Mill Creek Entertainment produced a complete series collection in 2015. Four episodes of the anime were included in the Pop Culture Bento Box DVD set released by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2019. The series was adapted into two video games produced by Sega titled Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Astro Boy. The former became available on August 17, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance while the latter was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 in Japan and North America and in 2005 in Europe. Additionally, a clip named ROBOT - Yume no Astro Boy e, which presents actual robot technology with the digital animation of Atom, was screened at different science museums in Japan starting on April 15, 2004.