When Netflix announced earlier this summer that the premiere of their new anime series The Pluto Set for the end of October, manga and anime fans around the globe have been thrilled with news that some have waited over a decade to hear. Many fans believe that Pluto has the potential to be the anime of the year.
Ever since rumors started appearing in 2017 that an anime adaptation of Pluto was in the works, a lot of hype has been created around the series. The reason for this hype is not only based on the fact that Naoki Urasawa’s original Pluto manga is considered by many fans and experts alike to be a masterpiece of the genre, but the Pluto anime is based on Osamu’s Astro Boy. Tezuka, one of the best anime series. favorite and important shows in the history of animation. As fans know, those two elements along with the influential Netflix backing mean Pluto has enough of it to become an instant cult classic.
Astro Boy Is An Anime Legend
To really understand the hype surrounding Netflix’s Pluto, it’s important to first understand Astro Boy as both a story and a work of art. Osamu’s Astro Boy, adapted from his 1950s manga of the same name, takes place in a future where robots are a common part of life. Because of this, no one hesitated when Dr. Tenma built a robotic version of his son who died in an accident. However, after it became clear that Tenma’s robot could not replace his son, he threw it out. The robot was eventually recovered by the kind Professor Ochanomizu, who named it Astro Boy, and the two form a healthy partnership to fight evil wherever it spawns. .
Although the manga was well received, Astro Boy did not become popular until 1963 when its anime adaptation was released. It’s a rarity in this day and age that the Astro Boy anime was adapted by Osamu himself. The program immediately attracted a large number of loyal followers around the world. It also became a model for Japan’s fledgling anime industry. Popular anime practices today, such as character design and stylized big eyes in many anime series are all influenced by Astro Boy.
Pluto takes Astro boy to a whole other level
Given the high status Astro Boy achieved in 2009, it’s no surprise that despite being updated over the years to fit modern sensibilities, the story remains the same. Then comes Pluto of Urasawa. Pluto sees the world beyond the shine of Astro Boy. In particular, it expands on the Astro Boy manga titled “The Greatest Robot on Earth,” in which the world’s greatest robots – or super robots, like Astro Boy, are hunted down and destroyed. Pluto reinterprets the story as one in which great cyborgs are being assassinated by an unknown killer.
While Astro Boy maintains a positive and generally uplifting theme, Pluto is the adult Astro Boy. It delves into the thornier aspects of a criminal investigation. It identifies and explores what goes on in the minds of humans or robots to understand why they feel compelled to kill others. For every point Astro Boy is fun and vibrant, Pluto is dark and gloomy – and fans love that. Interestingly, before starting work, Urasawa worked with Osamu’s production company to make his manga as close as possible to Astro Boy standards.
The hype then has two aspects. First, it revolves around the question of whether the adaptation stays true to the original. Second, it touches on the happiness of watching a favorite story retold in another medium. With a rich story background, proven storytelling expertise, The Pluto looks like a sure winner for Netflix.
The Pluto will premiere on Netflix on October 26, 2023.
