by Naoki Urasawa’s manga “PLUTO,” which has been serialized since 2003 and has become a hot topic, has finally been made into an anime after 20 years! Exclusive distribution started on Netflix on October 26th.
The original work is “The Largest Robot on Earth,” which Osamu Tezuka wrote in 1964 as an episode of “Astro Boy,” but the volume is about 180 pages. “PLUTO” has eight volumes of comics, about ten times the number of pages. What kind of drama was added to it? Introducing points to enjoy the anime “PLUTO,” including the robots that appear, based on the manga “PLUTO.”
“PLUTO” charms you with robots and suspense.
“The Largest Robot on Earth” is a famous episode of “Astro Boy” that many fans cite as number one. It must have taken a lot of struggle and courage for the author to remake it. However, once serialization began, it exploded in popularity and won many manga awards.
Now, let me briefly introduce the differences from the original. In Tezuka’s version, Pluto appears from the beginning, and his purpose is revealed to be “defeating the seven strongest robots in the world.” However, “PLUTO” starts with the news that one of the world’s most advanced robots has been destroyed. To find the culprit, the robot Gezihito (voiced by Masahide Fuji), a Europol special investigator, appears, and the story progresses along with his investigation. Meanwhile, immediately after that, an incident occurs in which a world-class doctor is brutally murdered.
However, there were no traces of humans at the crime scene, and the crime could not have been committed without a robot. In each case, there was a common situation in which “two horns were raised against the victim.” Is the culprit in these two incidents the same person? However, in the world of “PLUTO,” robots are designed so that they cannot harm humans, so they should not be able to kill humans…
“PLUTO” not only features action between robots but also mystery and suspense as the puzzles are solved. Even people who aren’t good at science fiction may find these elements interesting.
At the same time, the themes in the original Astro Boy, such as how artificial intelligence (AI) will evolve and develop and whether humans and robots can coexist, are explored in greater depth. Also, by not using Astro Boy as the main character, the story is easy to get into, even for people who need to learn about Astro Boy.
