Astro Boy

Astroboy (based on the Japanese cartoon character Mighty Atom) was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of manga (Japanese comics). Atom was the first animated series produced by Tezuka's TV and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a TV special on New Year's Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and an instant success. NBC networking executives visiting Japan saw the popularity of the series and purchased the US broadcast rights. Shortly thereafter, the English version, renamed Astroboy, was in syndication throughout America. The story line follows the adventures of a robot created in the likeness of a scientist's dead son. The scientist goes mad and sells the boy robot to a circus. In the climax of the first episode, the robots, though horribly mistreated by the circus owner, rescue circus patrons from certain death when a massive fire destroys the main tent. In reward for their heroism, the robots are granted their freedom. The remaining episodes deal with a wide range of issues, from the longing of robots for human emotions and families, to the destruction of the environment. Pretty hefty stuff compared to the funny animal hi-jinx of Saturday morning! In retrospect, the series is pretty remarkable. Though the translation was greatly softened and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, the often dark and profound subject matter still is quite apparent. Some episodes, particularly toward the end of the English dubbed series, also exhibit increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. Simultaneously there was an increasing amount of violence in these programs and American parents were concerned on the effect of such shows on impressionable young minds. Sadly the American series was canceled after 104 episodes, but the Japanese productions continued for another 89 episodes. In the final episode produced in Japan, Atom sacrifices himself to save the world by manually guiding a missile toward a runaway asteroid.

I was eight years old when this originally aired in the U. S. It very much resonated with me. Of course, I loved any kind of science fiction at that age, and still have a fondness for it, although I'm of course much more discriminating now. The show was set in the then far off year of 2000. Like many other such depictions, it was quite optimistic about what things would be like. Future society was depicted as full of automation (robots were commonplace), flying cars, space travel, an overall high level of prosperity, etc., which of course instantly appealed to me, but what really captured my imagination was the character of Astro Boy himself. He was immensely powerful and could fly, but he was also smart, heroic, kind, sensitive, and caring. He was my ideal of what a boy should be, and it didn't matter that he was a robot. The show advocated giving robots rights as sentient beings. I remember writing an essay in school about him.

Back then, I paid no attention to the low frame rate or the crudeness of the animation, and in retrospect, they never were what mattered. What mattered was the sense of wonder and thrills and empathy for a character who was superhuman, but wanted love just as any human does.

I've listened to the theme song many times and can never be sure of the lyrics. One particular line has never sat well with me. Everywhere I look it says "fighting monsters high in the sky" but it doesn't sound like that to me. The closest I've come up with is "fighting monsters flying the skies".

Fans of this cartoon cult classic will definitely want to check out the fantastic rendition of the Astro Boy theme song, featured on the Osaka Popstar album 'Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk'. It takes the theme song, speeds it up, and puts a punky twist on it, but without a hint of the snotty patronization you hear in other punk covers. It really makes you think, "now that's what this theme song is supposed to sound like!" Also, some of you Astro Boy fans might be interested to know that the album contains another cover of a popular cartoon's theme song, Sailor Moon. A less-speedy, but just as catchy version, with heart-felt vocals and melodious guitar riffs. A real gem for fans of TV theme songs, and anime/classic cartoons. :-) ~Darlene~

This cartoon show was typical of the many 1960's cartoon shows that came from the time that tried to be appealing to both children and adults.

When I was young, I was amazed by the cool robots and monsters.

When I saw it later, I was surprised by the sophisticated themes that were presented under the science fiction cartoon genre. Some themes were runaway technology; obedience to morality and programming; science can lead to both good and bad.

Time warp: apparently a tv show back in the 1960's only had 30 seconds of commercials per half hour!