Before Pokemon. Before Yugi Oh. There was Astro Boy, half mechanoid, half human, and wholly hero.

Astro Boy was the brain child of Osamu Tezuka. In 1963, Astro Boy, aka Tetsuwan Atom premiered on the airwaves of Japan. But, prior to that, in 1951, the magazine serialization of Tetsuwan began to great acclaim. As a comic book, it ran for 17 years for over 5000 pages. Coming from one man, even in our comic book culture, that is an amazing record.

The original series took Japan by storm, capturing the hearts of children everywhere. When the 2nd series began in 1980, Mr Tezuka was very much in control and this product is the result. At its’ heart, it eminates hope for the masses and a belief in the good of mankind. That is the core of this series.

A third series began in 2003 and again gathered much acclaim. This DVD set celebrates all things Astro Boy. If you want to see the beginning of Manga, then you had better pick up this set. Astro Boy was there for the beginning...

This set includes 51 full episodes in English, and an English/Japanese comparison. For those of us not quite so familiar with Astro, there is a merchandise gallery, cover artwork gallery, and character profiles. Great for the neophyte Astro Boy fan, and a trip down memory lane for the seasoned fans. The 24 page booklet is an exceptional introduction to Tezuka and Teksuwan.

Watching the set, you quickly realize the depth of the character. Not merely humanoid, Astro is both fully human and full robot. The episodes are full of life and death struggles, and yet the simplest of themes is not overlooked. Toby, Dcotor Boynton’s son, as Astro Boy preceded many of the popular characters of today, and the adventures here show why he was/is os popular still.

You can find this at www.anchorbayentertainment.com and at www.astro-boy.net. And www.manga.com.
Your choice, or at your local video dealer !

Until I am mechanoid,
I am,
Tim Lasiuta

 

 

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