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Pluto [¥×¥ë©`¥È¥¦] #1
PLUTO: Naoki Urasawa x Osamu Tezuka, Tome 001
Dans le monde futuriste imagin¨¦ par Osamu Tezuka, o¨´ les robots vivent aux c?t¨¦s des humains et comme des humains, une s¨¦rie de crimes myst¨¦rieux s'encha?ne. Des robots et des chercheurs renomm¨¦s sont assassin¨¦s dans des circonstances ¨¦tranges li¨¦es ¨¤ des ph¨¦nom¨¨nes naturels ¨C feu de for¨ºt, tornade extr¨ºmement locale... Toutes les victimes sont retrouv¨¦es avec un ornement formant comme des cornes sur leur t¨ºte. Gesicht, un inspecteur robot appartenant ¨¤ Europol est charg¨¦ d'enqu¨ºter sur l'affaire. Il d¨¦couvrira rapidement que toutes les victimes sont des v¨¦t¨¦rans du dernier conflit d'Asie centrale. Il ne tardera ¨¦galement pas ¨¤ identifier le fait que les robots vis¨¦s par le tueur sont en fait les sept robots les plus puissants et performants de la plan¨¨te, dont Gesicht lui-m¨ºme fait partie. Il part alors ¨¤ la rencontre des personnes et robots menac¨¦s pour tenter de les pr¨¦venir et les prot¨¦ger du danger.
202 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2004
135 people are currently reading
7,062 people want to read
About the author
Naoki Urasawa
345?books2,619?followersUrasawa Naoki (ÆÖ›gÖ±Ê÷) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot D¨ªaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (¥Ñ¥¤¥Ê¥Ã¥×¥ëARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTER¥©`¥È¥ó) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20ÊÀ¼oÉÙÄê) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21ÊÀ¼oÉÙÄê) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTER¥©`¥È¥ó Re¥Þ¥¹¥¿©`) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (‰ôÓ¡-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Mus¨¦e du Louvre
- Asadora! (ßB¾AÂþ»Ð¡Õh ¤¢¤µ¥É¥é!) 2018-ongoing
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (¥Ñ¥¤¥Ê¥Ã¥×¥ëARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTER¥©`¥È¥ó) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20ÊÀ¼oÉÙÄê) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21ÊÀ¼oÉÙÄê) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTER¥©`¥È¥ó Re¥Þ¥¹¥¿©`) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (‰ôÓ¡-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Mus¨¦e du Louvre
- Asadora! (ßB¾AÂþ»Ð¡Õh ¤¢¤µ¥É¥é!) 2018-ongoing
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 676 reviews
August 2, 2012
I haven't actually been a huge booster of the works of Osamu Tezuka. Beyond a hard-won affection for his , I haven't come to take much enjoyment from the other books of his I've sampled. Phoenix, Adolf, Blackjack. They just haven't won me over. I think I may be too far divorced from the period of his innovation to view the works as fresh. They are so deeply products of their times that they appear quaint and stilted¡ªto me at least (I've spoken before of with to escape ). As the comics form has evolved and storytelling grown into using a more mature set of tools, I find myself unable to appreciate Tezuka as story. As artifact, sure. As an archaeological window into the development of the form, yes. But I do not find myself able to dive into his stories for the sake of those stories¡ªI've always got to have an ulterior motive, usually one associated with academic appreciation.
Because of this, giving Pluto a chance was a hard sell for me. I didn't know enough about Astroboy to be a fan or otherwise. I couldn't even be ambivalent. I was strictly apathetic. I had so little interest in the character or in a reimagining of one of his more famous episodes that even the promise of Naoki Urasawa's stellar storytelling chops wouldn't lure me out. It wasn't until I was bored at the library one day and happened to find the first volume on a shelf that the scales tipped.
And now I wish that Urasawa would adapt all of Tezuka's works.
As is spoken of near ad infinitum, one of science fiction's greatest conceits is the ability, through its speculative technologies, to engage the mind in such a way that contemporary issues are seen in new light. 1984 could prompt its audience to reevaluate the pervasive role of the government in shackling liberty for the sake of security. Gattaca could help alert its audience to the value of the natural individual in the face of the future's promise of a better genetics. The Time Machine could prompt its audience to remember to value literature in the face of emerging mass entertainment options. And Invasion of the Body Snatchers could alert its audience to the insidious creep of subtle ideological evolutions, whether in the face of communist utopianism or crass commercialism.
It's a common enough use of the genre that one might even consider it boring to talk about. After all, it's been done over and again. What Urasawa does with Pluto, however, is of another level and to a-whole-nother magnitude. Rather than simply engage the mind through conceptual challenges, he affects the heart. And by working upon the seat of the emotional mind, he draws out a kind of empathy for non-humans who straddle the cole between personhood and non-personhood.
Pluto is foremost the story of the murders of several robotic AIs. These artificial intelligences struggle with balancing their self-awareness with the shackles of their programming. In a way, Urasawa may even be trying to tackle, in some remedial way, questions of liberty vs determinism¡ªsomething all those with any interest in metaphysics must come up against at one point or another. From another angle, these robots' lives spell out the same conflict that MT Anderson homes in on in his wonderful Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: the question of liberty and property; how can those who rally behind freedom, democracy, and liberty keep sentient beings as property.1
Where Urasawa excels so ably is in making his robotic characters so human, so other-than-human, and so worthy of compassion in either case. There are moments for several of these robots (whose narrative destiny, set in stone fifty years ago by Tezuka himself, is to be destroyed) at which the average reader may very well need to take a moment to regain composure. We are never not aware of these characters' non-human status and the fact that they are creations of man, but all the same they become valuable recipients of our cares and well-wishes.
And it is through that marvelous narrative inducement toward empathy that Urasawa sells his point home. He requires the reader to consider the what-ifs of his scenario. Ignoring plausibility for a moment, he not only raises the question of artificial personhood but also gives the reader a reason to care about that question. Adam Hines attempted something similar in Duncan the Wonder Dog, by actually giving personhood to animals; but as much as I laud Duncan as probably the pre-eminent work of comics fiction, I believe Urasawa pulls this particular thing off much more adeptly.2 It's difficult to balance the humanity and inhumanity of these characters in a way that makes them both comfortable and alien, but Urasawa succeeds. Pluto, against odds, is neither too heady nor too treacle nor even too plot-driven. And for a book structured as a detective thriller, that's some achievement.
The story Urasawa is adapting (Tezuka's "The Greatest Robot on Earth") features the seven most advanced robots in the world falling one by one to a new challenger, a mighty robot named Pluto. Rather than push Atom (adapted from Astroboy) to the narrative center, Urasawa tells much of the story through Gesicht, a Europol detective robot and one of the seven most powerful AIs on earth. (Urasawa, to lesser degree, moves the narrative around between the remainder of the other six robots.) Gesicht is investigating this string of robot-related murders. As the number of murders mounts, Gesicht draws closer and closer to discovering Pluto's identity¡ªall while trying to reign in an apparent fault in his robotic memory.
Pluto is only eight volumes long and is therefore much more tightly plotted than either Monster (18 vols.) or 20th Century Boys (22 vols. and a short sequel). It's a good read and gives the reader opportunity to think about a number of fascinating subjects, all while carrying on a murder mystery/thriller. For a series that (at its most basic and dumbed down) is a book about a series of robot fights, Urasawa wisely shows very little actual robot-on-robot combat. He knows what's interesting and fighting robots is not quite that. Pluto is an investigation of emergent technologies, an investigation of the toll of contemporary international policies, and an investigation of the nature of the soul.
Notes
1. "These robots' lives spell out the same conflict that MT Anderson homes in on in his wonderful Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: the question of liberty and property; how can those who rally behind freedom, democracy, and liberty keep sentient beings as property."
In one sense the question may be offensive, since with black people there is no question to their sentience and full personhood¡ªwhile the question is still up in the air as regards the artificial intelligence. Still, within the scope of Anderson's work (taking place during the American revolutionary escapades), the same question is very much at stake for the people alive in that particular historical pericope.
2. "As I laud Duncan as probably the pre-eminent work of comics fiction, I believe Urasawa pulls this off much more adeptly."
Much of this is probably directly owed to the fact that we can much more easily imagine machines with self-aware intelligence and the capacity to communicate than we can mere animals.
_____________________
[Review courtesy of ]
January 8, 2021
Solo acaba de despegar la historia y ya Urasawa ha logrado que una escena se me incruste en el coraz¨®n. Sigo leyendo, que la historia promete demasiado.
February 20, 2012
Naoki Urasawa's writing is so detailed and amazing. I have been a fan of his ever since I read his Monster series (if you haven't do yourself a favor and read it or at least watch the anime). Pluto was a good read, as it is a very unique interpretation of Astro Boy. Keeping in mind I have never read the original or seen the cartoon, but I imagine with Urasawa at the reigns this is "mature Astro Boy." The series covers a lot of philosophical themes, especially with identity and what it means to be "human" and "can robots feel emotion?" I need to read more Asimov, as I have heard that he invented the three laws of robotics, which have been used in most stories that deal with robots. The first and most important law being that a robot may not cause harm to a human through action or inaction. This law drives the plot in "Pluto."
Based upon Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, "Pluto" reinterprets the story "The Greatest Robot on Earth," expanding it into an updated futuristic murder-mystery. The action centers around Gesicht, a humanoid detective robot in a future world where robots live alongside humans and some are even national heroes. At the beginning of volume one, we learn that the Swiss mountain guide, forest protector, and war veteran robot, Mont Blanc, has been completely destroyed while battling a forest fire. The next day a robot rights defender is found dead in his apartment. Confusingly, only another robot could have killed the extremely powerful Mont Blanc, but a robot could not have killed the human (because of the robot law). Gesicht is assigned to the case by Interpol and he tries to make sense of the strangely connected murders. A pattern emerges as more robot deaths occur: someone is killing the seven greatest robots in the world, of which Gesicht is one and putting horns on their corpses.
It's an excellent comic series even without it's connection to Astro Boy (which I liked). I have always loved Naoki Urasawa's art, its so complex and real. I also love that Urasawa uses the whole world in his stories, with a focus on Japan and Germany, not Japan alone as is the case with most manga. It's also much more realistic than most Japanese comics, making it a perfect introduction to manga.
What I found to be really intriguing was that the story's perspective focuses on a robot detective rather than Astro Boy himself. It gives the series an outsider's look and keeps the story fresh. The story starts as an investigation of murders and unravels a larger and much more sinister plot. Who is behind these murders? Is it really a robot, or could it be a human? I recommend this for anyone interested in SF manga or a fan of Urasawa.
Based upon Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, "Pluto" reinterprets the story "The Greatest Robot on Earth," expanding it into an updated futuristic murder-mystery. The action centers around Gesicht, a humanoid detective robot in a future world where robots live alongside humans and some are even national heroes. At the beginning of volume one, we learn that the Swiss mountain guide, forest protector, and war veteran robot, Mont Blanc, has been completely destroyed while battling a forest fire. The next day a robot rights defender is found dead in his apartment. Confusingly, only another robot could have killed the extremely powerful Mont Blanc, but a robot could not have killed the human (because of the robot law). Gesicht is assigned to the case by Interpol and he tries to make sense of the strangely connected murders. A pattern emerges as more robot deaths occur: someone is killing the seven greatest robots in the world, of which Gesicht is one and putting horns on their corpses.
It's an excellent comic series even without it's connection to Astro Boy (which I liked). I have always loved Naoki Urasawa's art, its so complex and real. I also love that Urasawa uses the whole world in his stories, with a focus on Japan and Germany, not Japan alone as is the case with most manga. It's also much more realistic than most Japanese comics, making it a perfect introduction to manga.
What I found to be really intriguing was that the story's perspective focuses on a robot detective rather than Astro Boy himself. It gives the series an outsider's look and keeps the story fresh. The story starts as an investigation of murders and unravels a larger and much more sinister plot. Who is behind these murders? Is it really a robot, or could it be a human? I recommend this for anyone interested in SF manga or a fan of Urasawa.
May 5, 2018
Wow. Kudos to anyone who can write about the destruction of a large, non-anthropomorphic robot -- one that hasn't even been introduced to the reader prior, moreover -- and have that be a moving scene.
If you're only familiar with the sort of manga that has giant pathetic eyes and shouty mouths and characters shedding beads of sweat -- this is the opposite of that. It is very expressive, but subtle. Feeling is expressed through facial features, tone of voice, small gestures. Like, y'know, in real life.
I did find it a bit odd that in this future with AI they seem to 1) not have anything like google and 2) that robots apparently replicate rather old-fashioned human gender roles (the wife robots may have jobs, but at home they are in aprons making meals and deferring their husbands). But this book was inspired by Astroboy, which I've not read, so the explanation may lie there.
If you're only familiar with the sort of manga that has giant pathetic eyes and shouty mouths and characters shedding beads of sweat -- this is the opposite of that. It is very expressive, but subtle. Feeling is expressed through facial features, tone of voice, small gestures. Like, y'know, in real life.
I did find it a bit odd that in this future with AI they seem to 1) not have anything like google and 2) that robots apparently replicate rather old-fashioned human gender roles (the wife robots may have jobs, but at home they are in aprons making meals and deferring their husbands). But this book was inspired by Astroboy, which I've not read, so the explanation may lie there.
February 18, 2024
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July 6, 2022
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February 7, 2018
Whoa this was intense, well told, and visually great. This is a wonderful start to what might be my favorite Urasawa series and that's saying something.
So this is a world filled with Androids living with humans. They are trying their best to get apart of humanity and learn about it, and maybe even become it? It's a mix of emotions and storylines that all come together well. The story is really about a robot named Gesicht, a detective, who is finding out why others like him are dying. Something, someone, is killing them. It's a mystery that starts to grow into touching stories about human and robots working together.
Good: The fights, the talking, the quiet moments all come together so well. Touching moments that made me smile, laugh, and want to cry for the characters work all too well. The pacing is great, slow, but not ever boring, and the characters really feel well thought out and crafted. This is by far one of the most intriguing mysteries I've read in awhile.
Bad: Some of the flashbacks can be a bit confusing at times.
Overall this is great, amazing, and well done. I recommend this to everyone looking for a new Manga should check this out. Urasawa is one of the best writers ever to hop on the manga train. A 4.5 out of 5.
So this is a world filled with Androids living with humans. They are trying their best to get apart of humanity and learn about it, and maybe even become it? It's a mix of emotions and storylines that all come together well. The story is really about a robot named Gesicht, a detective, who is finding out why others like him are dying. Something, someone, is killing them. It's a mystery that starts to grow into touching stories about human and robots working together.
Good: The fights, the talking, the quiet moments all come together so well. Touching moments that made me smile, laugh, and want to cry for the characters work all too well. The pacing is great, slow, but not ever boring, and the characters really feel well thought out and crafted. This is by far one of the most intriguing mysteries I've read in awhile.
Bad: Some of the flashbacks can be a bit confusing at times.
Overall this is great, amazing, and well done. I recommend this to everyone looking for a new Manga should check this out. Urasawa is one of the best writers ever to hop on the manga train. A 4.5 out of 5.
January 7, 2020
Another Manga, recommended by a friend. Definitely not what I expected. European setting, robots, a murder mystery, a bit of a superhero feel, a bit of crime noir. Interesting.
Act 1?: "Mont Blanc" (¥â¥ó¥Ö¥é¥ó)
A world were robots are part of everyday life, apparently mostly fulfilling service positions in society. A human is murdered and things unfold from there.
The first few panels are in colour and then we switch to black and white.
Act 2?: "Gesicht" (¥²¥¸¥Ò¥È)
We are exploring what an A.I. might experience, feel, dream... This is not bad.
Act 3?: "Brau 1589" (¥Ö¥é¥¦1589)
Gesicht is a very likable character. And tragic¡ªbeing a robot, but as an A.I. being so sad about the circumstances of his being.
We learn the meaning behind the name of this Manga! Interesting... ominous! Foreboding!
Nice build-up of suspense and tension. Well done.
Act 4?: "North No. 2 (Part 1)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅÇ°)
A future world. Robots have evolved. Humans... not so much.
Pretty tragic plot.
Act 5?: "North No. 2 (Part 2)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅÖÐ)
Continuation of North¡®s storyline in Scotland. I wonder where this is taking us and how it relates to the murder case and Gesicht?
Act 6?: "North No. 2 (Part 3)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅáᾎ)
Conclusion to the Norse/North #2 story. Now I know how this relates. Chapter 4 to 6 are another good piece of story telling.
Act 7?: "Brando" (¥Ö¥é¥ó¥É)
The landscapes in the last three chapters looked a litte wishy-washy. Here we immediately come across some lovely detail...
Nice little story again, making robots appear human and more accessible. Followed by a little cliffhanger and a rather abrupt ending. Good post scriptum.
Bottom line, good story telling. Quiet introspection alternates with action and noise. Overall it made me feel melancholy.
Still pondering the artwork. It definitely has its moments. I am pretty sure I will continue this at some point.
Act 1?: "Mont Blanc" (¥â¥ó¥Ö¥é¥ó)
A world were robots are part of everyday life, apparently mostly fulfilling service positions in society. A human is murdered and things unfold from there.
The first few panels are in colour and then we switch to black and white.
Act 2?: "Gesicht" (¥²¥¸¥Ò¥È)
We are exploring what an A.I. might experience, feel, dream... This is not bad.
Act 3?: "Brau 1589" (¥Ö¥é¥¦1589)
Gesicht is a very likable character. And tragic¡ªbeing a robot, but as an A.I. being so sad about the circumstances of his being.
We learn the meaning behind the name of this Manga! Interesting... ominous! Foreboding!
Nice build-up of suspense and tension. Well done.
Act 4?: "North No. 2 (Part 1)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅÇ°)
A future world. Robots have evolved. Humans... not so much.
Pretty tragic plot.
Act 5?: "North No. 2 (Part 2)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅÖÐ)
Continuation of North¡®s storyline in Scotland. I wonder where this is taking us and how it relates to the murder case and Gesicht?
Act 6?: "North No. 2 (Part 3)" (¥Î©`¥¹2ºÅáᾎ)
Conclusion to the Norse/North #2 story. Now I know how this relates. Chapter 4 to 6 are another good piece of story telling.
Act 7?: "Brando" (¥Ö¥é¥ó¥É)
The landscapes in the last three chapters looked a litte wishy-washy. Here we immediately come across some lovely detail...
Nice little story again, making robots appear human and more accessible. Followed by a little cliffhanger and a rather abrupt ending. Good post scriptum.
Bottom line, good story telling. Quiet introspection alternates with action and noise. Overall it made me feel melancholy.
Still pondering the artwork. It definitely has its moments. I am pretty sure I will continue this at some point.
October 10, 2020
--Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001
The Legacy of Astro Boy: A Discussion Between Naoki Urasawa and Macoto Tezka
Postscript, by Takayuki Matsutani, President of Tezuka Productions, Inc.
The Legacy of Astro Boy: A Discussion Between Naoki Urasawa and Macoto Tezka
Postscript, by Takayuki Matsutani, President of Tezuka Productions, Inc.
March 24, 2023
5/5
wow, this is so good! didn't expect to get emotional in the very first volume. robots and humans have equal standings in this series but so far, the robots were more empathetic than most humans. that little segment about north no. 2 made me tear up. very much excited for the next volumes
this is my second urasawa series, with the first being the 20th century boys, and i liked that series a lot! the art is amazing with the typical 'urasawa style'. it's also very fitting to the story. i hope i'll love this as much as 20th century boys, if not more!
wow, this is so good! didn't expect to get emotional in the very first volume. robots and humans have equal standings in this series but so far, the robots were more empathetic than most humans. that little segment about north no. 2 made me tear up. very much excited for the next volumes
this is my second urasawa series, with the first being the 20th century boys, and i liked that series a lot! the art is amazing with the typical 'urasawa style'. it's also very fitting to the story. i hope i'll love this as much as 20th century boys, if not more!
November 6, 2023
Woah, I've been sleeping... they just adapted this to anime, and it looks freaking amazing, HECK YEAH. Let's GO!
September 26, 2018
This review is based on all eight volumes of the series.
As we are progressing further in a pretty dark future, the idea of artificial intelligence becomes more apparent and certainly recent pop culture has explored this through television (Westworld), cinema (Blade Runner 2049) and comics (Marvel's The Vision). No matter how high-tech these stories can be, they can all date back to the wooden puppetry of Pinocchio, something that is evident in Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, a character who in Japan is as popular as Mickey Mouse, as well as the aesthetic that later became familiar worldwide as anime.
Based specifically on a story arc from Tezuka's manga, Naoki Urasawa deconstructs the mythos of Astro Boy and tells a suspenseful murder mystery starring Gesicht, a Europol robot detective trying to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths. Given its source material, Pluto allows the heroic mechanical boy Atom to be a secondary figure whilst the majority of the story lies on the shoulders of an adult robotic detective who is good at his job, has a loving wife and possibly has a greater agenda that he doesn't know.
One can't help but see the Watchmen influence throughout the manga, in that it begins with a murder, leading to an investigation where the subliminal messaging of the antagonistic horns is shown throughout, whilst the author looks at the conventions of a well-established genre and pull them apart in the pursuit of a philosophical discussion. Considering that the Isaac Asimov-ish future depicted here is a utopia where humans and robots coexist, there are still emotional scars from both sides based on historical war events, whilst there is an ongoing conflict.
As with Urasawa's other manga such as Monster (though not as lengthy), all eight volumes would often break away from the main narrative with chapters that would solely focus on incidental characters that might become significant later on. Not to sound clich¨¦d, but sci-fi at its core should be about what it means to be human and Pluto understands this, as many of the cast ¨C both biologically and mechanically ¨C are wrestling with memories and emotions, which is what defines humanity.
In terms of the aforementioned themes, there is a sequence in the very first chapter where Gesicht visits the home of the wife of Police Robot PRC Model 1332, as the detective says that her husband Robby was destroyed in the line of duty. Despite this geometric-shaped robot can't show any emotion, she wishes to keep the memories of her late husband as they will what keep her going.
Under the given cooperation of Tezuka Productions, Urasawa has quite the treasure chest to display using the established cast from Astro Boy and finding new layers for them. Without my doubt, my favourite character is Uran, Atom's robot younger sister who can sense human, animal, and robot emotions. She may not have a great importance in the main plot, but her presence is uplifting and where the central themes are very apparent, especially during an extraordinary chapter where she meets a homeless figure who has a talent in street art, and shows how a friendship between two unlikely strangers can encompass many emotions.
Considering that Tezuka's Astro Boy is closer to a superhero narrative set within a futuristic setting, Urasawa's story is more of a gritty detective thriller that takes our hero into various areas around the world. Primarily drawn in black and white, this is a world that features fictionalised countries with cities that each have their cultural identity, contrasting the high-tech with the low-tech. Despite the potential spectacle of robot-smashing, a lot of the action is one through closeups of characters reacting to the devastating situations and that is suspenseful enough due to Urasawa's detailed facial expressions.
Throughout these eight volumes, Naoki Urasawa's Pluto is constantly evolving with plot twists and character revelations, whilst paying respect to the source material as well as finding new layers towards Osamu Tezuka's creations.
As we are progressing further in a pretty dark future, the idea of artificial intelligence becomes more apparent and certainly recent pop culture has explored this through television (Westworld), cinema (Blade Runner 2049) and comics (Marvel's The Vision). No matter how high-tech these stories can be, they can all date back to the wooden puppetry of Pinocchio, something that is evident in Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, a character who in Japan is as popular as Mickey Mouse, as well as the aesthetic that later became familiar worldwide as anime.
Based specifically on a story arc from Tezuka's manga, Naoki Urasawa deconstructs the mythos of Astro Boy and tells a suspenseful murder mystery starring Gesicht, a Europol robot detective trying to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths. Given its source material, Pluto allows the heroic mechanical boy Atom to be a secondary figure whilst the majority of the story lies on the shoulders of an adult robotic detective who is good at his job, has a loving wife and possibly has a greater agenda that he doesn't know.
One can't help but see the Watchmen influence throughout the manga, in that it begins with a murder, leading to an investigation where the subliminal messaging of the antagonistic horns is shown throughout, whilst the author looks at the conventions of a well-established genre and pull them apart in the pursuit of a philosophical discussion. Considering that the Isaac Asimov-ish future depicted here is a utopia where humans and robots coexist, there are still emotional scars from both sides based on historical war events, whilst there is an ongoing conflict.
As with Urasawa's other manga such as Monster (though not as lengthy), all eight volumes would often break away from the main narrative with chapters that would solely focus on incidental characters that might become significant later on. Not to sound clich¨¦d, but sci-fi at its core should be about what it means to be human and Pluto understands this, as many of the cast ¨C both biologically and mechanically ¨C are wrestling with memories and emotions, which is what defines humanity.
In terms of the aforementioned themes, there is a sequence in the very first chapter where Gesicht visits the home of the wife of Police Robot PRC Model 1332, as the detective says that her husband Robby was destroyed in the line of duty. Despite this geometric-shaped robot can't show any emotion, she wishes to keep the memories of her late husband as they will what keep her going.
Under the given cooperation of Tezuka Productions, Urasawa has quite the treasure chest to display using the established cast from Astro Boy and finding new layers for them. Without my doubt, my favourite character is Uran, Atom's robot younger sister who can sense human, animal, and robot emotions. She may not have a great importance in the main plot, but her presence is uplifting and where the central themes are very apparent, especially during an extraordinary chapter where she meets a homeless figure who has a talent in street art, and shows how a friendship between two unlikely strangers can encompass many emotions.
Considering that Tezuka's Astro Boy is closer to a superhero narrative set within a futuristic setting, Urasawa's story is more of a gritty detective thriller that takes our hero into various areas around the world. Primarily drawn in black and white, this is a world that features fictionalised countries with cities that each have their cultural identity, contrasting the high-tech with the low-tech. Despite the potential spectacle of robot-smashing, a lot of the action is one through closeups of characters reacting to the devastating situations and that is suspenseful enough due to Urasawa's detailed facial expressions.
Throughout these eight volumes, Naoki Urasawa's Pluto is constantly evolving with plot twists and character revelations, whilst paying respect to the source material as well as finding new layers towards Osamu Tezuka's creations.
June 15, 2020
Book blurb: The series is based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, specifically "The Greatest Robot on Earth" story arc, and named after the arc's chief villain. Urasawa reinterprets the story as a suspenseful murder mystery starring Gesicht, a Europol robot detective trying to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths.
I'm not familiar with the Astro Boy series, but decided to give this completed manga series a try. It's set in a world where robot technology is so advanced that in the newer models, it's hard to tell them apart. Humans are divided along pro or anti robot lines, and a string of murders get the ball rolling. I really liked the artwork and the crime noir/ police procedural feel, but there were a couple of sections that dragged out way too long.
I'm not familiar with the Astro Boy series, but decided to give this completed manga series a try. It's set in a world where robot technology is so advanced that in the newer models, it's hard to tell them apart. Humans are divided along pro or anti robot lines, and a string of murders get the ball rolling. I really liked the artwork and the crime noir/ police procedural feel, but there were a couple of sections that dragged out way too long.
January 5, 2025
Robot detective Gesicht is trying to figure out who is killing the world's most advanced robots and is also a target himself. That seems to be the gist of things. I'm not really a manga guy but this hit all the right buttons for me. It's supposed to be a new take on the Astro Boy concept but I'm not sure how that's the case just yet. The pacing is great and the whole thing has a cinematic feel to me. The art is also clearer than I find a lot of manga to be. Great stuff. I'm all in on this.
December 31, 2023
La muerte de Mont Blanc, uno de los robots m¨¢s amados, ser¨¢ solo la primera de una serie de asesinatos que poseer¨¢n como caracter¨ªstica que en la escena del crimen la parte superior de la cabeza de la victima tendr¨¢ objetos que se asemejen a unos cuernos. El detective Gesicht se har¨¢ cargo de estos casos y tratar¨¢ de ayudar a los otros robots que pueden ser asesinados.
Es el primer trabajo de Urasawa que he le¨ªdo y yo ya me estoy ilusionando mucho. No esperaba esta historia ni esta narrativa, pero me ha sorprendido los di¨¢logos que crea y se sintieron bellos al leerlos, a pesar de que este volumen me transmite un sentimiento melanc¨®lico o triste. Lo que tambi¨¦n aporta a esta emoci¨®n es el color de la hoja del manga, es de un color crema y creo que lo hace reconfortante de leer, de alguna forma c¨¢lido y no con la frialdad de las hojas blancas (no se si tenga sentido esto, pero para m¨ª lo tiene). El dibujo es ¨²nico, nunca hab¨ªa visto a personajes con esos trazos y rostros, tambi¨¦n sus ojos se sienten muy impactantes sin llegar a que est¨¦n dibujados de forma detalladamente.
En esta sociedad los humanos y robots coexisten en total normalidad, ambos realizan los mismos trabajos y los segundos est¨¢n a un nivel tan avanzado que pueden llegar a tener caracter¨ªsticas muy similares a los primeros: tienen familias, realizan viajes por simple recreaci¨®n, algunos f¨ªsicamente pasan desapercibidos como humanos, etc. Pueden llegar hasta tener sue?os, aspiraciones y emociones que solo parecen ser innatas en los humanos, pueden decidir por si mismos lo que desean hacer.
¡°But that¡¯s why I want to learn to play, sir. I dont ever want to¡go to war again...¡±
Siento que Gesicht puede llegar a convertirse en uno de mis protagonistas favoritos porque no se parece a ning¨²n otro que haya le¨ªdo; tambi¨¦n esta el hecho de que es una persona adulta. Es alguien tranquilo y se preocupa por el resto (a ¨¦l tambi¨¦n le doli¨® la muerte de Mont Blanc), su cabeza est¨¢ llena de mucho estr¨¦s, de eso estoy segura, debido a los sue?os que tiene y los asesinatos. Me siento ya apegada a ¨¦l por su aire desolador porque me produce la sensaci¨®n de que es real y quiero ver si evoluciona en este sentido, tal vez que ese rostro serio pueda cambiar a uno con un poco m¨¢s de esperanza.
Con otro personaje que me encari?e demasiado fue North No. 2, literalmente quiero abrazarlo y no fue necesario mostrar toda su historia porque el mangaka con un par de paneles tuvo suficiente para hacerme llorar.
Como ultima cosa quiero decir que Urasawa es lo m¨¢ximo y te llega al coraz¨®n, y si bien me gustar¨ªa hablar del resto de personajes, no puedo porque serian spoilers y no deber¨ªan saber nada para leer este manga.
Es el primer trabajo de Urasawa que he le¨ªdo y yo ya me estoy ilusionando mucho. No esperaba esta historia ni esta narrativa, pero me ha sorprendido los di¨¢logos que crea y se sintieron bellos al leerlos, a pesar de que este volumen me transmite un sentimiento melanc¨®lico o triste. Lo que tambi¨¦n aporta a esta emoci¨®n es el color de la hoja del manga, es de un color crema y creo que lo hace reconfortante de leer, de alguna forma c¨¢lido y no con la frialdad de las hojas blancas (no se si tenga sentido esto, pero para m¨ª lo tiene). El dibujo es ¨²nico, nunca hab¨ªa visto a personajes con esos trazos y rostros, tambi¨¦n sus ojos se sienten muy impactantes sin llegar a que est¨¦n dibujados de forma detalladamente.
En esta sociedad los humanos y robots coexisten en total normalidad, ambos realizan los mismos trabajos y los segundos est¨¢n a un nivel tan avanzado que pueden llegar a tener caracter¨ªsticas muy similares a los primeros: tienen familias, realizan viajes por simple recreaci¨®n, algunos f¨ªsicamente pasan desapercibidos como humanos, etc. Pueden llegar hasta tener sue?os, aspiraciones y emociones que solo parecen ser innatas en los humanos, pueden decidir por si mismos lo que desean hacer.
¡°But that¡¯s why I want to learn to play, sir. I dont ever want to¡go to war again...¡±
Siento que Gesicht puede llegar a convertirse en uno de mis protagonistas favoritos porque no se parece a ning¨²n otro que haya le¨ªdo; tambi¨¦n esta el hecho de que es una persona adulta. Es alguien tranquilo y se preocupa por el resto (a ¨¦l tambi¨¦n le doli¨® la muerte de Mont Blanc), su cabeza est¨¢ llena de mucho estr¨¦s, de eso estoy segura, debido a los sue?os que tiene y los asesinatos. Me siento ya apegada a ¨¦l por su aire desolador porque me produce la sensaci¨®n de que es real y quiero ver si evoluciona en este sentido, tal vez que ese rostro serio pueda cambiar a uno con un poco m¨¢s de esperanza.
Con otro personaje que me encari?e demasiado fue North No. 2, literalmente quiero abrazarlo y no fue necesario mostrar toda su historia porque el mangaka con un par de paneles tuvo suficiente para hacerme llorar.
Como ultima cosa quiero decir que Urasawa es lo m¨¢ximo y te llega al coraz¨®n, y si bien me gustar¨ªa hablar del resto de personajes, no puedo porque serian spoilers y no deber¨ªan saber nada para leer este manga.
October 18, 2018
Woah this was good. Great scifi detective noir type manga with a I Robot/Blade Runner feel. Probably one of the best manga Ive read.
December 18, 2015
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
¡°Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001¡± by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is the first book in an eight-book science fiction manga series Pluto. The whole series is based on ¡°The Greatest Robot on Earth,¡± the most popular story arc in Astro Boy series by a legendary manga master Osamu Tezuka.
In ¡°Pluto, Volume 001,¡± detective Gesicht tries to figure out who - or what - destroyed the world¡¯s most beloved robot Mont Blanc, killed a robot rights activist and left both victims with ¡°horns¡± stuck in their heads. Whoever or whatever the killer is, he seems to be after the seven great robots of the world, which means that Gesicht himself is the target as well.
THUMBS UP:
1) Don¡¯t be afraid of manga!
¡°Pluto, Volume 001¡± is the first manga I¡¯ve ever read, and although I was kind of intimidated by the format at first (it¡¯s not everyday I read a book from right to left), it¡¯s actually not that different from usual comic books.
2) I am intrigued.
¡°Pluto, Volume 001¡± is a quick and engaging read. I kind of went into the story blindly but was pleasantly surprised: although I rarely read books about robots or even science fiction in general, I actually enjoyed the story and was touched by it. Admittedly, the first book feels more of a set up than a story by itself, but I am definitely intrigued to continue with the series.
3) Tribute to Astro Boy.
Since I knew absolutely nothing about Astro Boy, the inspiration of Pluto series, I found the interview with the creators of Pluto and some background information at the end of the book quite interesting, and I am even tempted to read the original story. However, you don¡¯t really need to know the original Astro Boy story to fully enjoy Pluto series. In fact, reading ¡°The Greatest Robot on Earth¡± beforehand would actually reveal some plot twist in Pluto, so I might wait until I am done with this series first.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Not very realistic.
I don¡¯t read science fiction often, but when I do, I prefer a realistic or at least logically explainable story. That being said, there is a lot of direct and indirect ¡°robots are people, too¡± advocacy in the book, and even though the idea of future world in which humans and robots coexist is cool, the facts that robots can have family and children, eat food, feel, dream and even have nightmares seem a little bit far-fetched and beg for an explanation, which the author doesn¡¯t bother to provide but rather expects the reader to just go with it.
2) Passive protagonist.
It might be too early to judge the story or the characters, but the protagonist, detective Gesicht, so far is quite boring. It¡¯s true that we barely know anything about him, but it doesn¡¯t look like there is much to know, and in general Gesicht seems more of an observer rather than a doer.
3) Static and colorless illustrations.
Don¡¯t get me wrong, the artwork in Pluto is stunning, but it¡¯s too static for a comic book. For example, although the entire story is written in dialogues, characters¡¯ mouths most of the time are shut and the range of facial expressions and body movements is quite limited (though it might partially be explained by the fact that a lot of the characters are human-looking robots which, unlike humans, don¡¯t make a lot of unnecessary movements). Also, I was very surprised that only ten first pages are colored and the rest of the illustrations are black and white. The colored pages look SO MUCH better¡
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
¡°Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001¡± by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is more of a set up than a story by itself, thus I have a feeling that I need to read more than just the first volume to really understand and appreciate the series. Although I am not overly impressed by the protagonist and still have to wrap my head around the premise of humanlike robots, the story so far is engaging and touching, and I am eager to pick up the second volume.
¡°Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001¡± by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is the first book in an eight-book science fiction manga series Pluto. The whole series is based on ¡°The Greatest Robot on Earth,¡± the most popular story arc in Astro Boy series by a legendary manga master Osamu Tezuka.
In ¡°Pluto, Volume 001,¡± detective Gesicht tries to figure out who - or what - destroyed the world¡¯s most beloved robot Mont Blanc, killed a robot rights activist and left both victims with ¡°horns¡± stuck in their heads. Whoever or whatever the killer is, he seems to be after the seven great robots of the world, which means that Gesicht himself is the target as well.
THUMBS UP:
1) Don¡¯t be afraid of manga!
¡°Pluto, Volume 001¡± is the first manga I¡¯ve ever read, and although I was kind of intimidated by the format at first (it¡¯s not everyday I read a book from right to left), it¡¯s actually not that different from usual comic books.
2) I am intrigued.
¡°Pluto, Volume 001¡± is a quick and engaging read. I kind of went into the story blindly but was pleasantly surprised: although I rarely read books about robots or even science fiction in general, I actually enjoyed the story and was touched by it. Admittedly, the first book feels more of a set up than a story by itself, but I am definitely intrigued to continue with the series.
3) Tribute to Astro Boy.
Since I knew absolutely nothing about Astro Boy, the inspiration of Pluto series, I found the interview with the creators of Pluto and some background information at the end of the book quite interesting, and I am even tempted to read the original story. However, you don¡¯t really need to know the original Astro Boy story to fully enjoy Pluto series. In fact, reading ¡°The Greatest Robot on Earth¡± beforehand would actually reveal some plot twist in Pluto, so I might wait until I am done with this series first.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Not very realistic.
I don¡¯t read science fiction often, but when I do, I prefer a realistic or at least logically explainable story. That being said, there is a lot of direct and indirect ¡°robots are people, too¡± advocacy in the book, and even though the idea of future world in which humans and robots coexist is cool, the facts that robots can have family and children, eat food, feel, dream and even have nightmares seem a little bit far-fetched and beg for an explanation, which the author doesn¡¯t bother to provide but rather expects the reader to just go with it.
2) Passive protagonist.
It might be too early to judge the story or the characters, but the protagonist, detective Gesicht, so far is quite boring. It¡¯s true that we barely know anything about him, but it doesn¡¯t look like there is much to know, and in general Gesicht seems more of an observer rather than a doer.
3) Static and colorless illustrations.
Don¡¯t get me wrong, the artwork in Pluto is stunning, but it¡¯s too static for a comic book. For example, although the entire story is written in dialogues, characters¡¯ mouths most of the time are shut and the range of facial expressions and body movements is quite limited (though it might partially be explained by the fact that a lot of the characters are human-looking robots which, unlike humans, don¡¯t make a lot of unnecessary movements). Also, I was very surprised that only ten first pages are colored and the rest of the illustrations are black and white. The colored pages look SO MUCH better¡
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
¡°Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001¡± by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is more of a set up than a story by itself, thus I have a feeling that I need to read more than just the first volume to really understand and appreciate the series. Although I am not overly impressed by the protagonist and still have to wrap my head around the premise of humanlike robots, the story so far is engaging and touching, and I am eager to pick up the second volume.
October 27, 2023
Possibly the only interesting meditation on artificial intelligence since Blade Runner. You don¡¯t HAVE to read Astro Boy¡¯s ¡°The Greatest Robot on Earth¡± first to understand this, but it¡¯s only 178 pages long, but I was fucking fascinated by how much Naoki Urasawa was able to extrapolate from that single chapter. Pluto is essentially a sci-fi Silence of the Lambs murder mystery about the United States¡¯ unjust 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The racism metaphors are, like the original Astro Boy, certainly imperfect at times (the German anti-robot KKK member named Adolf is NOT subtle lmao), but if you like wondering if robots can feel love, this is basically a must read. I haven¡¯t played Nier Automata yet but I feel like there¡¯s a LOT of Nier overlap.
The racism metaphors are, like the original Astro Boy, certainly imperfect at times (the German anti-robot KKK member named Adolf is NOT subtle lmao), but if you like wondering if robots can feel love, this is basically a must read. I haven¡¯t played Nier Automata yet but I feel like there¡¯s a LOT of Nier overlap.
August 16, 2020
Ya de por s¨ª conserva los elementos que hacen a Urasawa un maestro de la narraci¨®n gr¨¢fica, del manejo del ritmo y de las expresiones con un virtuosismo inigualable; adem¨¢s siento que estoy entrando a un relato redondo, muy bien cimentado, y harto interesante. Estoy muy entusiasmado con apenas un volumen. Esta saga, de mantener este nivel, muy bien, pudiera ser el mejor manga que he en le¨ªdo rni vida.
February 5, 2024
After finishing Monster last year and loving it, I wanted to pick up another series by Urasawa. Since Pluto had an anime, too, I went with that one first.
I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed this first volume! The art style is so reminiscent of Monster..in a good way, even though the story feels very different. It was unexpectedly moving, and not what I expected..also in a good way!
The mystery element has sucked me in. Someone has been killing humans, but it looks like a robot is doing it, even though robots are forbidden from harming humans. A detective robot, Gesicht, must track down whoever is committing these murders before it blows up into a full-scale war between humans and robots.
A great start to this series!
I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed this first volume! The art style is so reminiscent of Monster..in a good way, even though the story feels very different. It was unexpectedly moving, and not what I expected..also in a good way!
The mystery element has sucked me in. Someone has been killing humans, but it looks like a robot is doing it, even though robots are forbidden from harming humans. A detective robot, Gesicht, must track down whoever is committing these murders before it blows up into a full-scale war between humans and robots.
A great start to this series!
January 7, 2024
Ich liebe den Manga genauso wie die Serie. Und North No. 2 hat mein gesamtes kleines Herz
January 18, 2024
4,5*
Excellent sci-fi thriller plot- I¡¯ve already seen the anime so I know where the story goes- with really deep characters (whether humane or not) and a stunning storytelling.
Where Monster failed to convince me of Urusawa¡¯s talent this book does, with a vengeance. The way Urusawa can show sadness going through a robot designed like P2 (Google it under P2 robot) is close to genius.
Excellent sci-fi thriller plot- I¡¯ve already seen the anime so I know where the story goes- with really deep characters (whether humane or not) and a stunning storytelling.
Where Monster failed to convince me of Urusawa¡¯s talent this book does, with a vengeance. The way Urusawa can show sadness going through a robot designed like P2 (Google it under P2 robot) is close to genius.
April 18, 2023
mi ha fatto piangere due volte solo col primo volume, direi che ¨¨ un ottimo inizio
June 7, 2021
Urasawa no me termina de entrar. Vengo de leer ATOM, la nueva precuela de Astroboy, reinterpretada, publicada recientemente por MIlky Way en Espa?a. Y la verdad es que le¨ªdos dos cap¨ªtulos de Pluto, este palidece frente a ATOM. Buff, que pesado se hace, quiz¨¢s sea por la lentitud, por el poco misterio, por que es un comic de 2004 y ha envejecido mal, no lo s¨¦. Pero es bastante cutre toda la historia, muy trillada, y aun encima hay un halo de misterio pero de cuarta categor¨ªa.
No se que carajo le ven a este Urasawa porque ya van varios que me leo de ¨¦l, y nada. Su misterio no me va. Su tono excesivamente serio, academicista si lo preferimos, sin chicha alguna de romance, sexo, comedia, tragedia, .... tantas cosas le faltan.
Tard¨¦ en acabarme el segundo tomo. Seguir¨¦ porque tengo comprado hasta el 5, a ver si mejora.
No se que carajo le ven a este Urasawa porque ya van varios que me leo de ¨¦l, y nada. Su misterio no me va. Su tono excesivamente serio, academicista si lo preferimos, sin chicha alguna de romance, sexo, comedia, tragedia, .... tantas cosas le faltan.
Tard¨¦ en acabarme el segundo tomo. Seguir¨¦ porque tengo comprado hasta el 5, a ver si mejora.
November 21, 2011
Pluto is a very hard to judge manga. On one hand it¡¯s very mature in themes, on the other it¡¯s full of convenient events and magic resolutions is a setting that is supposed to be a lot logic-based. But compared to the usual formula of most manga out there, it does a fine job leaving you with good impressions to the most part.
First of all, the story is a far more mature and dark version of Astro Boy, made by Osamu Tezuka in the 60¡¯s and which so happens to be THE title that defined anime characteristics for all others to follow. In turn, Astro Boy is a far more dark version of the fairy tale of Pinocchio, a thing that Pluto does not forget to point out. The artwork is done by the same mangaka who did Monster and 20th Century Boys, so it will feel very familiar in pacing to those who know of his work.
Art: 10
The general artwork is in fact a work based on antithesis. Most robots and vehicles for example are drawn to resemble those in the original manga, thus they have a very retro feel to them. They sure don¡¯t look as modern sci-fi like Ghost in the Shell usually depicts and instead have a very simplistic structure or anatomy. This is done purely to keep up with the retro feeling of the original and do not damage the overall. Human figures and most nature sceneries are otherwise quite realistic and very familiar in style of the mangaka. Many characters are in fact found in the original Astro Boy manga and were simply given far more anthropomorphic looks to make the drama easier to kick in.
Another antithesis are the characters themselves who are almost entirely children or adults. I¡¯d be damned if there were more than 5 panels showing teenagers and those were just mooks. This is again done to show the tragic legacy the previous generation left for the next, a theme very vivid in most of Tezuka¡¯s works. It sure creates a weird feeling, as manga are 99% overrun with teens.
In all, the art is splendid in being both detailed and retro at the same time, with the movements and the facial expressions being really vivid and emotional. The use of various cinamatics like shadowing someone¡¯s face or using static noise during flashbacks also manages to build a constant feeling of mystery and uneasiness. I find no reason to not give this a full mark.
Story: 8
The story is again another weird antithesis. The themes it¡¯s using are very mature and mind-blowing but at the same time the actual plot is full of magic resolutions and convenient events that simply do not allow you to really take things too seriously. Once again, it is done to maintain the na?ve feeling all old stories had without forgetting to pass on various important life lessons to the reader. It works all right but sometimes you may facepalm at the way something is unfolded.
The story is rather too complicating to describe. It reminded me of various classics, such as The Watchmen (Pluto taking on the Seven Super Robots), Bladerunner (how robots and humans become harder and harder to tell apart), and even Neon Genesis (well, dr. Tenma is way too much like Gendo Ikari in personality). The whole Persian war was also a smart reference to the latest war in Iraq (Thracia is America, Darius is Sadam and there are imaginary robots of mass destruction thrown in somewhere). None of its elements felt original to me but as a whole the story is indeed interesting to follow through. It has many side stories going on at the same time and things are lokked upon through different points of view, creating a world that doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s revolving around just a few main characters.
The pacing of the story on the other hand is what may feel slow or childish at times, as there is a lot of mystery going around based on fringe science that nobody could figure out before it¡¯s too late to prevent it. Also, many characters are killed or resurrected in quite convenient ways and that does feel like they are fooling with your intelligence. But if your suspension of disbelief is high enough, you can enjoy the thematics and the drama and leave the convenience aside.
The ending of the story will probably feel weak to most as it will unfold way too fast and dried up at some points, with most problems being resolved in just a few panels. Plus, the story will end without telling you everything. You are never told how that robot escaped, who was that teddy bear or how on Earth does a terraforming robot turn magma to ice in half a second. It¡¯s just magic resolutions to get a somewhat happy ending.
Characters: 8
Plagued by those semi-realistic plot devices, the cast itself is somewhat bogged down, despite being quite interesting as far as backgrounds go. Each one of them has a backdrop that has shaped his or her personality and nobody feels like he or she is defined by some quirk or signature attack. Plus the way they interact with one another is plain gorgeous and there are no out of place changes of heart. Another interesting thing to notice is how most of the events are shown though the eyes of robots. Although there is a lot of death in the story, almost all of them are robotic. And yes, robots are treated as alive as long as they are sentient. The mangaka made a wonderful work at making you stare at a junkpile as if it¡¯s a hill of corpses.
As it usually goes with mystery and sci-fi, most development occurs only through memory loss or memory manipulation. Although such plot devices are usually seen as weak, the way the story unfolds did a rather good work at excusing them though a lot of fringe science. It still feels weak but not as much as usual.
Enjoyment and Overall: 7
The blending of retro with modern storytelling is done very good and there are many interesting themes and characters to keep you interesting. The actual mystery of the story takes up a big part of whole and to be honest it ain¡¯t done more seriously than in Monster or 20th Century Boys (you know, you read a thousand pages just to be told everything was magic nobody could do anything about in the first place). Plus, some poor plot devices and the rushed ending really damage the whole and prevent you from being eager to reread the whole deal. But it¡¯s still amongst the better manga out there and really worths reading it for various reasons other than orthological storytelling.
First of all, the story is a far more mature and dark version of Astro Boy, made by Osamu Tezuka in the 60¡¯s and which so happens to be THE title that defined anime characteristics for all others to follow. In turn, Astro Boy is a far more dark version of the fairy tale of Pinocchio, a thing that Pluto does not forget to point out. The artwork is done by the same mangaka who did Monster and 20th Century Boys, so it will feel very familiar in pacing to those who know of his work.
Art: 10
The general artwork is in fact a work based on antithesis. Most robots and vehicles for example are drawn to resemble those in the original manga, thus they have a very retro feel to them. They sure don¡¯t look as modern sci-fi like Ghost in the Shell usually depicts and instead have a very simplistic structure or anatomy. This is done purely to keep up with the retro feeling of the original and do not damage the overall. Human figures and most nature sceneries are otherwise quite realistic and very familiar in style of the mangaka. Many characters are in fact found in the original Astro Boy manga and were simply given far more anthropomorphic looks to make the drama easier to kick in.
Another antithesis are the characters themselves who are almost entirely children or adults. I¡¯d be damned if there were more than 5 panels showing teenagers and those were just mooks. This is again done to show the tragic legacy the previous generation left for the next, a theme very vivid in most of Tezuka¡¯s works. It sure creates a weird feeling, as manga are 99% overrun with teens.
In all, the art is splendid in being both detailed and retro at the same time, with the movements and the facial expressions being really vivid and emotional. The use of various cinamatics like shadowing someone¡¯s face or using static noise during flashbacks also manages to build a constant feeling of mystery and uneasiness. I find no reason to not give this a full mark.
Story: 8
The story is again another weird antithesis. The themes it¡¯s using are very mature and mind-blowing but at the same time the actual plot is full of magic resolutions and convenient events that simply do not allow you to really take things too seriously. Once again, it is done to maintain the na?ve feeling all old stories had without forgetting to pass on various important life lessons to the reader. It works all right but sometimes you may facepalm at the way something is unfolded.
The story is rather too complicating to describe. It reminded me of various classics, such as The Watchmen (Pluto taking on the Seven Super Robots), Bladerunner (how robots and humans become harder and harder to tell apart), and even Neon Genesis (well, dr. Tenma is way too much like Gendo Ikari in personality). The whole Persian war was also a smart reference to the latest war in Iraq (Thracia is America, Darius is Sadam and there are imaginary robots of mass destruction thrown in somewhere). None of its elements felt original to me but as a whole the story is indeed interesting to follow through. It has many side stories going on at the same time and things are lokked upon through different points of view, creating a world that doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s revolving around just a few main characters.
The pacing of the story on the other hand is what may feel slow or childish at times, as there is a lot of mystery going around based on fringe science that nobody could figure out before it¡¯s too late to prevent it. Also, many characters are killed or resurrected in quite convenient ways and that does feel like they are fooling with your intelligence. But if your suspension of disbelief is high enough, you can enjoy the thematics and the drama and leave the convenience aside.
The ending of the story will probably feel weak to most as it will unfold way too fast and dried up at some points, with most problems being resolved in just a few panels. Plus, the story will end without telling you everything. You are never told how that robot escaped, who was that teddy bear or how on Earth does a terraforming robot turn magma to ice in half a second. It¡¯s just magic resolutions to get a somewhat happy ending.
Characters: 8
Plagued by those semi-realistic plot devices, the cast itself is somewhat bogged down, despite being quite interesting as far as backgrounds go. Each one of them has a backdrop that has shaped his or her personality and nobody feels like he or she is defined by some quirk or signature attack. Plus the way they interact with one another is plain gorgeous and there are no out of place changes of heart. Another interesting thing to notice is how most of the events are shown though the eyes of robots. Although there is a lot of death in the story, almost all of them are robotic. And yes, robots are treated as alive as long as they are sentient. The mangaka made a wonderful work at making you stare at a junkpile as if it¡¯s a hill of corpses.
As it usually goes with mystery and sci-fi, most development occurs only through memory loss or memory manipulation. Although such plot devices are usually seen as weak, the way the story unfolds did a rather good work at excusing them though a lot of fringe science. It still feels weak but not as much as usual.
Enjoyment and Overall: 7
The blending of retro with modern storytelling is done very good and there are many interesting themes and characters to keep you interesting. The actual mystery of the story takes up a big part of whole and to be honest it ain¡¯t done more seriously than in Monster or 20th Century Boys (you know, you read a thousand pages just to be told everything was magic nobody could do anything about in the first place). Plus, some poor plot devices and the rushed ending really damage the whole and prevent you from being eager to reread the whole deal. But it¡¯s still amongst the better manga out there and really worths reading it for various reasons other than orthological storytelling.
February 11, 2025
Siapa yang gag kenal dengan Astro Boy karya dari Osamu Tezuka ? Robot kuat yg memiliki emosi untuk mengerti manusia. Tapi kali ini kita tidak bercerita tentang Astroboy sebagai tokoh utama akan tetapi berfokus pada salah satu karakter pendukung Robot Detective Geischt dalam rangka mengungkap tewasnya Robot Canggih Mont Blanc. Dibuat dan dikembangkan Mangaka Naoki Urasawa , PLUTO memiliki cerita misteri yg lebih intens dan emotional. (Saya suka sekali Episode Robot North No. 02) . Nggak mau banyak cerita baca aja awoakwokaoakwow
March 12, 2018
I enjoyed this opening volume to the series, one I've been wanting to read for a while. This is a "later" series from Urusawa, beginning after Master Keaton and Monster. And I can tell that this is a more mature work...or perhaps a better way to put it is that the tone is darker (which I might be mistaking for more "serious"). What I mean by that is that in Keaton, there was a tendency to lapse into the sentimental every now and again. There's nothing wrong with that, but I tend to appreciate more a hard-nosed and stark kind of storytelling. I look forward to continuing this series.
September 20, 2023
It¡¯s so reminiscent of Monster T-T I¡¯m loving Gesicht already.
I watched Astro boy as a kid, and I just realised Doctor Tenma in Monster was named after Atom¡¯s father.
I watched Astro boy as a kid, and I just realised Doctor Tenma in Monster was named after Atom¡¯s father.
July 31, 2023
10/10
Naoki Urasawa never misses
Naoki Urasawa never misses
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