Osamu Tezuka appreciation thread

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 14: Robio And Robiette

This episode is a pun on Romeo and Juliet. Robio and Robiette are robots created by two men who hate each other. Professor Donahue built Robio and his two brothers, Ben and Cruiser. Robiette is the creation of Professor Cavelett along with her brothers, Ox, Mosquito and Kibbalt. Donahue has programmed his robots to fight with Cavelett's robots and vice versa. Thus they have made their creations enemies in response to their own personal rivalry.

Dr. Elefun is very concerned about the robots violent tendencies but the two Professors won't listen to his admonishments. However he shows Astro that Robio and Robiette are very similar in their robotic design. He explains that the two men have formed such a strong bond of hatred that they started to think alike when they were designing their last robot each. Thus Robio and Robiette are essentially the same deep down inside. There's a chance that they may find they are naturally attracted to each other and then maybe peace can be made between the robot families.

It's true that the title characters find themselves inevitably drawn to each other. But what will really be Donahue, Cavalett and the other robots reaction to this? Will Astro be able to keep things under control and will things turn out romantically rosy in the end?

Watch it and see.

More soon.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 15: Astro Fights Aliens

Astro is appointed Captain of an Exploration rocket ship to Mars. He's been specially requested by the director although Astro's second in command Lieutenant Blackstone isn't happy about taking orders from a robot and neither are some others. But the director refuses to yield to the Lieutenant's protests and Captain Astro leads the expedition to Mars.

When he goes off to explore he encounters an army of hostile aliens who are set on conquering Earth. He radios to warn his men but Lieutenant Blackstone will not believe a robot's crazed imagination and hangs up on him. What will become of the men when the aliens attack them suddenly? Astro has a challenging battle to fight against these creatures. You'll be enraptured with excitement.

Stay tuned for more.

 

[The Shoe Fairy]

Episode 13: Uran The Tomboy

Now we first meet Astro's little sister Uran. She is created by Dr. Elefun as a present for Astro on occasion of New Year's Day. Incidentally the previous episode was set at Christmastime so there's an obvious continuity flow here.

Astro and his parents are delighted with the addition to their family. Uran however becomes rebellious when Astro rebukes her for causing a commotion while he's showing her the city and she runs away. Astro tries to catch her but she gives him the slip and gets into more serious trouble.

She meets a clown playing a pipe leading a bunch of other robot children down the street in a merry dance and she joins in. The clown tells her that he's going to take her and all the other kids to a wonderfully fun place called Dream Island. His pipe has a special hypnotic effect upon the robots brains and makes them want to go to Dream Island and so they all dance after the clown until they board a boat that takes them out to sea. (Doesn't this remind you of Pinocchio's Pleasure Island a little? I told you Tezuka loved taking inspiration from Disney )

Dr. Elefun tells Astro he fears Uran may have been taken by a gang who kidnap robots, rebuild them and sell them as slaves. Astro vows to rescue her and all the other children. Dream Island certainly is in reality a horrifying nightmare. The robot kids are locked up in cells awaiting their dreadful fate. After Astro saves the day Uran sees her brother in a much more positive light. If you want to know how Astro finds them and destroys Dream Island you know what you have to do.

Be back soon.

OMG! I <333 Uran! She is a great character!

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 16: Save The Carolina 3

This story centers upon a boy named Gene who lives on a satellite with his father. The satellite is sort of like a watchtower station. Gene's dad is responsible for keeping a close eye out for the rocket ships that pass by and make sure there are no collisions or getting lost due to going off course. Gene travels down to earth to attend Astro's school, but he is very miserable because some of the other kids led by Alvin tease him calling him The Satellite Boy.

But Gene's in for a much worse experience. Skunk's gang kidnap him and use him as a hostage to gain entrance into his dad's satellite. Once inside Skunk has father and son under his thumb. He plans to force them to help him intercept the Carolina 3 and rob it of all the valuable platinum contained in its cargo holds. Where are you Astroboy? We need you.

Next episode coming up.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 17: The Rainbow Comet

All the students of Daddy Walrus's class are taking a field trip to outer space to study astronomy. The spaceship is completely operated by remote-controlled computer. Not even Daddy Walrus himself has gone along with them.

All the lessons are presented by Dr. Elefun via video cassettes and one of Astro's best friends Kenneth is taking leadership of their schedule. Astro has a communicator to call Elefun in an emergency. Not that anything is expected to go wrong of course, but don't be so sure. Let me just say that the flying Space Crystal of old nemesis Atlas is floating in the vicinity. In such case anything could happen. Astro had better be on guard for the sake of all his friends.

Be back soon.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 18: The Death Balloon

Skunk is making big trouble for Astro. He's creating giant exploding balloons in Astro's shape and sending them all over the city where they cause immense damage to people and property. Everybody begins blaming Astro for these attacks and our old friend Inspector Gumshoe is trying to make Astro confess to his grudge against humans.

Astro must prove his innocence by capturing Skunk as quickly as possible. Incidentally this is the final story in which Skunk appears. It was originally broadcast just before the final adventure. There are only about 7 or 8 Skunk stories and in the English dub they were chronologically at the beginning and end with a bulk of other stories in the middle. Obviously the producers of the dub wanted to make it feel as if the recurring villian was actually present all the time. However in Japan all his appearances were early in the piece. It's intriguing because there's no reason at all why Skunk should disappear. At the end of this story he is presumably still alive and back in jail. Strange but that's clearly the way Tezuka chose to do it.

Well I'll be back to continue my brief reviews soon.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 19: The Transformation Robot

Astro meets a very unique robot at an underwater station named Buck. Buck was created as a transformation robot able to change his shape into various animals. Sadly his creator was embezzling money to finance him and he was arrested leaving Buck incomplete.
But some thieves have sprung Buck's creator out of jail so that he can finally complete his creation. However in return the thieves want to be able to use Buck to help them steal. Will Buck become their tool? Can Astro prevent catastrophe? Don't miss the excitement.

More to come.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 20: The Wreck Of The Titan

The luxury spaceship liner, Titan, has been struck by meteorites on her maiden voyage. Everybody escapes in emergency life craft but Astro finds himself inside one that malfunctions. They land on the moon and find the radio won't work, nor the signal rockets, so they can't alert the moon base to their predicament. Their oxygen can't last for long. How can even Astro help in a situation like this?

I'll be back.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 21: The Liar Robot

Daddy Walrus has taken his class to a weather observatory to learn all about weather conditions and also seismic activity. Suddenly a robot assistant reports that an earthquake will hit the city soon. But it's a lie. Why would a robot lie like that?

Shortly afterwards a real earthquake will strike. But nobody will believe it after the false alarm and Astro must help save people from the danger they are in.

What is the secret behind the Liar Robot? It's very tragic as you'll find out.

Next episode very soon.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Episode 22: The Girl From Alsoar

While Astro and his family are taking a skiing holiday in the snowy mountain lands he meets a female alien from the planet Alsoar. She has come to warn the earth that they're going to be attacked. She was sent to earth in peace by Alsoar's government to request that she may take some water back with her, for Alsoar has run out of its own water supply. However on the way her robot crew malfunctioned and decided on their own to drain away the earth's water by force. Violet, her name, escaped from her spaceship and is recaptured after telling her story to Astro. Meanwhile the saucers from Alsoar begin sucking up water and panic ensues. See how Astro fights to stop this calamity and learn the hidden secret of Violet's species in The Girl From Alsoar.

More upcoming.