I figured I'd introduce myself by dumping somethnig of a running commentary on the AB series.
Maybe this is blog-ish material but I can’t bring myself to set up a blog and accrue a watcherbase just to get somebody to read this.
I also figured this place could do with the discussion. Forgive errors, I've spent hours looking at this post aleady.
So. In the order in which I fell into the AB series.
1. Somebody posted the Astro Boy reboot trailer on Discord.
2. Decided to watch 09 movie, I think it’s good
3. Decided to watch the 03 anime, watched the JP dub probably about 15 years ago. English dub. (bleh) I liked to watch when I was little.
4. Think it’s fairly safe to say I fell down this hole.
5. Decide to actually read the manga.
I use the names that I'm used to for each continuity, so don’t be surprised if I use the JPN or ENG names depending on context.
2009
• Toby treats Orrin with disrespect.
• When “Toby” asks Orrin to hang out with him, Orrin starts to panic…. Implying this is out of character?
• Yeah I feel like they aren’t the same person. Many people think Tenma just had no idea about his son, which is a perfectly reasonable explanation, but it doesn’t feel quite right to me, either.
• Astro's afraid his freinds wont like him anymore Tenma did a number on him huh.
• Tenma's on thin ice.
• Astro looks really cute, honestly I think it’s a great modernization of his design, the older designs are a “dated cute” and look doll-like. I think that is what was considered cute at the time and it is cute but I think there’s a slight offness about it.
• He wears clothes. Good. Design looks pretty good, it all has red accents which brings it together.
• Astro and Cora are pretty cute
• No Ken/Tamao/Shib, I’m not worked up about them though, I kind see them as "the friends", which this lot also are.
• No Uran, I feel slightly simular I guess, she's cute but I always felt Atom, Ocahnomizu and Tenma where the characters that had "the dynamic."
• Astro's friends actively looked for him, Tenma didn't come to the realisation until it slapped him in the face, just sayin.
• Feels nicely self-contained, it is nice to see something more like a self-contained arc than smaller adventures.
• Elefun's lines are kind of eyeroll-y but also fitting, he's a sweet old man.
2003
• Ochanomizu is Atom’s Dad that is the hill I will die on.
• Cute
• "I'm gonna send this robot to try and kill you so you will learn to kill."
• I love Tenma because I hate him.
• Atom having the does Tenma even love me situation, like oww.
• Uran is cute, something of a fiery girl sweet boy situation with Atom, her role in the Pluto episode was nice.
• Well that escalated quickly.
• Atom is sweet as pie and he becomes so beleaguered by the end of this, he is constantly trying to stop people killing each other. Pretty sure he can’t shed tears in this continuity and wouldn’t be bloody surprised if he can’t because he ends up looking like he goddamn will.
• Tenma wiped Atom’s memories, not like they define who he is or anything, not like you effectively tried to kill him nah he’s a robot and his files are replaceable, honest.
• Atom and Tobio do feel like they were the same person, their personalities seem exactly the same, and the writers actively show this by having Atom rebel against Tenma almost exactly he same way, almost word-for-word. It’s interesting to see the other side of the coin.
• I can't get over how harsh Atom's deactivation looks, christ did Temna fry him?! Was he trying to kill him?
•This final confrontation with Atom and Tenma is tense.
• I like the fact the credits animation is that scene from the last episode, adds to the sense of closure, that song is so melodic and sappy pfftpf.
• He still makes the action of wiping tears,though. Awwh.
• Wait he just....circumnavigates the planet, he supposed to do that? He could have used that speed before.
You know, one thing I really appreciate 2003 is it's unusual take on the chronology. We're introduced to Atom's new life rather than his old one. I think this goes to show that Atom isn't defined by his past and has a family with Ochanomizu and Uran. Speaking of Ochanomizu, this arrangement also puts focus on Ochanomizu and Tenma as opposites.
Tezuka’s Astro Boy
• This just feels so “off” from what I'm used to haha.
• Astro is very willing to get into a fight.
•Tenma's problem with Astro doesn't feel natural.
• So he goes to Tenma to get upgraded, Tenma tells him it could fry him, he accepts, it fries him. So he can beat up Pluto.
• Astro doesn’t seem taken seriously as a living thing, he feels more like a “funny robot” and his mindset is inorganic.
• I don’t like it.jpg
• Tenma never tried to upload Tobio to Astro, I find this an interesting difference, I’d be interested to see another example where this is the case, especially where Astro still has the organic, natural mindset I'm used to.
• I don’t like it.jpg