Astro Boy reboot: The monumental vision revealed by Pluto creator

During a Netflix interview, co-creator Naoki Urasawa discusses his inspirations and the journey that led him to work on the latest anime series to hit the streaming platform.

Arriving on Netflix in October 2023, the eight-episode anime series Pluto quickly became a success, earning well-deserved praise and even achieving a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Following the success of Monster, Pluto continues to delight fans as yet another masterpiece in Urasawa's catalog.

The anime has the unique ability to evoke both joy and sadness through its captivating storyline. In a recent interview, Naoki Urasawa discussed the creation of Pluto, a darker spin on the well-known manga Astro Boy. Delve deeper into the article to gain insight into the creator's vision and creative process behind the anime.

Naoki Urasawa opens up regarding Pluto’s making

Renowned for his work on Pluto, Naoki Urasawa is a legendary manga artist who has garnered widespread acclaim. However, his journey into the realm of sci-fi anime series was anything but simple.

Urasawa recently recalled his initial exposure to the Astro Boy universe at just four or five years old, when his parents first introduced him to Osamu Tezuka's work. He became captivated by the manga and would spend hours poring over it, even going so far as to replicate the illustrations with Tezuka's autograph. He went on to discuss the collaboration initiated by Tezuka Productions to commemorate the creation of Astro Boy, posing the bold question of whether any manga artist had the audacity to remake "The Greatest Robot on Earth."

Urasawa was initially hesitant when every editor asked him to work on the project, believing he couldn't handle the pressure. However, after discussing the idea with a familiar editor, he became so intrigued by the concept of creating a story for the robotic detective Gesicht from the Astro Boy universe that he ultimately submitted his drawings to Tezuka Productions. A year later, Urasawa received an invite to dinner from the director of Tezuka Productions, Macoto Tezuka, who surprised him by offering him the responsibility of bringing Pluto to life. Initially sticking to Tezuka's style, Macoto eventually encouraged Urasawa to put his own spin on the characters.

Even though Macoto Tezuka trusted him entirely, Urasawa remained under pressure to deliver the project to the readers without destroying it.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the upcoming Astro Boy reboot, Pluto. The original Astro Boy manga and anime series were groundbreaking and influential, and I can't wait to see what a modern retelling will bring. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the series will explore the darker side of the Astro Boy universe, as hinted at in the article. I think it's important for reboots to take risks and offer something new to fans, and I'm confident that Pluto will do just that.

I also appreciate the fact that Naoki Urasawa, the creator of Pluto, was hesitant to take on the project at first. It shows that he has a deep respect for the original series and wants to do it justice. I'm glad that he was eventually convinced to work on the reboot, and I can't wait to see what he brings to the table. Overall, I'm very optimistic about the Astro Boy reboot and can't wait to see it when it premieres on Netflix in October 2023.