Astro Boy, the robot superhero who became the first anime superstar, emerged full-blown from the brain of Osamu Tezuka, who created the seminal manga in 1951, followed by the beloved TV series in 1963. The original Japanese version of the character, however, was called Mighty Atom, and this new series based on a 2014 manga by Tetsuro Kasahara, serves as a prequel. The story follows the efforts of university students Hiroshi and Umatarō to fashion a robot strong enough to win competitive battles against other robots, but also capable of experiencing human emotion. The result is an android they call A106, or "Six" for short, who is steadily improved over the course of the series to be able to intervene heroically when threats arise. Hiroshi is presented as kindly and soft-hearted, while Umatarō is arrogant and ambitious, and there are a couple of likable female characters: Motoko, a fellow student infatuated with Hiroshi, and Hiroshi’s shy little sister Ran, who is drawn to Six. For most of the narrative arc, however, Six remains pretty much a blank, and the animation is little more than adequate. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2017 in a Blu-ray edition, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-14, this is an optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Atom: The Beginning—The Complete Collection
(2017) 2 discs. 300 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. Blu-ray: $59.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 5
Atom: The Beginning—The Complete Collection
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