Astro Boy

Synopsis

In the year 2003, Professor Tenma is distraught when his son Tobio is killed in a car accident. He loses himself in his latest project, creating Atom, a robot boy programmed to be forever good.

Upset that his Tobio-substitute can never grow up, Tenma sells Atom to Ham Egg, the cruel ringmaster of a robot circus. Atom meets the kindly Professor Ochanomizu, who adopts him, inspires him to become a crusader against evil, and eventually builds him a robot "sister," Uran.

(Source: The Anime Encyclopedia)

Background

Tetsuwan Atom was the first television anime series to air in a 30-minute programming slot. It was broadcast by Fuji Television and aired on Tuesdays when broadcast began in 1963. The first episode debuted on New Year's Day with a 27.4% viewership rating, with the series later peaking at over 40% rating by the following year. From 1964 onward, the airing was changed to Saturdays. When American television producer the late Fred Ladd helped NBC Enterprises adapt the series for broadcast in the United States in 1963, the title Astro Boy was used instead of the manga's English title Mighty Atom. The change was forced because of its similarity to the contemporary American superhero character Mighty Mouse, which Osamu Tezuka used as a basis for the character Atom.

Characters

Atom Main

Dr. Ochanomizu Main

Atlas Supporting

Cobalt Supporting

Ham Egg Supporting

Hige Oyaji Supporting

Nakamura Supporting

Pluto Supporting

Skunk Kusai Supporting

Tawashi Supporting

Staff

Osamu Tezuka Director, Episode director, Script, Original creator

Osamu Dezaki Episode director, Storyboard, In-between animation, Key animation

Shuuji Konno Episode director

Fusahiro Nagaki Episode director

Minoru Okazaki Episode director

Rintarou Episode director

Gisaburou Sugii Episode director, Script, Storyboard, Key animation, Animation director

Shinichi Suzuki Episode director

Yoshiyuki Tomino Episode director, Script

Eiichi Yamamoto Episode director, Script

Videos

OP episode 1 version

OP Nozomi Entertainment version