Astro Boy (1963)

Astro Boy is a science fiction series set in a future where androids co-exist with humans. Its focus is on the adventures of the titular "Astro Boy", a powerful robot created by the head of the Ministry of Science Dr. Tenma (Dr. Boyton in the first series English anime, Dr. Balfus in the Canadian dub of the second series) in order to replace his son Tobio, or Astor Boyton III in the first series English anime, Toby in the remake of the first series English anime. After Tobio died in a car accident, Dr. Tenma built Astro in Tobio's image and treated him as lovingly as if he were the real Tobio, but soon came to the fact that the little android could not fill the void of his lost son, especially due to the fact that he wouldn't grow. In the original 1960 edition, Tenma rejected Astro and sold him to a cruel circus owner, Hamegg (also known as Cachatore), who abused the performers. In the 1980 edition, Astro naïvely signed himself away to the circus owner.

While languishing in Hamegg's circus, Professor Ochanomizu (Dr. Packadermus J. Elefun in the first series, Prof. Peabody in the Canadian dub of the second series, and Dr. O'Shay in the third English dub), the new head of the Ministry of Science, noticed Astro Boy performing in the circus. He managed to make Hamegg turn Astro over to him. He brought Astro along and treated him gently and warmly, becoming his legal guardian. He soon realized Astro was gifted with superior powers and skills, as well as the ability to experience human emotions.
Astro Boy deploys his hip-mounted lasers. Updated from machine guns depicted in the manga.
Astro Boy deploys his hip-mounted lasers. Updated from machine guns depicted in the manga.

Soon enough, Astro Boy became an android super-hero with a variety of special powers. These included:

• Translate more than 60 languages
• Strength equivalent to 100,000 horsepower (75 MW), allowing him to lift many times his own weight,
• The ability to fly using jets in his legs (the manga also featured jets in his arms but they were not featured in the '60s anime),
• Magnification of his hearing up to 1000 times,
• Laser guns deployed at his posterior (updated from machine-guns depicted in the original manga) (see image; right),
• An electro-heart that can discern people's criminal intentions,
• Bright eye-lamps to assist his vision.

In the more recent series Astro Boy was also given an arm cannon, lasers in his fingers, and additional jets in his arms.

Astro then fought crime, evil and injustice. Most of his enemies were robot-hating humans, robots gone berserk or alien invaders. Each story almost always included a big robot battle involving Astro as one of the fighters.

The series explored issues of morality, responsibility, racism, prejudice, true heroism, and loss.