Engineering a Head Canon

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

What is your favorite Astro canon setting? I've been looking at various fan fictions here and up on the FanFiction.net site and I've come up with a few variations.

1: The "Classic" canon is, of course, the mainstream Manga which is duplicated by the 1960's anime. This canon has Astro, Cobalt, and Chi-Tan in in. Atlas doesn't exist, at least not in the form that most of us are familiar with. (The ELV episode of Don-Tay's inferno has the Atlas character)

2: The 1980's Anime is close to the manga but Cobalt and Chi-tan are missing, and Atlas has been merged with the Blue Knight. Both of these 'Tezuka' animes have Tenma dropping out after the first story arc, though his character DOES appear again in the manga and in a few of the 1960's anime stories, but most of these were never seen outside of Japan.

3:The 2003 Anime again leaves out Cobalt and Chi-tan, and brings Atlas back as his own character, inventing a new origin story for him. Dr. Tenma takes on a very dark role, and is present for the entire story arc. In addition to Atlas's 'father', we have some other new characters introduced such as Reno, Yuko, and Nora. Astro loses his robot family, and lives with Dr. O'Shay (Ochanomizu/Elepfun).

4: The 2009 Movie has a more narrow focus, but it deemphasizes Ochanomize/elefun as an important character, and makes Tenma more of a proper human being. Some new OC's are introduced such as Cora.

5: Jetter Mars was really an alternate Astro, but it's fun to think of him as a separate character and merge him into the canon. Certainly there would have been more than one eminent scientist who could have created a robot like Astro, so why not allow for Tenma to have had company in his field?

My vision for a story setting would be a cross between the 2003 anime and the 2009 movie. I'd leave Tenma in the background in much the same way that Tezuka did, but he'd be available for consultation. Maybe he didn't go totally insane, but he is a recluse. I'd figure out a way to have BOTH Cobalt and Chi-tan in the story so Astro would have all three of his siblings living under the same roof with Dr. O'Shay (or Ochanomizu). Atlas would be there living with Livian after running from Totagowa, same basic story as in the anime with some of Dan's ideas in there. Reno is around somewhere too, maybe working at the IOS. Cora and maybe a few of Hamegg's other waifs are in the story as well. I might see a more positive role for Hamegg, perhaps he turns over a new leaf and is welcomed back to work at the IOS.
I'd also like to work Mars into the cannon somehow. I can almost see him as a chum of Atlas, that would really tick Astro off!

The recent thread started by Jeffbert on the unknown story arc is interesting. We know from the 'once upon a time' story arc that Astro went back into time and ran into a young Ochanomizu (without somehow creating a time paradox??). Now it seems that he ALSO interacted with Tenma! I wonder about concocting a story along those lines, since I'll probably never get to see the entire arc the way Tezuka wrote it.

There is also the "Astro boy returns" story arc from the manga that is only partly represented in the DH collection. That has a few good characters worth adding to the canon.

As for location, I don't feel completely comfortable setting a story in Japan, only because I don't know enough about the setting to do it right. OTHO, the fictitious Metro City, even though it IS in Japan makes a good setting because I can see it as I want without breaking reality. I can always mention a few real locations in passing as long as I don't go too deep into details. (Avoids being caught in a lie).

Anybody else have their own ideas?

[Little Brown Fox]

Well this is certainly a fun thread you have started here, TetPen! I'll have to think about it; and even then it's debatable whether I'll share some of it or not (I have multiple AUs- not all of them AB-related, but most of them, particularly recently- running rampant in my head at any given moment so).

[Earthshine]

I usually pick and choose various elements from all versions of Astro Boy, including language differences to make my own personal 'world' of Astro Boy.

In my own personal ultimate 'world' of Astro Boy I mostly use elements found in the 2003 AB anime but with the adventures that he experienced in the 1960s series. I really enjoy the 2003 version of Atlas so when I think of the character of Atlas I think of the punk dreadlocks sporting motorcycle fetish gang member with fabulous pants, and my version of Atlas always was a robot and in fact 'grew' up (as the English version of the series depicted).

There are also other variations with my world but it would take waaaaaay too long to post it all. So I think I'll put that on hold for now.

[Sporkia]

What an interesting topic!
I sort of operate in a classic-ish canon setting. Everybody's pretty much how they are in the 60s series with slight alterations, updates and concepts pulled from other versions.

I typically imagine the setting being in Japan, but I don't really mention any specifics unless I have to. The city, I sort of imagine being like how it is in the movie (except not floating). I've kept the idea of Kokoro from the 2003 version and the technology is sort of just based on what we use today (sans the obviously future-y things that have been part of all versions, like the cars and such).

In terms of the characters, Astro lives with all three of his siblings, but I don't really do much with Chi-tan outside of minor cameos or short jokes. (Though I did have kind of a dumb story in mind featuring Cobalt and Chi-tan doing important things, but I'm not sure whether I want to write or draw it.) Atlas exists too, but I don't really know whether I want to use 80s boy Atlas or 03 Atlas, so I haven't done too much with him yet, either. Astro and siblings (sans Atlas) all live with just their robot mom (I sort of got rid of the dad, because I was never terribly fond of his character) and Ochanomizu is sort of an important, outside relative. I probably won't get into all the specifics of character dynamics here (unless anyone wants me to) because it's a lot.

And as much as I like Tenma, I simply don't even bother with him, as I just wouldn't be able to portray him well enough to do him justice. Besides, I tend to have a sort of silly, light-hearted slice of life/adventure/mystery thing going on with a lot of my ideas, so Astro or Cobalt or anybody else having creator angst just doesn't really fit my style of storytelling for this series, and would be better off in more capable hands.

A lot of other little specific details I'm usually pretty flexible about and will adjust them according to the story.

[Ureshii bot]

Great question! I was introduced to astro boy through the 2009 movie, and I loved it so much I had to look it up. Then I found the 80's series and oh my gosh I was hooked. I then started researching all the series and I don't think the 2009 version held a candle to them. I started reading the manga as well. I think the manga's my favorite though,. The adventures are great, the characters are there, and the drawings are the best(for me).

I'm really fond of the 2003 version too. I'm sad cobalt isn't in there (I like that kid). And shunsaku ban doesn't appear as much as I would've like him too. There's plenty of things I like about it over the manga though. I like atlas's design a lot , as Earthshine said, now the image of a punky, dreadlock atlas come to mind when I think of him. I like the blue knights, I haven't read all the manga so I don't know if he appears like in the 2003. Also, is it just me, or does Dr. Ochanimizu seem nicer in the 2003 version?
In conclusion, I like the manga the best (haven't read it all though) and 2003 is a close second.

[tailz]

I'd have to say I see more of the 2003 series more than any other. Though I also go for the 1960s version as well because it's told from Tezuka's point of view. I'm kinda stuck in between the two.

Though, for me, the 1980s version wasn't much really there. I mean, I did love the series don't get me wrong, but I didn't really like how Atlas looked and how he basically just died in the series. Also, It mostly seemed a bit off storyline in the 1980s series. It went to Astro's birth, to atlas, then random episodes. But it seemed more random in the 1960s series have to say. (though I like it because it's Tezuka's original story. Well, so is the 1980 series so...)

So yeah! I'm pretty much confused and mixed between all of them in a way! I simply just can't decide!

[Windswept Cloak]

Hmmm, my head canon has elements from mostly the 2003 series but Uran looks more like the 1980 one. And I tend to throw bits of Black Jack, Hayao Miyazaki, and my original mangas (Such as "Kazenoya") into my Astro Boy doujinshis and light novels. And I'm sorry to say that Dr. Ochanamizu doesn't exist in my head canon and that the role of Atomu's adopted parent is replaced by Wato Chiyoko from Mitsume Ga Tooru.

Link to my first fanfic which is like that: (Kaze Ni Naru)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9977552/1/Kaze-Ni-Naru-%E9%A2%A8%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B

Hope those who have FF accounts review it X3
So far I've only recieved one review XP

[Windswept Cloak]

And BTW, I imagine Metro City and Soranakato Metropolis from "Kazenoya" as the same place, and that the area Atomu and Wato-san live in is "Okito City", a town which is mentioned in "Kazenoya" that 13-year-old Yuuki Kawashiro moves to.

Sharaku Hosuke is the neighbor of Wato in my head canon.

I imagine Tenma and Atlas to be more like in the 2003 version.

Sometimes though I can't help imagining Cobalt and Chi-tan into these stories, because they're both pretty good characters, but I'm just not sure how to fit them into my series so far.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

So Wato is the same character as in the three eyed one and Blackjack?

[Windswept Cloak]

Yes, I mean THAT Wato Chiyoko, but my version of her is actually a little different from her original character in Mitsume Ga Tooru or in Black Jack 21.

Here is what Wato is like in my head:

1. She and Sharaku are neighbors and friends. Sharaku is 14, Wato is around 17~20 years old.

2. She works as an apprentice in a small inventing company in Okito City and eventually gets a job in the Science Institute. Then she meets Atomu and eventually becomes his adopted mother.

3. Yuuki Kawashiro becomes Wato Chiyoko's apprentice after she moves to Okito City by herself. Kawashiro originally lives in another city located an the other side of Soranaka Metropolis a.k.a. Metro City.