ASTRO BOY URBAN LEGEND

[Tnarrud]

A number of years ago I heard that the American distributor who had had the ASTROBOY 1963 series translated into English had destroyed the original Japanese masters, with the result that the Japanese viewers now have to watch the subtitled American masters. But then I found a copyof the original Japanese first episode online at YouTube, causing me to question this story.

[Earthshine]

I think what you heard was that the original ELV films of Astro Boy were destroyed in a fire, and then years later when Right Stuf redistributed the series had to cobble together copies of the 1960s film through several different resources; thus explaining the drastic variety of picture/sound from episode to episode.

As for the Japanese masters I think Osamu Tesuka lost the rights to them during some sort of legal battle when his first animation studio had to close? I'm not sure, I could be wrong and I don't have the energy to research it more at the moment.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Most of the 1963 episodes ARE available in the Japanese language on DVD. There are 3 or 4 episodes that only the sound track and a few stills are available for, one one episode ONLY has the script surviving.

[Tnarrud]

Yes, I knew about Dr. Tezuka's legal problems, which resulted in the creation of the American ASTROBOY comics and were the proximate cause of the masters' destruction. But, I am amazed to learn that the original Japanese versions still exist!

[gokaiblue]

So, what episodes are lost?

[Tnarrud]

That, I don't know, l'm afraid. My conjecture, though, is that the episode in script form is "The Red Cat," involving a scientist who is trying to destroy the Earth's ecosystem, since I have not been able to find it online.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

Episode 125 "find the bacteria" is mostly missing, what exists on the DVD is the sound track with a 'slide show' of some still frames and storyboard drawings.

Episode 139 "Atom Stolen" is in much the same condition.

Episode 127, "the experimental robot" only has a slide show of the script and some of the sound track.

[jeffbert]

Actually, Tnarrud, there was one episode that was made by some other animators, such that Tezuka wanted all the prints destroyed. It was MIDORO MARSH, aka, THE LOST EPISODE. Indeed, they had to use the video from the English-language version coupled with the soundtrack of the JLV to recreate it.