"AprilSeven" wrote:[QUOTE=RyHerbs;231929]If the show's going to go mainstream, Astro's design had to be changed. The "boots and underwear" look is too outdated/weird for the average western audience. For Japan and long time Astro Boy fans its fine, but they're probably hoping to give Astro a broader appeal. After the 2009 animated movie flopped, Astro's been considered a risky franchise to take on, so personally I'm just glad the series is being rebooted at all...I can live with the design changes.
As I alluded, I could do without the boots/underwear/spikey eyelashes of the orignal anime/manga Astro.
However, consider the beautiful technique used on Urasawa's Pluto. Astro was completely "updated" (some would say unrecognizable) - but the quality was wonderful, and he wasn't drawn to emulate the look of many/most manga characters. Green eyes may have been a compromise. As far as I am concerned, I am less than enthusiastic about any new series, especially when made outside Japan. At least the unlicensed comics had recognizable characters.
A franchise such as Astro Boy really doesn't have to lower its visual impact to appeal to a "broad audience." It's also about the writing -- and also the marketing. Sorry, but I stand by my feeling about the style. Being an artist -- and being married to an illustrator -- might make me a bit more critical of the result, but I'm going to post a series of Astro faces, and I think it will be evident what I'm saying. That's not to say I'm not thrilled to have a new series -- but if it's being treated too "casually" they could hasten it's demise instead of expanding its appeal. Heck, it looks like they spent more time on the BACKGROUND than on the main character!!![/QUOTE]
I agree about the eye color, NBC ENTERPRISES was no doubt behind Leo's blue eyes in the 196x
Jungle Emperor (
Kimba the White Lion). While brown eyes are no doubt dominant, it is almost certain that the US syndicated market was at least assumed to relate better to blue eyes than to brown, even though color TVs were far from universal at that time.