1980's Astro would have become an American?
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:44 pm
I don't know why this never occurred to me before, but this morning I woke up with this question in my head . . . what was the purpose of Osamu Tezuka's change in Astro's "origin story" for the 1980's anime? Specifically, after he landed in hot water in Japan, Dr. Tenma told Astro they were going to move to America, "where we'll be free!"
Was this an attempt to dodge the law in Japan? (and why take a boat, instead of a jet?) Maybe Tenma was being wooed by some corporation or gov't agency in the US? Perhaps he felt America would be more accepting of robots as equals?
What ever the reason, I wonder where they would have settled (Silicon Valley?? Area 51?) And would Astro have grown to become America's "Champion of Justice?" or did he simply want his robotic son to grow up and blend into society? Maybe his weapons were actually intended to protect his own life, not the world at large . . .
If Hamegg hadn't abducted him, IMAGINE how this story might have played out.
I've always felt that Tenma was too smart to design a robot as advanced as Astro, and not realize he couldn't "grow" - so I always figured that he freaked-out because his own design obviously had a serious flaw: Astro was stuck on "Tween."
Seems he would just get in there and fiddle around with his programming instead of selling him to the circus, and the 1980's anime seems to represent Tenma as having more sense than his representation in the 1960's anime and manga. It's as if Dr. Tezuka hit a 'restart' button with a clearer vision to a better storyline.
I can't help but wonder if JUST POSSIBLY, he also had an idea of making Astro a kind of "dual citizen" of both the US and Japan. Maybe he felt he couldn't really "undo" too much of his original story, but was trying to shift Astro into a more "international" hero. It would make sense to me.
We may never know, but part of the fun is imagining what might have happened . . .
Was this an attempt to dodge the law in Japan? (and why take a boat, instead of a jet?) Maybe Tenma was being wooed by some corporation or gov't agency in the US? Perhaps he felt America would be more accepting of robots as equals?
What ever the reason, I wonder where they would have settled (Silicon Valley?? Area 51?) And would Astro have grown to become America's "Champion of Justice?" or did he simply want his robotic son to grow up and blend into society? Maybe his weapons were actually intended to protect his own life, not the world at large . . .
If Hamegg hadn't abducted him, IMAGINE how this story might have played out.
I've always felt that Tenma was too smart to design a robot as advanced as Astro, and not realize he couldn't "grow" - so I always figured that he freaked-out because his own design obviously had a serious flaw: Astro was stuck on "Tween."
Seems he would just get in there and fiddle around with his programming instead of selling him to the circus, and the 1980's anime seems to represent Tenma as having more sense than his representation in the 1960's anime and manga. It's as if Dr. Tezuka hit a 'restart' button with a clearer vision to a better storyline.
I can't help but wonder if JUST POSSIBLY, he also had an idea of making Astro a kind of "dual citizen" of both the US and Japan. Maybe he felt he couldn't really "undo" too much of his original story, but was trying to shift Astro into a more "international" hero. It would make sense to me.
We may never know, but part of the fun is imagining what might have happened . . .
Maybe, Tezuka Wanted To visit America, So he added that to Atom's Storyline.... 
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hmy: 
i wuv u 
