Would Astro Boy have been better as a girl?

[Alittleacorn]

...Maybe not, but its a thought!

As April mentioned in another thread, Tezuka in the early days considered having a female robot, but later decided upon Astro instead.

So really, how different might it've been Tezuka hadn't gone ahead and had chosen a female robot? What if Astro had been made a girl!?

...

LETS FIND OUT!



...Nope, just doesn't have the same spark. o_o;

[Dr. Jerk]

I've always wondered that if Astro (or Captain Atom back then) would look more like Mitchy from Metropolis. Because we all know that Mitchy was very similar to Astro, and that Tetsuwan Atom could be considered a spiritual sequel of sorts to Metropolis.

It does make sense to me.

[AprilSeven]

ummmm but hey then (s)he and Reno could be a couple!

I've gotta find that book -- I think he envisioned Astro as a very seductive girl, too (wonder what the name would be been . . . or would he have used URAN? hmmmm!

update:

Here it is - pg 51 of "The Astro Boy Essays" by Frederik Schodt

"Tezuka once declared in a 1978 interview that he had originally intended his Mighty Atom to be an alluring and beautiful female android; the only reason he made Atom a male robot with super powers, he said, was that he was drawing in a manga magazine for boys."

Maybe (s)he would have looked like Niki! You know, Astro in a wig!

[Dr. Jerk]

I think he envisioned Astro as a very seductive girl,

Prime Rose comes to mind, except she's human.

[Androids101]

Hmmmmmm...

Well...

I dunno, him being a girl!? Then Uran would become a boy I guess

[Androids101]

Since he's a robot, Tenma could make him a different body so he's a girl any time, much to Astro's dissaproval

[Xenops]

"Tezuka once declared in a 1978 interview that he had originally intended his Mighty Atom to be an alluring and beautiful female android; the only reason he made Atom a male robot with super powers, he said, was that he was drawing in a manga magazine for boys."

Yes, having a seductive robot in a boy's magazine isn't a good idea.

[cybotron]

WHAT???? Yuck!!!!

[AprilSeven]

WHAT???? Yuck!!!!

You are so funny!! But yeah, I agree!! But gotta admit it's a little scary that it came down to divine intervention!

[Photar]

Hmmmm I dont know. The fact he has a ladies voice is enough girliness for me. Photar becomes a girl in the new series and that is heartbreaking (although as mentioned he's not exactly the most masculine of robots anyway).