Product Description
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ASTRO BOY, the series that launched the anime phenomenon,
returns to the US for the first time on DVD in a stunning new
collection! The very first anime ever produced, Osamu Tezuka's
(KIMBA, THE WHITE LION / HI NO TORI / METROPOLIS) original 1963 -
1964 ASTRO BOY delighted children around the world with its
touching stories and compelling characters. In the U.S., many
will remember this popular children's series which aired on TV
during the 1960s. Now, this groundbreaking series returns for the
first time ever in a stunning new collector's edition that
includes the first 52 episodes of the original black and white
series as seen in the US, restored to pristine detail, and
featuring never-before-seen footage and brand new exciting
extras. The original boy-robot with 100,000 horsepower strength
and courage! In the year 2000, Dr. Boyton creates a super-robot
in his deceased son's image. He calls the robot Astro Boy. Astro
Boy can swim oceans, leap over ains, even fly into space on
his own power. However, Astro Boy can't replace his son; Dr.
Boyton becomes dissatisfied with the boy robot and disowns him.
Astro Boy is befriended by Dr. Packadermus J. Elefun of the
Institute of Science, who guides him through his adventures.
Endowed with super strength, rocket-powered flight, a selfless
heart and a kind demeanor, Astro Boy fights a never-ending
crusade against the forces of evil! The special Ultra Collector's
Edition DVD Set 1 features the first 52 episodes of this great
series, an entire DVD full of extra bonus material, including:
Part 1 of an interview with series producer Fred Ladd, Original
Japanese Episode #1 (with English subtitles), Original Character
Art Gallery, Merchandise Gallery, and a Collector's Booklet
featuring: "The History of Astro Boy", an "Osamu Tezuka
Biography", and much more!
.com
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Astro Boy was not the first Japanese animated series, as some
fans have cled, but it was the first with an ongoing
storyline--and the first to air in the U.S. Osamu Tezuka
(1928-1989) began Tetsuwan Atom (literally "Iron-arm Atom") as a
manga in 1952, then adapted it to a TV series that debuted in
January 1963. NBC Films bought the rights to about half of the
193 episodes and edited them for American viewers. Astro Boy
premiered in the U.S. in September 1963, and ran on local
stations through 1972. The story is well-known to anime fans:
After the death of his son Astor (Tobio in Japanese), Dr. Boyton
(Dr. Tenma) builds a 100,000-horsepower super-robot to replace
him. But a robot can never grow and truly replace Astor, so the
scientist sells him to a cruel circus owner. Dr. Packadermus J.
Elefun (Dr. Ochanomizu) rescues Astro and helps him become a
fighter against crime and injustice.
The original English-language masters were destroyed in 1975,
when Tezuka's Mushi Productions went bankrupt. For the Ultra
Collector's Edition, Right Stuf tracked down the best surviving
voice elements and combined them with video from the original
Japanese negatives. Not surprisingly, the sound quality varies on
the discs, but barring the discovery of additional material in
some forgotten vault, this is the closest to a definitive Astro
Boy English speakers will see. Tezuka wrote some of the scripts
and co-directed the 1980 remake (Astro Boy Collection Box Set (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AQKU6S/${0} )); the 2003 incarnation
combined drawn and CG animation (Astro Boy: The Complete Series (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007KZQAC/${0} )). But the stiff,
black-and-white original remains the truest version of Tezuka's
watershed creation. Extras include: the first part of an
interview with producer Fred Ladd; two episodes in Japanese with
subtitles; small galleries of character art and merchandise; "The
History of Astro Boy" in booklet form; and a biography of Tezuka.
(Unrated, suitable for ages 7 and older: violence, alcohol use)
--Charles Solomon