Manga research - Astro Boy

 For my first research about manga with robot character, I couldn't skip one of the most well know robot in the manga world, Astro Boy. 

(Fandom, n.d.)

Astro Boy, known in Japan as "Mighty Atom", is a character created by Osamu Tezuka and the main character of all the Astro Boy series. This character is very well known for being a robot able to express human expressions. (Fandom, n.d.)
The character was conceived in 1952 and the themes that animation deals with are still relevant today (artificial intelligence, dangers related to technological evolution, among others). Astro Boy is also an animation that deals with serious themes, which are for children in an intelligent way. For example: addressing the issue of the death of a child by replacing a robot that does not grow.) (Swidlicka, n.d.)

Tezuka was a fan of the early Disney films of animation in 2D, and he wanted to do something like that. The first sketches of his characters were with a similar Disney style on the theme, and the first drawings of Astro boy also have close aspects of it. Over time, this character was one the first to have a well-known anime feature, the big eyes. Using the eyes in this way allowed facial expressions to use less animation, but look more real. (Fandom, n.d.)

Astro Boy is considered unique for several reasons: "The first time a cartoon show in Japan was based on a manga, and the first overseas cartoon to break into the American market, the show has continued to evolve in various forms, most recently in the 2009 Hollywood production featuring Charlize Theron, Nicolas Cage, and Bill Nighy. While the movie was a flop, the manga has sold approximately 100 million copies worldwide, and those who grew up watching it on TV continue to recall it fondly - particularly the theme tune, which is impossible to get out of your head. " (Swidlicka, n.d., para. 3)

Astro Boy is a story about a robot created by a scientist to replace his son who had died in an accident. But he soon realizes that the robot does not grow and that his intention is not achieved. He is sold in a circus and saved by Professor Ochanomizu, who realizes the robot has superpowers and intelligence. Astro Boy becomes a hero who fights crime. (Swidlicka, s.d.)

This character looks very much like a human being, with the skin tone, all the face features, and the hair, but because he's a robot, none of the hair or the body grows like normal. He has been in numerous movies and television series such as: 

Movies
    "28 Days (2000) Sandra Bullock's character wears an Astro Boy hoodie in some scenes
    Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) Scott wears an Astro Boy shirt in some scenes
    Ready Player One (2018) Astro's head appears in James Halliday's archives"
Television
    "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1997) in the Season 2 episode "The Mean Machine" a Flying    Robot kid can be briefly seen on the Television before being switched to another Program,
    Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999) in the Season 3 episode "Cave Dwellers" Dr. Clayton Frrester says this... "Enjoy it while it lasts, Astro Boy-Toy"
    Freakazoid! (1995-1997) A fictitious character named "Hero Boy" appears in 2 Episodes
    Farscape (1999-2003) in the Episode "…Different Destinations" Crichton calls Stark "Astro boy"
    Arrested Development (1999-Present) in the episode "Mr. F" George states "life isn't a Japanese movie where the hero puts on jet pants, like Astro Boy, and saves the day."
    I Love Toys (2006) Astro Boy was showcased in Part 1 in the segment "Big in Japan"
    South Park (1997-Present) - Astro Boy appears as a background character in the Imagination Land episodes.
    The Toys That Made Us (2017-Present) In the Season 2 episode of The Toys That Made Us about Transformers, Astro Boy was used as an example of Japanese pop culture.
    OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes (2017-2019) - A character based on Astro Boy named Combo Breaker appears in episode 27 of its second season." (Fandom, n.d.) 

The character that I created has big similarities with Astro boy. Such as:

• Facial features, the robot being able to make expressions like a human would do.
• Human body appearances, the general body works as a human in the majority of it.
• Big eyes, for easy expressions (anime style).

This character is a classic when we talk about robots in anime. The success came to the artist by being the one who had this idea first by creating a half-human, half-robot character. This was why I gave my animation the name "Hybrid Project", a hybrid between a human and a robot. 

References:

Fandom (n.d.) Astro Boy (character) [online] Available from: https://astroboy.fandom.com/wiki/Astro_Boy_(character) [accessed on: 22/04/21]

Swidlicka, Z. (n.d.) Astro Boy and the legacy of Osamu Tezuka. [online] Available from: Astro Boy and the legacy of Osamu Tezuka (foldmagazine.com) [accessed on: 22/04/21]