It is an acknowledged sci-fi masterpiece in the world of anime.
In 2023, Netflix premiered the detective anime Pluto, based on the best-selling manga by Naoki Urasawa. The series is based on Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka, considered the founder of manga. His influence on Pluto is obvious – Urasawa borrowed characters and plot elements from Astro Boy.
The most striking example is one of the main characters, the android boy Atom, a complete copy of the boy created by Tezuka. The main antagonist, including his appearance, is also based on Tezuka's work.
But this cannot be called plagiarism: such obvious borrowings were made with the permission of Makoto Tezuka, Osamu's son. The plot was also taken from the original source, but slightly reworked: Pluto is based on the story arc The Greatest Robot of Earth, which was published in 1964 and 1965.
What is Pluto About?
The distant future, several years after a devastating war – the world is rapidly recovering from the disaster. The android detective Gesicht takes on two complex, interconnected cases. In the first, Mont Blanc, a Swiss robot pacifist, is destroyed. In the second, lawyer Bernard Lanke, a man who advocated laws for complete equality between humans and robots, is killed.
Gesicht is certain that not only the famous activists are under threat, but also the other six most powerful robots on Earth, each of which is considered a weapon of mass destruction. The list includes the detective himself, who is plagued by strange nightmares and memory lapses.
Pluto is Astro Boy's Darker, More Serious Successor
The main differences between Pluto and Astro Boy are the darker tone of the story and the change in genre. Osamu Tezuka's work is an adventure and fantasy manga aimed at teenagers.
Pluto is a detective noir thriller with science fiction elements. The difference in running time also indicates a focus on a more mature audience: each of the eight episodes of Pluto runs about an hour, while Astro Boy episodes run around 25 minutes.
Despite the change in tone of the narrative and the transformation of certain elements of the original story, the fans were pleased with the release. Many called Pluto a love letter to the fans and a worthy adaptation of Astro Boy. On Rotten Tomatoes, Pluto has a 95% approval score from viewers and a 100% score from critics.
Pluto became one of the most important anime adaptations of 2023. The series is worth watching at least because it is a more modern look at the work of one of the main mangakas of the last century.
Where to Watch Pluto?
Pluto is available to stream on Netflix.