Product Description

Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 11/22/2005

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52902 in DVD
• Brand: STARZ/SPHE
• Released on: 2005-11-22
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 8
• Dimensions: 1.30 pounds
• Running time: 1530 minutes

Amazon.com
Although Osamu Tezuka's Complete Manga runs to 300 volumes and his filmography as a writer, producer, and/or director includes more than 70 shorts, features, and TV series, Astro Boy--including this 1980 remake--remains his iconic creation. Tezuka wrote many of the scripts for the second version, and he and Noboru Ishiguro are listed as co-directors. Created by Dr. Boynton to replace his dead son, Astro is a 100,000-horsepower super-robot with jets in his legs, lasers in his fingers, and a gun in his derrière. His round head and goo-goo eyes reflect Tezuka's affection for the old Fleischers cartoons. Astro overcomes criminals, people who use robots for evil purposes or who harbor anti-robot prejudice, and Atlas, a robot who wants to rule the world. In these struggles, Astro never loses his temper, holds a grudge, or feels temptation. Tezuka wanted him to embody the virtues of selflessness and compassion, but his naive, unflagging goodness makes him a rather dull character.

The color version of Astro Boy is better animated than the 1963 original, which relied heavily on cycles and reused footage. But the stolid timing robs the action scenes of the punch they should pack. The English dub is equally flat, with little inflection or acting to communicate the characters' emotions. The faded prints have been restored to their original colors. Characters are called by their English names in the dialogue but by their Japanese names in subtitles (e.g., Dr. Boynton becomes Dr. Tenma). Among the extras are several deleted scenes, including one of Tezuka introducing "Astro's First Love." Tezuka devotees and fans who grew up watching the color version on TV will want this set, but the original, black-and-white series remains the definitive Astro Boy. (Unrated, suitable for ages 7 and older: violence, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

SURPRISINGLY BRILLENT!!!!!!
Way to go!!100,000 horse power!!!Here comes the amazing ASTRO BOY!!The orginal ASTRO BOY!! The BEST ASTRO BOY!!

After being terribly disapointed for the previous 2003 released of the new Astro boy, I was surprised to find out this new released of the orginal 1980 series to become a must-have for all those astro fans. This is the real Astro boy, Tetsuwan Atom!!

Above all the best treat from this set was: IT CONTAINS THE ORGINAL SOUNDTRACK!! not only in English, but in JAPANESE also!!!! Not only dose it contain it, and also the sound quality was amazingly well-preserved!! Even though on the cover it says 51 half hour episodes in English. I fell deeply soul-stirring while listening to the orginal theme song, of which was the one song that was never left out from my childhood memory!! The picture quality was excellent too. Followed by the artworks, performances, and the outstanding script all created by Osamu Tezuka himself, have all made this collection to be priceless!! This boxset also contains an exquisite booklet, and with all other special features I have not yet seen, including the delected scenes from the orginal show, story board sequence, Character profiles and the gallery of the orginal manga cover.

When the enthusiastic scientist Doctor Tenma lost his only son Toby in a car crash, the ingenious robot engineer was determined to construct a boy robot in a hope to make up the lost of his only son, only to find out that the robot he created could never replace what he lost. Overcame by despair Astro left Tenma on a cruised, and was later on kidnaped by a evil manager of a robot circus, thus begins our excting adventures of Astro Boy!! In these adventures we discovered the everlasting strugles about human natures, industrial evolutions, environmental crisis and many other things.

Osamu Tezuka is the god of manga. In his life he created over 400 comic books, 60 different titles of animation. Astro was 1 of the earilest charcter he created. His masterpieces also include Jungle Emperor( the orginal Lion King ), Black Jack, Fire-bird the phoenix, Princess knight, Buddha, History of birdman, Ahundred tales, Metropilos and many other amazing creations. He said that the idear through his works is just a simple message, love all creatures, love everything that has life.

If only Osamu Tezuka was still alive today, he will be happy to witness his Astro Boy has been passed on to the younger generations. This DVD collection is a must-have for all people. Highly recomended for all ages, you will be surprised how much you are gonna enjoy this masterpiece!!

This series is excellent but not for the reasons you might think.
I suppose that children growing up in the 1980's have a certain nostagia for the English dubbed version, just as I still have a crush 40 years later on the voice talents of Billie Lou Watt and the other members of the cast who brought such comic, touching and manic fun to the 1960's version. So I could argue with someone who grew up on the 1983 series until next Sunday and I would never get them to agree with me about how childish, poor and pathetic the voice talents are in the English dubbed version of the 1980's version. Initially, I was so sorry that I bought this DVD set when I heard an Astro Boy who sounded like my next door neighbor's 6 year old kid. Or Dr. Boynton who sounded like a jock. BUT...it suddenly occurred to me that there must be a reason why Tezuka was so driven to make this update series, and I found out the reason why it is in reality a masterpiece! I did this by going into the language control of the DVD's and changing the settings to Japanese with English Subtitles. What I watched then was nothing short of genius. All of the sentiment, tenderness, depth and nuance came through as well as Astro Boy's brave, spirited, uncompromising and unstoppable fight for justice...all lost in the dubbing into English. Take my word for it. Buy this set and watch it in its original Japanese version with subtitles.
Stephen Borisoff

The Original Anime Hero
Early anime on USA tv can be counted on one hand: Starblazers, Speed Racer, Gigantor, and Astro Boy. When I searched for Astro Boy some time back, the videos hadn't made it to DVD. I finally got a Japanese edition with English and Chinese audio tracks from Japanimation.com.

The first thing I realized was that although I'd always loved what I'd seen of Astro Boy, the series was far better than I'd remembered. Tezuka eeked a lot of emotion and character out of his manga, as the recent reprint series by Dark Horse shows, but these qualities survived intact the jump to TV.

As with Gigantor, some modern viewers are allergic to anything in black and white (while retro fans eagerly track those copies down). This is the color series but it's not to be confused with the recent remake (in the black box) shown on Cartoon Network. Being both in color and fondly remembered by many viewers from the '80s, this box set will be welcomed by the many fans of Tezuka's best-loved creation.