Oh wow, only two episodes? That's crazy, I'll definitely have to check that out.
My only exposure to Astroboy is the Pluto manga, so to me at least, the pacing didn't feel off. I really liked how it was only 8 volumes--not too long, not too short. I also liked how every robot was fully fleshed out and had their own story (North #2 being my favorite).
Apparently the studio behind this adaptation (M2) was founded by the same guy that founded Madhouse and MAPPA.
Characters were much more fleshed out in Pluto manga. I also loved Urasawa's adaptation of all the main side characters! Very well done.
Yes - and the original Manga wasn't that long either. IIRC, if it was re-published today, it'd be perhaps 1-2 volumes too. The 80's anime adaptation, really could use 1-2 more episodes, and it had different ending (somewhat) as well. If I compare to it to the anime to manga, actually I liked the manga one much better. Unlike 80's anime one... original manga showed some personal struggle of Atomu becoming 100M Hp robot, like Pluto, that whether he really wanted/needed that power - as people starting to see him as like a real monster as he became so strong.... but he still needed that power to battle Pluto.
To come to think of it... I think that arc became almost a template for modern Dragonball-esque power game too. Tetsuka Osamu, indeed was a king of manga, and still amazes me.
The original manga volumes, well, I read long long time ago, but I was able to connect to side characters. Epsilon's episode was indeed very heartbreaking. North 2's episode was also told very briefly, but at the same time almost impersonal, cold way... that very Tetsuka style. Really to the point, straightforward style of storytelling. Urasawa's work is quite opposite, but then again - that's really the key charm of his style!
Thx for posting - I hadn't heard that Pluto is actually being made as animated version. Now.. hope they make 20th century boys, or modern remake of Yawara! (I watched live action version of it with Abe HIroshi and Asaka Yui back in the days... so cringe.
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