Mitchy
Also known as ミッチィ (Mitchii)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
Mitchy.
Distinguishing Features
More elegant than cute, Mitchy has an understated style. She can usually be spotted by her bright eyes and small, triangular nose. Mitchy was inspired by Chikage Awashima, one the actors from the Takarazuka Revue – an all-female theatre troupe from Japan – who was popular in the 1950s… especially with Osamu Tezuka. She can also lay claim to being the early model for another of Tezuka’s super-stars – her “younger sister” Sapphire, of Princess Knight [Shojo Club] (1953-56) fame.
Major Star (★★★★)
Mitchy was Tezuka’s earliest important female star, and is one of the women who appears in the greatest variety of roles in Tezuka’s work. Although she monopolized many of Tezuka’s early female roles, she was a true student of her craft and proved early on that she was more than just a pretty face – leaving all the “cutey girl” roles instead for Riiko.
Notable Roles
Mitchy’s most famous appearance – and the one she gets her stage name from – is in Metropolis (1949) as the robot created by Dr. Lawton, that Duke Red and the Red Party attempt to co-opt for their own megalomaniac political purposes. Although she comes into the care of Shunsaku Ban, when she finds out that she is not, in fact, human and was created for evil purposes, she decides to take revenge on the entire human race and enlists other robots to help.
Although she is perhaps less well-known than she deserves, her hard work and perseverance did not go unnoticed. Not only was she the perfect (even symbolic) choice to later be cast as Astro Boy‘s mother in Astro Boy (1952-68), but she also refined that role as the “perfect mother” in the 4-panel comic strip Gut-chan (1956).
Of course she has also had memorable roles in Faust (1950), Next World (1951) and several others – in a wide variety of roles and ages.
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1947
Dr. Mars
1948
The Mysterious Underground Men
The Jungle Kingdom
1949
The Miracle Forest
Metropolis as “Mitchy”
1950
Faust
Manga University
The Wonderful Journey
The Plain of Abusegahara
1951
The Moony Men
Next World
1952
Astro Boy (“Astro’s Parents”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Gas People“) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Frankenstein“) as “Astro’s Mother”
1953
Astro Boy (“Sea Serpent Island”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Flying Skyscraper”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1954
Astro Boy (“Cobalt”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Fuhrer ZZZ”) as “Astro’s Mother”
The Destroyer of the Earth
1955
Astro Boy (“Electro”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Youth Gas”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Yellow Horse”) as “Astro’s Mother”
The Maiden of Tatsugafuchi
Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “one of the circus acrobats”
1956
Astro Boy (“Shootout In The Alps”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Atlas”) as “Astro’s Mother”
The Crane’s Fountain
Gut-chan
1957
Astro Boy (“Ghost Manufacturing Machine”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Black Lux”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1958
Astro Boy (“Fortress of the Centaurs”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Mad Machine”) as “Astro’s Mother”
The Film Lives On
Super Taiheiki
1959
Astro Boy (“The Eyes of Christ”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Donguri March
Little Kodama
1960
Astro Boy (“Space Snow Leopard”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“The Invisible Giant”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Uran”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“His Highness Deadcross”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1961
Astro Boy (“The White-Hot Being”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“The Third Magician”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Excuse Me, Mama
1962
Astro Boy (“Space Parasites”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Robot Land”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1963
The Shinsengumi
Astro Boy (“The Devil’s Balloons”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1964
Astro Boy (“The Greatest Robot on Earth”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“The Brain Swap”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1965
Astro Boy (“Roboids”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Blue Knight”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Atom’s Been Stolen”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1966
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy Reborn”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Meeva”) as “Astro’s Mother”
Astro Boy (“Ti-tan”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1967
Astro Boy (“Beginning of the Contradiction”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1968
Astro Boy (“The Man Who Returned from Mars”) as “Astro’s Mother”
1974
Black Jack (“Gleamy Eyes”) as “Tetsuo’s Mother”
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