Tezuka In English Discussion Forums

Usually I'm more interested in the author than the story, so throw a good author at it to make their own interpretation and I'll give it a shot.

So I'd be interested in something like Pluto with original storylines, but if it's just an attempt to channel Tezuka into new material, well there's a stack of the old stuff that could be published first.

Oh I'm talking about entirely new stuff, not re-writing old stuff.

For instance, the boy who was taken in by the robot circus, what would he be like all grown up? What about his adventures? Same with Astro's friends! And how would Astro be in the future



stuff like that ;D

Well, for there to be a new series and for Astro to change, this would actally be quite impossible, as the robot already has eternal youth.

For that to be changed, the whole 'cuteness rating of 5.5/5 would become -0.0/0.

I think we are all here because Tezuka was such an amazingly original creator. I am really not interested in other people trying to imitate him, even if it is 'all new material'. How is that different than fan-fiction? (blearghhh!)

If people are influenced by Tezuka (and there is no question of this), I hope it inspires them to also create highly original works, not astroboy knock-offs.

Perhaps you might have started by asking if people even approved of/enjoyed the 2003 remake (which many of us didn't.) 2003 version to me IS NOT Atom. So what would an additional manga add? Why not make something new instead?

Sorry to be so negative about this, but continuing works after the artist's death never really seems like a good idea and others might even go so far as to say it is in bad taste.

I will hesitantly mention that I am not sure I approve of what Tezuka studios is doing, making new Tezuka works--though they are being (for the most part) very careful. I do not think Metropolis or the new Astro really captures the spirit or intention of what Tezuka was trying to accomplish, and I worry what new works they are going to produce with his name on it.

I too am usually against "messing around" with an Artist's creation after his death. The only exception is if the artist left explicit instructions (similar to the recent situation with author Robert Jordan).

Too often good intentions don't really capture the artist's vision and we end up with an inferior product. I take a bit of a wider view of the 2003 Astro Boy series as it's still an adaptation of Tezuka's own manga/anime, so there's much more of a direct connection there. Also, if introduces a new generation to Tezuka's magic, then it's done its job as far as I'm concerned. Metropolis is such a liberal adaptation of Tezuka's manga (so much so that I'm not altogether sure it actually is) that it misses the mark as far as I'm concerned. However, again, if it does bring in a new generation of fans... then it's done its job.

I do have to say that that's the first time I've heard anyone as being critical of Tezuka Studios in this regard. Usually the complaint is that the TP execs won't make any sort of decision until after careful consideration of what "Sensei" would like... sometimes to the point of not being able to do anything. Despite the fact I dislike the Disney reference... take a look what the Walt Disney Co. has been doing since Walt's death...

Yes, some cartoons post-disney's death have been awful, but some cartoons have also been amazing.

Lilo and Stitch, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, the Great Mouse Detective.

Are you saying you would rather allow fear to prevent those movies being made with the Disney name than have even given a chance for them to shine?

Pocahontas was probably one of the worst Disney movies ever, and should the corporation had ceased to produce disney films they would've never made that movie. But without them we wouldn't have had the first computer graphics ever in a cartoon (TGMD), or anything else for that matter!



Now Disney is a little out of there so I'd rather talk about a like artist:

Carl Barks.

Carl Barks is the Tezuka of Disney Ducks - Donald Duck may have been conceived of by Walt, but Uncle Scrooge, Huey Dewer Louie, Grandma Duck, DUCKBERG!!!! all those things were the sole creation of a man named Carl Barks.

Yes, there have been some god awful Duck comics since Carl, but, if Disney had pulled the plug we would not have had the creative artists such as:

Don Jippes
William Van Horn
Marco Rota

and we certainly would've never, ever, ever been introduced to:

Don Rosa.

^_^


You know what the Magic here is -- Readers of Duck Comics know who Carl Barks is, and what made him so great, and NOBODY will EVER replace Carl. However.... there have been a few writers who produced such quality that even the Carl Barks enthusiasts will accept them into their catalog of great Duck Comics, such as Don Rosa.

I believe the same would be said with Astro Boy if they allowed new stories.

Would it be more acceptible if they were Manga that continued off of the 2003 Astro Boy and thus separate from Tezuka's original creations, but still enough of a continuation for new fans and fans who want more?

All that said, I think if Tezuka studios wants to be like Disney and put out new work, I'm cool with that (you know, why not?) I also appreciate how cautious they've been re-making Tezuka's works, though the I've found each of these works somewhat questionable--and in the case of Metropolis, I think they've missed the mark completely.

I DO want Tezuka Studios to make the attempt--so I don't mean to be entirely critical; but if they just said 'let's do a movie about the adventures of Lune and Lukyio after Leo's death', I don't think that would be appropriate. As I said before, why not make something new?

And that's just how I feel about Astro--why do there need to be 'new' astroboy stories, when someone could just as easily create their own original work?