Osamu Tezuka in Sonic the Hedgehog?

[MisterHinotori]

I've been watching Sonic the Hedgehog since my childhood, and I really loved the game series as a child as well. It's also a coincidence I'm a great fan of Osamu Tezuka as well. So one day it came to my surprise that Osamu Tezuka had his "hyoutan-tsugi" animated into the Sonic cartoons located here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbSlh6U0Zc

The specific times are:
2:06
2:14

And most obviously at:
3:14

Why was the hyoutan tsugi being a animated into the pilot episode I ask?
What purpose does this serve?
Can anyone help me?

[F-Man]

I have this on DVD!

I've also been a Sonic fan, since I was 9, and before Tezuka, it was my main obsession. When I started reading Astro Boy, I couldn't help but think I had seen some of those robots before, and sure enough, I later found out it was in that scene, standing along with Hyoutan-Tsugi.

That series is quite similar to the old Astro Boy, especially in its cartoon zaniness. There is no doubt in my mind that the animators must have been Astro Boy fans.

Even to the Sonic creators in Japan, I don't doubt some Astro Boy influence was infused into Sonic. Remove his middle spikes for instance, and his silhouette will be just like Astro's. And also just the idea to combat robots in general. The Sonic X series, which started in 2003, has an awful lot of similarities with the Astro Boy series started the same year, especially during the combat scenes. I'm thinking of Sonic being smashed against a wall for instance and pushing against a giant robotic hand to get out, or how he "flies" (spindashes in the air, to be exact) and smashes through his enemies.

[MisterHinotori]

Ah I see your point F-man.
It might have a simple fan service to throw it in.

Speaking of simplistic design, I also thought of classic MegaMan and his simplistic body and joints.
Even the tights have a little homage to Atom.^^

[Jeffbert]

Not only Hyoutantsugi, but the one of the ROBOT BOMBs, the one with the extra large bow tie @ 2:09.

[madamluna]

Whoa, this is a real find! Thanks, MisterHinotori



Definitely Tezuka bots. The golden one makes me immediately think of Mont Blanc!

[Dr. Jerk]

Actually, I think those are just generic robots that make common appearances as enemies in the Sonic Sega titles. At least one of the robots there is a regular on the show, Grounder I think he's called.

[MisterHinotori]

I didn't notice the robot bomb at 2:09.^^;
Now that I see him, he does look very familiar.

I was sure about the other robots, but some of them do appear to have been heavily influenced by classical manga robot designs.

The Red Robot with the scarf at 2:10 reminds me of Shotaro Ishinomori's Cyborg 009.