Professor "Y" is the original environmentalist. A firm believer in the natural world, he sees the beauty in nature and animals, and he's not above a little criminal activity to see them preserved.
Tamao is a very typical boy. Given his appearance and large glasses, he's often the target for a bit of bullying - usually at the hands of Shibugaki - however, despite that he still has a certain self-confidence. Not nearly as adroit as his good pal, Kenichi, can fall victim to his own desires and sometimes overestimates his abilities and bravery.
Shibugaki is your typical bully. A rich kid with parents who spoil him, he craves the attention that his classmates bestow upon his most famous classmate - Astro Boy. As with most bullies, his actions are in direct relation to his insecurities. Not truly evil, his false bravado will often cause him to make poor decisions and lead himself and others into danger.
Inspector Ganimard. In the original stories by Maurice LeBlanc, Inspector Justin Ganimard was Arsène Lupin's dogged nemesis, endlessly pursuing the master thief from caper to caper.
Ongoing Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is connected from chapter to chapter and must be read in chronological order for it to be understood properly.
Chapter Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is self-contained to a single chapter. There may be an overarching plot, but the stories can generally be read in any order and be understood
Book: an all-in-one self contained story published as a one-off.
Supplement: an an all-in-one self contained story published as a stand-alone supplement to a regular weekly/monthly periodical.
Short Story: an all-in-one, self contained story that was published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical
Anthology: a collection of all-in-one, self contained stories that were published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical but are generally grouped together.