Red Cat [Astro Boy] (Manga)

Astro Boy (1952-68), Chapter 004  ‘Red Cat’ (赤いネコ), was originally serialized on a monthly schedule from May to November 1953 in Shonen.

What it’s about?

Very weird things are happening.  Mr. Mustachio and Astro discover a skeleton while exploring a cave inside Mt. Shaugi when they are briefly attacked by a red wild cat.  A name sewn onto the skeleton’s clothes identifies it as the remains of Professor Ryotaro Felini.  Professor Ochanomizu says that Felini was one of his old friends and a devoted conservationist of the forest.  He shows Mustachio a photo of Felini holding his pet cat, Chiri and Mustachio recognizes it as the same red cat he and Astro encountered.

Things get really spooky for Mustachio when he is woken up that night by Chiri who appears to talk and tells him that unless the people planning to tear down the last decent area of forest in Tokyo cancel their plans all humans will be cursed as punishment.  Mustachio knows that some human must have been using ventriloquism to make Chiri talk but in the meantime he goes to speak to Mr. Condo, the man in charge of the construction company.  Condo explains that Felini had tried to persuade him that the Sasagaya forest be preserved, saying that all the trees, flowers and animals are as precious to him as grandchildren.  Condo broke his promise to Felini claiming that he couldn’t stop it due to a majority decision by the building committee.  Felini was furious and vowed revenge.

Mustachio warns his pupils to stay away from the Sasagaya area for their own safety since construction work is going ahead in full force there now.  But young Shibugaki remembers that he has buried some secret prized possessions somewhere in the meadow and after school runs off to retrieve it.  He passes Astro who asks him where he’s going and Shib says if anybody tries to stop him he’ll make them sorry.  Astro follows him and when they arrive they are both attacked and taken prisoner by an army of animals led by what looks like a man with a red cat’s face.  He calls himself Red Cat and leads Astro and Shib to an old house where they are to be held in custody for the rest of their lives.  Three savage bulldogs are appointed to guard them closely.  Astro outsmarts them by flying straight up through the ceiling with Shib holding onto him.  Red Cat tries to recapture them but Astro blows him over with a blast of air from his arm jets.  The cat mask is knocked off revealing him to be Professor Felini very much alive.  Astro and Shib escape.

Ochanomizu goes to the house to talk to his old friend.  Felini is delighted to see Ochanomizu but says that he faked his own death to plan revenge against the construction crew.  Felini tells Ochanomizu that unless they cease destroying the forest by August 7th something horrible will happen.  Mr. Condo refuses to listen to this threat and on the deadline all the animals in Tokyo go crazy.  From domestic pets to all the creatures in the zoo they all rebel and break out of their cages and enclosures and join all the other animals, including frogs, mice and even birds in terrorizing people.  Astro is attacked by the birds while attempting to fly some of the really young schoolchildren home in a make-shift passenger basket tied to him with strong ropes and crashes into a wall where he gets stuck.  Shib bravely goes to his rescue with stilts and a fire torch tied to his back.  He manages to reach Astro and pull him out of the wall just as the fire begins to burn him and he falls off his stilts.

Things look very bad until Professor Ochanomizu arrives in a small tank and rescues Shib and Astro from the animals.  Once he takes them inside the tank Ochanomizu quickly repairs Astro and installs a powerful electric current in him to protect him from animal attack.  Astro goes searching for Felini and is lured to an apartment building by the sound of kids crying.  He confronts Felini and destroys the device he’s using to control the animals behaviour.  Felini’s cat, Chiri, attacks Astro and is killed by the electric charge.  Felini has gone over the edge of reason in his zest for the forest by this time and is about to kill the children he has kidnapped in revenge for Chiri.  He lights a stick of dynamite and prepares to throw it into an open chamber.  Astro having no choice places his foot upon the metallic structure Felini is standing upon shocking him until the dynamite in his hand explodes.

Felini is not killed straight away but Ochanomizu visits him while he is dying in hospital.  He informs Felini that Condo was lying.  He had made the decision to carry on with the development all by himself.  Confronted with the consequences of his actions he ordered the project terminated and signed a written promise that no matter what future development takes place the Sasagaya forest will always be faithfully preserved for all time.  Felini is delighted and makes his dear old friend Ochanomizu promise to lay him down to rest in the park he fought hard to protect.  Ochanomizu keeps his word and Felini is buried in the middle of the forest under a huge gravestone with his name on it.