Astro Boy (1980s)

Astro Boy
English dub title screen
鉄腕アトム (Tetsuwan Atomu)
Genre	Action, Adventure, Science fiction
Anime television series
Directed by	Noboru Ishiguro
Studio	Tezuka Productions
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment NA Manga Entertainment
Original network	NTV
English network	AU ABC (1983–1992) AUS Nickelodeon (1996–2001) Boomerang (2008–2009) CA CTV (1980s) Syndication (1985–2001) Radio-Canada (1985–1990) TV Land (2000–2007) PH Radio Philippines Network (1984) SBN (1998) Hero TV (2006) GMA (2009) UK CITV US US Syndication (1986–2002) PBS (1986–1992) CBS (1987–1989) WTGI (1986)
Original run	October 1, 1980 – December 23, 1981
Episodes	52 (List of episodes)
Related works
Astro Boy (1951 manga) Mighty Atom (1959 TV series) Astro Boy (1963 TV series) The Original Astro Boy Astro Boy (2003 TV series)

Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム, Tetsuwan Atomu, lit. "Mighty Atom"), sometimes referred to as New Mighty Atom (新・鉄腕アトム, Shin Tetsuwan Atomu), is a color remake of the 1960s anime black-and-white series of the same name(s); both series are adapted from the manga series by Osamu Tezuka.

This series places more focus on Astro's robotic abilities and has a darker story line than previous incarnations of the series.

The series ran for 52 color episodes (edited down to 51 color episodes for the English versions).

The first episode takes place in the year 2030 in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Tenma, the Minister of Science, is attempting to create a robot capable of expressing human emotions. After his fourth failed attempt, Tenma is approached by Skunk Kusai, a man who offers him an "Omega Factor" circuit which, when installed, will humanize a robot. After rejecting Skunk's offer and throwing him out, Tenma's nine-year-old son, Tobio, suggests his father make a robot shaped like a child.

Inspired by his son, Tenma sets off to the Ministry of Science to work, forgetting his promise to take Tobio to an amusement park. Upset by his father's neglect, Tobio drives an aerocar home but crashes into an oncoming truck, dying in the process. Just before he dies, Tobio makes his father promise to name his boy robot "Tobio" and make it the strongest robot in the world, while still loving it like a son. Tenma then creates a 100,000 horsepower (75,000 kW) robot capable of flight, equipped with lasers and machine guns. However, Skunk obtains the blueprints, duplicates them, and takes them to the evil Count Walpurgis, who aspires to put the Omega Factor into a super robot and use it for world domination.

Afraid of the potential threat Tenma's robot son could pose to humanity, the Prime Minister of Japan orders the robot dismantled by the next night. Tenma, however, secretly finishes constructing the robot that night, only showing his two assistants that "Tobio" exists, and takes him home to raise him. After various mishaps with raising the robot, Tobio's mind suddenly goes blank, his eyes start blinking red, and he is summoned to wait in the middle of town. Atlas, Walpurgis' new super robot, had been activated and was connecting to Tobio. When the connection process fails, Tobio regains his senses, only to come under attack from a robot disposal tank piloted by Tenma, Honda, and Ushiyama. Something goes wrong and the tank malfunctions and goes berserk. Tobio recovers and saves everyone in the vicinity. Recovering in the hospital, Tenma realizes the public will discover that Tobio exists, and decides to take Tobio on an ocean cruise to America.