Astro Boy, also known as Mighty Atom, Iron Arm Atom, or simply Atom, is a character created by Osamu Tezuka and is the central protagonist of the Astro Boy franchise. He is a male robot with human emotions, designed by former Science Ministry director Umataro Tenma, who created him in the image of his deceased son, Tobio Tenma. Despite his challenging upbringing, Astro is a hero who upholds justice and is always ready to defend the weak. He prefers peaceful solutions and uses force as a last resort, much like his creator, Osamu Tezuka. Astro cares deeply for those he loves and will go to great lengths to protect them.
Tezuka's Early Inspiration from Disney: The Cartoony Design of Astro Boy
Tezuka was greatly inspired by Disney and incorporated many of its elements into his early character designs. Astro, for instance, was created with a simplistic "cartoony" style similar to that of Disney characters, such as the two spikes on his head that remain consistent regardless of the camera angle, similar to Mickey Mouse's ears.
Astro's eyes are a notable feature, particularly in the anime series due to the use of limited animation. They were designed to be reactive to light, giving a dynamic feel and would later become a common aspect in other anime and manga characters. By utilizing the eyes in this way, animators could create more believable facial expressions using less animation. His eyelashes are also simple, consisting of five short lines drawn out of his eyelids and in some versions, alternates between simple and more realistic styles.
Astro Boy Classic Design
Although designed as a robot, Astro was made to look very similar to a human, particularly Tobio Tenma. He shares many of the same physical features, including his large innocent-looking eyes, black spiky hair, light skin tone, and doll-like limb segments. Astro's hair has two spikes, one on the left side pointing upwards and the other on the right side above his ear pointing outwards, with a widow's peak. His weight, height, and hair length are always constant since he is a robot. Astro wears a metallic grey or green belt with black athletic shorts, and red knee-length boots are his preferred footwear. He can be seen wearing small lace-less shoes on some occasions, but this is his typical appearance when not wearing any special outfits like his school uniform.
Astro Boy 1980's Design
In the 1980 anime, Astro's core design elements were kept intact, but there were some changes. He appeared much shorter and younger, with a larger head in proportion to his body and shorter limbs, with visible joints. Unlike the original, his belt is always green, and his boots are removable, revealing feminine feet that look rather human-like.
Astro Boy 2003 Design
Astro's design in the 2003 anime is a modernized version of his classic look. He has longer limbs, larger hands and feet, and more defined facial features with visible brown irises. The doll-like joints are removed, and his boots are now a part of his body. He has more dynamic expressions and poses, with a focus on depth and perspective. In some depictions, he also has fingernails.
Astro Boy 2009 CGI Movie Design
Astro's appearance in the 2003 anime has been updated to a modern take on his classic design. He now has longer limbs, larger hands and feet, and more distinct facial features with visible brown irises. The doll-like joints have been removed and his boots are integrated into his body. His expressions and poses are more dynamic with an emphasis on depth and perspective. Additionally, some depictions show him having fingernails.
Astro Boy 2024 Reboot Design
An official announcement of Astro Boy Reboot has been confirmed and will be directed by Thomas Astruc and produced by Shibuya Productions, Tezuka Productions and Method Animation.
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