Pluto (manga)

Pluto (Japanese: プルートウ, Hepburn: Purūtō) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original magazine from 2003 to 2009, with the chapters collected into eight tankōbon volumes. The series is based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, specifically "The Greatest Robot on Earth" (地上最大のロボット, Chijō Saidai no Robotto) story arc, and named after the arc's chief villain. Urasawa reinterprets the story as a suspenseful murder mystery starring Gesicht, a Europol robot detective trying to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths. Takashi Nagasaki is credited as the series' co-author. Macoto Tezka, Osamu Tezuka's son, supervised the series, and Tezuka Productions is listed as having given cooperation.

Pluto
Cover of the first manga volume, featuring Gesicht.
プルートウ
(Purūtō)
GenreMystery, science fiction, thriller[1]
Manga
Written by
Illustrated byNaoki Urasawa
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineBig Comic Original
DemographicSeinen
Original runSeptember 9, 2003 – April 5, 2009
Volumes8

Pluto was a critical and commercial success, winning several awards, including the ninth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and selling over 8.5 million copies. The series was licensed and released in English in North America by Viz Media, under the name Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka.

Plot summary

Pluto follows the Europol robot detective Gesicht in his attempts to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths around the world where all the victims have objects shoved into or positioned by their heads, imitating horns. The case becomes more puzzling when evidence suggests a robot is responsible for the murders, which would make it the first time a robot has killed a human in eight years. All seven of the great robots of the world, the most scientifically advanced which have the potential to become weapons of mass destruction, seem to be the killer's targets, and the murdered humans are connected to preserving the International Robot Laws which grant robots equal rights.

Characters
Gesicht (ゲジヒト, Gejihito, German for "face")
A German robot inspector working for Europol. His body is made out of an alloy called "zeronium", and he is capable of firing a devastating blast using the alloy as shell. He and his wife, Helena, both have a human appearance.
Mont Blanc (モンブラン, Mon Buran)
A Swiss mountain guide robot that is killed at the beginning of the story. He fought in the 39th Central Asian War. Loved by humans, many mourned for him.
North No. 2 (ノース2号, Nōsu Ni-gō)
A Scottish robot with six mechanical armed arms, formerly one of the most powerful fighting robots during the 39th Central Asian War. He prefers not to fight, choosing instead to work as the butler of a blind renowned composer.
Brando (ブランド, Burando)
A Turkish robot pankration wrestler with a great devotion to his robot wife and his five human children. He fought alongside Mont Blanc and Hercules in the 39th Central Asian War.
Hercules (ヘラクレス, Herakuresu)
A Greek robot pankration wrestler with a high sense of honor and bravery. He and Brando have been rivals and friends since the 39th Central Asian War.
Epsilon (エプシロン, Epushiron)
An Australian photon-powered gentle and sensitive robot with a pacifist outlook. He runs an orphanage to take care of war orphans. Epsilon chose not to fight during the 39th Central Asian War.
Atom (アトム, Atomu)
A Japanese boy robot who was formerly the peace ambassador toward the end of the 39th Central Asian War. His artificial intelligence and sensors are more advanced than the other seven great robots of the world.
Uran (ウラン)
Atom's robot younger sister who can sense human, animal, and robot emotions.
Brau 1589 (ブラウ1589, Burau 1589)
The robot that killed a human eight years prior to the story. He is imprisoned in an artificial intelligence correctional facility, where Gesicht visits him to get an idea of the killer he is trying to track down.
Professor Tenma (天馬博士, Tenma-hakase)
A genius robotics scientist and former head of Japan's Ministry of Science. He created Atom and is the authority on artificial intelligence.
Professor Ochanomizu (お茶の水博士, Ochanomizu-hakase)
A Japanese robotics scientist and current head of Japan's Ministry of Science. He is the creator of Uran and also looks after Atom. He was a member of the Bora Survey Group, a UN-dispatched group of inspectors sent to Persia to look for robots of mass destruction.
Professor Hoffman (ホフマン博士, Hofuman-hakase)
The creator of zeronium and Gesicht.
Professor Abullah (アブラー博士, Aburā-hakase)
The head of the Persian Ministry of Science, he lost most of his body, and his family, in the 39th Central Asian War, with most of his body now being robotic replacements.
Dr. Roosevelt (Dr. ルーズベルト, Dr. Rūzuberuto)
A powerful sentient supercomputer, belonging to the United States of Thracia, whose only avatar to the outside world is a teddy bear.
Adolf Haas (アドルフ・ハース, Adorufu Hāsu)
A German trader who is a member of the anti-robot group, KR, and suspects that Gesicht killed his brother.
Pluto (プルートウ, Purūto)
An extremely powerful robot created by Dr. Abullah.

Production

Naoki Urasawa began Pluto after over a year of negotiating to get the rights to adapt Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy.[2] With Astro/Atom's official birth date of April 7, 2003 approaching, Urasawa was initially going to do a limited or one-off manga in celebration. But due to the character's importance, he then suggested a long-term "serious" take on "The Greatest Robot on Earth" arc, which is his favorite. After re-reading it, he felt that some scenes were missing or different than he remembered, before realizing that he had created his own version of the story in his head.[3]

Urasawa, his "producer" Takashi Nagasaki, and an editor from Shogakukan approached Tezuka Productions with the idea.[4] Tezuka's son Macoto Tezka was informed of the idea in winter 2002. But with a new anime adaptation and other events already in the works, he did not want it to feel as if they were capitalizing on the special occasion. He felt there would be plenty of opportunity to have other artists do it at a later date and politely turned Urasawa down. However, Urasawa persisted and asked for a meeting where he would show rough sketches and explain what kind of story he wanted to create. Macoto met with Urasawa, Nagasaki and others on March 28, 2003. Macoto made Urasawa promise not to imitate his father but make the story in his own style, and even asked him to rethink the character designs.[5]

Fusanosuke Natsume pointed out that in Pluto Urasawa included references not only to other Astro Boy arcs, but to other works by Tezuka as well, such as the characters Tawashi and Nakamura; the police car designed to look like a dog; Uran's encounter with animals; and an obsolete robot maid. He suspects the last is a reference to the "Future" volume of Phoenix.[6]

Although people often call Pluto a dark take on a children's classic, Urasawa feels that the idea that Tezuka's work is lighthearted is a common misconception. He said that through its anime and various adaptations it has been "reimagined as very wholesome and safe content, but if you really look at Tezuka's work on a deeper level, it's very dark. If you aim to properly adapt or remake any of Tezuka's work, you will naturally end up with a very dark story."[7]

When asked in 2019 what advice he would give to an artist who wanted to adapt one of his own works like he did Astro Boy, Urasawa replied "Don't do it!" He explained that even though he understood the responsibility of the undertaking, the pressure and intense struggle was so much that he will never do it again and would advise a young artist to avoid it as well.[7][8]

Release

Written and illustrated by Urasawa, while also writing 20th Century Boys,[9] Pluto was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original magazine from September 2003 to April 2009.[10] The chapters were collected and published into eight tankōbon volumes, each of which had a deluxe edition that includes the color pages from the chapters' original magazine run released before the normal version; the first volume was published on September 30, 2004 and the last on June 19, 2009. Takashi Nagasaki, who would later go on to work with Urasawa on Billy Bat and Master Keaton Remaster, is credited as the series' co-author.[10] Macoto Tezka, Osamu Tezuka's son, supervised the series and Tezuka Productions is listed as having given cooperation.

It was licensed and released in English in North America by Viz Media, under the name Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka.[11][12] They released all eight volumes, that include some color pages, between February 17, 2009 and April 6, 2010. Pluto has also received domestic releases in other foreign countries, such as in Spain by Planeta DeAgostini, Germany by Carlsen Comics, South Korea by Seoul Munhwasa, Italy by Panini Comics, France by Kana and in Dutch by Glénat.

Volume list
No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 September 30, 2004[13]978-4-09-187756-7February 17, 2009[14]978-1-42-151918-0
  • Act 1 : "Mont Blanc" (モンブラン)
  • Act 2 : "Gesicht" (ゲジヒト)
  • Act 3 : "Brau 1589" (ブラウ1589)
  • Act 4 : "North No. 2 (Part 1)" (ノース2号前)
  • Act 5 : "North No. 2 (Part 2)" (ノース2号中)
  • Act 6 : "North No. 2 (Part 3)" (ノース2号後編)
  • Act 7 : "Brando" (ブランド)
2 April 22, 2005[15]978-4-09-187757-4March 17, 2009[16]978-1-42-151919-7
  • Act 8 : "Atom" (鉄腕アトム)
  • Act 9 : "Professor Ochanomizu" (お茶の水博士)
  • Act 10 : "Hercules" (ヘラクレス)
  • Act 11 : "Patching In" (それぞれの戦場)
  • Act 12 : "Family Portrait" (家族の肖像)
  • Act 13 : "False Memory" (記憶の手違い)
  • Act 14 : "Dr. Roosevelt" (Dr.ルーズベルト)
  • Act 15 : "Enemy Parts" (敵の部品)
3 March 24, 2006[17]978-4-09-180309-2May 19, 2009[18]978-1-42-151920-3
  • Act 16 : "Uran" (ウラン)
  • Act 17 : "Death to Machines!!" (機械に死を!!)
  • Act 18 : "Zeronium" (ゼロニウム)
  • Act 19 : "Epsilon" (エプシロン)
  • Act 20 : "Robot Haters" (ロボット嫌い)
  • Act 21 : "Uran's Search" (ウランの捜し物)
  • Act 22 : "Pluto" (プルートゥ)
  • Act 23 : "Wandering Soul" (彷徨（さまよ）える魂)
4 December 12, 2006[19]978-4-09-181028-1July 28, 2009[20]978-1-42-151921-0
  • Act 24 : "The Professor's Day Off" (博士の休日)
  • Act 25 : "A Fine Day for a Tornado" (竜巻日和)
  • Act 26 : "The Confrontation" (対決)
  • Act 27 : "A Different Dream" (違った夢)
  • Act 28 : "Emergency Call" (緊急コール)
  • Act 29 : "Whispering Shadows" (つぶやく影)
  • Act 30 : "Three Scientists at Kimberley" (キンバリーの三博士)
  • Act 31 : "The Greatest Robot on Earth" (地上最大のロボット)
5 November 20, 2007[21]978-4-09-181595-8September 15, 2009[22]978-1-42-152583-9
  • Act 32 : "The Scars of Memory" (記憶の傷跡)
  • Act 33 : "Victors, Sages and Mortals" (勝者、賢者、生者)
  • Act 34 : "God's Choice" (神の選択)
  • Act 35 : "Gesicht, Do You Copy?" (応答せよゲジヒト)
  • Act 36 : "Pursuit of Hate" (憎悪の追跡)
  • Act 37 : "Sad Visitor" (悲しき訪問者)
  • Act 38 : "The Chaos of Six Billion" (60億の混沌)
  • Act 39 : "The Imprisoned King" (獄中の王)
6 July 18, 2008[23]978-4-09-182185-0November 17, 2009[24]978-1-42-152721-5
  • Act 40 : "Sage of the Sands" (砂の賢者)
  • Act 41 : "Sahad" (サハド)
  • Act 42 : "A Home in Hades" (冥王の故郷（ふるさと）)
  • Act 43 : "An Encounter with Death" (死への邂逅)
  • Act 44 : "I Am Pluto" (私はプルートゥ)
  • Act 45 : "Negotiation and Reparation" (代償と交渉)
  • Act 46 : "End of the Dream" (夢の終わり)
  • Act 47 : "Real Tears" (本物の涙)
7 February 20, 2009[25]978-4-09-182460-8January 19, 2010[26]978-1-42-153267-7
  • Act 48 : "Six Billion Personalities" (60億の偏り)
  • Act 49 : "Surprise Party" (サプライズパーティー)
  • Act 50 : "To Eat the Earth" (地球を食べる)
  • Act 51 : "Two Suns" (ふたつの太陽)
  • Act 52 : "Wassily's Choice" (ワシリーの選択)
  • Act 53 : "Showdown at Vigeland Castle" (ビーゲラン城の決斗)
  • Act 54 : "Burgeoning Grief" (悲しみの覚醒)
  • Act 55 : "The Great Awakening" (大いなる目覚め)
8 June 19, 2009[27]978-4-09-182668-8April 6, 2010[28]978-1-42-153343-8
  • Act 56 : "Formula for Destruction" (破壊の数式)
  • Act 57 : "Whither the Heart" (心の行方)
  • Act 58 : "Old Friend" (オールドフレンド)
  • Act 59 : "Various Reunions" (さまざまな再会)
  • Act 60 : "The Honest Truth" (真実の真相)
  • Act 61 : "Doomsday" (滅亡の時)
  • Act 62 : "Gesicht's Legacy" (ゲジヒトの遺言)
  • Act 63 : "Wish Upon a Star" (星に願いを)
  • Act 64 : "The Sound of the End" (終わりの音)
  • Act 65 : "The Greatest Robot in History" (史上最大のロボット)

Adaptations

Universal Pictures and Illumination acquired the rights to Pluto in 2010 for a live-action/CGI film.[29] No news has emerged since.

A play adaptation of Pluto that incorporated 3D imagery via projection mapping opened at Tokyo's Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon on January 9, 2015. Directed and choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, it starred Mirai Moriyama as Atom, Yasufumi Terawaki as Gesicht, Hiromi Nagasaku as both Uran and Helena, Akira Emoto as both Professor Tenma and Blau 1589, Kazutoyo Yoshimi as both Professor Ochanomizu and Dr. Roosevelt, and Yutaka Matsushige as Abullah.[30] A new production of the play was performed in Tokyo, England, the Netherlands, Belgium and Osaka between January 6 and March 14, 2018. New cast members included Tao Tsuchiya as both Uran and Helena, Shunsuke Daitō as Gesicht, and Mitsuru Fukikoshi as Abullah.[31] A performance of the play was broadcast on WOWOW Prime on June 23, 2018.[32]

An anime adaptation by Studio M2 was announced to be in production at the 2017 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June 2017.[33]

Reception

Pluto has sold over 8.5 million volumes and has won and been nominated for numerous awards.[34] It was awarded the ninth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and an Excellence Prize at the seventh Japan Media Arts Festival, both in 2005.[35][36] Marking Urasawa's second and third time receiving those honors respectively. Also in 2005, Pluto topped the first Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list for male readers, which surveyed people in the manga and publishing industry.[37] The series was given the Seiun Award for Best Comic in 2010.[38] In France, the manga won the Intergenerational Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival and the Prix Asie-ACBD award at Japan Expo, both in 2011.[39]

The American Young Adult Library Services Association named the first three volumes of Pluto some of their Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens of 2009,[40] likewise, the School Library Journal nominated the series as one of the Best Comics for Teens.[41] At the 2010 Eisner Awards, Viz's English edition was nominated for Best Limited Series or Story Arc and Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia, additionally, Urasawa was nominated for the Best Writer/Artist award for both Pluto and 20th Century Boys.[42] Viz's edition was also nominated for the Harvey Award in the Best American Edition of Foreign Material category.[43]

Joseph Luster of Otaku USA called Pluto "flat-out incredible" and felt it should be required reading, "not just for fans of comics, but for fans of solid, absorbing stories." He said that, as a reimagining of another work, it "goes above and beyond the call of duty, and there aren't many other series out there that can get me clamoring for the next set of chapters like this one does."[44]

In her review, Deb Aoki of About.com claimed Pluto "will suck you in with its masterful storytelling, and will break your heart with its uncommon emotional depth." and gave the first volume a five out of five rating. She also stated that the series conjures up "thought-provoking questions about robots and what it means to be human."[45] Manga critic Jason Thompson pointed out the series' obvious allusions to the real-life Iraq War; the United States of Thracia (United States of America) invaded Persia (Iraq) after falsely claiming they had robots of mass destruction (weapons of mass destruction).[10]

Reviewing volume seven, Anime News Network's Carlo Santos felt the story got a lot more enjoyable with all the loose ends tied up and said Urasawa does a fine job of integrating Tezuka's design with his own style. However, he wrote that "Urasawa continues to add pointless little flourishes to the story: references to Pinocchio, a creepy little children's song, a symbolic crack in a wall ... it probably all has some kind of thematic unity in his head, but it sure doesn't do much to advance the story."[46] Santos strongly praised the final volume, saying it works on every level; with philosophical points of war and humanity and artificial intelligence, and feelings of love, hate, hope, and despair that tug at the heart.[47]

The Guardian theater critic Michael Billington called the set and visuals of the stage adaptation of Pluto "spectacular" and gave the 2018 London performance 3 out of 5 stars. He finished by writing "The show may appeal to manga devotees and is clearly on the side of good in its plea for a world free from hate. But, for all its technical skill, it never engages us emotionally and never explains how we create a world in which humans and robots usefully coexist. This is comic-book theatre executed with great panache but to little real purpose."[48]

References
  1. "The Official Website for Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka". Viz Media. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  2. "Naoki Urasawa, Editor Discuss Latest Work, Billy Bat". Anime News Network. February 13, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  3. Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 1. Viz Media. pp. 192–195. ISBN 978-1-4215-1918-0.
  4. Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 1. Viz Media. pp. 196–197. ISBN 978-1-4215-1918-0.
  5. Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 2. Viz Media. pp. 204–205. ISBN 978-1-4215-1919-7.
  6. Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 3. Viz Media. pp. 198–199. ISBN 978-1-4215-1920-3.
  7. "INTERVIEW: All You Need is a White Piece of Paper and Pen: A Conversation with Monster and 20th Century Boys Creator Naoki Urasawa". Crunchyroll. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  8. Cirone, David (January 25, 2019). "Naoki Urasawa – Interview with creator of Monster, 20th Century Boys at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles (2019)". J-Generation. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  9. "Naoki Urasawa Talks about Relationship between Mangaka and Editors". comipress.com. November 29, 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  10. "Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Pluto". Anime News Network. September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  11. "Viz Adds 20th Century Boys, Pluto Manga". Anime News Network. July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  12. "Viz Media Previews Dramatic New Manga Titles Set for Release in 2009". Anime News Network. August 4, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  13. PLUTO　豪華版 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  14. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  15. PLUTO　豪華版 2 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  16. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  17. PLUTO　豪華版 3 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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  19. PLUTO　豪華版 4 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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  21. PLUTO　豪華版 5 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  22. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 5". Viz Media. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  23. PLUTO　豪華版 6 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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  25. PLUTO　豪華版 7 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  26. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 7". Viz Media. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  27. PLUTO　豪華版 8 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  28. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 8". Viz Media. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  29. "Universal, Illumination Get Film Rights for Urasawa's Pluto Manga". Anime News Network. October 20, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  30. "Mirai Moriyama Plays Atom/Astro Boy in Pluto Manga's 1st Stage Play". Anime News Network. September 23, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  31. "ラルビ×森山未來「プルートゥ」再び、土屋太鳳「宇宙みたい」な初舞台" (in Japanese). Natalie. January 5, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  32. "「PLUTO」再演放送、大東駿介がナレーション担当の浦沢直樹ドキュメンタリーも" (in Japanese). Natalie. June 21, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  33. "Pluto Anime, New Patlabor EZY Anime Series Projects Revealed". Anime News Network. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  34. 人気マンガ「ＰＬＵＴＯ」がハリウッドで実写化. Sponichi (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  35. "Tezuka Award Winner Announced". Anime News Network. May 10, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  36. "Manga Division 2005 (9th) Japan Media Arts Festival Archive" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  37. "このマンガがすごい! 2006". Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (in Japanese). Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  38. "Guin Saga, Summer Wars, Pluto Win at Japan Sci-Fi Con". Anime News Network. August 7, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  39. "Urasawa, Tezuka's Pluto Wins at France's Angoulême". Anime News Network. January 30, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  40. "U.S. Librarians Honor Children of the Sea, Ōoku, Pluto". Anime News Network. January 20, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  41. "School Library Journal Names Best Books in 2009". Anime News Network. December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  42. "Urasawa, Tatsumi, Taniguchi Nominated for 2010 Eisners". Anime News Network. April 8, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  43. "Pluto, 20th Century Boys, Tezuka Nominated for Harveys". Anime News Network. July 12, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  44. "Pluto Volume 3 & 4". Otaku USA. July 30, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  45. "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Volume 1". About.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  46. "Ultimo Fighting Championship - RIGHT TURN ONLY!!". Anime News Network. February 16, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  47. "Pluto GN 8 - Review". Anime News Network. April 20, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  48. "Pluto review – Astro Boy epic is a technical marvel". The Guardian. February 9, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
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