Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom
English title: Astro Boy (2003)
Japanese title: アストロボーイ・鉄腕アトム
Alternative titles: Astroboy, Astro Boy (2003)
Type: TV
Source: Manga
Episodes: 50
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 6, 2003 to Mar 28, 2004
Broadcast: Unknown
Duration: 24 min per ep
Rating: G - All Ages
Studios: Tezuka Productions
Producers: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Dentsu, Mill Creek Entertainment
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Themes: Super Power
Demographics: Shounen

At the Ministry of Science, fervent Professor Ochanomizu alongside his coworkers strive to reactivate Atom—the first robot with a human heart. Atom is the masterpiece of enigmatic Professor Umatarou Tenma, who built the android to replace his deceased son Tobio. However, while Tenma inexplicably shut down his brainchild and disappeared, Ochanomizu refuses to let such a major breakthrough in science go to waste.

Despite having the appearance of a nine-year-old, Atom not only possesses incredible strength and intelligence, but he is also endowed with a remarkable conscience and compassion that rivals humans. Sadly, the mechanical boy soon faces rejection and learns that not everyone is as welcoming as Ochanomizu. Although automatons have integrated into society, they are accepted only as tools and even seen as an upcoming threat to mankind's dominion.

Dreaming of a world where people and robots can prosper together, Atom dedicates his existence to protecting the lives of both and inspiring them to form genuine bonds.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom was produced to celebrate Atom's birthday—on April 7, 2003—as well as the 40th anniversary of the original series. While it keeps Osamu Tezuka's art style, the remake features modernized animation and various new Western characters. The anime aired on Fuji TV in Japan; overseas, it was broadcasted on Animax and on local televisions such as Kids WB in North America and YTV in Canada. The series won the 2004 Tokyo Anime Award in the Television Category. In Japan, 13 DVD volumes were released between October 3, 2003 and October 1, 2004. In addition, four limited-edition DVD boxes were made available from December 5, 2003 to October 8, 2004. The boxes included: three discs, three postcards, an action figure, and a 16-page booklet. The first box exclusively contained three additional trading cards. In North America, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a complete series DVD collection in 2005 and five single discs in 2009; Mill Creek Entertainment produced a complete series collection in 2015. Four episodes of the anime were included in the Pop Culture Bento Box DVD set released by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2019. The series was adapted into two video games produced by Sega titled Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Astro Boy. The former became available on August 17, 2004 for the Game Boy Advance while the latter was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 in Japan and North America and in 2005 in Europe. Additionally, a clip named ROBOT - Yume no Astro Boy e, which presents actual robot technology with the digital animation of Atom, was screened at different science museums in Japan starting on April 15, 2004.