Pluto on Netflix release date, cast, trailer news
This Astro Boy spin-off is sure to make a planet-sized impact.
Before there was My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Z and even Pokémon, there was Astro Boy.
Widely regarded as the first popular Japanese animation that embodied the aesthetic that would go on to be coined as 'anime' all over the world, the original manga, written by Osamu Tezuka, appeared in 1952 and ran until 1968, soon becoming a national - then global - sensation.
Astro Boy stands as one of the most successful manga and anime of all time, having sold over 100 million copies, the 1963 anime series becoming acclaimed in not just Japan but also the USA.
So it's no surprise that Pluto, a spin-off of Astro Boy created by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, long-time fans of the original robotic boy adventures, has finally been picked up for an anime adaptation - and by Netflix, no less.
The series is noticeably darker than the more upbeat and outwardly heroic exploits of Astro Boy, unafraid of delving to the dark side of the world's robotics industry and the cybernetic beings that it has created. Pluto has since released onto Netflix and received critical acclaim by fans and critics alike, which means that we're likely to get a second season of the robot boy anime.
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Read on to learn everything we know about Pluto, including a release date, trailer and cast announcements.
Pluto release date
Netflix surprised Astro Boy fans on 14th February 2023 with the announcement that they would be producing an animated series based on the hit manga PLUTO, based on the creations of Urasawa and Nagasaki.
Speaking about the series, Urasawa is clearly excited for fans to dive into what they've managed to create: "I applaud the courage of everyone that has taken on the challenge of making an anime based on Pluto.
"I am excited about the birth of this new series to win over people's hearts. I hope that now, more than ever, Osamu Tezuka's message reaches the world."
Since then, Pluto season 1 launched onto Netflix on 26th October 2023, and is available to watch in its 8-episode entirety. Whether there will be a second season of the show remains to be seen, but we'll be sure to update this page as soon as we know more.
Pluto cast
Below is the full cast for Pluto season 1:
- Gesicht - Shinshu Fuji (Japanese) / Jason Vande Brake (EnglisH)
- Atom - Yoko Hikasa (Japanese) / Laura Stahl (English)
- Uran - Minori Suzuki (Japanese) / Lisa Reimold (English)
- Mont Blanc - Hiroki Yasumoto (Japanese) / Keythe Farley (English)
- North No. 2 - Koichi Yamadera (Japanese) / Patrick Seitz (English)
- Brando - Hidenobu Kiuchi (Japanese) / Adrian Pasdar (English)
- Hercules - Rikiya Koyama (Japanese) / Richard Epcar (English)
- Epsilon - Mamoru Miyano (Japanese) / Keith Silverstein (English)
- Dr. Tenma - Eizou Tsuda (Japanese) / Keith David (English)
- Brau-1589 - Hideyuki Tanaka (Japanese) / SungWon Cho (English)
- Pluto - Toshihiko Seki (Japanese) / Fred Tatasciore (English)
- Helena - Romi Park (Japanese) / Mara Junot (English)
- Paul Duncan - Michio Hazama (Japanese) / Ron Bottitta (English)
- Dr. Hiroshi Ochanomizu - Toshio Furukawa (Japanese) / Mike Pollock (English)
- Adolf - Nolan North
What is the plot of Pluto?
Pluto is specifically based on the The Greatest Robot on Earth arc from 1964's Astro Boy, and takes place in a neo-futuristic world where humans and high-functioning robots are able to co-exist.
However, after the world's seven most advanced robots and their human allies are slain in cold blood, it's down to Inspector Geischt to uncover the conspiracy that's afoot - all the while being a target himself.
Co-author Nagasaki spoke about how he and co-creator Urasawa incorporated the original messages of Astro Boy into Pluto: "PLUTO inherits the philosophy of Tezuka and does not only merely convey a message of anti-war, but reminds us that there is suffering on both sides... but still, the only remaining answer is peace."
How is Pluto related to Astro Boy?
As mentioned, there is a strong connection between Astro Boy and Pluto - but it's not what you might think.
While many would assume that Pluto is a prequel, teeing up the inevitable introduction of Japan's favourite robot boy, in actuality, Pluto is a retelling of Osamu Tezuka's original works by Naoki Urasawa, who's best known for manga including 20th Century Boys and Monster.
It was originally conceptualised in 2003 and ran until 2009, as a cyberpunk-esque detective story revolving around robot detective Geischt as he attempts to unravel the wide-spanning murder mystery prevalent throughout Pluto season 1.
Urasawa and Netflix were keen to ensure that the Pluto series honored Astro Boy as much as the manga did, and so Makoto Tezuka, Osamu's son, and his production company itself, allowed Urasawa and the streamer to use the Astro Boy franchise for their own work.
Going a step further, they were also deeply involved in the production, overseeing to ensure it felt true to his father's original work.
Is Pluto a good anime?
Pluto season 1 has debuted to some serious critical acclaim, with Polygon labelling it "a strong contender for one of the best anime of the year" while Paste Magazine went as far to call it "a masterstroke of science fiction".
It's not just critics who have been loving Pluto, as fans took to Twitter to praise the anime adaptation.
Pluto trailer
The official teaser trailer for Pluto was officially released on 2nd July 2023, and can be watched below.
Then on 3rd October 2023, Netflix released the official full trailer for Pluto, showing off some epic visuals and awesome storytelling in store for Astro Boy fans.
Pluto is available to watch on Netflix now.
Check out more of our anime coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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