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Reviewed by Michael Aronson I skipped over reviewing volume five because it followed a similar format to the first few volumes, not to mention was similarly as satisfying. Extend what I said about volumes 2-4 to the fifth. Six is quite a bit different. Though my grade remains the same, the execution succeeds and fails in all new ways. In the late ‘60s, the Astro Boy anime series came to a close in an ambiguous way, and so Tezuka continued the storyline via the comic. Keep in mind, most of the earlier Astro Boy stories were self-contained and formulaic. While volume six is still divided into chapters, for the first time there’s continuity from one to the next. Furthermore, the story is set in the past – well, our and Astro’s past, but Tezuka’s present at the time of the story’s publication – and so much of the regular cast is either absent or, shall we say, younger. It’s an entirely different feel for the series and an exciting one. Without the usual superhero-style formula and knowledgeable supporting characters like Mustachio and Ochanomizu, Astro goes on an adventure of exploration and self-discovery, adapting to a more primitive robot-less era while developing a better understanding of his significance and potential as a robot. Philosophizing and moralizing are typical Tezuka, but rather than learn from the mistakes of a renegade scientist or malfunctioned robot, Astro learns firsthand from 1960s society and culture. In this regard, the science fiction elements are toned down, replaced by themes of materialism, anti-war sentiment and mortality. The story goes so far to be topical as to include scenes of the Vietnam War. While Tezuka certainly tries stretching the breadth of his usual subject matter and storylines with this ongoing arc, it feels a bit thrown together with no clear direction. Because continuity is an element this time, the reader expects each chapter to build upon the last, or at the very least to lead to a climax. Instead, Astro bounds from situation to situation and visits different locales despite the gradual depletion of his energy resources. There is something of a definitive ending (interestingly, to be continued in the next volume), but it’s difficult to see what stories about Vietnam, a cicada alien woman, the first intelligent robot, political spies and earning money to rent an apartment all have to do with one another. I think Tezuka was merely playing things by ear, which is certainly acceptable in following the format of his earlier stories and retaining the same level of quality, but it’s still a little disappointing that he squanders the new format. Volume six is a great place to jump into Astro Boy, especially for fans of Tezuka’s other work. It’s somewhat less imaginative than usual, but a notch more sophisticated. Comment on this review of Astro Boy v6 on the Manga Life Forums. |
7 May 2008
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