Fat Astro Boy, astro boy, cartoons, japan, manga, tezuka productions

Japan's Astro Boy Robot Redesigned As a Fat Ass

Astro Boy, the robot Mickey Mouse of Japan with a machine gun in his ass and laser on his fingertip, has received his first major graphic overhaul in years. And they made him fat! The formerly svelte, doe-eyed bot with 100,000 horsepower looks like a cross between a fish lips and a mini sumo wrestler.

Not surprisingly to Shimuzu, they have been getting more than their share of complaints from the more hardcore of the Astro Boy fan-base. So, why the added girth? Tezuka Productions Copyright Division head Yoshihiru Shimuzu offers a suggestion, "Once upon a time, Americans never ate raw fish, but now they really want to find a delicious sushi. In the same way, we want the collaboration that led to 'AvoCali (Astro Boy)' to take the character worldwide." Avocali is the nick name for this variant, and it's a reference to the Avocado California rolls many Americans think is real sushi. So to get this straight, Japan's Astro Boy was made fat and ugly to better relate to foreign devils? Astro boy was the inspiration for Japan's Atom project, a $446 million attempt to recreate the total abilities of a 5-year old in a robot. Is this any way to treat him? [Mainichi]

6:48 PM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Chris Magor
7,817 views
48 comments

Comments

zincrox at 06:57 PM on 04/21/08
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fat mess
takemetoyourtoaster at 07:00 PM on 04/21/08
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OUR ECOSYSTEM ROCKS
ripfire4 at 07:00 PM on 04/21/08
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Well, I think they're just insulting their own culture by doing so.
Set to evil at 07:03 PM on 04/21/08
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Astrofail
tinshaker at 07:03 PM on 04/21/08
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slow news day?
Evangelion at 07:04 PM on 04/21/08
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Lawl.
islandhopper at 07:05 PM on 04/21/08
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hahahahahaha, what the hell is that thing?? If that is their attempt at making him more appealing to the rest of the world, that is just hilarious. Its not like the first one looked too Japanese to be relatable or anything, jesus.
DeadWriter at 07:05 PM on 04/21/08
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Bloatware.
islandhopper at 07:08 PM on 04/21/08
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[www.newyorkslime.com]

LOOK! he was modeled to be more "american" hahahahaha
DeadWriter at 07:09 PM on 04/21/08
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Meanwhile Astrogirl (Uran/Zoran Astroboy's sister) is bulimic and carries Astrodog in a pink oversized hand bag.
ittekimasu at 07:14 PM on 04/21/08
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Definitely looks like they are trying to appeal to the american children...
shamoononon at 07:21 PM on 04/21/08
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Can we blame this too on thinner television sets?
ph15h HATES ph15h at 07:24 PM on 04/21/08
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Eww...

@shamoononon: Widescreen made him wider.
berribrand at 07:32 PM on 04/21/08
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@ripfire4: Their culture or rather our culture?
jhova8301 at 07:36 PM on 04/21/08
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God damn right. I salute the makers of the new astro boy. Innovation comes at a price. So what if that price is 30 extra cartoon pounds and erotic lips it needs to be done.When this gets packed into a happy meal grown men will rush the double doors of there local Mcdonalds. RALLY ON
frigg at 07:43 PM on 04/21/08
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Astro Kitty
strider_mt2k at 07:56 PM on 04/21/08
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I blame the internets.
ripfire4 at 08:02 PM on 04/21/08
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@berribrand: Well Japanese culture of course. Because when you think of Astro Boy, you'll think of Japan. And when you see the fat version... You get the idea.
Tikey at 08:07 PM on 04/21/08
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You're kidding me...
Mandatory_Field at 08:19 PM on 04/21/08
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Hey, everybody gets older. We can't all stay as svelte as me (skinny nerd archetype)....
DeadWriter at 08:30 PM on 04/21/08
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Perhaps the recessive robotic Peter Lorre gene has finally expressed its self.
bosskev at 08:38 PM on 04/21/08
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@takemetoyourtoaster:
Great. Where were you when I needed you? [gizmodo.com] & [gizmodo.com]
LoobyLoo352 at 08:40 PM on 04/21/08
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Any body else think those look like red condoms on Astro Boy's legs?

Or am I just a nymphomaniac?
Kaiser-Machead at 08:46 PM on 04/21/08
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Maybe this is Japan's way of making fun of Kim Jong-Il, but sweet pie-frakkin' mother-loving Christ on a cracker is that hideous.
001 at 08:51 PM on 04/21/08
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check out my avatar and u know what i think of this.

but got to admire their balls to ditch something established just to insult foreigners the world over for this "i think u no like real sushi so give you su-shit" mentality.yeah, mental.
man_in_gauze at 09:15 PM on 04/21/08
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And while we're at it, let's drastically lower the quality of the picture itself, because peddling cheap shit to those silly Americans is what we do.

Honestly, I could expect the second image being the first Astro Boy from the 70s or something; for it to be the latest model is sad in so many ways.
auroragb at 09:51 PM on 04/21/08
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Don't they already have this?
[en.wikipedia.org])
auroragb at 09:53 PM on 04/21/08
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Don't they already have this? They call it Big Boy
nonreligious pope at 10:35 PM on 04/21/08
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FIRST!!!.. oh dammit.
Hosemaster at 10:47 PM on 04/21/08
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There's your answer, fishbulb
moogoescow at 10:58 PM on 04/21/08
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Anime, your dead to me! You hear me! Dead!
jkr at 11:06 PM on 04/21/08
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japs are weird
Brian Lam at 12:13 AM on 04/22/08
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@jkr: Banned dudes make no comments.
TruPhan at 12:47 AM on 04/22/08
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@jkr: I was about to be hilarious and make a comment about the pudgy robot when I noticed you were an asshole. Way to go and ruin the fun for everyone.
ManekiNeko at 01:03 AM on 04/22/08
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By naming him after the California Roll, they're admitting upfront that this new "Astro Boy" is a fake. The only question remaining is this... why even bother with this redesign in the first place? He looks like the love child of Marlon Brando and Edward G. Robinson (do a Google search, kids). Even going the Mega Man X route of making the character dark and edgy would be better than this.
Ambigous Blob at 01:06 AM on 04/22/08
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I guess it'd matter, if the average person in the US knew who Astro Boy was to begin with (and no Astro Boy on Adult Swim doesn't count! There audience is tiny!). Instead all they're doing now is insulting the few fans they have here state side, while also watering down the strength of a IP that could potentially become relevant here in the states with the average Joe in the future... Spiderman to Iron Armor Spiderman = FAIL. Superman to Red & Blue Superman = Fail. Astro Boy to Fat Astro Boy = Fail. as for me Mr. Shizumi, I think i'll stick to my non-condescending Mickey Mouse thankyouverymuch!
skulldriveshaft at 01:57 AM on 04/22/08
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WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
jkr2 at 03:24 AM on 04/22/08
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well actually it was a sarcastic remark, not to be taken to heart. I do happen to have a particularly thick skin, and sometimes forget that others don't, especially after reading the Otaku mothers diner fetish, among a few other things. So to anybody I offended, consider this an apology. After the ban though I did come to realize that about 1/2 the articles here i actually write a negative response. Which in turn made me realize, that perhaps this isn't the blog for me. Don't take this as a dig on giz, just a personal preference. One last remark, I'm Japanese by ethnicity. So delete this post, delete all of mine, no worries, I'm outa here.
Chris Magor at 07:28 AM on 04/22/08
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For whatever reason, Astro Boy was absolutely friggin' huge in Australia.
ideon at 08:12 AM on 04/22/08
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i really hope this is true, because the fat astroboy look awsome!!
how can you not love a fat robot with fishlips and tubesocks?
BigDogues at 08:36 AM on 04/22/08
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No, it can't be! With an Astro Boy movie in the works for next year, I don't believe it. I grew up on the original Astro, I even had an Astro Boy lunch box (which I really, really wish I still had). Just recently I introduced my son to Astro and now it's his favorite show. Why, oh why, would they do this?
Sacrilege I say!
GadgetPlay at 11:10 AM on 04/22/08
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But, think of all the extra weaponry and other robotic goodies they can cram into that huge, disgusting carcass.
uberfu at 11:50 AM on 04/22/08
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WTF!
UncleBenny at 12:08 PM on 04/22/08
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YOU BASTARDS, YOU DID IT, YOU FINALLY DID IT, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!!
maven2k at 12:37 PM on 04/22/08
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How F#$%ing stupid. Why do these guys always have to screw with good Sh!#.
tuckerch at 12:56 PM on 04/22/08
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Jenny Wakeman is now no longer looking for a Japanese boyfriend.
Guy-Fawkes at 02:50 PM on 04/22/08
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I would buy the original Astro Boy series on DVD. No way I would pay to see that overfed koi they've come up with. I only hope I can shield my grandkids from seeing that.
leMel at 07:15 PM on 04/23/08
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Is this like the reverse of how we made manga versions of Donald Trump and Batman?