Two episodes of the midcentury Astro Boy anime, directed by the legendary Osamu Tezuka and based on his manga (alternately title Mighty Atom), have been rediscovered after being considered “lost” for decades. This series was produced by Mushi Production (later Tezuka Productions) and ran form 1963 to 1966 on Fuji TV, totally 193 episodes.
Episodes 125 “Search for Bacteria” and 127 “Experimental Robot” have resurfaced and been restored. The news was shared by tech and e-commerce giant Rakuten, which is exclusively streaming the lost adventures via Rakuten TV’s Tezuka Channel in Japan.
The story of Astro Boy centers on an android formed like a young boy with human emotions, created by the scientist Tenma to replace his deceased son. This curious creation is sold to a “robot circus,” but is soon rescued by Professor Ochanomizu, who creates a robotic family to give Astro a sense of normal life — in between his world-saving, crime-fighting adventures, boosted by his incredible android powers.
The manga has been adapted into several anime series over the past century; the 1963 toon was followed by another in 1980, then 2003, plus spin-offs Little Astro Boy in 2014 and Go Astro Boy Go! in 2019. A CG-animated U.S./Hong Kong co-pro movie was also released in 2009.
While the 1963 Astro Boy enjoyed initial popularity upon being imported to the U.S., demand was stymied by the switch to color television and only 104 of the original episodes were released in the States. Over the years, the show became famous (or infamous) as much for its lost installments as its pioneering merits. All the missing eps. were outsourced by Mushi/Tezuka, so recovery has been tricky.
But with the rediscovery of episodes 125 and 127, which were both part of the batch outsourced to P Production, the show is nearly complete. If eagle eyed fans, collectors and film archivists can find episode 139, the series will be complete once more.
／#鉄腕アトム (1963）幻の2話
日本初の独占先行配信🎉
＼フィルム本編が行方不明で動画配信サービスで視聴できなかった2作を #Rチャンネル 独占で先行配信いたします！！
第125話「細菌を探せの巻」
第127話「実験ロボットの巻」#手塚治虫 #アトム #独占配信 #先行配信 pic.twitter.com/PRtUxs1Cei— Rチャンネル＜全チャンネル無料＞ (@rchannel_japan) February 28, 2024
[Source: Rakuten Channel via ComicBook.com]
