Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka's "PLUTO," which has won both domestic and international manga awards, is finally being animated for the first time! The world's most anticipated work, the production decision PV is now on view!

It has been announced that Naoki Urasawa's masterpiece manga "PLUTO" will be adapted into an animated series and distributed exclusively on Netflix in 2023. In addition, the main cast and other information about the work has also been revealed.

Naoki Urasawa, the genius who has created numerous hits such as "20th Century Boys," "YAWARA!" and "MASTER Keaton" (script by Katsushika Hokusei and Nagasaki Hisashi), will be adapting "PLUTO," one of the "Astro Boy" stories created by Osamu Tezuka, known as the father of manga, into the original "The Greatest Robot on Earth" (1964). (2003), a masterpiece based on "The Greatest Robot on Earth" (1964) created by Osamu Tezuka, the father of manga, and produced by Naoki Nagasaki, who has worked with Urasawa for many years.

This high-quality suspense drama takes place in a near future where humans and high-performance robots coexist in perfect harmony, and has received high acclaim both at home and abroad, including the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award Manga Grand Prize, the 2011 Intergeneration Award at the Angoulême International Manga Festival, and other ACBD Asia Awards. It was adapted for the stage in 2015, and in 2018 it was performed again to great acclaim, touring not only Japan but also the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The long-awaited "PLUTO" has finally been announced to be adapted into an anime.

Naoki Urasawa, the original author of "PLUTO," said, "I applaud the courage of all the staff for taking on the challenge of making an anime, and I am thrilled to see the birth of a new "work of the heart. I hope that now is the time for Osamu Tezuka's message to reach the world," he said, looking back on the time of his own creation and expressing his hope that "PLUTO" will be delivered to the world.

Mr. Takashi Nagasaki, who produced the original story, said, "PLUTO" inherits Tezuka's philosophy and is not just an anti-war message, but a work that reminds the world that there is pain involved and that peace is the only way. He touched on the thoughts behind the story, saying, "PLUTO is not only an anti-war appeal, but also a work that asks the world that there is nothing but peace.

Makoto Tezuka, who is supervising the film following in the footsteps of his father Osamu Tezuka, said, "This is a new Urasawa animation, and at the same time, it is a new Tezuka animation. I am very much looking forward to seeing how the evolution of animation will be shown.

Jenco will produce the animation, and Studio M2 will produce the animation. The planning and production team reunited for the film "In a Corner of the World," which grossed 2.7 billion yen at the domestic box office and won numerous awards including the Best Animated Film at the 40th Japan Academy Awards and the Jury Prize in the Feature Film Division at the 41st Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Taro Maki and Masao Maruyama will serve as executive producers.
Mr. Maki has been a driving force in the Japanese animation business for 25 years as a producer since founding Genco Inc. Mr. Maruyama began his career at Mushi Productions, which was founded by Osamu Tezuka, and has since established some of the industry's leading studios, including Mad House ("One Pan Man" and "Chihayafuru") and MAPPA ("Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Apollo of the Hill Road"). and has served as the producer of previous anime adaptations of Naoki Urasawa's original works. Mr. Maruyama, who has had close contact with the talents of Osamu Tezuka and Naoki Urasawa, will bring out 120% of the charm of the original work.

In addition, a PV of the production of this work was also released. The main character of the story, Gejito, a robot agent of Europol, and two robots, Atom and Uran, who are involved in a certain case he is pursuing, also appear. The video raises expectations for what kind of drama will be depicted in the film.

The cast playing the characters in the video has also been revealed.
The role of Gejito will be played by Masahide Fuji, who has dubbed for Daniel Craig in the "007" series and the "Knives Out" series of spy movies, and the role of Atom will be played by Yoko Hikasa, who has a wide range of acting experience, including that of Leaf Asakura, the main character in "SHAMAN KING" (2021) and Mio Akiyama in "K-On. The role of Uran will be played by Minori Suzuki, who played the heroine Freya Veon in "Macross Delta" and celebrated her 5th anniversary as a singer this year.

In addition, Naoki Urasawa, the author of the original manga, will participate for the first time in AnimeJapan 2023, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight on March 25 (Sat) and 26 (Sun)!　Mr. Urasawa, Makoto Tezuka, Yoko Hikasa, and Minori Suzuki will take the stage at the "Netful Anime Special Stage" at the "BLUE STAGE" on Saturday, March 25. Expectations are high for what Mr. Urasawa will have to say in his first public appearance since the anime adaptation was announced.
In addition to "PLUTO," there will also be an announcement of a highly anticipated new work that will be distributed in 2023. Don't forget that "admission tickets with stage application rights" will be on sale until February 23 (Thursday, national holiday).

The "塚" in Osamu Tezuka / Tezuka Productions is in the old script.

Production Decision PV

Comments (full text)

Naoki Urasawa
Since its release 60 years ago, "The Greatest Robot on Earth," an episode of "Astro Boy," has become a "heart manga" for many people, just as my heart has been shaken by its inexpressible sadness.
Knowing firsthand how difficult a project it was to remake this work, I sincerely applaud the courage of the staff in taking on the challenge of animating it, and am excited by the birth of a new "work of the heart.
I hope that now is the time for Osamu Tezuka's message to reach the world.

Naoshi Nagasaki
Sixty years ago, "The Greatest Robot on Earth," the original story of "PLUTO," was born.
It was a story about robots with the greatest fighting ability competing against each other, and boys of that time were enthusiastic about it because there had never been an Atom work with this kind of fighting style. It was the birth of "the greatest robot on earth" fans rather than Atom fans. Being in the middle of all this, I felt that this work was not simply about who was stronger, but that it wanted to convey something deeper. And when I took on "PLUTO," I had my answer. Osamu Tezuka was a prophet. The wars we are facing today are the result of a failure to understand and respect the differences in cultures and ways of thinking between East and West. PLUTO" inherits Tezuka's philosophy and does not merely appeal to the world to be anti-war, but to show the world that there is pain involved and that peace is still the only way.

Makoto Tezuka
Finally, finally, "PLUTO" will be made into an anime. I have been thinking that one day this should be made into a movie.
The reason why the project has been proposed and then disappeared again and again is because of the difficulty of the content. It is true that the hurdles are high.
But that is why it is the "real thing" among the real things that is worth the challenge.
This is not only a new Urasawa animation, but also a new Tezuka animation.
I am very much looking forward to seeing how he will show us the evolution of animation.

(*Honorifics omitted, original text is in Japanese only)

Event Information

AnimeJapan 2023" Netful Anime Special Stage Information

Date & Time: March 25 (Sat.) 11:20-11:50
Place: BLUE STAGE at "AnimeJapan 2023" at Tokyo Big Sight
Speakers: Naoki Urasawa, Makoto Tezuka, Yoko Hikasa, Minori Suzuki (tentative)
Application: https://onl.la/dmHNnsUにて
Speakers are subject to change without notice.

Related works information: #

Production Information

Netflix series "PLUTO
<Staff>Original Story: "PLUTO" Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka, Produced by Hisashi Nagasaki, Supervision by Makoto Tezuka, Cooperation by Tezuka Productions (Shogakukan Big Comics)
Animation Production: Studio M2
Production Produced by: Jenco

<Cast
Gejito: Masahide Fuji / Atom: Yoko Hikasa / Uran: Minori Suzuki

<Distribution information
Netflix series "PLUTO" to be distributed exclusively in 2023

<Website
Official website of the work: #
Netflix Productions Page : www.netflix.com/pluto

<Official SNS of the film
Twitter：#

Original Comics Information

The series was serialized in the magazine "Big Comic Original" (Shogakukan) from 2003 to 2009, and was published in book form in 2004 (8 volumes). The total number of copies sold worldwide has exceeded 10 million. It has been translated and published in 18 countries and regions around the world, and has a worldwide readership.
A society where humans and robots coexist. A mysterious incident occurs in which the world's most talented robots are assassinated one after another.
Robot investigators Gejito and Atom, who are pursuing the truth, soon realize the existence of the worst hatred in history that will lead the world to destruction. ...... This film is a remake based on "The Greatest Robot on Earth" depicted in "Astro Boy" (written by Osamu Tezuka). became an epic and sad robot epic.
It has won numerous awards in Japan and abroad, including the 9th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award Manga Grand Prize, the Excellence Award in the Manga Division of the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival, and the 41st Nebula Award in the Comics Division.