Technically this should be under the Fanfiction category. Naoki Urasawa, almost certainly the greatest manga author of all time, decided to adapt his favorite Astro Boy story into something entirely different and unique, and because he's a genius of course it turned out amazing. Pluto combines sci-fi with a hard-boiled detective story, starring a robot investigating the deaths of some of the most famous robots in the world. I'm a sucker for stories about sentient AI discovering themselves, and what it means to be truly alive, so this story was right up my alley. Pluto explores the weight of a life, and what it means for others when that life is taken. Every character is written with depth and feels like a real person (or robot) despite the limited screentime each of them get. SImply put, Pluto is really, really well-done and I love pretty much every moment in the manga. And I knew absolutely nothing about Astro Boy going in!
It's hard to describe what makes an Urasawa story so good, because his greatest strengths lie in how everything is executed. Pluto's sense of pacing and the way each scene is framed, even for the simplest moments, is perfect. It can sound pretentious to describe a piece of fiction as 'intelligent', but that's exactly what Urasawa's works are. They never talk down to you or force the story on you, giving you enough material to come to your own conclusions while simultaneously tugging at your heartstrings. By the end of Pluto, you're left tired but satisfied, confident that the story ended exactly when and where it should. I cannot recommend it enough to people who...well, like good stories.
Yes!
I agree wholeheartedly. It's just kind of a shame that Pluto is rather underappreciated compared to his other works since I think it might just be my personal favorite.
It's crazy how well it explored the themes of AI and sentience. And its powerful moments made me cry.
Also it's fun comparing the original designs and Urasawa's take on them. ---
Into the woods, but mind the past... Into the woods, but mind the future!