I remembered the phrase he used while launching himself into the air, "Go, go, go", the squeak his feet made as he walked (as though he had suction cups for soles), but little else other than the tune to the opening and closing songs. After finding tapes of the series on both Amazon.com and eBay, I ordered some. Immediately, the first thing that resonated with my memory other than the opening theme, was the last image of the opening with all the villains conveniently huddled together and Astroboy dropping a large cage over them. My eyes became wet, and I knew I had found a precious connection to my long lost childhood. I immediately ordered more tapes. Unfortunately, the tapes do not present the series, but rather selected episodes from it. The first episode, is of course, "The Birth of Astroboy", but the second one on the first tape is episode 67 "The Monster Machine". Astrogirl is the damsel in distress, for this machine grows by assimilating other machines, and it has her in its clutches. Yet Astrogirl has not even been born/created until near the end of the first season. She makes her first appearance in Episode 25 "The Strange Birthday Present", because she is that present. Unfortunately, this episode does not seem to be included among those on VHS tape available via American sources. The color remake has her delivered in a box that bears a funny, yet disturbing resemblance to a coffin. Oblong, with a hinge running down one of the longest sides. Why didn't they deliver her via a robot stork? Of the tapes that I have 1-6, 11, The Lost Episode and 30th Anniversary 1 and 2, only those two Anniversary tapes have Astroboy himself utter that memorable "Go, go, go", although all have it in the theme songs.
I, for one like everything Astroboy; including both incarnations, B&W and color, although I think the voices are more childlike (squeaky) for the B&W version. Billie Lou Watt was tough to beat in that area, she gave voices to many female and child animated characters. After watching eight or so tapes from the series, I really did not see anything that rang a bell, other than what I mentioned previously. I bought the first Manga book, and so far seven of the nine tapes of the color series.
The sequence of episodes on the color remake series' tapes seems to be the same as the broadcast schedule. They are in the proper order, that is, first Astroboy ('Atom' as in atomic powered), then mama and papa, then Astrogirl (Uran as in 'URANium'are created. I bought a five-disc DVD set of the first 26 episodes of the color version with Japanese audio and English subtitles. Viva la differences! Massive editing was done on the English dubbed version, and the sequence of episodes itself was different. I am eager for the release of the second DVD set. I understand that a motion picture is in the works, and should be released in 2004. One can find Astroboy Windows themes, complete with sounds and cursors; episode guides; and much more just with a few moments using a search engine. Apparently, he has quite a few fans.
From what I have seen of both series, the latter put more emphasis on Uran's (Astrogirl) adventures, and Astroboy's home and school life. Uran's (Astrogirl) first adventure is one with a pied piper who lures away all the little robot children. Guess who has to save them. She has another really cute adventure when she searches for the robot God, and again needs big brother to rescue her. She is clearly modeled on Shirley Temple's 5-6 year old image. Her dress is always too small to act as much more than a shirt, and her thighs and white panties are usually visible. One wonders why the animators choose this style. While it is cute, it is also somewhat disturbing. Robots do not grow, why do they dress her in clothes clearly too small for her? Perhaps I am being too picky.
It is clear, though that both series have something for everybody. Funny names in the 60s B&W, and visual gags/ physical humor in the color remake appeal to adults and are usually over the kids' heads, while visually funny characters and antics in both appeal to the kids.
Astroboy is a completely selfless character, and as such might have role-model potential. The only time he finds trouble is when he yields to peer pressure (in the color remake), trying to be 'cool' like his classmates. Of course, he must fight the bad guys, but as a kid, he has no bad habits, except during his first days, he is quite simply, a model child. He never shirks from risking his own existence to save others, he is the odd combination of a school boy and super hero, whose identity is no secret.
Note that some data about the 80s series may be incorrect.
