The thing about Tobio's Hat (may contain spoilers)

[Tobiofan]

Hi guys! I'd like to bring up the topic of Tobio's hat. The main reason the hat was probably added was as a censorship for Tobio's death. However, I believe that its existence has come to mean at least a little bit more then just that. For that reason I'll do some recaps on the different times it was used in Media purposes. 60's Series - After the car crashes, Tobio is no longer completely seen. His hat is lying on the ground showing that Tobio had been in the accident. The fact that he wasn't wearing his hat adds to the fact that something is terribly wrong. After Tenma comes and takes Tobio away, the hat is left with the wreckage. 80's Series - After Tobio crashes, Tenma comes to find Jump whimpering and sniffing Tobio's hat. With Jump added into this series, it adds way more emotion. Seeing that Jump was Tobio's best friend it adds to the emotions. 2003 Series - Like most people, I have only seen the cut version of the 50th episode. However, seeing that Tobio wasn't wearing a hat in the flashbacks that lead up to the accident, I assume that his hat wasn't there. The hat has not completely gone however! In the short movie the Secret of Atom's Birth that is composed of the same art style the helmet Tobio was seen wearing has its own slow motion animation of it hitting the concrete. The reason he wears a helmet instead is probably in order to encourage kids to wear their helmets, though this just adds a sad but ironic twist to the story. 2009 film - Tobio's hat has its most important role in the film. Even to the point it appears more then on Tobio's head and after the accident. The fact that Tenma doesn't want Astro to mess with it just adds to the realization that Astro and Tobio are not the same people. I don't know about you, but it was be important for it, an article of clothing made completely out of flammable material, to survive from being vaporized when the character who was wearing it on his head at the exact moment the robot attacked did not. So whats you opinion on this? Do you think that could be true? Do you think that there is something else to it? Do you think maybe I'm thinking about it way to much? I'd love to hear your opinions on the matter.

[BlueCore]

Finally someone else has found it interesting!!!

[AprilSeven]

Welcome to the forums, Tobiofan, and you have my admiration for threading those observances together . . . I feel a bit embarrassed to have not noticed that before!!

Great thinking!

But, yeah, I felt the solitary hat lying there when everything else was vaporized was a bit unbelievable!

[Tobiofan]

Finally someone else has found it interesting!!!

Welcome to the forums, Tobiofan, and you have my admiration for threading those observances together . . . I feel a bit embarrassed to have not noticed that before!!

Great thinking!

But, yeah, I felt the solitary hat lying there when everything else was vaporized was a bit unbelievable!

Thank you! I actually decided about writing this because of the movie. Someone I know found it strange that the hat was still there when we first watched it. After I talked to my friend the other day she said she found that odd as well. Then that got me thinking.

[Anime Girl]

Interesting. You know I'm still confused as to why his hat survived the blast in the movie. But I liked how it sort of makes it out as Astro and Toby being 2 different people, with Toby usually seen wearing a hat, and Astro with no hat but instead his trademark spike hair.

[AprilSeven]

Astro is FEARLESS! He needs no hat! XD

I figured, Toby shook it off in his panic to escape, so he wasn't wearing in when he was vaporized.

Here's MY question - Was Toby vaporized because he was physically touching the shield-door (the last image of him he had his hands flat against it, as did Tenma)

AND

If the Peacekeeper was actually aiming at Toby, why didn't he/it just "absorb" Toby, as he did the drones and President Stone (and use his adaptive technology to integrate Toby into his body). Then when he was destroyed, Toby could have returned to "normal," like Stone.

[Tobiofan]

Astro is FEARLESS! He needs no hat! XD

I figured, Toby shook it off in his panic to escape, so he wasn't wearing in when he was vaporized.

Here's MY question - Was Toby vaporized because he was physically touching the shield-door (the last image of him he had his hands flat against it, as did Tenma)

AND

If the Peacekeeper was actually aiming at Toby, why didn't he/it just "absorb" Toby, as he did the drones and President Stone (and use his adaptive technology to integrate Toby into his body). Then when he was destroyed, Toby could have returned to "normal," like Stone.

Maybe he did that with the hat. We may never know. Toby was vaporized because he was in range of the Peacekeeper's blast when it tried to destroy shield. He was on destroy shield mode (I don't know why it would even have this) so thats probably why he didn't absorb Toby. Or possibly he had upgrades? I don't know for sure.

[Androids101]

Wasn't the explosion started by Doctor Elefun after combining the two cores, knocking out the peacekeeper as well?

[Tobiofan]

Wasn't the explosion started by Doctor Elefun after combining the two cores, knocking out the peacekeeper as well?

Yes that happened, but that wasn't until after Toby was vaporized. I watched the movie again yesterday to make sure I was correct about the hat (I got the movie two days ago).

[jeffbert]

In the B&W GREATEST ROBOT (PT 2), all that remained intact of Gesicht was this item:

I believe there is a long-ago established symbolism of the overturned hat representing the death of the one who had worn it. Perhaps Tezuka himself originated it, but no matter, it, at least, goes back to episode #1. Note that it is still full of water, indicating that it was upside down when Atom found it.