007 Captain Atom

[jeffbert]

This is the animated version of Ambassador Atom, except that it lacks any mention of Atom's origin, the robot circus, or Tenma creating him. It was not among those episodes in the English version.








Newspaper reporter Norse Necktall suddenly meets a duplicate of himself, and dutifully brings the man to Professor Ochanomizu, but also reports the story to his employer.
Note the sign over the door.



When the fact that people's doubles from outer space is published, it soon becomes apparent that there will be a food shortage if the space people should ever decide to switch to earth food. The space people have the technology to shrink things:


In the manga, Dr. Tenma lead the movement to shrink all the space people, however, he is replaced in the animated version by this guy:


The space Norse Necktall is confronted and shrunken by the bad guys:







But he is only the first among many to suffer this fate.

[jeffbert]

"This is a job for Tetsuwan Atom!"


The space Ochanomizu is captured, but his troubles are just beginning.






This is only one of two episodes in which Ochanomizu faces a firing squad. Does anybody know the other one? It is on one of the TRSI tapes.

[jeffbert]

So ASTROBUDDY, you say the guy on the right is named 'Manu'?

[ASTROBUDDY]

Well, yes according to my friend who is fluent in Japanese! At least that is the character's name as listed in the Roman Album synopsis! (But looking at the synopsis again it might more accurately be "Manoo" instead of "Manu", since a long line or hyphen appears after the katakana symbols for the character's name meaning when pronounced one has to extend the pronounciation of the last vowel!) I believe he is right in identifying the character as the head of the secret police! Of course someone with more knowledge of Tezuka's cast of stars might know different as I am sure I have seen that character in other episodes!

[jeffbert]

Thanks, ASTROBUDDY!

[Dragonrider1227]

Cool find! I didn't know that was animated

[ASTROBUDDY]

Hi, Jeffbert! Just thought I would let you know I was looking through the synopses of 1960s Astro Boy episodes @ the T-in-E website and the character listed as Novacain from "The Elixir of Life" episode looks remarkably like Manoo, the head of the Secret Police of "Captain Atom" episode! What are your thoughts? (BTW, did you know that in the 1960s episode index, "Jungle Devil Boundary" aka "Jungle Kingdom" is listed as having been printed in Shonen Magazine! This is incorrect as the inspiration for the episode titled "Jungle Mystery" actually was first printed in "TetsuWan Atom Club" magazine, the December, 1964 issue! )

[jeffbert]

Hi, Jeffbert! Just thought I would let you know I was looking through the synopses of 1960s Astro Boy episodes @ the T-in-E website and the character listed as Novacain from "The Elixir of Life" episode looks remarkably like Manoo, the head of the Secret Police of "Captain Atom" episode! What are your thoughts?

Hmm. He is an actor I call the "Lion-hair guy"; he also appears in #163 Road to Another World.

(BTW, did you know that in the 1960s episode index, "Jungle Devil Boundary" aka "Jungle Kingdom" is listed as having been printed in Shonen Magazine! This is incorrect as the inspiration for the episode titled "Jungle Mystery" actually was first printed in "TetsuWan Atom Club" magazine, the December, 1964 issue! )

I just checked my manga notes, & you are correct. In my notes I do have it listed as the 59th overall manga adventure, & the 5th in the ASTRO BOY Club. I will make the correction.

[Sailor Kitty]

Ah, thank you! I had no idea that this was animated, ^^ I like the shot where Astro wears a cape-I guess all super-heroes are doomed to wear one at one time or other.

[jeffbert]

Silly me, I plain forgot about the page I made on TIE: Ambassador Atom