Robot Circus

Robot Circus is the twenty-second episode of Astro Boy. This episode should not be confused with the 1980s series’ episode of the same name.

Yuko has decided that it is time for Dr. O’Shay to take a well-deserved vacation, and so she takes him and Astro to a town, and instructs them to spend the week relaxing. The mayor happily greets the trio as they land in their hover-car, and Astro points to an advertisement for a circus composed entirely of robots, which the mayor explains as a must-see. However, a man pulls up in his hover-limo and instructs the mayor to get in whilst complaining that some robots are starting to think they are just like humans, and that he doesn’t like it. The robot porter tells O’Shay that he is the richest man in the town, his name is Mr. Goose and he pretty much runs the city. The man reveals that he has got ‘plans’ for that circus.

O’Shay and Astro watch the circus, but Astro is troubled to see that the man is also watching, and seems unhappy. His men runs up and destroys part of the stage, and the audience flees in panic. Two robots from the circus gets entangled in the ropes, and Astro finds out that one of them isn’t a robot, but rather a boy. The other circus members hastily deny this claim.

Reno leaves his building, and Astro realises it is the boy from the circus and apologises for his actions. Reno reveals that he was abandoned as a baby and ever since he has been raised by the robots, and that he is proud to call the circus tent home. Reno tells them that they have to keep his identity a secret or else humans would take him away. The humans plot on getting rid of the robots, and the robots find out about this - and realise that they must leave. Mr. Goose’ men reveal to the mayor that they have kidnapped a human child and kept on a disguise, and the police are called. Reno and Astro find out that the humans know their secret, and Mr. Goose tells reporters that the robot circus “criminals” would be dismantled and destroyed while Reno is sent to an orphanage. However, O’Shay shows up at tells the crowd that he is Reno’s guardian. Thus Mr. Goose has no option but to let Reno go, but he is still intent on dismantling the robots.

Reno tells them that the police would never catch their family, and that it is time for he to go also. However, O’Shay reveals to him that the robots have already left town, and that they asked for O’Shay to be his guardian. The circus robots escape via a drain, but the police corner them. However, Astro comes just in time to take them away and escape the police’ gun fire. They then proceed through the narrow alleyways, and yet the police corner them again. Astro takes to the skies but they are shot down, and he and the circus robots crash into a building. They decide to end this their own way - by putting on their farewell performance. The police drop their guns as they have no intention to escape.

The robots reveal their backstory: their previous owner retired, and they were sent to the scrapheap. There, they find a baby boy. Raising him costs money, and so the robots revived the circus to feed and care for him. Mr. Goose instructs the police to arrest the robots, but the mayor turns up and says that Reno was never kidnapped at all. Mr. Goose angrily tells the mayor to shut up, however he has no political power. Because of this, the robot circus becomes the official circus of the town.

The robots can now continue to perform their shows. Astro sees that the shows is now starting, and Reno says that his new life is starting also.