During Anime Expo, I spoke to Masao Maruyama, the producer of the upcoming Netflix series AstroBoy-inspired anime, Pluto. We spoke about the pressure his studio felt in adapting one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling manga of the 2000s, as well as his thoughts on how the types of machine learning technologies prophesied in the original manga might actually impact the anime industry .
Plutocreated by Naoki Urasawathe legendary manga author behind it Monster, 20th Century BoysAnd Yawara!is a futuristic anime inspired by mangaka Osamu Tezuka’s defining robot series. AstroBoy. similar to AstroBoy, Pluto takes place in a world where humanity and highly functional robots live in harmony. Until a detective named Gview is hired to solve a murder believed to have been committed by a robot. In the search for the killer robot, Face discovers that the killer may also be challenging seven robots, including the eponymous Pluto, for the title of ultimate machine life form.
In conversation with my city through an interpreter, Maruyama said Pluto Supposedly serving as an anime remake of Tezuka’s major work.
“AstroBoy is about a robot while in this show we make it more modern. We’re talking about human-robot coexistence, so we have a contemporary kick,” Maruyama said my city.
Why now is the right time for one Pluto anime
Although Pluto Considered a masterpiece by manga readers, its critical acclaim never led to an anime adaptation after the series ended in 2009. Masayura believes now is the perfect time to do so Pluto to get an anime adaptation because today’s technologies have advanced and in some cases even surpassed the machinations in Plutois manga.
“Robotics have evolved and we have AI and I think things are becoming more real or more real as a story in this time and age,” Masayura said. “[Astro Boy] was presented more than 60 years ago and Urasawa’s story was presented more than ten years ago. I think these artists, these visionaries see things in the future [of time] and I think time has finally caught up with them.”
Continue reading: The 10 Absolute Best Animes on Netflix
That’s not lost on Masayura, an industry veteran who helped found renowned animation studios like Mappa, Madhouse and Studio Mwho worked with Tezuka and collaborated with Urasawa-san on projects like Yawara!
“I’ve been in animation for 60 years [Pluto] “We had the biggest volume for our production because an episode is about 60 minutes and we had to work on eight episodes,” Masayura said. “When we looked at the production process, it was very tough and difficult.”
I appreciate how great the fast-paced action sequences, stunning futuristic cityscapes, and charming character designs are PlutoIn any case, as can be seen from the teaser and official trailer, it’s good that Studio MS has put more work into the anime, which was originally set to debut in 2020 after news of its production broke in 2017.
Pluto Producer’s Thoughts on AI Technology and Anime
Masayura’s comments on how today’s technology, particularly machine learning technologies, has kept pace with the machinations outlined in AstroBoy
Other creatives like Castlevania Director Samuel Deats expressed his displeasure with studio Corridor Digital’s claim that the AI-driven technology they used to create their own anime “democratized the animation industry.” Deats tweeted Corridor’s method, which fed art from fantasy anime films Vampire Hunter D: Blood Rage into their Stable Diffusion AI model wasn’t “a step toward true creative freedom,” saying they’re just “lazy thieves spitting on an entire art form.”
“If you use [AI] Wisely or correctly I think people can use it in a good way. I think AI would be very handy,” Masayura said my city. “However, depending on the situations or the way things are going, I feel a sense of crisis or danger when people are allowed to be taken over or dominated by artificial intelligence.”
Pluto Premieres on Netflix on October 26.
my city covers everything at Anime Expo 2023, including big announcements on panels and exclusive one-on-one interviews with the biggest creators in the industry. Whether you are a seasoned anime fan or a newbie, Here you can keep up to date with everything related to Anime Expo 2023.