Tetsujin 28 - Monster Resurrected Vol. 1

Product description The journey begins when Professor Kaneda creates the ultimate soldier robot Tetsujin as a substitute for his son Shotaro whom he mistakenly believed died in a bomb raid on Tokyo during World War II. To prevent the army from using Tetsujin as a tool for destruction the professor hides the robot on a remote island. Ten years after the war Tetsujin is finally resurrected after 28 attempts made by the late Professor Kaneda s protege Professor Shikishima. Meanwhile Shotaro has grown up to become a genius boy detective and now joins forces with his beloved Tetsujin to wage a courageous battle against evil! A legendary masterpiece which shines in the history of postwar manga is now resurrected brilliantly! 115 minutes Audio: English Japanese Subtitles: English Amazon.com The broadcast series Tetsujin 28 (2004) is a modern reworking of the program Americans remember as Gigantor (syndication, 1966). Based on the manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, the original 1963 Japanese series was called Tetsujin 28-go ("Iron Man No. 28"). The title character is an enormous robot created by the father of boy detective Shotaro for a secret weapons program during the final days of World War II. Shotaro helps Chief Otsuka and Dr. Shikishima cope with criminals and monsters left over from the war. The filmmakers do a good job of recreating the Tezuka-influenced look of '60s Japanese animation. Tetsujin has a needle nose and a round, pudgy body; Shotaro resembles a cross between Astroboy and Dondi. Like other robots of the pre- Gundam era, Tetsujin's controls consist of a small box with a few knobs and levers Shotaro manipulates. At a time of heated controversy over Japan's reluctance to acknowledge wartime abuses, Tetsujin 28 represents a bold departure. Although both men repeatedly declare "it was a terrible time for Japan" and "we had no choice," Dr. Shikishima is racked with guilt over his participation in the robot-weapon program and the evil Dr. Furanken imagines he sees blood flowing from his hands. (Rated 13 and older: violence, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon