![Tetsujin 28: The Complete Set [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41SDSZAWZRL.jpg)
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! .com Tetsujin 28 (2004) is a remake of the mecha series Americans knew as Gigantor during the late '60s. The title character is an enormous robot created by Shotaro Kaneda's late father as part of a secret weapons program during the final days of WWII. (The first episodes show how Tetsujin-like robots would attack San Francisco.) A plucky boy detective in the tradition of Tintin, Shotaro helps Police Chief Otsuka and Dr. Shikishima fight criminals and monsters, most of them left over from the war. Mitsuteru Yokoyama (1934-2004), the creator of the original manga, said Tetsujin was inspired by the American B-29s he saw bomb Kobe as a boy. Although many of the stories refer to the growing prosperity of the post-Occuptation era, the evils perpetrated by Japan and the Allies remain at the focus of the story. Although he recalls "it was a terrible time for Japan" and "we had no choice," Dr. Furanken, who participated in human experiments, imagines he sees blood flowing from his hands. Chief Otsuka describes Tetsujin as "a ghost from the war sent back to remind us, to keep us from forgetting our crimes." The filmmakers re-create the Tezuka-influenced look of postwar manga and animation. Tetsujin has a needle nose, a stocky body, and pudgy limbs; wide-eyed Shotaro resembles a cross between Astroboy and Linus Van Pelt. Like other pre-Gundam robots, Tetsujin is not a mecha suit, but an independent entity that Shotaro directs by manipulating the knobs and levers on a control box. At a time of heated controversy over Japan's reluctance to acknowledge wartime abuses, Tetsujin 28 represents a bold departure from the upbeat heroics of most mecha series. (Rated 13 and older: violence, tobacco and alcohol use) --Charles Solomon
F**E
A great series, beyond the anime fandom.
There are two legends behind this series, one is the original author, Mitsuteru Yokoyama, a genius that can only be compared to Osamu Tezuka and Shotaro Ishinomori. The other is Yasuhiro Imagawa, a brilliant director, responsible for masterpieces such as Giant Robo The Animation and Shin Mazinger. This is one of his most dedicated and mature works and probably will not satisfy the public that often consumes the garbage that has become japanese animation. This is one of my favorite series, and for me, it's already a classic. And it is much more faithful to the original comic than his counterpart of the 60s(Gigantor).
J**O
Tetsujin 28 only LOOKS like Gigantor
Chances are you are a Gigantor fan, deciding whether to get this set or not. This is the complete reworking of the first 26 episodes of Tetsujin 28 before Japan's 27th episode became America's 1st Gigantor episode. In fact they have been reworked so much, that I'm highly dubious they bear any resemblance to the original cartoons that were made. Animation AND story. The studios of Japan were allegedly reluctant to release the first 26 episodes because of very poor quality animation. What they really didn't want us to know, is that the giant robot was originally built to destroy the American forces during World War II, and were fearful of how Americans would react to that premise. In this dvd series that notion is so vaguely mentioned, it's almost not mentioned at all. Well alright it's mentioned but there are no scenes of the tetsujin engaged in combat against U.S. forces. Looking very similar to, but not exactly like Gigantor, the biggest difference between Tetsujin 28 and Gigantor is, where Gigantor is an upbeat adventure where the forces of good and evil are clearly defined (my kind of show) and Gigantor is called upon to save the day, Tetsujin 28 is downbeat drama where good and evil seem to intermix too often, making Tetsujin 28 seem to be the cause of their troubles. I only wish the episodes were upbeat like the catchy military chorus theme song. Great animation and good drama make this set definitely worth a look. The set contains 6 discs not 4 as listed in the product description.
C**R
Four Stars
Not bad for a remake.
F**S
Good animation and stories, but troubling undertone.
As mentioned in other reviews, this is the 2004 remake of the beginning episodes of the 1963 series known in the US as Gigantor. Also, as mentioned elsewhere, the early episodes of the 1963 series was never shown in the US.Obviously, the animation is of a much higher quality than the original. The stories are darker and more serious than the original.However, I became aware of a disturbing undertone as I watched the episodes.The series is set 10 years after WWII. There is a lot made of the suffering and hardships of the Japanese people during the war and the following occupation. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no recognition of the great suffering caused by Japan, the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese soldiers, or the fact the Japan was waging a war of aggression and conquest.
J**R
Excellent Story and Animation
As a huge fan of Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: The Complete Series since being a little kid, I decided to check out this series since it too was based on manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. Although not as upbeat and fun as Johnny Sokko, this story stayed focused and kept my attention for the entire 26 episodes. Not as flashy as Giant Robo - Economy Pack , but the characters and motivations made sense the entire time in this one.The only reasons I didn't give a full five stars are because I didn't really care for the score (although it was used well) and the series maintained a pretty bleak atmosphere throughout.In summary, an excellent tale and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for Johnny Sokko and/or mecha fans; I just wanted to have some fun while watching it.
Trustpilot
1 day ago
2 days ago
