To early American television viewers, Astro Boy was just a fun little robot superhero with rocket-powered feet, huge eyes, and an exciting-sounding theme song who flew through the skies, battled evil villains, and saved innocent people. This was the perception most people had of him, and he was one of the first anime characters to gain attention among American audiences. But this is not how things began for this hero. He was never known as Astro Boy in Japan. His name there was Tetsuwan Atom, meaning Mighty Atom. This exciting science-fiction story was conceived in an era in Japan where the effects of World War II were prevalent, and thus it carried much more depth and emotion. Nonetheless, when the series arrived on the other side of the Pacific Ocean in the early 1960s, it underwent many changes beyond the name change. From character designs to episode numbering to even scenes and plot, everything was subject to cuts and reshaping. Yet, not all of that managed to obscure the soul of the series. In America, viewers encountered a courageous robot boy with a human heart who stood up against injustice.
Credit to : Lore Lockdown