Reviews

ATOM: The Beginning, Vol. 1 by Osamu Tezuka

smtvash's review

4.0

Never read Astro Boy nor do I know much about it.
But this was really enjoyable and I'll be on the lookout for VOL. 2
Nice to see more older content getting localized and distributed in the US!

dantastic's review against another edition

3.0

I liked this and there's nothing actually wrong with it but I doubt I'll continue past this volume. Basically, it's Astro Boy's creator Tenma and later father figure Ochanomizu when they were in school, first experimenting with robots and AI. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with it but it's not exceptional and I doubt I'd give it a second glance if not for the Astro Boy connection.

molly_dettmann's review

4.0

Okay, so this is a prequel to Astro Boy (which I have never read) but I feel like I can still follow this decently and it’s got its own interesting AI robot vibe to it that seems different than Astro Boy. I love the artwork and the action scenes are fantastic.

sillyduckies's review

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

 Not enough kitty but a fun manga nonetheless. The art is cool, it feels different somehow. 

destdest's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

1.0

 I’ve never been super into mecha manga or anime, but I wanted to read the first volume. First, the character design’s funky in a good way. It’s refreshing to get a manga with characters in college or actually post-grads/graduate students.

On the positive, the robot scenes are dynamic and look good.

Didn't care for the portrayal of female characters at all. The snarky guy’s sister seems flat, vapid, and manipulative. The manga goes out of its way for Hiroshi’s nonverbal, little sister’s legs to be spread. Like, for no reason and it’s very intentional, however, you want to take that. The sister is wide-leggedly open all the time; bust open like a can of biscuits with a full-on panty shot. No sir, no ma’am.  This type of thing is off-putting. 

Anyway, won’t be continuing but gave it a shot since it was on display at the library. Ultimately it couldn't keep my interest. 

erinsbookshelves's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

martythyst's review

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

graypeape's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is essentially a prequel to Astro Boy, though it can absolutely be read as a standalone series. The story is about Umataro Tenma, the eventual creator of Astro Boy, as a university student, learning about A.I. with his partner Hiroshi Ochanomizu; together, they have created A106, an autonomous A.I. robot that develops in some interesting ways. Things start a little slow, but pick up after Six starts interacting with the world, culminating in a battle tournament that has Six using an unusual technique to defeat opponents, and highlights his emerging personality. This volume sets up the series well (though it does move a bit slowly, as setups often do), and leaves us with an intriguing cliffhanger. The art is good, and pays homage to the source material. I look forward to seeing how this plays out!

#ATOMTheBeginningVol1 #NetGalley