Netflix’s latest anime, Pluto, is a delightful treat that shines far brighter than the run-of-the-mill anime the streaming giant has been serving up lately. It’s a nostalgia trip to the golden age of classic anime that once had us glued to our screens as kids. It reminds us of our beloved Astro Boy, and Pluto serves as a delightful spinoff, bringing all seven of out favorite robots and tickling those cherished memories for us. In Layman’s terms, streaming Pluto on Netflix is like revisiting old friends on a fresh and exciting new adventure.
Spoilers Ahead
Atom
Created by Professor Tenma, the former Head of the Ministry of Science, Atom is the strongest robot ever to take part in the 39th Central Asian War. Even though Atom didn’t take part in the war directly, he was part of the peacekeeping force that was dispatched to Persia to install peace. Unlike Hercules and Brando, Atom is portrayed as a little boy, as Professor Tenma designed Atom after his son, Tobio Tenma, lost his life in a tragic car accident. When Tobio was alive, Professor Tenma hardly paid attention to him, as he was always consumed by his work. When Tobio died, Tenma created Atom as a way of coping with his son’s untimely death. Even though Tenma’s successor, Professor Ochanomizu, cited Atom as one of the most advanced robots ever made, Tenma always believed him to be a failure. The reason was that Atom was incapable of making errors.
Inspector Gesicht
Brought into existence by Dr. Howard Hoffman, Inspector Gesicht is one of the smartest robots working for Europol as a detective overseeing homicide cases that are far too complicated to be solved by the human mind. Built from a rare zirconium alloy, the strongest metal known to mankind, Gesicht is practically indestructible and can easily withstand conditions that seem impossible to other robots of his kind. He was called to investigate the deaths of Montblanc and Bernard Lanke. Unlike others of his kind, Inspector Gesicht was also capable of having dreams; however, these dreams later turned out to be the remnants of the memories Europol erased after Inspector Gesicht killed a criminal while overseeing a kidnapping and murder case of robot children. Inspector Gesicht was also the robot who discovered Abullah and Darius XIV’s involvement in the deaths of the seven robots and members of the Bora fact-finding mission.
North No. 2
North No. 2 is one of the seven strongest robots ever made. Sometimes known as Monar, North No. 2 was critical during the 39th Central Asian War. Alongside Brando and Hercules, North No. 2 massacred millions of robots and machines. However, he had always claimed that he never wanted to take part in the war but had to since he couldn’t disobey an order from his superior. Even after the war ended, North No. 2 kept having haunting visions of his time in the Central Asian Conflict. Following the war, he was assigned as a butler to Paul Duncan, one of the greatest music composers to ever live.
However, Duncan hardly liked North No. 2 and often berated him as a worthless machine devoid of emotions a regular human can express. However, Duncan’s outlook on his butler changed when North No. 2 made Duncan realize that his mother didn’t abandon him but chose to distance herself to save her son’s life. Duncan thanked North No. 2 for this and even agreed to teach him how to play music, something he always wanted. Unfortunately, before they could put this plan into motion, he was killed by Pluto.
Epsilon
Epsilon was built by Howard Newton, the genius credited with creating photon energy. Later, Newton harnessed this energy and created Epsilon, the robot that draws its power from the sun itself. Unlike Brando and others, Epsilon staunchly refused to take part in the 39th Central Asian War, stating he was not going to play any role in a human-motivated war. Instead, Epsilon decided to adopt the children orphaned by the war. However, he was always berated by both humans and robots for not taking part in the war.
Epsilon took scores of children under his care, including Wassily, the orphan he found in Persia. Epsilon was called to Persia to melt the enormous stockpile of defunct robots. He was about to vaporize the entire area but stopped after sensing signs of life hidden among the rubble. It was Wassily, and Epsilon took him under his care, trying to raise him as his own son. Epsilon even sacrificed himself to give Wassily a chance to have a long and fruitful life.
Montblanc
Professor Reinhart created Montblanc, one of the most respected and strongest robots in the world. Even though Montblanc was the first victim of Abullah’s grand scheme, he boasts an extensive history. He also took part in the 39th Central Asian conflict. He laid waste to thousands of robots during the war and was scarred for life as a result. Following the war, he dedicated himself to humanitarian aid, helping authorities in rescue operations. Despite being broken, Montblanc always kept a happy face and was popular among children. The entire world came to mourn when the news of his death made headlines. He was good friends with Hercules and Brando and was crucial in restoring the Kingdom of Persia to its former glory.
Hercules And Brando
Hercules and Brando joined the arena following the 39th Central Asian War. Brando was married and had even adopted children to raise alongside his wife. Earlier, when Brando brawled for a living, he never cared about himself, but after the adoption policy came into effect, he adopted five children. The kids changed Brando and made him realize that his life is now worth more than before. Brando was deployed alongside Montblanc, and the duo shared their fair share of combat. Hercules, on the other hand, was a lonely robot who didn’t enjoy anybody’s company apart from Gesicht, Brando, and Epsilon. He brawled with Brando on many occasions, but the fight always ended in a tie. Hercules wanted to have a one-on-one with Brando. Unfortunately, he never got the chance, as Brando was torn to pieces by Pluto.
What Was The 39th Central Asian War About? Why Did It Happen?
The kingdom of Persia was always under the world’s scrutiny for creating robots that could turn into dangerous weapons that could obliterate all human life. However, all Persia wanted to do was turn its arid landscape into a verdant oasis. To get to the bottom of this, a fact-finding group was sent to Persia, and all they managed to find was a stockpile of decommissioned machines. The war broke out anyway, even though Persia wasn’t creating any weapons. Countless lives were lost, both human and machine. Professor Abullah’s family also became a casualty of war. Abullah swore to exact his vengeance and created Pluto to kill all the seven strongest robots, who, in one way or another, were part of the war.
