This show is one that I'm sure many people my age will be vaguely familiar with due to it's short run on television during the middle years of that 2000s anime boom, but what most won't remember is how great of a show this is.While Astro Boy does so much to modernize itself, it does so without sacrificing the original appeal of the character. Atom's adventures are lovingly portrayed with excellent art in every imaginable front, especially the elaborate backgrounds, with lavish water color backgrounds. The character and especially mecha designs stand out after all these years as some of the best realized versions of these characters. The legendary Shinji Aramaki's fingerprints give the mechanical characters of this show the right mixture of retro toys and realistic that make every new gizmo a joy to see on screen. While not every episode is outstanding the variety from crime stories, sci-fi, tragedy, or even just Atom goofing around with his friends keep things interesting the whole way through.

That being said the show does have further issues. Quickly enough you'll find that the only official way to watch this in English is through a edited cropped, and mediocre dubbed version that sucks a lot of the weight from the show. It also doesn't help that the show incurred either staff issues or budget cuts due to poor merchandising. The overall look of the show persists, but not at the outstanding level it was towards the start of the show.

The show's varied cast of characters very much holds the series together. As a protagonist, atom functions as the robotic link between humanity and the shaky grounds that the new generation of AI robots have to navigate in a world where they're still only considered as tools. His strong ideals and determination coupled with his kindness give him the power to fit in all the odd situations he finds himself. His adopted father Dr. Ochanomizu's adopted father persona heartwarming from start to finish as well. The antagonists from the smug criminal Skunk, to the hateful Lamp, or even the arrogant Dr. Tenma all get their fair share of great stories. Uran, Reno, the Maple Town kids, even Atom's teacher have strong episodes that tie well into the larger themes of the series and to Atom's development as a character. It really is a treat to see the infant like robot of the first episode eventually be able to navigate the complex
battle of ideology and tanks that he finds himself in as the series nears it's end, to the point where he exceeds even his creator's designs for him.

In short, this is as good of an Astro Boy show as you could hope to get in 2003 or even in 2018. It's faithful to the manga's spirit while keeping things fresh for modern audiences and one of the best robot shows you'll f ind in the 2000s.