Naoki Urasawa is considered by many as one of the greatest mangaka of all time, and it is mainly due to the fact that he has created so many top-notch manga series. Some of his most famous works include Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto.
All three manga series have garnered a lot of critical acclaim over the years. Sadly, the triad does not have the same level of popularity as some of the lower-quality manga series. The main reason behind their lack of fame is the absence of an anime adaptation. Out of the three, only Monster has received an anime adaptation, and it came out in 2004. However, it seems that things are about to change.
On February 15th, 2023, it was announced that Pluto will finally receive an anime adaptation, which will air exclusively on Netflix. Initially, no release date was announced, but recently it was confirmed that the anime will release in the fall of 2023. Talks of Pluto getting an anime adaptation go all the way back to 2017. During the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, it was stated that the manga would be adapted by Studio M2. However, it all went quiet for a few years. In 2022, Masao Maruyama, the founder of Studio M2, reassured fans that the studio was still working on the anime adaptation.
So far, only a few details about the anime have been made public. Studio M2 is the animation studio, while GENCO is producing the series. Studio M2 has handled only a few anime adaptations, and Pluto will be its biggest test to date.
A trailer for the anime has also been released, and it is absolutely stunning. The animation looks exquisite, and it seems that Studio M2 is putting in a great deal of effort to ensure that the series does not flop. For the time being, there is no news pertaining to the number of episodes that the anime will have. There is no update about how Netflix is going to handle the anime. Considering how Netflix has dealt with anime adaptations in the past, it is fair to say that it might be split into many cours, but at the moment, it's all speculation.
A handful of the cast members have also been revealed: Shinshu Fuji as Gesicht, Yoko Hikasa as Atom, and Minori Suzuki as Uran. The cast members are extremely talented, with Shinshu Fuji having previously voiced Risotto Nero (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) and Chandler (Seven Deadly Sins).
Yoko Hikasa has voiced Ivy (Fire Emblem), Emi Yusa (The Devil Is A Part-Timer), and Yoh Asakura (Shaman King). Finally, Minori Suzuki has been the voice behind Floris (A Certain Magical Index III), Akiko (Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop), and Uiui (Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!). It is plausible to assume that more details about the cast will be disclosed in the future.
Perhaps the biggest question about anime for viewers is the story. Obviously, fans who have read the manga will need no introduction to the work of Naoki Urasawa. For those who are unaware, Pluto is a manga based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, but it adds a unique twist to it. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original from 2003 to 2009. Pluto has sold over ten million copies, making it one of the most popular manga in the world.
The manga is set many years in the future, and it follows Gesicht, a detective working for Europol. Gesicht finds himself involved in a complicated case that tackles the mysterious deaths of robots and humans. After investigating a bit, Gesicht finds evidence that points to the killer being a robot. As the story continues, it becomes evident that the killer is purposely targeting specific robots and humans in order to disrupt the balance of the world.
Source: Anime News Network ​​