Pluto is an adaptation of Astro Boy, which is commonly referred to as the series that began the anime boom post-World War 2. The manga version began in 2003, and it lasted until 2009. While attempts to adapt it into an anime were made, they all fell through until now thanks to Netflix.

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It’s an incredibly faithful adaptation, too, with at least a 90% accuracy. There are some omissions, and the way things progress is sometimes rearranged. Still, even though there are minor changes, fans of the Pluto manga probably want to hear about them.

The following article contains spoilers for both the Pluto anime and manga.

6 Exchanging Memory Chips

The Robot That Can Kill Humans

One of the biggest laws of robotics in this universe makes it impossible for robots to kill humans. This exists in other media with robots as well, which can be traced back to Isaac Asimov and his novel, I, Robot. Now, there is an exception to this rule via Brau-1589, a robot that killed humans.

This robot is locked away in jail, and Gesicht visits him for advice now and again. Upon their second meeting in Chapter Fifteen of the manga, they exchange memory chips, allowing Gesicht to see the horrible things Brau-1589 did. This exchange never happens in the anime, although every other encounter with Brau-1589 is virtually the same.

5 Naughty Bear

Dr. Roosevelt’s Reveal

Who is killing the most powerful robots in Pluto and giving them horns? This is a mystery anime, and the killer is the main mystery of Pluto. Eventually, Gesicht discovers that it is an entity known as the titular Pluto. In the anime, eventually, a broken teddy bear with a disembodied voice saying cryptic things is introduced. This appearance happens in Chapter Fourteen of the manga, and it reveals a lot about what is going on. There is a supercomputer built inside this bear called Dr. Roosevelt, and he is aiding the President of Thracia. This revelation doesn’t happen until the final episode of the anime.

There are things during this revelation that are left out of the manga still. For example, Dr. Roosevelt and the President of Thracia are thrilled that all seven of the most powerful robots are destroyed. However, the bear brings up Darius 14th, another witness they must take care of. There is a brief exchange between Darius 14th and the President of Thracia. Again, like most of the omissions from the manga, this is not a huge one to forget in the anime. However, it is strange that the anime decided not to build up the relationship between Dr. Roosevelt and the President of Thracia.

4 Building The Robot Hate

Adolf Has A Robot Maid

The scene where Adolf is introduced is almost identical between the anime and the manga. However, there is a subtle difference that the manga includes to showcase Adolf’s questionable outlook toward robots. In Chapter Seventeen of the manga, the family is enjoying a breakfast that a robot maid has prepared.

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In the third episode of the anime, Adolf’s wife is the one who prepares the meal. Also, she accidentally spills some on her son’s seemingly futuristic version of a Nintendo Switch. It's a small change, but it is an odd one. Having the robot maid could have helped viewers grasp how Adolf felt through brief glances.

3 Those Hoods Are Pointy

Censoring Racist Imagery

When it comes to anime censorship, two things tend to get removed. Religion and depictions of cults can often be neutered, and this is true for a lot of older games, too, especially during the NES era. For example, the anti-robot league that Adolf is a supporter of all wear pointy hoods.

This is to make it obvious to the audience that they are meant to resemble the KKK, the white supremacist movement in the United States. They appear in Chapter Seventeen of the manga; in the anime, they appear in the third episode, but they are just wearing white cloaks.

2 Learning About The Body

Gesicht’s Special Alloy

Adolf is tied to yet another subtle difference between the two versions of Pluto. Almost the entirety of Chapter Eighteen is kept out of the anime. It begins with a scene involving Adolf’s son, who is studying through VR. Later, his son switches to studying through books, and that’s how Adolf discovers that Gesicht is made up of a special alloy: Zirconium.

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He brings this data to the clan, and then they get him a gun that should be able to destroy that type of metal. In the anime, the cult leader just knows offhand that Adolf will need this gun to kill Gesicht, seemingly cutting that scene in the manga to save animation time.

1 Uran Has A Mission

How Does One Grieve?

One of the most shocking moments in Pluto is when Atom dies. He was the star of Astro Boy, and since this is an adaptation of the original story, fans probably thought he would have lasted longer. Well, in Chapter Thirty-Seven of the manga, Atom’s sister, Uran, is lamenting his death when a friend starts to chat with her.

She then feels the distress of others nearby, so she rescues a kitten, gives it to an abused boy, retrieves a wallet for an old man, and then helps an older woman with her dog. In the fifth episode of the anime, the other little girl is non-existent and Iran doesn’t help the older woman with her dog.