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Mini Review: Pluto (Vol. 03)


Pluto (Vol. 03) – Naoki Urusawa & Osamu Tezuka
Published by Viz

A good portion of this volume follows Atom’s sister, Uran. She’s another one of the planet’s most advanced robots (though not one of the targeted seven) and has sensors so delicate that she possesses a strong sense of empathy for others, even able to sense a person or animal’s feelings from far away. I really love Uran as a character, with her combination of robotic logistics and childlike reaction. There was a well-blended mix of confidence versus curiousity that allowed her to feel very endearing as she helps the robot she meets lost in a park, and even in the bored manner she deals with investigators at the books beginning.

The robot Uran helps, on the other hand, proves a little less involved on the personality-scale but has some robotically unique powers that both invoked some thought and gave Naoki Urusawa the chance to add in a beautifully timed piece of coloured artwork mid-story. Viz has my thanks for maintaining the full-colours because much of the story’s impact at the moment would’ve been lost without it.

With much attention on Uran, and her subsequent involvement with a strange homeless robot she befriends, the tone of some parts of the third volume of Pluto have a less sinister, though still poignantly relevant, feel than many previous scenes. In this third volume, the action sequences and suspenseful dramatics, which lent such occasional high-octave reading in previous books, are less prevalent but no less foreshadowed either. Pluto continues to deliver all the intrigue and surprises that made the two first two books so compelling, from uprisings of anti-Robot cults (which evokes even more sympathy to the plights robots face) to the appearance of another of the mystery killer’s targets. The ‘mystery killer’ is also more fleshed out, so to speak, though there remains much to be explained.

In love for this series, I’ve also recently started re-watching old episodes of Astro Boy, and may I note, being amazed at the sheer nostalgic value and realizing that the Uran I like here in Pluto is the same ‘little girl’ I always idolized as a child. Some things never change! And impressively the same can be said for Naoki Urusawa’s Pluto, which is more and more evidently a brilliantly fleshed out version of Osamu Tezuka’s original story arc. I can’t wait to see how he takes the story from here on and continue to highly recommend it.

Review written May 30, 2009 by Lissa Pattillo
Book purchased in-store from Chapters

About the Author:

Lissa Pattillo is the owner and editor of Kuriousity.ca. Residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia she takes great joy in collecting all manners of manga genres, regretting that there's never enough time in the day to review or share them all. Along with reviews, Lissa is responsible for all the news postings to the website and works full time as a web and graphic designer.



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7 Responses

  1. Ed Sizemore says:

    I wish you hadn't mentioned the color section later in the book. It's better when you turn the page and are completetly surprised.

    I think Urasawa improved on Uran significantly. She proves a wonderful counterpoint to Atom.

    It's a great review.. I wish I could be succinct.

    • Lissa says:

      Thanks, Ed! I'm heading over to CSBG to read your review now, I always look forward to them :)

      The thought of even mentioning the color page proving a mare on the impact never occured to me until you mentioned it. Now I feel a little sorry I did! The impact was the greatest part, which is why I made a conscious point not to mention what (or when) the image is, though still wanted to make note of it for sake of being pleased with Viz. Here's hoping I soiled no reading experiences, opposite intended effect for sure.

  2. Althalus says:

    Did your copy also have printing problems on the color pages? Mine had misaligned plates or something… trying to find out how widespread this is / if it's worth trying to exchange my copy for a good one.

    http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/5176/pluto3col

    ~Althalus

    • Lissa says:

      My copy didn't have misaligned pages, no. I didn't see any errors in other copies I flipped through on store shelves either, so I'm guessing it's likely a problem with a short number of their run. I say try exchanging your copy, that scene alone is worth being crisp and clear :)

  3. […] (Comics-and-More) Edward Zacharias on vol. 36 of Naruto (Animanga Nation) Lissa Pattillo on vol. 3 of Pluto (Kuriousity) Tiamat’s Disciple on vol. 1 of Welcome to Wakaba-soh (Tiamat’s Manga […]

  4. Ed Sizemore says:

    Althalus, My copy didn't have any problems either. I'm sorry to hear your's did.

  5. Althalus says:

    Have gotten a replacement copy. It had the same problem. I'll try contacting Viz directly now.

    ~Althalus

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