Pluto: Award-Winning Manga Is Headed to Netflix

Netflix has announced an adaptation of the Pluto manga by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki. The series is coming later this year, and Netflix released a four-minute sneak peek, which you can watch below.

PLUTO — based on Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy “The Greatest Robot on Earth” arc from 1964 and created by Naoki Urasawa and his long-time co creator Takashi Nagasaki — has been finally adapted into an anime!

Watch a 4-minute sneak peek of the series, coming this year! pic.twitter.com/97xf2n3Api

— Netflix (@netflix) February 14, 2023

Pluto takes place in a futuristic world where humans and robots live in harmony. However, peace is threatened following a string of suspicious human and robot deaths that may have been committed by a robot. The story follows a robot detective named Gesicht as he attempts to solve the mystery behind the deaths.

The manga originally ran from September 2003 to April 2009 across eight volumes. Pluto is based on the 1964 “The Greatest Robot on Earth” arc from Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. Co-author Takashi Nagasaki released a statement about the new series, saying, “Pluto inherits the philosophy of Tezuka and does not merely convey a message of anti-war, but reminds us that there is suffering on both sides… but still, the only remaining answer is peace.”

The trailer is soaked with Pluto’s cyberpunk-noir vibes, showcasing various settings like a bustling metropolis, peaceful farmland, and dark dungeons. We see Gesicht setting off to investigate this mysterious string of deaths, where he uses some of his robot abilities in combat, like an arm cannon, an energy shield, and jet-powered boots.

The series is being produced by GENCO, with animation production by M2STUDIO. For more, check out the biggest anime coming in 2023.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.