‘AI is dominating the future!’ We’ve all heard this phrase, but Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto brings this struggle to big screens. From thrilling action scenes to the emotional journeys of robots, Urasawa’s Pluto conveys an anti-war message and emphasizes the importance of peace. Naoki Urasawa is a prominent figure in the manga industry, hailed as the master of thrill and suspense by many anime fans.
Not many fans are aware of this, but Pluto draws its inspiration from one of Astro Boy‘s main villains. The legendary mangaka is responsible for several iconic titles, such as 20th Century Boys, Monster, Pluto, and many more.
Inspector Gesicht from PLUTO | Credits: Netflix
Pluto follows the quest of an Interpol detective, Inspector Gesicht, and his investigation into the surprising death of the seven most advanced robots. Urasawa introduced viewers to a futuristic world in which humans and robots coexist, though within a hierarchy in favor of humans. While Urasawa promoted the hierarchy towards humans, the mangaka was taken aback by the dominance of artificial intelligence in his real life.
Pluto‘s Creator Explores Human-Robot Complexities While Fearing AI
Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto, which is considered a comic masterpiece for its beautiful art and sophisticated storyline, incorporated fundamental elements from Osamu Tezuka’s celebrated manga series Astro Boy (1952-1968).
Despite not ranking among the most mainstream titles in the industry, Pluto’s success is extraordinary, with many fans regarding the mangaka’s work as a sci-fi genre masterpiece. From being one of the best mangaka to a talented musician, Naoki Urasawa is a man of many talents.
PLUTO | Credit: Netflix
Beyond his exceptional storytelling and cinematic touch, Urasawa’s work shines for introducing compelling characters known for their depth and emotional resonance. Despite the common belief that robots are emotionally unavailable, Urasawa highlights the artificial beings’ struggles with emotions perfectly with his work and great character design.
Not to mention, fans were left stunned when they witnessed Inspector Gesicht, losing his temper after his robotic son was murdered by the xenophobic serial killer, who was supporting a supremacist movement.
PLUTO | Credit: Netflix
In an interview, Urasawa shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and how rapidly it’s developing. He revealed that his initial perspective was largely negative, seeing AI primarily as a threat to humanity that could soon surpass humanity. He adds:
At first, I had a rather negative view of AI, but the other day, when I was looking at the pictures generated by it, I started to notice something that made me think, ‘That’s a nice line,’ as I said earlier. There is. The moment I thought, “This is a good line,” I was horrified. “I just thought that the AI line was great, right?”
Urasawa also shares that he was left awe-struck by AI’s design and became a bit skeptical as a manga creator.
Naoki Urasawa’s Fears About AI
Naoki Urasawa shared that in his 60 years of experience as a manga artist, he faced various challenges and triumphs that shaped his creativity and made him a renowned manga artist in the community.
PLUTO | Credits: Netflix
However, he was completely shocked after realizing how rapidly artificial intelligence is growing. He adds:
It’s been about 60 years since I started drawing, and I’ve lived my life relying on what I thought was a good line. The moment that person thinks that the lines in the AI-generated picture are “good”…the only thing I can say about it is that it gives me chills. Rumor has it that they are evolving day by day. It is said that they are evolving faster than humans expected. Considering that, I thought that the drama of ‘PLUTO’ was not out of place at all.
Urasawa also shares how terrifying AI’s potential is, as it will easily take over several jobs and replace humans in many of their respective fields. He also adds that AI is evolving rapidly, leaving humans anticipating and concerned about the future.
Apart from Pluto, Urasawa’s Monster is arguably the author’s most popular title in the community. Although Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is now regarded as the greatest psychological thriller masterpiece, the mangaka faced a lot of challenges before his glory days.
Johan Liebert from Monster by Naoki Urasawa. | Credit: Madhouse
Moreover, his publisher politely tried to make Urasawa drop his greatest masterpiece. Regardless, Urasawa stuck to his roots and fought back, determined to bring his vision to life. Fortunately, Urasawa’s efforts were met positively, and fans were able to witness the greatest psychological thriller masterpiece.
Pluto and Monster are currently available to watch and read on Netflix and Viz Media.
