A captivating introspective thriller
Pluto is a sci-fi anime produced by Studio M2, which is an animated adaptation of the manga of the same name written by Naoki Urasawa. The manga itself is inspired by the typical setting of an even older anime and manga, Astro Boy, produced in the 1950s and 60s.
Unlike the older production, this anime follows a different narrative genre. It is no longer a lighthearted story of coexistence between robots and humans, but rather takes on detective and thriller overtones. The protagonist, in fact, is no longer Astro Boy himself; instead, the story follows the experiences of the robot detective Gesicht from Europol.
This series manages to keep me glued to the screen because, unlike other anime, it questions whether a machine must necessarily serve humans, or if it can also start thinking for itself. It uses introspective techniques to deeply analyze what the causes of all these actions are and what such stories convey.
This aspect becomes evident when analyzing the antagonists, who are driven by a spirit of revenge and will do absolutely anything to satisfy their desires, even if they are manipulated by someone else. This highlights that Pluto is not black and white, but features many shades of gray, and the characters are well-rounded.
Science fiction never fails to fascinate me, and I highly recommend everyone, especially fans, to watch this anime.