Astroboy - Oh my cute Robot Friend

By Max Wong - Sunday, November 15, 2015 - No Comments

Astroboy was one of the first few anime which I fell in love when I first started collecting anime merchandises. Astroboy has big eyes and it seems more like a human than a robot to me. I feel he needs my protection rather than the other way round. I succumbed to his cuteness and collecting Astroboy albeit in limited amount.

The Astroboy TinToy Collection was released by Tezuka Productions sometime in 2004. Featuring small Astroboy characters made out of tin, they are about 2inch tall. I cannot remember when and where did I buy this set from. I'm an impulsive buyer but luckily I seldom suffer from cognitive dissonance (which simply means one regrets right after purchasing something). I decide to open up this set to show you the high quality put together by Tezuka.

This entire set has a total of 16 characters, all made out of tin.

This is the box which it comes with. There's a small packet of chocolate inside.

So actually, the set consists of 15 + 1 secret.

Astroboy in a Police Car. By the way, Astroboy is often referred to as Mighty Atom. The colours are brilliant and well painted. The maker did an excellent job to ensure that the figurine is of a high quality. I just hope the car will not get rusty in time to come.

Uran is Astroboy's sister. She was created by Dr Elephun (Prof Ochanomizu) as a gift to him. Her car seems to resemble a dog, isn't it?

Dr Elephun (Prof Ochanomizu) is the Head of Ministry of Science. Somewhat eccentric by nature, he tends to be excitable when faced by a scientific mystery, particularly when his opinions are questioned by his scientific colleagues

At first I thought these tin toys in motorbikes will not stand on its own. Thus I was pleasantly surprised when it can stand firmly on my computer desk, which makes it easier for me to take a shot.

Daddy Walrus is Astroboy's school teacher and also a good friend of Dr Elephun. He looked upset that Astroboy passed up a test paper with a blank page and a drawing of Mirai Suenaga.

Again, you can see the excellent quality in terms of colours and painting.

The rest of the characters. Standing at about 2 inch tall.

Look the same? No, the chest and hair colour varies.

Astro’s eyes also double as powerful search lights, allowing him to see in any situation.

He looks more like a robot with the mechanics displayed on the chest.

Hey, Robots get tired too. I need a shut-eye.

Uran is her cute retro-looking dress

Uran wears checker dress

She is the cutest when she blinks.

Astroboy looks like he is wearing a school uniform

He's like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator.

The completed platoon of Astro characters

Next up, Astroboy Playing Cards

Showing a portion of Astro's entire deck. Featuring some beautiful artwork and colours.

Next up, 3 Astro Figures in acrylic enclosure. Some hardcored Astro's collectors may ask where did I get these figures from. A few years back, I saw these unique collection in a 7-11 store in Hong Kong and bought them. I believe it was only released in Hong Kong and not in Singapore.