PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 6

Pluto [プルートウ] #6

by Naoki Urasawa (Creator), Takashi Nagasaki

A new vision based on Astro Boy - "The Greatest Robot On Earth" Pluto… Sahad… Goji… Abullah… Mysterious figures somehow involved with the serial murders of the great robots of the world. Europol's top robot detective Gesicht has been put on the case, and he's mere steps away from discovering the horrifying truth behind the killer and his motives… Little does he realize that he's also steps away from discovering a horrifying truth of his own… Masterfully crafted science fiction and suspense at its best! In an ideal world where man and robots coexist, someone or something has destroyed the powerful Swiss robot Mont Blanc. Elsewhere a key figure in a robot rights group is murdered. The two incidents appear to be unrelated...except for one very conspicuous clue - the bodies of both victims have been fashioned into some sort of bizarre collage complete with makeshift horns placed by the victims' heads. Interpol assigns robot detective Gesicht to this most strange and complex case - and he eventually discovers that he too, as one of the seven great robots of the world, is one of the targets.

Contains Chapters 40 to 47.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction, Mystery, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2008

About the author

Urasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.

Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.

Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Más sorpresas. Más acción. Y más escenas conmovedoras que llegan al corazón.

¡Que grande Naoki Urasawa!

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking. That's the word I'd easily use for this one.

So this is it. We're getting near the end. Who is who? WHO IS PLUTO? Our favorite detective is so close now. When he begins asking the right people the tough questions we get answers we can't believe or want to accept. However, that's not all that's happening. We get the past of our detective and learn some twisted and fucked up things.

Good: I can't stress how great the art is. Gives some amazing emotions throughout. The touching moments are near unbeatable and they don't focus on them, but when they hit, it hurts. The ending...man oh fucking man. Yeah this shit is amazing.

Bad: Nothing.

Pluto is going to go down as one of my favorite Manga's of all time at this rate. I can't wait to go back to 20th century boys and Monster next. A 5 out of 5.

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

--Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 006

Postscript, by Gorot Yamada, Essayist and Critic

[Agnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

“Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 006” by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is the sixth book in an eight-book science fiction manga series Pluto. The whole series is based on “The Greatest Robot on Earth,” the most popular story arc in Astro Boy series written by a legendary manga master Osamu Tezuka.

Five out of the seven great robots of the world are destroyed, but the mysterious villain and his motive are still unknown. Despite his compromised physical condition and shaken mental state, detective Gesicht is determined to get to the bottom of this case and to face the powerful villain.

THUMBS UP:

1) Story in full swing.
In my previous review, I crowned the fifth volume as my favorite. Well, I think I have a new winner. The story in “Pluto, Volume 006” unfolds in neck-breaking speed but still manages to remain as suspenseful and insightful as ever. This book contains more revelations than any of the previous volumes, but there are still quite a few mysteries left unsolved, and I am dying to know what’s going to happen next.

2) Emotional.
I know I am repeating myself a little, but it never seizes to amaze me how such an action-packed and trilling science fiction manga full of explosions and robot fights can also be so thought-provoking and emotionally powerful with complex and realistic characters. What is more, to call the sixth volume touching would be a huge understatement. In fact, I got so invested in certain characters and their stories that quite a few episodes in this volume were straight down heartbreaking.

3) Realistic artwork.
Urasawa’s illustrations are another consistently good feature of Pluto series. They are realistic, very detailed and simply beautiful to look at. In other words, they are ALMOST perfect (see the following section).

COULD BE BETTER:

1) Lack of color.
I am kind of tired of writing the same thing over and over, but I really wish the illustrations would be colored, just like in the first few pages of each volume. Honestly, the lack of color is the only thing that is preventing me from giving this volume a five-star rating.

VERDICT: 4 out of 5

“Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 006” by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki is action-packed, suspenseful and more than ever emotionally powerful. The storylines unfold and merge at neck-breaking speed, and the artwork is close to perfect.

POST SCRIPTUM:

Check out my reviews of the previous five volumes:
1) “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001;”
2) “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 002;”
3) “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 003;”
4) “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 004;”
5) “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 005.”

[stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simplemente lloro.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that I did not see coming. So, now what? I appreciate the philosophical musings of this series.

[yel ᰔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

SPOILERS

as one of the greatest robots in the world, the way he died under the hands of a low-level child robot can be bewildering to others, but that scene is actually emotional and quite fitting, i guess? the way he thought of his son that he forgot for years at that moment, and the way he didn't even resist and just let that child robot kill him is quite tragic. seeing these robots express their hatred, pain, grief and sadness is getting to me and they seemed more human to me than most of the humans in this story. this volume is quite heavy and i don't know how the story will progress from here, but this has to be one of my favorite volumes from this series.

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the reveals in this volume! It continues to be perfectly paced- lots of action interspersed with touching character moments. Some of the slower, philosophical moments were my favorite.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this volume took a turn that I wasn't expecting. And this adds to its appeal. I had gotten the sense that the storyline was going into longish-wind-down mode, with two more volumes following this one to go. But there's this further complication, now...and this, along with what happened to Atom earlier, has me wondering what will happen next.

[Minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das war das erste Mal, seit ich diese geniale Reihe angefangen habe zu lesen, dass ich Tränen in den Augen hatte. Ein emotionaler Band und vielleicht der Beste bisher.
Ich trau mich fast gar nicht die letzten zwei Bände zu lesen.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Tezuka's original story and I still did not see this coming. That's how good Urasawa is.

[Milenrrama · Rating 5 out of 5]

*tira la mesa*

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

was

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time processing what I just read. This volume broke my heart. Hands down the best volume in the series, so far.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuff I Read – Pluto Vol 6 Review

Well, volume six has arrived and by the end I am left wondering what the heck is going to happen next. A lot of rather strange and huge things have happened in this volume, and I get the sense that in many ways this is a harder ending than any of the previous six volumes have been. And, not having read the story that this is based on, it completely blindsided me by the ending. I suppose my questions about what they’re going to do after this are more justified after this volume, because really there doesn’t seem to be much left. Another of the robots is destroyed, and the series throws the curve by having that robot be Gesicht himself. It was quite jarring for me, because I had grown so fond of the character, but I suppose it makes sense given the fact that his arc was pretty much wrapped up following the last volume. In this volume he is more fully realized, free at last from the ignorance forced on him by the government that created him. And he is at his most human, choosing compassion over hatred and in the end falling victim to the misdirected rage of one human.

When I say that this is a harder ending than in any of the previous volumes, I do mean that. The story at this point has tied up most of the plotlines that have been moving throughout the story from the beginning. All of the most powerful robots on the planet have been destroyed except for Epsilon at this point, and it seems as though because he stayed out of the war that Epsilon isn’t a target. Of course, that might change going forward, but for now it seems like that has been wrapped up. Pluto has won, except that a few of the human targets are still alive, thanks in large part to the actions of Gesicht. And really, this volume seems to be about bringing a close to his story, because Gesicht has been the main character now for six volumes and deserves a proper send-off. And this final volume is largely successful at showing how far he has come from a robot in the sense that he did what he was told and didn’t feel to a man trying to do what was right and being loyal to his family, trying to escape the cycle of violence.

But I suppose the main thrust of this series is that you can’t really escape the cycle of violence, and no matter how hard you try there are crimes that will always come back to haunt you. For Gesicht he was involved in the war, and more than that learned hatred and murdered someone. And despite the fact that he has grown beyond that, has grown to be able to live with that knowledge, it doesn’t make him any less guilty, and so his retirement, his vacation, his life with his wife in peace cannot be allowed. He has to pay his own price. And for him that seems almost the only option. It did seem like he was aware of what was going to happen and was merely getting his house in order, telling people were he stood before his death. It was no mistake that his last actions were telling his wife that she was more important than his work and saving the life of the man he looks at as a father.

And the mystery involving Pluto is largely solved in this volume, revealing the man behind the attacks and showing a bit of what Pluto was before he was used as a weapon. Again it comes down to men using robots as weapons. The villain himself is a man who has become mostly robot, further reinforcing the idea that by using robots as tools to kill humans are losing a gripe of what makes them human, and robots, by witnessing what they are forced to do, are becoming more human. It is an interesting statement and one that is, time and again, brought up in this series. We are shown numerous times how these robots seem more human than the humans around them, more compassionate than the men trying only to punish others or protect themselves. There is a new sort of morality emerging, a robot morality, which is being created separate of and in reaction to human morality. It is an interesting idea, and further plays with that question of what it is that makes us human.

And at the end of the day this is probably the strongest volume to date in the seires, because of the strange tragedy of it, the sadness and yet completeness of Gesicht’s journey in this investigation. He ends redeemed, a good man and robot, and with his eyes open to the atrocities that both men and robots are capable of. More than that he shows his belief that robots are not beyond redemption, and tries to help Pluto, tries to save him from those who are using him for violence and hate. There is, in the end, more to life than hatred, and though Gesicht is himself capable of hating, he chooses to try for something better, proving himself a better person than most of the characters in the series. And for that, as well as everything else, this volume earns a 9.25/10.

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 5 out of 5]

End begins to draw near with "Pluto," and the sixth volume of the total eight reflects that. There is a sense of imminent finality present, and all the numerous divergent plot lines begin to merge and move forward at an escalating speed. The roller coaster ride has started, but the quiet, lyrical and deeply observant approach hasn't gone anywhere.

[Tatiana Alejandra de Castro Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recta final de la serie e impresionante cómo avanza la trama. Un tomo muy frenético y emotivo.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well... I'd forgotten about that.

Professor Abullah visits several of our characters.
Pluto before he was Pluto.
A very unexpected death.
Helena meets Tenma.

Some very significant events that didn't feel nearly as dramatic as I'd expect. Maybe because it's a reread? Maybe it's just my mood at the moment. Giving it 5 anyway for plot significance.

[Tuncer Haydarlar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seri 6. kitabında da kalitesinden hiçbir şey eksiltmeden ilerlemeye devam ediyor. Çizimler her zamanki temizliklerini ve etkiliyiciliklerini korurken 6. kitap yazımıyla da hem duygulandırıyor hem de sık sık eleştirisini iletiyor. Olay örgüsü çözülmeye yaklaşır gibi görünürken bile yeni soru işaretleri tanıtması ya da var olan fakat arka planda kalmış gibi görünenlere yeniden dikkat çekmesi, anlatının diriliği açısından muazzam. Öncesindeki 5 kitap gibi, mükemmel bir iş.

[Waggo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only got two volumes left and so far this is my favorite Urasawa tbh. It’s extremely made for me specifically, Astro Boy, a murder mystery, and a story about artificial intelligence and humanity, extremely waggocore.

[Rachel B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alors là. Je m’y attendais pas du tout du tout.
Encore une fois, la tristesse qui envahis la femme de Gesicht, le deuil du père de Sahad, Sahad… leur discussion pour avoir un enfant, le petit robot vendeur de fleur, mais qui est il ?

[Kumasama · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Score: 9.5/10*

This one hits hard, best volume so far. Themes and narrative merge here powerfully within a strong focused psychological character study.

[Beren · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai pleuré

[Gavin McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just exceptional storytelling and artwork.

[spalanai ⛤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love gesicht

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7

[Solim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad conclusion for one of the characters. 2 more volumes left.

[Kei Furuya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The excellence continues.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esto ya va apuntando hacia el cierre y sigue apuntando cosas en el mejor de los sentidos. Quizás, leído 20 años después de su escritura, el mundo se nota muy post-11S, pero viendo el actual casi parece hasta más atractivo la manera en que lo refleja Urasawa.

[Phou · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
No lo puedo creer, casi andaba echando la lágrima