The English dubs cut out some of the series' more violent moments, such as Astro being beheaded in the episode "Lilly on Peligro Island" and Blackie Young and his crew destroying the robot guard and factory owner in the episode "Blackie Young".

The English dubbed version also combined the first two episodes of the series into a single half hour show, omitting the entirety of the backstory for the main antagonist Atlas.

After his fourth failed attempt, Tenma is approached by Skunk Kusai, a man who offers him an "Omega Factor" circuit which, when installed, will humanize a robot.

After rejecting Skunk's offer and throwing him out, Tenma's nine-year-old son, Tobio, suggests his father make a robot shaped like a child.

Inspired by his son, Tenma sets off to the Ministry of Science to work, forgetting his promise to take Tobio to an amusement park.

Upset by his father's neglect, Tobio drives an aerocar home but crashes into an oncoming truck, dying in the process.

However, Skunk obtains the blueprints, duplicates them, and takes them to the evil Count Walpurgis, who aspires to put the Omega Factor into a super robot and use it for world domination.

Tenma, however, secretly finishes constructing the robot that night, only showing his two assistants that "Tobio" exists, and takes him home to raise him.

After various mishaps with raising the robot, Tobio's mind suddenly goes blank, his eyes start blinking red, and he is summoned to wait in the middle of town.

When the connection process fails, Tobio regains his senses, only to come under attack from a robot disposal tank piloted by Tenma, Honda, and Ushiyama.

Tobio hides on deck and is tricked into signing himself into a contract of slavery to the ringmaster Hamegg, who runs the Robot Circus.

At the circus, Tobio is renamed "Mighty Atom/Astro Boy" and is cruelly treated by Hamegg, but taught and cared for by a performer named Kathy, who shows him kindness and compassion.

The plan for this series was realized due to the popularity of the Osamu Tezuka special animation that NTV had been airing on 24 Hour TV: Love Saves the Earth since the first edition in 1978.

As in the first series, Tezuka himself participated as a staff member in charge of scripts, storyboards, direction, and key animation.

Since the music director was Seiji Suzuki, the sound effects used in the previous shows The Rose of Versailles and Lupin the Third Part II are used throughout, as both were broadcast on NTV and were available for use.

[9] The opening theme was initially commissioned to Yasuo Higuchi, but when the demo tape was played to an overseas buyer with whom a contract was negotiated, he was very unhappy with it, saying, "What part of this is Atom?".

[10] In the final episode broadcast at the end of 1981, a live-action video of Tezuka himself giving a message was shown at the beginning.

Dr. Tenma initially treated Astro like a real boy as a replacement for his son who died in a car accident.

After being rejected by Dr. Tenma, Astro joins Hamegg's Robot Circus, where he learns to control his powers and meets Dr. Ochanomizu.

In contrast to the 1960s series, Uran occupied a less prominent position in the general storyline, and her appearance was revised to make her softer and rounder, possibly to appeal to female viewers.

In his search to obtain his goal, Dr. Tenma neglected Tobio, forgetting his promise to take his son to the amusement park.

Succeeding Dr. Tenma as Minister of Science, Dr. Ochanomizu rescues Astro Boy from Hamegg's Robot Circus.

The new Atlas believed robots were superior to human beings and repeatedly asked Astro to join him in taking over the world.

He dealt with Skunk and then Walpurgis, whom he killed off for good after his creator blackmailed him to use a powerful destructive cannon by planting a bomb in Livian's body as a fail-safe.

Real name Shunsaku Ban (Albert Duncan in the American dub), Daddy Walrus is Astro's teacher.

Throughout the series, Mr. Pompous/Daddy Walrus is portrayed as a judo expert, an efficient private eye, and a keen flower arranger.

As a trained martial artist, a recurring joke is Pompous reacting in terror when confronted but instantly rallying courage and "polishing off" an adversary twice his size.

A sharp advocate for Robotic rights, he is one of Astro's strongest supporters, and frequently engages in vitriolic arguments with the formidable Inspector Gumshoe.

While loud, brash, and comically short-tempered, Pompous/Daddy Walrus regards Astro and Uran with genuine affection and would willingly risk his life on their behalf.