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{{Short description|Japanese manga}}

[[Category:Anime]]

{{more citations needed|date=August 2016}}

[[Category:Manga]]

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}

'''''Metropolis''''', also known as '''''Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis''''' is a [[manga]] by [[Osamu Tezuka]] and an [[anime]] [[film|movie]] based off of the manga.

{{Infobox animanga/Header

| name = Metropolis

| image = Metropolis manga (1979 reprint).jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Cover of the 1979 reprint

| ja_kanji = メトロポリス

| ja_romaji = Metoroporisu

| genre = [[Science fiction]]

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Print

| type = Manga

| author = [[Osamu Tezuka]]

| publisher = Ikuei Shuppan <br/> [[Kodansha]]

| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher

| NA = [[Dark Horse Comics|Dark Horse]]

}}

| demographic =

| magazine =

| published = September 15, 1949

| first =

| last =

| volumes = 1

| volume_list =

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Metropolis'''''|メトロポリス|Metoroporisu}}, also known as '''''Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis''''' or '''''Robotic Angel''''' (in Germany, due to an objection by the [[Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation]]), is a Japanese [[manga]] by [[Osamu Tezuka]] published in 1949. It is the second work in what is regarded as Osamu Tezuka's early [[science fiction]] trilogy, consisting of ''[[Lost World (manga)|Lost World]]'' (1948), ''Metropolis'' (1949) and ''[[Nextworld]]'' (1951). It has been adapted into a [[Metropolis (2001 film)|feature-length anime]], released in 2001. Though it has parallels to the [[Metropolis (1927 film)|1927 film of the same name]] directed by [[Fritz Lang]], Tezuka has stated that he had only seen a single still image of the film in a magazine at the time of creating his manga.

==Plot==

Despite some similarities, this work was not at all influenced by [[Fritz Lang]]'s pre-World War II epic ''[[Metropolis (1927 movie)|Metropolis]]''. In fact, Tezuka Osamu had not seen the film at the time when he was working on this story. However, his creation of the character Mitchi was based on the only still picture of the movie that he had seen, which depicted the birth of a female robot.

{{long plot|date=January 2009}}

The story begins with a scientist, Dr. Yorkshire Bell, noting that [[dinosaur]]s once flourished and became extinct when they advanced beyond their ability to adapt to change. Giant mammals, such as the [[saber-toothed tiger]] and the [[mammoth]], came and went the same way. Humans, Earth's current dominant life form, had one special asset – intelligence – enabling them to advance further than all creatures before them. Dr. Bell wondered if, one day, humans might advance beyond the point of no return and render themselves extinct.

In the summer of 19XX, a bulletin reveals that a prolonged investigation by the [[United Nations]] Police has discovered a plot by a murderous secret society known as "The Red Party", led by master of disguise Duke Red, has infiltrated the International Scientists Conference held in Metropolis. While Duke Red orders his henchman to follow Dr. Charles Lawton, [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]], all the scientists notice that the Sun is now covered with [[sunspots]], causing its radiation levels to rise. Lawton, back in his laboratory, had almost given up on his thirty-year experiment into synthetic cells (imitation [[eukaryotes]] composed of non-organic material and designed to mimic organic cells, in order for enough of them to be fashioned into true-to-life prosthetic organs and body parts) when he noticed the sunspots had irradiated his tank of synthetic [[proteins]] and brought them to life. So had Duke Red, who ordered Lawton to create an entire human body out of synthetic tissue, its face modeled after a marble statue and possessing several superpowers. Fearing his creation would be used for evil, Lawton brought it to life and destroyed his lab, making Duke Red believe their creation had been destroyed. In reality, Lawton had rescued the artificial human and was raising it as his own child in secret, thanks to some help from Dr. Bell. When "[[Michi (manga character)|Michi]]" (his name) accidentally rendered its "father" unconscious and went out to play, he stopped a truck from running over a girl selling flowers. When the boy was mobbed by an awestruck crowd, another boy named Ken'ichi dragged him to the Dam Dharma Museum and the statue it was modeled after. They learned from the curator that it was called "The Angel of Rome", possessing the most beautiful face in the world - not knowing that Dharma himself was a member of the Red Party who supplied the statue to Duke Red.

The manga is published in [[English language|English]] by [[Dark Horse Comics]].

The Red Party paid Lawton a visit, resulting in Lawton being mortally wounded, which was witnessed by Detective [[Shunsaku Ban|"Moustachio"]] from Japan who, unfortunately, had to release them because he had no arrest warrant. Lawton showed Moustachio a film telling the whole story of Michi's creation, as well as a journal detailing all of his powers. Arriving at his Japanese American relatives' home, he discovered his nephew, Ken'ichi, had brought home Michi. Revealing Lawton's death and true paternal status, Moustachio entrusted Michi to Ken'ichi's care while he consulted Superintendent General Notarlin of the Metropolis Police Department.

The anime movie, released in [[2001]] in Japan and in [[2002]] in the U.S., was directed by [[Rintaro]], and written by [[Katsuhiro Otomo]].

Notarlin introducing him to Police Inspector Ganimarl from France and [[Sherlock Holmes]] from England, Moustachio went with them to a monster sighting behind the Dharma Museum, where they were attacked by giant rats (which bear a striking resemblance to [[Mickey Mouse]]) and crashed into a fake tree which led Moustachio to the Red Party's underground headquarters. His presence discovered, Moustachio attempted to escape, aided by Fifi, one of the Red Party's slave robots, but was caught and Fifi destroyed. Duke Red revealed that the Red Party was developing a chemical weapon called Toron Gas as well as was responsible for the ''man-made'' sunspots, using a substance called omothenium (which intercepts gravity) to raise the Earth's temperature enough to melt the [[Antarctic]] ice cap in order to build their new headquarters upon the defrosted continent. Unable to get Moustachio to hand over Michi, the Red Party locks him in a chamber to become their first guinea pig.

[[Category:Anime]]

[[Category:Manga]]

'''''Metropolis''''', also known as '''''Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis''''' is a [[manga]] by [[Osamu Tezuka]] and an [[anime]] [[film|movie]] based off of the manga.

Michi is introduced as a new student at Ken'ichi's junior high school, as well as Emmy, the violet-seller girl Michi had saved - unknown to the class, Emmy's schooling was being sponsored by a strange old man in exchange for luring Michi to her gangster older sister. At home, Ken'ichi accidentally discovered Dr. Lawton's journal revealing Michi as an artificial human with cybernetic {{convert|10000|hp}} super-powers - including helium-induced flight, gills in his ears to breathe under water, and a gender-change button in his throat - which Ken'ichi tested successfully at home. At the Metropolis Police Department, Dr. Yorkshire Bell had been summoned by Notarlin to examine the giant rats scientifically named ''[[Mickey Mouse|Mikimaus]] [[Walt Disney|Waltdisneus]]'' and revealed that giant animals and vegetables were growing all over the world because of the sunspots. Holmes arrived to reveal Duke Red as responsible for the sunspots as well as his current disguise - the strange old man helping Emmy. Ganimarl tracked the man to Emmy's home, where the man was being held up for more money by her sister's gangster friends. Exposed, Duke Red gassed Ganimarl unconscious and left him in disguise for the police to find, and threatened Emmy's sister to deliver Michi to him.

Despite some similarities, this work was not at all influenced by [[Fritz Lang]]'s pre-World War II epic ''[[Metropolis (1927 movie)|Metropolis]]''. In fact, Tezuka Osamu had not seen the film at the time when he was working on this story. However, his creation of the character Mitchi was based on the only still picture of the movie that he had seen, which depicted the birth of a female robot.

Back at Red Party headquarters, Moustachio realized the Toron Gas hadn't been released because the rats had overrun the underground base. Disguising himself within the skin of one of the rats, Moustachio found the base's [[central processing unit|CPU]] and a short-circuited slave robot. Reactivating the robot, he ordered it to immediately destroy the CPU and then destroy the Red Party's food and water supplies at the right time, then played dead so Duke Red's henchman would dispose of the rat's corpse with him in it. Ken'ichi and Michi arrived at school to find the police questioning Emmy about whether her sister belonged to the Red Party. The other schoolchildren learned about Emmy's sister's criminal connection and attempted to expel her, but Michi saved her; Emmy returned the favor by telling Michi she knew the ___location of Michi's father, but she was abducted by a giant wasp. Michi saved her again and Emmy admitted to lying about Michi's father. Ken'ichi insisted Emmy stay in his house for protection, but her sister and her friends entered and demanded Ken'ichi bring Michi to them. He did, first activating Michi's gender switch; the gangster's left because they wanted Michi the boy, not the girl. After Ken'ichi informed Emmy of Michi's true nature, they discovered Michi had run away.

The manga is published in [[English language|English]] by [[Dark Horse Comics]].

Moustachio arrived at the Metropolis Police Department to inform Notarlin and Ganimarl that Duke Red had been infiltrating the police to spy on them as Sherlock Holmes. Duke Red had the police arrest Notarlin and Ganimarl, having recruited more than half of them into the Red Party, and left Moustachio free, telling him Michi had escaped, and the Red Party had to pursue him. They used their mobile headquarters - the ''Atlantis'', a 200,000-ton [[cruise ship|luxury liner]] - to hold Notarlin and Ganimarl while pursuing Michi, little knowing that girl-Michi had unknowingly stowed away onto the ship, was discovered, and recruited as a [[cabin boy|cabin girl]]. Michi discovered the crew's true identities and used the ship's radio to contact the police, who sent a search plane with Ken'ichi on board to find it. Michi was caught and admitted her name. When he mistook Duke Red to be her father, Duke Red revealed Michi's artificial nature and criminal purpose. As a result, Michi's mind snapped and he attacked the Red Party, the henchmen discovering he was also bulletproof. Confronting the Red Party's slave robots, Michi convinced them to destroy the food and water supply and scuttle the ship. The Red Party attempted to abandon ship but were arrested by Notarlin and Ganimarl, who escaped their cell in the confusion, and then thrown overboard by the robots. Notarlin and Ganimarl, having fled up the mast, watched as the robots condemned Duke Red to being incinerated in the ship's boiler, then were rescued by Ken'ichi's search plane.

The anime movie, released in [[2001]] in Japan and in [[2002]] in the U.S., was directed by [[Rintaro]], and written by [[Katsuhiro Otomo]].

The party were then downed by Michi and witness his declaration of war against the human race, marching towards Metropolis along the ocean floor. Unable to contact Moustachio because of the sunspots interfering with radio transmissions, they drifted towards Long Boot Island, where a surviving member of the Red Party told them the omothenium radiation emitter had created the sunspots but also enlarged all flora and fauna, his colleagues having been eaten by giant ants. Destroying the emitter, they saw the man-made sunspots disappear right before their eyes. Receiving warning of the robot army, Moustachio had the police declare martial law and move the populace to underground shelters. Dr. Bell warned Moustachio that a poisonous gas, which destroyed human brains to reduce them to animals, was being released; Moustachio recognized it as Toron gas. Michi and the robots having destroyed the Red Party's underground gas cylinders, and among the first victims were looters along with Emmy's sister.

== Plot ==

{{spoiler}}

The movie opens with the celebration of the completion of the Ziggurat when a robot who was outside its zone tried to crash the party, but was shot down by Rock.

Michi knocked down Metropolis' skyscrapers by hand while the slave robots took on the people on the ground. While the ordinary robots were easily dealt with, Ken'ichi attempted to reason with Michi, then challenge him using [[judo]]. When Michi gained the upper hand, his body started to smoke, and he fell off the roof. While the citizens wanted Michi's destruction, a broadcast by Dr. Bell informed them of Michi's mental breakdown due to Duke Red and that he was dying; because the sunspots were gone, their unique radiation which powered Michi's synthetic cells faded away, and his body was disintegrating. As everyone, including Michi's classmates, witnessed the end of science's greatest work of art, Dr. Bell reflected, as he had at the beginning of the story, if humanity's advancement was capable of engineering its self-destruction.<ref>[http://en.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m011/m011_01.html Metropolis Manga at TezukaOsamu@World] Accessed on June 4, 2007 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312145135/http://en.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m011/m011_01.html|date=March 12, 2007}}</ref>

A Japanese private detective and his nephew, Ken'ichi, arrive in the giant, grand [[city-state]] of [[Metropolis]]. Metropolis itself lies in an unmentioned [[republic]] and it can best be described as a [[plutocracy]] where a man named [[Duke]] Red is the most influential citizen besides [[President]] Boone. In Metropolis' heavily industrialised world, [[artificial intelligence]] has evolved a lot and robots are seen everywhere performing all sorts of tasks. Despite their intelligence robots do not have any of the rights that are granted to human beings. In order not to infringe upon human rights they are not allowed to have human names nor to travel between the four Zones which Metropolis is divided in between without a special permission. Thus they live under [[Apartheid]]-like conditions.

==Afterword==

In order to protect humans from mischievous-minded robots a vigilante organisation called the [[Marduk]] patrol the streets of Metropolis. Heavily armed men dressed in red destroy robots as they please. The Marduk is a [[vigilante]] group who has formed a [[political party]]. It's a public secret that their founder is Duke Red.

Osamu Tezuka noted that, after his breakthrough manga ''Shin Takarajima'' ("New Treasure Island") was released in 1947, [[Kansai]] was deluged by [[Osaka]]-made ''Akahon'' manga ("red book", due to the red ink used on the covers). Various publishing companies wanted to break away from the junk comic books and start releasing "real" books, so Tezuka proposed creating an epic, full-length science-fiction graphic novel.

Having only half a year to create a 160-page story, Tezuka assembled a basic plot from elements of unpublished work, the inspiration for the central character coming from a publicity still of the female robot from ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' (even though he had never seen the film or even known what it was about). When the manga was released, the response from the public was far greater than he imagined and that many students were inspired to become [[mangaka|manga artists]] because of it.

The private detective and his nephew are looking for a person named Dr Laughton who is among else suspected of trading [[organ trade|human organs]]. Little do they know that Duke Red has hired Dr Laughton to manufacture an extremely intelligent robot in the shape of Duke Red's deceased daughter. The robot is to sit on her customised eternal throne [[supercomputer]] at the top of the newly built ''[[Ziggurat]]''; a mountainous palace that Duke Red has constructed for military purposes. Duke Red tested a solar [[weapon of mass destruction]] that alarms the government.

The setting was based on pre-war [[Manhattan]] and [[Chicago]], Emmy and her sister partly from ''[[Les Misérables]]'', Michi's powers from ''[[Superman]]'' (perhaps, although Tezuka never made the connection between the title of his work and Superman's city), Michi's burning from ''The Invisible Ray'', and Michi's death scene from ''The Monstrous Fellows of the Country Underground'' (another Tezuka manga from 1948).

Dr Laughton plans to flee Metropolis once the robot, named Tima after Duke Red's daughter, is finished. Although Duke Red's adoptive son and Marduk, Rock discovers Dr Laughton's treacherous intentions and proceeds to kill him in cold blood, whereas after he sets fire to the building containing Dr Laughton's laboratory intending to destroy all traces including the robot Tima which is in suspended animation at the time.

The characters Duke Red and Notarlin made their debut in ''Metropolis'', and both of them featured in later works. The character of Michi became the prototype for both the lead characters of ''[[Astro Boy]]'' and ''[[Princess Knight]]'', neither of which may have come into existence without Michi (Michi even made a cameo as Hoshie Tenma, Astro Boy's mother).

However Tima wakes up during the fire and is saved by Ken'ichi. Dr Laughton dies before the detective manages to drag him out of there but manages to utter a few words regarding a precious notebook of his which the detective saves from the flames. During their escape from the burning building Ken'ichi and Tima falls down a sewage drain and become separated from the detective.

==Cast==

Thus a search for his nephew begins for the detective. Ken'ichi and Tima are at the same being time chased by Rock who is [[monomania|monomanical]] about destroying Tima. Rock's determination to do so lies in his belief that his father, Duke Red, should be the one whom sits on the throne at the top of the Ziggurat and not a robot.

Due to [[Osamu Tezuka's Star System]], some of his characters from other manga appeared in ''Metropolis'', in different roles and with different names. Others appeared here for the first time but were later used by Tezuka in other manga.

* '''Michi as "Michi":''' The artificial humanoid created by Dr. Lawton to be used as a powerful weapon by the Red Party, but Michi is not aware of any of this.

Escaping from Rock, Tima and Ken'ichi stumble upon Atlas who is the leader of a group of unemployed labourers whom live in poverty below the Metropolis' glistering surface. The labourers demand better living conditions having lost their jobs due to [[mechanisation]], i.e. robots and with the recent building of the Ziggurat having the food distributions discontinued. They are planning to take up arms and launch a [[coup d'état]] against the government and bring down the Ziggurat like God's wrath once brought down the [[tower of Babel]].

* '''Ken'ichi Shikishima as "Ken'ichi":''' A good-hearted, but naive boy who becomes good friends with Michi, but after Michi turns against humanity, Ken'ichi has to see if he has to strength to fight his best friend.

* '''[[Shunsaku Ban]] as "Detective Moustachio":''' A detective on the search for Dr. Charles Lawton. As luck would have it, he is present when the Red Party guns down Dr. Lawton. Together with Ken'ichi, he uses his detective skills to try to find Michi's parents.

* '''Makeru Butamo as "Dr. Charles Lawton":''' A scientist hired by Duke Red to create the perfect humanoid, one that could look and act just like a human. However, Dr. Lawton doesn't want his creation to be used as a weapon, nor does he want anyone else getting their hands on his greatest creation. To this end, he takes Michi and runs to try to escape the Red Party.

* '''Duke Red as "Duke Red":''' A power mad politician with aspirations for world domination.

* '''Doctor Hanamaru as "Dr. Yorkshire Bell":''' A calm, wise scientist with a sage-like beard, who studies the radioactive sunspots and strange happenings around the city alongside Notaarin.

* '''Notaarin as "Notaarin":''' The superintendent general of the Metropolis police force, who hunts out Duke Red and the Red Party.

==English translation==

President Boone and other political and military leaders are discussing the strategy about the protests against Duke Red. The protests were later suppressed and after a fight between Rock and Ken'ichi, Tima had fallen back into the hands of Duke Red who exiled Rock for trying to kill Tima. At the Ziggurat, she wrote Ken'ichi's name all over her room, much to the shock of one the maids. She was briefly taken captive by a patrolling Marduk trooper who was knocked unconscious by the detective. He had Tima locate Ken'ichi in the Ziggurat and proceeds her to infiltrate it when Duke Red recaptures her.

In the [[United States]], the manga was published in English by [[Dark Horse Comics]] with translations provided by Kumar Sivasubramanian and [[Studio Proteus]], and editing consulting by [[Toren Smith]], but is now out of print.

== Film adaptation ==

Ken'ichi was reunited with his uncle and Tima who was shot by Rock, disguised as a maid who in turn, was wounded by one of the guards. Tima finds out that she is a robot and argues with Duke Red over morality and her love for Ken'ichi vs. her true destiny: rule the entire Earth. She is eventually forced to sit on her eternal throne in which she fell to the dark side and the throne gives her complete control over the robots.

{{Main|Metropolis (2001 film)}}

''Metropolis'' is a 2001 [[anime]] film loosely based on the 1949 ''Metropolis'' manga. The anime, however, does draw aspects of its storyline directly from the 1927 film. The anime had an all-star production team, including renowned anime director [[Rintaro]], ''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]'' creator [[Katsuhiro Otomo]] as script writer, and animation by [[Madhouse (company)|Madhouse Studios]] with conceptual support from [[Tezuka Productions]].

==See also==

Robots launch a [[revolution]] against humanity and when Ken'ichi pulls Tima from her eternal throne (at the cost of tearing half of her skin apart), he is unwillingly forced to duel against her when she pushes and throws him to the ground. The robots kill Duke Red and many scientists before Rock presses a button that self-destructs the Ziggurat.

* [[List of Osamu Tezuka manga]]

** [[Lost World (manga)|''Lost World'' (manga)]]

** [[Nextworld|''Nextworld'' (manga)]]

* [[List of Osamu Tezuka anime]]

* [[Osamu Tezuka's Star System]]

Ken'ichi tries to save the now "redeemed" Tima, but fails and she fell to her death as Metropolis is completely destroyed by the nuclear meltdown and explosive destruction of the Ziggurat. The next morning, Metropolis laid in ruins and a few robots survived while the human survivors and Ken'ichi's uncle evacuate in an airship. Ken'ichi stays in Metropolis and recovers Tima's shoes and a few of her parts from the robot survivors. After a radio finishes playing the music, it records Tima's voice and she said: "''Who am I?"''

== External link References==

{{reflist}}

*{{imdb title|id=0293416|title=Metropolis}}

==External links==

[[Category:Japanese films]]

* [http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/12-167/Metropolis-TPB Official ''Metropolis'' page at publisher Dark Horse Comics, Inc.]

* {{Anime News Network|manga|2426|Metropolis}}

{{Osamu Tezuka}}

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[[es:Metrópolis (2001)]]

[[fr:Metropolis (film, 2001)]]

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[[pt:Metrópolis (anime)]]

[[Category:1949 manga]]

== External link ==

[[Category:Dark Horse Comics titles]]

*{{imdb title|id=0293416|title=Metropolis}}

[[Category:Drama anime and manga]]

[[Category:JapaneseManga filmsseries]]

[[Category:Osamu Tezuka manga]]

[[Category:Romance anime and manga]]

[[de:Metropolis (Manga)]]

[[Category:Science fiction anime and manga]]

[[es:Metrópolis (2001)]]

[[Category:Steampunk anime and manga]]

[[fr:Metropolis (film, 2001)]]

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