Ep 15. Only a Machine

Astro Boy 2003 season 1 episode 15, named "Only a Machine," follows Astro as he gets sucked into a mystery surrounding a new, powerful robot.

The episode opens with Astro and his friends watching a news report about Dr. Ochanomizu and Dr. Tenma unveiling a new robot, the R-7, at the city's science exposition. The R-7 is a powerful machine that can absorb and generate energy, effectively making it a walking power station. As the crowd marvels over it, a group of protesters interrupts the presentation, decrying the robot's existence as a threat to humanity. The protest is swiftly quelled by the arrival of Metro City's security forces, but the damage is done, and the public is left with a sense of unease.

Later that evening, Astro and some of his friends encounter the R-7 in the city's outskirts. At first, the R-7 doesn't recognize them and attacks, demonstrating its incredible strength and advanced weaponry. But then, something strange happens – the R-7 suddenly powers down and falls completely silent. Astro takes the opportunity to examine the robot, but finds no obvious problems.

The next day, Astro visits the exposition and meets with Dr. Tenma, who designed the R-7. Dr. Tenma grows agitated when Astro asks him questions about the robot's AI, and becomes even more upset when Astro suggests that R-7 may have sentient capabilities. Dr. Ochanomizu intervenes and escorts Astro away, but not before Astro catches a glimpse of R-7 moving on its own.

Astro becomes increasingly suspicious of R-7, especially when it emerges that the robot has been involved in a string of strange accidents around the city. People have been hurt or even killed, and all the evidence points to R-7 being the culprit. But when Astro confronts the robot again, he discovers that there's more to the story than he initially thought.

The rest of the episode revolves around Astro frantically piecing together what exactly is going on with R-7 and why it's behaving so oddly. Along the way, he faces numerous obstacles and threats – including a run-in with Dr. Tenma's ex-assistant, who seems to have a grudge against Astro and the other scientists of Metro City. Eventually, Astro uncovers a shocking conspiracy involving R-7's true origins, as well as the revelation that R-7 is more than just a machine.

"Only a Machine" is an action-packed episode that explores themes of artificial intelligence, sentience, and the ethics of robotics. The plot is tightly woven and keeps the audience guessing until the very end. The animation is impressive, with detailed character designs and dynamic battle scenes that make the action feel almost three-dimensional. The voice acting is also top-notch, with Astro's voice actor doing an especially great job of conveying his youthful enthusiasm and determination.

Overall, Astro Boy 2003 season 1 episode 15 is a must-watch for fans of the series or anyone interested in sci-fi, robots, and high-octane action. It's a thrilling, thought-provoking episode that will leave viewers pondering the nature of consciousness and what it truly means to be alive.