What if Astro didn't know he was a robot?

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

In the movie Toby didn't know he was a robot, until he discovered it on his own. If he hadn't fell out of the window (now really, who would design a high rise building with windows that could open by accident like that?) he would not have discovered it.

There is some evidence in the 2003 series that Tobio did not discover what he was until he was revived by Dr. Oshay. Dr. Tenma had been raising him as his own son until he revolted against him and Tenma shut him down.

In the 1963 anime Astro didn't discover he could fly until he was in the circus. He probably didn't know the full extent of his abilities till then either, though he was aware of being a robot.

But what if he NEVER did know? Would he have been happier thinking he was a human child and never discovered his abilities? Or what if he only discovered what he could do in a moment of extreme duress, in a life and death situation?

Of course if he couldn't grow as a normal child, he would discover his secret eventually. But I just solved THAT problem for my Eureka fan fiction cross over. So I wonder. What do you think?

[dannavy85]

There would be a few things humans can do that he wouldn't and you can bet the questions would be flying.

[Dante69]

Atom always knew he was a robot, except in the movie. Before he was told off by Tenma he would dispose, or even put back the food he had eaten to please his father, to look human. That happened in the earlier shows. Now 2003, according to the English dub, he knew he was a robot and couldn't figure out why his father had build him if robots were his "toys".
So it seems he always knew he was a robot. As for your Fan Fiction, have not read, will later.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I haven't yet explored this idea in the Eureka story, but the groundwork for it has been laid down. The next chapter will deal with that and I am trolling for ideas.

[AprilSeven]

I like that idea - in my fanfic Astro's AI is placed in a clone of his human self, and one thing he never realized is that humans don't have a heads-up display in their eyes (as he did as a robot) . . . and he finds this MOST frustrating!

Of course, Google Glass is in the process of providing us with a sort of HUD

In the movie they kind of dodged whether or not Astro could actually eat and process food and drink. But you'd think when he saw those painted-on briefs he might have become curious.

[Earthshine]

Hmm. Well this concept has been done several times with other science fiction series where a robot or an artificial life-form just doesn't know that they're not human or in some cases not sure what they are at all. Such as in Casshern Sins, Kikkaider, other series to lengthy to name at the moment.

Usually the theme plays out that they don't understand themselves much, they find who they are and either have a breakdown or just flow with it glad to finally know and have more of a sense of place.

Though Atom not being aware of him being a robot... this scenario would play out differently depending on the world in which he was being raised and by whom. Would the particular world be a place where robots were discriminated against consistently or would robots be perceived as citizens and people? If Atom's 'family' and the world were against robots and he came to know of himself being one that might go badly for him.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

That's one thing Tezuka never thought of, Astro always had to open his chest panel to read his fuel gauge to know when he was running out of energy. You'd think he'd at least have felt hungry. I got the idea of the heads up display from the Robocop movie when I wrote my first ff story.

[Dante69]

Just how long do you think he could go before finding out he is a robot. In the movie Atom was activated on the table, and woke up as if nothing happened. Maybe he thought it was a dream? What a genius, hey? Still took him quite long to figure it out.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I think when he did wake up in his own bed he said something like "what a weird dream!"

Even after he was flying, he didn't REALLY realize it until he used his x-ray vision on his hands!

[Little Brown Fox]

So the kid wakes up on a weird table, flies through the air, and punches through a mountain, and yet doesn't realize that he's a robot until somebody says something. I wonder if he figured out what happened to the real Toby? It's not like that was ever explained to him.

And he didn't say anything about a dream, though granted, he didn't seem to remember anything from the night before. His dad asked him how he felt, and he simply responded with "Kinda weird... have I been sick or somethin'?" (yes, he does, in fact, shorten his words a little bit. it's adorable- the manga was translated with him doing the same thing, although that may have been more of an issue of text space).