Pasona Group, Tezuka Productions Announce New Character 'NEO Astro Boy' for Expo 2025 Pavilion

Special short movie to be screened, featuring Astro Boy reborn by the hands of BLACK JACK

OSAKA, JAPAN, April 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pasona Group Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Group CEO: Yasuyuki Nambu) will exhibit a private sector pavilion, PASONA NATUREVERSE, at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

The pavilion will feature a new character, "NEO Astro Boy" (Japanese: "NEO ATOM"), based on the character "Astro Boy", reborn by the hands of "BLACK JACK". Both Astro Boy (known in Japan as "MIGHTY ATOM") and BLACK JACK are classic Japanese characters created by renowned manga/anime artist Osamu Tezuka. A special short movie "The Birth of NEO Astro Boy", produced by Tezuka Productions with music by composer Akira Senju and narration by vocalist Ayaka Hirahara, will be shown at the pavilion to guide visitors into the world of the "NATUREVERSE".

■The Story of "The Birth of NEO Astro Boy"
A space colony inhabited by many people begins to head toward the sun due to an AI malfunction. In order to avert the crisis and prevent the colony from colliding into the sun, Astro Boy takes measures to keep the colony from going out of control. After evacuating, Astro Boy succeeds in destroying the colony, but his body cannot withstand the impact of the explosion. A long time passes until Astro Boy wakes up once again, when he is saved by BLACK JACK. To be continued...
A completely original story produced by Tezuka Productions. The story of the birth of NEO Astro Boy will be presented in 3D animation, shown exclusively at the PASONA NATUREVERSE pavilion.

■Overview: PASONA NATUREVERSE New Character "NEO Astro Boy"
[Background of the Birth of NEO Astro Boy]
On April 7th, 2003, Dr. Tenma created Astro Boy, a humanoid robot boy. The 100,000-horsepower Astro Boy encounters miscommunication between humans and robots, but fights daily against looming enemies in pursuit of a world where both sides can get along. Sometime in the first half of the 21st century, a space colony is on the verge of colliding with the sun, and Astro Boy makes a choice to protect the Earth in exchange for his own life. The people of Earth, having been saved by Astro Boy, are moved by his courage. In the 22nd century, Astro Boy is discovered floating through space. Advances in medicine, science, and technology have brought iPS stem cells into practical use, and thus NEO Astro Boy (Japanese: NEO ATOM) is born, equipped with an "iPS Heart" with BLACK JACK's surgery.

[Character Details]
Height: 155 cm, Weight: 48 kg
NEO Astro Boy has about the same physical faculties of a 12-year-old child, as well as the ability to learn and feel emotions as a human does. His entire body is composed of mechanical parts, so NEO Astro Boy does not change in appearance as he ages -- however, because he has an iPS Heart made from human cells, he does have a lifespan. Therefore, his respect and value for life is the same or even more than that of a human's, and he always has gratitude for life. When his lifespan ends, the mechanical parts of his body will organically decompose and return to the soil. NEO Astro Boy is a symbol of the NATUREVERSE; of harmony between technology, humanity, and the Earth.

[Character Origin]
"Astro Boy Returns" (serialized in "Shogaku Yonensei" April - September 1972)
The story depicts the aftermath of the final episode of the anime television series "Astro Boy", after it ended in 1966. Astro Boy was stuck in the Sun to save the Earth, but after he attaches to a shard of iron and begins drifting through space, he is picked up by the three-eyed Lululu aliens on their rocket. The aliens, with advanced science and technology, bring Astro Boy back to life in a more advanced form.

■ Overview: PASONA NATUREVERSE Special Short Movie "The Birth of NEO Astro Boy"
[Staff]
Director: Satoshi Kuwahara
Music: Akira Senju
Script: Mayumi Morita
Animation Producer: Hiroshi Osawa
Creative Director: Masato Ishiwata
General Producer: Umi Hidaka
Medical Supervision: Dr. Yoshiki Sawa

[Cast]
Astro Boy / NEO Astro Boy: Makoto Tsumura
BLACK JACK: Akio Otsuka
Dr. Ochanomizu: Chafurin
Narration: Ayaka Hirahara

Comment from Director Satoshi Kuwahara:
"Earth, the beautiful blue miracle planet. We humans are just one among many life forms living on Earth. The Earth, and that which lives upon it, is on the verge of falling into critical circumstances because of our egotism. We humans have forgotten the important of having a spirit of caring for others, love and compassion for nature, and respect and love for all life. Without these things, could we even be considered inhabitants of this Earth?
This film tells of Astro Boy's struggles against a critical situation caused by humans. I hope you can feel the important message left by the original creator, Osamu Tezuka, in this video. We can and must change the future of the Earth with our own hands, because it is up to humanity to do so."

Comment from Akira Senju:
"The robot Astro Boy takes a stand to protect the Earth. Harmony between humans and robots is now no longer a dream. Mr. Tezuka's message is powerful. Astro Boy, the black-and-white CRT TV hero I first came across at age 3, was also a model for the rest of my life thereafter. I feel a sense of joy and responsibility to be in charge of the newly reborn NEO Astro Boy. I have spent 60 years dreaming of Astro Boy to create this music."

Comment from Dr. Yoshiki Sawa:
"The opening animation produced by Tezuka Productions is very immersive and moving. I supervised parts such as the scene in which Astro Boy is saved by BLACK JACK -- the animation is created with great care and attention to detail, from the depiction of the surgery to the expression of the doctor's feelings. It is a wonderful movie that will help visitors to the pavilion feel the preciousness and emotion of life. I hope you will come away with the feeling of "thank you, life." Please visit the Expo 2025 pavilion PASONA NATUREVERSE."

Comment from Ayaka Hirahara:
"When I saw the short movie, I was moved to tears. Collaborating with Astro Boy has been a dream of mine since before I debuted, so I am happy that my dream could come true like this after 21 long years. I still can't believe it's real. Since my debut, I have worked hard at narration, dubbing, and voice acting in addition to singing, so I am very happy to be able to participate in the Expo with not only my singing, but also narrating this special video.

■ About the "PASONA NATUREVERSE" Pavilion
Pasona Group's job is to harness the potential of the individual. We aim to help build a society in which everyone can flourish in good health and vibrance.
“Thank You, Life.” We want to create a world where life is respected; a world enveloped in gratitude for life, from children to the elderly, among all people across the world.

Our society is a part of the natural world, and humanity's continued existence is thanks to nature. However, at some point, we began to take nature for granted. Have we forgotten to be grateful? Giving thanks to each other, to the rich blessings bestowed upon humanity by nature, and for the fact that we are alive right now. We want to create a new world in which these expressions of thanks resonate and are passed down to the next generation.

We hope that many people from all over the world will visit our pavilion and become future creators of a world which reverberates with gratitude, and work with us to create the "NATUREVERSE" (Nature x Universe). This is the hope of Pasona Group.

■ Pavilion Exhibit Themes
(1) Body: Medical / Food: Creating a healthy body through the latest medical care and food.
(2) Mind: Life Purpose / Compassion: Building a spiritually rich society based on the spirit of compassion, in which everyone can envision their own futures, and which is full of diversity and purpose in life.
(3) Bonds: Work / Mutual Aid: Designing a truly prosperous society in which all people can work vibrantly and live happily, in other words, a "Mutual Society" of mutual assistance.

For details regarding the pavilion: https://www.pasonagroup.co.jp/english/expo/

Byron Russel
Pasona Group Inc.
+81 70-1267-1613
brussel@pasonagroup.co.jp
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