Astro Boy: 2 Lost Episodes Have Finally Been Recovered

It looks like history has been recovered in the name of anime! For decades now, the fandom has been on the hunt for a set of missing Astro Boy episodes. Some years ago, several of these episodes were found which left three more on the hook. And now, it seems two of the remaining lost episodes have been found.

Yes, you read that right. Astro Boy episode 125 and 127 have been found. The episodes hail from the 1963 anime that turned Astro Boy into a bonafide legend. Now, they have been recovered for the world to see, and they’re now streaming on Rakuten TV Japan.

If you live in Japan, you can find the episodes streaming on the Tezuka Channel. And of course, the discovery means there is just one episode from the 1963 series still missing. Episode 139 has yet to surface despite years of hunting, so fans are hoping it will pop up before much longer.

For those unfamiliar with the history of Astro Boy, you should know its lost media is legendary amongst fans. For a long time, a number of episodes were missing including 34, 125, 127, 139, 163, and 191. Of these, the most famous missing episode was none other than 34. The entry, which is titled “Midoro Marsh”, became infamous for all the wrong reasons. The episode became famous for its terrible animation as series creator Osamu Tezuka suggested that Mushi Production should outsource the episode. The company did just that by reaching out to Studio Zero with hilariously bad results.

As for episode 139, it is also the product of outsourcing. P Production was tasked with animating Astro Boy episodes 94 through 144. So hopefully, the anime’s final missing piece will surface someday soon!

What do you think about this latest Astro Boy update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!