Pluto (2023)
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Pluto Review
Pluto is a science fiction anime series that was released in 2023 on Netflix. It’s a strong show that is among the better science fiction anime stories in recent memory.
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“Professor, do you ever think we’ll see the end of hatred?“
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Pluto follows the Europol robot detective Gesicht in his attempts to solve the case of a string of robot and human deaths around the world. All seven of the great robots of the world seem to be the killer’s targets, and the murdered humans are connected to preserving the International Robot Laws which grant robots equal rights. Based on a famous manga series, this season consists of eight episodes that are all an hour in length, so it’s a pretty epic anime season all-around.
Very clearly inspired by Isaac Asimov and his laws of robotics, the series explores artificial intelligence and how robots would be integrated in society in the future. What it means to be human and how the two can peacefully co-exist are the main ideas here and the show cleverly explores this future society from different points of view and through memorable characters.
Gesicht is such a superb protagonist and his arc is tremendous. Atom is also very memorable and well realized. Others are all pretty good, but the villains overall were somewhat disappointing and the end twist was expected. The show doesn’t really work as a mystery, which was a shame as it was built up as one during its season opener, but it is more of a science fiction thriller that becomes genuinely suspenseful and even emotional toward the end.
Gesicht is easy to root for and his story was deeply moving. Pluto is at its best when it’s concerned with the idea that artificial intelligence can be just as human as us humans. It’s rare to witness such an emotionally engaging story in this genre, but this is one such story and it was beautiful to witness. The dialogue is superb and the series explored its themes so well.
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Pluto is also gorgeously animated, very well designed in characters and intricately detailed in its world building. It creates this wonderful neo-noir atmosphere that made the series gripping throughout. It’s uneven as not all subplots and side characters worked, but the main characters and ideas were all phenomenal.
Overall, Pluto is truly one of the best new anime shows of the year. It has its flaws, but it’s superbly animated and scored while exploring its major themes incredibly well. This is a heady science fiction story that is thrilling and dark while being surprisingly emotional as well.
Worst Episodes: Episode 6 and Episode 8.
Best Episodes: Episode 1 and Episode 7.
