How familiar were you with Astro Boy from his previous manga or animated versions?
Kristen Bell: I wasn’t familiar at all with the manga. I had always known his name in the back of my head. But I didn’t know what an iconic character he was overseas. They described him to me as the Mickey Mouse of Japan. I’ve been learning that this is sort of just a fresh take on Astro Boy, who’s been around and very influential to a lot of people for a very long time. What do you think it is about this character in this universe that’s so appealing to fans all around the world? Kristen Bell: I think because it’s such a timeless story about a boy’s struggle to be accepted. I think that we’ve all felt like an outcast every now and again. And you know, the original story about his father Dr. Tenma making a robot into the likeness of his son, who’s he’s lost, and then rejecting him…and this boy all of a sudden being on his own. I think that the themes in this particular movie, where the surface of the Earth has sort of been destroyed and everyone lives above it because of the pollution
