Professor Ochanomizu
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
in the anime
and manga
series Astro Boy, as well as all of its many adaptions, including the 1980s series, 2003 series, and the film
. Created by Osamu Tezuka
, the character has since appeared in many of his other works
. He serves as a guardian to Astro
, and sometimes also a caring family member. He is also known in various English adaptations as Dr. Packadermus Elefun, Professor Peabody, Dr. O'Shay, and Simon Elefun.
Ochanomizu determines that Astro Boy is unique from the other robots and takes in Astro Boy as a foster son. Ochanomizu gives Astro a robotic family so that Astro can experience family life.
Ochanomizu is portrayed as a caring father figure to Astro
. After Doctor Tenma
abandoned him, Ochanomizu has always gone to great lengths to retrieve him. The character is a supporter of robot
rights
, and believes that humans and robots can co-exist peacefully, as opposed to Tenma, and is the only major human character to support this view, with the majority opposed to it (such as Acetylene Lamp
). Ochanomizu also has the belief that robots can think for themselves and can be human-like, extending Astro's robot family to include his parents, younger sister Uran and also older brother Cobalt. Although accepting the fact that Astro is indeed a robot hero
, he also wants Astro to be a regular human boy. Due to this, he often sends Astro on missions and repairs him when needed.
In Astro Boy, Ochanomizu (known as "Dr. Elefun") is a colleague to Doctor Tenma
. He implants the mysterious, extraterrestrial
"blue core" to power Astro Boy. When Tenma decides to abandon Astro for not being human-like enough, Ochanomizu is shown to be more caring and does not share his view. He pleads on behalf of Astro every time he appears.
While the usual English version of the name Pakadermus J. Elefun is a pun related to the character's nose and appearance, the Japanese version Ochanomizu is a typical regional surname and represents no irony
or hidden joke. It is unknown if his family members (which are never mentioned) has the same nose, however in Pluto
he is shown to be a widower with a granddaughter, who never appeared. Much of the character's background is also left unexplored, although in the 1979 movie Marine Express
, he reveals that he is from Polynesia
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Astro Boy, as well as all of its many adaptions, including the 1980s series, 2003 series, and the film
Astro Boy (film)
Astro Boy, also called in Japan, is a 2009 computer-animated film loosely based on the long-running Japanese series of the same name by Osamu Tezuka. It was produced by Imagi Animation Studios, the animation production company of TMNT. The studio announced the project in September 2006...
. Created by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
, the character has since appeared in many of his other works
Osamu Tezuka's Star System
Over the course of his career, Osamu Tezuka reused the same characters in different roles in different stories. The way that Tezuka used the characters in his "star system" can be seen as somewhat analoguous to a film director frequently casting members of a regular "stable" of actors in different...
. He serves as a guardian to Astro
Astro Boy (character)
is a fictional character, and the main protagonist of the Astro Boy franchise. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the character was introduced in the 1951 Captain Atom manga...
, and sometimes also a caring family member. He is also known in various English adaptations as Dr. Packadermus Elefun, Professor Peabody, Dr. O'Shay, and Simon Elefun.
Ochanomizu determines that Astro Boy is unique from the other robots and takes in Astro Boy as a foster son. Ochanomizu gives Astro a robotic family so that Astro can experience family life.
Character Profile
Professor Ochanomizu is generally head of the Ministry of Science in the Astro Boy series. He is relatively portly, and has a large eggplant-shaped nose which is his most sensitive area, sometimes becoming involved in nose fights or falls off. His other notable feature are the white fluffy tufts of hair that wrap around his head in a male-pattern baldness style.Ochanomizu is portrayed as a caring father figure to Astro
Astro Boy (character)
is a fictional character, and the main protagonist of the Astro Boy franchise. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the character was introduced in the 1951 Captain Atom manga...
. After Doctor Tenma
Doctor Tenma
, whose real name is and is also known as Dr. Nagamiya Tenma, Dr. Boynton, and Dr. Balthus, is the father/creator of Astro Boy in the anime and manga series of the same name created and animated by Osamu Tezuka....
abandoned him, Ochanomizu has always gone to great lengths to retrieve him. The character is a supporter of robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
, and believes that humans and robots can co-exist peacefully, as opposed to Tenma, and is the only major human character to support this view, with the majority opposed to it (such as Acetylene Lamp
Acetylene Lamp
For the lighting device, see Acetylene lamp, also known as Drake, is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka who recurrently appears in his works, usually in a villainous role.-Description:...
). Ochanomizu also has the belief that robots can think for themselves and can be human-like, extending Astro's robot family to include his parents, younger sister Uran and also older brother Cobalt. Although accepting the fact that Astro is indeed a robot hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
, he also wants Astro to be a regular human boy. Due to this, he often sends Astro on missions and repairs him when needed.
In Astro Boy, Ochanomizu (known as "Dr. Elefun") is a colleague to Doctor Tenma
Doctor Tenma
, whose real name is and is also known as Dr. Nagamiya Tenma, Dr. Boynton, and Dr. Balthus, is the father/creator of Astro Boy in the anime and manga series of the same name created and animated by Osamu Tezuka....
. He implants the mysterious, extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
"blue core" to power Astro Boy. When Tenma decides to abandon Astro for not being human-like enough, Ochanomizu is shown to be more caring and does not share his view. He pleads on behalf of Astro every time he appears.
While the usual English version of the name Pakadermus J. Elefun is a pun related to the character's nose and appearance, the Japanese version Ochanomizu is a typical regional surname and represents no irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
or hidden joke. It is unknown if his family members (which are never mentioned) has the same nose, however in Pluto
Pluto (manga)
is a manga series by Naoki Urasawa published in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original from 2003 to 2009. It has been licensed for release in English by Viz Media, under the name Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka. Takashi Nagasaki is credited as the series' co-author...
he is shown to be a widower with a granddaughter, who never appeared. Much of the character's background is also left unexplored, although in the 1979 movie Marine Express
Undersea Super Train: Marine Express
is a made for TV anime movie created for the Nippon Television Network's annual 24-hour charity program, "Ai wa Chikyu wo Suku", which roughly translates to "Love Saves the Earth". The movie contained a veritable "Who's Who" of Tezuka's notable characters. Each one had an important role, and many...
, he reveals that he is from Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
.