Wonder Beat Scramble
A Tezuka-supervised anime about micronized battles inside the human body.
Wonder Beat Scramble (ワンダービートS, Wandā Bīto Sukuranburu), also known as Micro Nauts, is a Japanese science fiction anime series planned and supervised by Osamu Tezuka in his later years. It aired from April 16 to November 19, 1986, on TBS-affiliated networks and was produced by Mushi Production, Tokyo Broadcasting System, and Tokyu Agency. The series is notable as the first TV anime work of the newly established Mushi Production after its bankruptcy, and it features live-action segments at the end of each episode in which Tezuka, a Doctor of Medicine, explains human organs and physiological functions.
- type
- Anime series
- aired
- April 16 to November 19, 1986
- network
- TBS-affiliated networks
- producers
- Mushi Production, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Tokyu Agency
- directors
- Satoshi Dezaki, Seiji Arihara
- supervisor
- Osamu Tezuka
- genre
- Science fiction
Lore & Background
The White Pegasus team includes Susumu Sugita, a compassionate 13-year-old; Dr. Miya, the director of Phoenix Tower who developed the Micronizer System; his niece Mayumi, who volunteers as his secretary; the data accumulation robot Bio; and members from various countries: Li Mei Fang (Chinese, 22, with a doctorate in medicine), Michael Jansson (American), Joe Kumba (Congolese), Kōji Manaka (Bio's developer), Catherine Doyet (French), and Tetsuya Aramaki (astronaut trainee). The HIEU (Vijur aliens) include Princess Vijura, who questions the hardline policy of General Zudar; General Bagoo; General Zudar; Dr. Gabor; and King Vijur, ruler of planet Vijur (X23), who seeks life elements to save his declining planet without malicious intent toward Earth.
Reader's Guide
Wonder Beat Scramble holds significance as a late-career project of Osamu Tezuka, blending his medical expertise with science fiction. It was the first TV anime from the revived Mushi Production after its bankruptcy, marking a comeback for the studio. The series is unique for its educational live-action segments featuring Tezuka explaining human physiology, overseen by medical scholars. Its plot, based on the 'Bacteria Rangers' from the 1963 Astro Boy series, explores themes of microscopic warfare within the human body. The series features a diverse international cast of characters and a nuanced portrayal of the alien antagonists, whose actions stem from a desire to save their own planet rather than pure conquest. Though not as widely remembered as some of Tezuka's other works, it represents an innovative fusion of entertainment and medical education in anime.
Did You Know?
- Osamu Tezuka, a Doctor of Medicine, appeared in live-action segments at the end of each episode to explain human organs and physiological functions.
- The series is the first TV anime work of the newly established Mushi Production after its bankruptcy.
- The story was overseen by scholars in the fields of medicine and physiology.
- The plot is based on the 'Bacteria Rangers' from the 1963 Astro Boy TV series.
More in Television series set in the 22nd century 1-24
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