Doctor Tenma

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This article is about the character in Astro Boy. For the character in Monster, see Dr. Kenzo Tenma

Doctor Umatarō Tenma
Image:DoctorTenma-1980AstroBoy.jpg
Dr. Tenma from the 1980 Astro Boy TV Series
First appearance Captain Atom - April, 1951
Profile
Gender Male
Species Human
Occupation Scientist
Known relatives Hoshie Tenma (wife, deceased), Tobio Tenma (son, deceased), Atom ("son")

Dr. Tenma (天馬博士 Tenma-hakase), real name Umatarō Tenma (天馬　馬太郎 Tenma Umatarō) (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.

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[edit] History

Tezuka described Tenma in the manga Volume 7 as:

"Dr. Tenma: born into a long line of horseradish farmers, in the particularly unlucky year of the horse, in Gunma ("horse herd") prefecture. Real name is Taro Uma ("horse"). Graduated from the university of Nerima ("walking horse"), and though a complete dark horse, through an amazing demonstration of intellectual power rose to be the head of the ministry of science -- in an area of Tokyo known as Takadanobaba, which loosely translates into a "high pasture for horses". Among those wishing to unseat him, he is known as a real horse of a different color."

Dr. Tenma (which means "Pegasus" or literally "Heaven-horse" in Japanese) was a renowned roboticist and the Japanese Minister of Science. When his nine-year-old son Tobio died in a car accident, he decided to recreate him as an invincible robot. After living happily for a while with the child automaton, Tenma realized that an artificial child could not replace his son (particularly when he found out he didn't grow like a normal child) and so kicked him away; he sold him to Hamegg, a robot salesman, and he eventually ended performing in a circus where he was found and adopted by Professor Ochanomizu, who turned him into Astro Boy.

Tenma appears several times in Astro Boy adventures. Tenma realizes that Astro is amazing and, though his affection towards him begins to return, knows he can't really make amends for his behaviour. Still, he helps Astro frequently:

  • Tenma built robotic parents for Astro (only after the time-travel crisis. Originally, they were built in a factory.)
  • Tenma enhanced Astro's power to one million horsepower (700 MW) when he fought Pluto
  • Tenma rescued Astro, disguised as a large-hat-wearing-man when Astro was imprisoned by a Cleopatra robot.
  • Tenma also rebuilt Astro Boy after he was destroyed while trying to protect Blue Knight.

Tenma's original behaviour towards Astro was considered quite brutal and inhumane even for Tezuka himself, so in a newer manga edition where Astro's history is restarted, the reader learns that Tenma acted so harshly partly because he was drunk. Still, Tenma then deliberately sold Astro to Hamegg, who in this version was a cruel circus ringmaster who abused his robot performers. Professor Ochanomizu (in this version, Tenma's arch-rival in science) goes through a lot of trouble to get the boy robot.

Perhaps as homage to this character, the hero of the anime "Monster" is also named Doctor Tenma (Tenma Kenzo).

[edit] TV series

In the 1980 cartoon series, Tenma does not really reject Astro; he dismisses him for causing a mess on a boat dinner after reminding him he was a robot. Astro then gets kidnapped by corrupt circus ringmaster Hamegg while Tenma tries to get Astro back. The circus is not as harsh and Hamegg not too evil (compared to the original version), but Professor Ochanomizu, with his assistant Chiyoko, noticing Astro Boy, has to trick Hamegg to get Astro.

Doctor Tenma in the 2003 remake of the TV Series
Doctor Tenma in the 2003 remake of the TV Series

In the 2003 series, Tenma (voiced by Dorian Harewood in the English dubbed version) takes the role of the main antagonist and abandons both Astro and the Ministry in a fit of insanity after Astro rebels against Tenma's unfeeling behavior in destroying old robots. When Tenma witnesses Astro's later heroics, Tenma begins to believe that Astro will be a Messiah figure who will lead robots to gain equal standing with humans, or even overthrow or kill all humans (the latter slowly takes over as the series progresses). Prior to Astro's first battle with Atlas, Tenma constantly refers to Astro as "Tobio" (the dead son he was supposed to replace) and only recognizes him as a separate entity once Astro himself corrects him.

It soon becomes apparent to Tenma that he himself cannot keep up with Astro due to his humanity, so he builds a robot to spearhead Astro's development; this robot is appropriately named "Shadow," and is eventually revealed to be a robot double of Tenma himself.

In the end of the 2003 series, Astro is very badly damaged, and Tenma rebuilds him minus his memories, only to have Astro reject Tenma for his unfeeling attitude a third time. Tenma attempts suicide, but Astro saves Tenma and explicitly forgives him. Tenma then admits he was a poor father and is arrested. The final image of Tenma in this series shows him in a jail cell, holding two photographs: one of his human son Tobio, and one of his robotic creation Astro.

[edit] Prominent roles


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