Metropolis

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis, Robotic Angel
Japanese: メトロポリス


Information

Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: May 26, 2001
Studios: Madhouse
Source: Manga
Genres: AdventureAdventure, DramaDrama, RomanceRomance, Sci-FiSci-Fi
Theme: DetectiveDetective
Demographic: ShounenShounen
Duration: 1 hr. 49 min.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 7.521 (scored by 4764047,640 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #19352
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #2075
Members: 115,742
Favorites: 686

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7.52
Ranked #1935Popularity #2075Members 115,742
Add to My List
Episodes: /1

Synopsis

During an investigation, private detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi travel from Japan to Metropolis—a restless high-tech city where people brutally persecute their robot cohabitants and a dictatorial force rises in power. The two are investigating Dr. Laughton, a scientist suspected of human organ trading, who is supposedly hiding there. Unbeknownst to all, Dr. Laughton has built a cutting-edge female android called Tima for the most influential man in Metropolis, Duke Red.

When Dr. Laughton's laboratory ends up in flames following an unforeseen incident, Shunsaku and Kenichi are separated while looking for survivors. Kenichi rescues a disoriented Tima and struggles to protect her from Duke Red's ruthless foster son, Rock, who pursues the robot girl. Unaware of Tima's true nature, Kenichi befriends her as a human being. Meanwhile, Shunsaku tries to reunite with the boy, unraveling dark schemes that evolve in the city's background—including the key role of Kenichi's protegee in Duke Red's ambitious goal for domination.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Metropolis premiered internationally at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 29, 2001. The film debuted in the United States at the Egyptian Theatre on August 17, 2001. However, the official theatrical release in North America was made available by TriStar Pictures and Destination Films on January 25, 2002, in 10 major cities.

The movie won the Domestic Feature Film at the 1st Tokyo Anime Awards in 2002. In the same year, it was officially selected for the Annecy Film Festival and nominated in the Cristal for a Feature Film award category. It also won the Achievement Award at the 2023 Tokyo Anime Award Festival.

In Japan, Metropolis was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Bandai Namco Arts Inc.: a single DVD on December 7, 2001; a Blu-ray and DVD set on November 23, 2007; and a single Blu-ray on July 25, 2008. In North America, the film was released on a two-disc DVD set by Columbia TriStar on April 23, 2002. Sony Pictures published the Blu-ray version as a single disc on February 21, 2017. Mill Creek Entertainment also released a single Blu-ray disc on June 5, 2018, and a Blu-ray and DVD set on October 30, 2018.

Characters & Voice Actors

Ham Egg

Supporting
Ebara, Masashi
Japanese

Lamp, Acetylene

Supporting
Chiba, Shigeru
Japanese

Red, Duke

Supporting
Ishida, Tarou
Japanese

Pero

Supporting
Wakamoto, Norio
Japanese

Foodstand Vendor

Supporting

Staff

Maruyama, Masao
Producer, Planning
Maseba, Yutaka
Producer
Rintarou
Director, Planning
Mima, Masafumi
Sound Director


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Opening Theme

Preview
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"Metropolis" by Atsuki Kimura, Minako 'mooki' Obata
"Metropolis" by Toshiyuki Honda
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Ending Theme

"There'll Never Be Goodbye" by Minako 'Mooki' Obata




Reviews

Nov 6, 2024
Just got out of watching Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis; Written by Katsuhiro Otomo and directed by Rintaro, since it got reaired thanks to an Anime Expo Cinema Event. Always love that they do that so I can appreciate these movies in theaters. What an excellent movie. My theater was small but after we finished the film we all talked about Captain Harlock and how cool the movie was. I should get my parents to watch it. This movie doesn't get a lot of talk so it was nice to watch it and experience it blind as someone who hadn't read the manga. A must-watch for ...
Jan 18, 2025
Mixed Feelings
An amazingly animated movie with beautiful visuals, but drags too much to be a particularly captivating movie.

Modeled somewhere between the 1927 German film and Tezuka's manga, it provides a criticism of industrialist oligarchy and presents a view of warfare that resounds quite strongly in our tech-dominated world in 2025. Overall, not a bad way of addressing the themes of workers and technology.

The animation is incredible - I was often caught surprised at the raw amount of animated ones used for many scenes, and the realism in movement despite the Tezuka-inspired designs is something you simply don't see much of today. The CG isn't ...
Apr 19, 2022
WHOOOOO BOY

The fancy CGI, the main selling point of Metropolis is terrible.
The best shots are the ones where there are no humans because all the humans look hilariously awful. Everyone is drawn like a mutant Stretch Armstrong accept for Kenichi who looks an awful lot like Astro Boy.


The story is deeply unoriginal.
The worst use of the tower of Babel myth I've ever seen, mixed in with dozens of other cliches, the Naive super weapon robot child, robots as a metaphor for classism or some other ism whatever is in vogue, at least 15 fake out deaths mostly of the same handful of characters.

Metropolis ...

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Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Metropolis Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 )
Naruleach - Aug 1, 2009
53 repliesby noildoof »»
Yesterday, 10:31 AM
its a good one...too.
kisami - Dec 19, 2008
8 repliesby Zarutaku »»
May 21, 10:46 AM
I use to think the climax of this film was a dream I had
ChristmasCookies - Aug 16, 2016
2 repliesby SliverDio »»
Dec 4, 2022 10:09 AM
How much Steampunk, how much Cyberpunk?
ukonkivi - Dec 13, 2009
5 repliesby asei »»
Jun 16, 2022 2:33 AM
German 1927 Silent Film
Pierre_Bezukhov - Sep 1, 2009
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