3 Years Ago, Netflix Released Its Best Anime With 100% on RT & You Didn't Even Notice

In 2023, Pluto, a philosophical sci-fi anime title directed by Toshio Kawaguchi, was released on Netflix with virtually no fanfare despite earning a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Pluto was overshadowed by higher-profile releases and it's unfortunate because it's not just an outstanding series – it's also a profound and complex work that is a direct descendant of genre classics.

What Is 'Pluto' About?

The story is set in the future, when humans and advanced robots coexist peacefully, though society is still recovering from a devastating war. The plot begins with a series of mysterious, brutal murders of powerful pacifist robots.

Gesicht, a robot detective, is assigned to the case. As he delves into the case, he encounters a shadowy extremist organization, as well as hatred and trauma from the past. He also crosses paths with a mysterious killer named Pluto.

The true intrigue, however, lies not in the search for the villain but in Gesicht's inner journey, which is haunted by fragments of erased memories and an inexplicable melancholy.

Heard of the Cult 'Astro Boy'? 'Pluto' Is Its Direct Successor

The story behind Pluto is intriguing in itself. It is an adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's manga of the same name and that manga itself is a brilliant reworking and deepening of a key plot arc from Osamu Tezuka's classic manga, Astro Boy.

While the original manga tells the story of Atom, an android boy created to replace his deceased son, Pluto shifts the focus to a supporting character: the robot detective Gesicht.

Thus, Pluto is both a tribute to the founder of the mecha genre and a mature and complex reimagining of his universe.

'Pluto' Is a Unique Mix of Genres – From Science Fiction and Detective Story to Film Noir

At first glance, Pluto appears to be a futuristic detective thriller with elements of a police procedural. However, its soul is pure noir, permeated with paranoia, melancholy, and moral uncertainty.

Its visual style conveys a cold, gloomy atmosphere through contrasting shadows, faceless urban spaces, and expressive close-ups that capture the characters' inner confusion.

The director skillfully manipulates sound, sometimes immersing viewers in Yugo Kanno's haunting score and other times cutting away to underscore the silent horror of death.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Pluto'?

• Pluto has 100% from critics and 94% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 8.1/10.

Where to Watch 'Pluto'?

Pluto is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.