The Lying Robot

The Lying Robot ("Usotsuki robotto" 嘘つきロボット) is a chapter of the Astro Boy manga which originally ran in Mighty Atom Club magazine in September 1964.

Plot Summary
Astro Boy meets another boy robot who is causing trouble by telling lies. He makes a false alarm announcement about an earthquake coming and when the police take him in for questioning he refuses to tell Inspector Tawashi the truth about anything, including the identity of his creator. When Tawashi tries to have Astro take over questioning, the robot flies away and Astro chases him. He sees him enter a house and follows him inside. He is then confronted by a man who says he created this lying robot. He explains to Astro that he built him as a nurse to care for his elderly mother who is dying of cancer. He didn't want her to know that she has only a short time to live so he modified him to always say the opposite of the truth. Now, she feels contentment believing that she will get well soon. Astro understands and sympathizes, though he still feels that lying is morally wrong.

The man realizes in his heart that this is absolutely true, and so he makes up his mind to modify his robot. He tells the boy to get ready asking him if all the electrical machines he's hooked him up to are ready for operation. He answers affirmatively, but he is still lying and when the switches are pulled, some of them explode causing a fire. However, the man observes that the modification process has worked successfully anyway.

He commands him to fly off and bring back the fire department. But sadly, he ends up getting lynched by an angry mob who are convinced he is still lying and they smash him to pieces. Astro appears but intervenes too late. The poor boy robot groans his last word, "fire", and Astro notices it is the truth and quickly puts it out by lifting the entire house and dipping it in the nearby ocean. The man and his mother are saved. Later, just before she dies, she asks her son whatever happened to the dear little robot who was looking after her. Astro quickly speaks up and says that he is the boy. The son is astonished by what Astro has done, but Astro quiets him saying that sometimes a little white lie is all right.

Collected Volumes
This story has been collected in the following volumes:


 * Astro Boy, Volume 12 (Kodansha)
 * Astro Boy, Volume 13 (Dark Horse)