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.

Characters[]

Collected Volumes[]

This story has been collected in the following volumes:

Gallery[]

References[]

External Links[]

Astro Boy Manga Chapters
Shonen Magazine
Ambassador Atom • Gas People • Frankenstein • Red Cat • Sea-Serpent Island • Mission to Mars • Cobalt • The Coral Reef Adventure • Fuhrer ZZZ • Electro • Gernica • Youth Gas • The Frozen Human • Yellow Horse • Shootout in the Alps • Atlas • The Midoro Swamp • The Test Pilot • Robot Bombs • Ghost Manufacturing Machine • Black Lux • The Mysterious Ball • Super Cyclone • Crucifix Island • Fortress of the Centaurs • Mad Machine • Count Bat • The Eyes of Christ • Ivan the Fool • The Secret of the Egyptian Conspirators • S.O.S. from a Satellite • Gademu • Subterranean Tank • The Artificial Sun • Space Snow Leopard • The Invisible Giant • A Day to Remember • Uran • His Highness Deadcross • The White-Hot Being • Plant People • The Hot Dog Corps • The Blast Furnace Mystery • The Third Magician • Space Parasites • Robot Land • Astro vs. Garon • White Planet • Demon Bees • The Robot Spaceship • The Devil's Balloons • The Last Day on Earth • The Greatest Robot on Earth • Roboids • Robio and Robiette • Blue Knight • Astro Boy Reborn • The Melanin Tribe • Meeva • The Faceless Robot • The 100 Million Year Old Crime • Zolomon's Jewels • The Man Who Returned from Mars
Mighty Atom Club
Bad-Guy Robots • The Lying Robot • The Brain Swap • Jungle Devil Boundary • Earth Defense Force • Astro's Been Stolen! • Broadcasts from Outer Space • The Face in the Rock • Chi-Tan
Sankei Newspaper
Beginning of the Contradiction • Living on Earth, 101 • The Birth of Neva No. 2 • Baro, the Robot • Scara Disappears • The Energy Tube • The Angel of Vietnam • The Summer of 1993 • The Bomb Train • Robot Chiruchiru in Danger • Astro's Energy Runs Out • Dr. Tenma • The Tragedy of Bailey • Astro Goes to the Circus • Living Mold from Outer Space • A Declaration of Robot Rights • Astro Goes to Elementary School • Gone with the Snow
Second Grader
The Robot Disposer • Franken • Astro vs. Atlas • Pula, the Baby Elephant • Guinness Book Robots • The Berserk Robot • The Magnet Robot • Giant Uran • Space Doll • Ghosts in the Desert • The Space Bug • Crazy Duck • A Feline Guardian Deity • The Space Shuttle • Showdown on Mt. Fuji
One-Shots
Slippery Catfish in Imminent Danger • Astro's First Love • The End of Astro Boy • Astro Returns • Astro II • Showdown in the Standard Deviation Kingdom • The Silver Tower