The Amazing 3
Three alien agents judge Earth in animal forms.
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
The Amazing 3, also known as Wonder 3, is a Japanese comic series and black-and-white animated television series created by Osamu Tezuka in the 1960s. The story follows three agents from outer space—Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko—sent to Earth by the Galactic Federation to determine whether the planet should be destroyed due to its wars. Upon arrival, they take the forms of a rabbit, a horse, and a duck, and befriend a young human boy named Shinichi Hoshi.
- creator
- Osamu Tezuka
- first_published
- 1965 (manga in Japan)
- medium
- Manga and black-and-white animated television series
- genre
- Science fiction, adventure
- notable_for
- Ecological concerns, poverty, and racial diversity in 1960s animation
Lore & Background
The series was first published as manga in Japan in 1965, then adapted into an animated television version with different stories. The English-dubbed version aired in Australia and other English-speaking markets (not in the United States) as The Amazing 3, with a different theme song and opening/closing elements, and later in Spanish-speaking countries as Los tres espaciales. The Japanese-language animated version was released on VHS in 2002, with a full 10-disc DVD set in 2005. In 2017, a Kickstarter campaign raised $82,137 for an English translation of the manga, which was released in 2020 under the title The Amazing 3.
Reader's Guide
The Amazing 3 is significant for tackling issues unusual in 1960s animation, including ecological concerns, poverty, and racial diversity. The plot centers on the Galactic Federation's decision to destroy Earth due to its wars, with the three agents—Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko—gradually changing their views through their friendship with Shinichi. The series ends with the council deciding to re-examine Earth when Shinichi reaches adulthood, and Bokko is transformed into an Earth girl to be with him. The characters' abilities, such as Bokko's telepathy and Nokko's inventions, and the time reversal gun, add to the series' unique blend of science fiction and social commentary. Its legacy includes the 2020 English manga release and its influence as an early example of Tezuka's work addressing mature themes.
Did You Know?
- The three agents take the forms of a rabbit, a horse, and a duck upon landing on Earth.
- The series' instrument of destruction is called an anti-proton bomb, solar bomb, and neutron bomb.
- The English-dubbed version aired in Australia in 1969 and in Spanish-speaking countries as Los tres espaciales, but never aired in the United States.
- The manga was first published in 1965, and an English translation was released in 2020 under the title The Amazing 3.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is The Amazing 3?
The Amazing 3 (also called Wonder 3) is a 1960s Japanese black-and-white animated series adapted from Osamu Tezuka's manga. It centers on three alien agents dispatched to Earth to evaluate whether humanity's violent tendencies warrant the planet's destruction.
What are The Amazing 3's roles and abilities?
Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko are extraterrestrial judges from the Galactic Federation who assume the shapes of a rabbit, a horse, and a duck while conducting their investigation on Earth. Their primary function is to observe human behavior and report their findings back to their superiors.
How does The Amazing 3's story end?
The narrative revolves around the trio's ongoing assessment of Earth, with their final verdict heavily influenced by the mix of cruelty and compassion they encounter. Their growing bond with the young boy Shinichi Hoshi becomes a pivotal factor in shaping their ultimate judgment.
Who created The Amazing 3?
The series was created by the legendary manga artist Osamu Tezuka, who first published the manga in Japan in 1965. It was later adapted into a black-and-white animated television series, fitting squarely within the science-fiction and adventure genres.
Why is The Amazing 3 important in animation history?
The show stood out in the 1960s for weaving ecological awareness, poverty, and racial diversity into its storytelling, themes that were rare in animation of that period. It is remembered as an early example of socially conscious science fiction in Japanese television.
More in Animated television series about extraterrestrial life 1-24
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