is a 1980 Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, and a modern style remake of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga Tetsujin 28-go. It was directed by Tetsuo Imazawa and produced by both Shigeru Akagawa and Toru Horikoshi. It aired on Nippon Television from October 3, 1980, to September 25, 1981, with a total count of 51 episodes. Fred Ladd and TMS converted the series into The New Adventures of Gigantor, which was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States from September 9, 1993, to June 30, 1997.
In 1990s, when solar energy, a pollution-free energy source, has become widespread throughout the world. Shotaro Kaneda is a young boy whose dead scientist father created the giant robot Tetsujin-28 after realizing the chances of attacks from outer galaxies. Shotaro has possession of the only V-controller, kept in an attache case, which enables him to have direct command of the all mighty Tetsujin-28. If the V-controller goes into the hands of the enemy, this could lead Tetsujin-28 to fight for villains who want to destroy the earth. Whenever peace in this world is threaten from Branch, aliens, and others, Shotaro together with his friends, Dr. Shikishima, Detective Otsuka, must unleash the power of our metallic super hero.
The series was created by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and broadcast on Nippon Television in Japan between October 3, 1980, and September 25, 1981, every Friday from 18:00 to 18:30 (JST). The opening theme was by song Junichi Kawauchi. The first ending theme (episode#1-25) was and the second ending theme (episode#26-51) was , both song by Junichi Kawauchi.
The series was adapted for North America by Fred Ladd and broadcast as The New Adventures of Gigantor on the Sci-Fi Channel from September 9, 1993. This broadcast ended on June 30, 1997, after reruns.
The series was also broadcast in the 1980s in Arab countries (as "ñùï çÃÂùàÃÂçÃÂ" â Thunder Giant), Spanish-speaking countries (as Ironman 28), Italy (as Super Robot 28), Hong Kong and South Korea.
Original author Mitsuteru Yokoyama was not keen on creating a new Tetsujin-28, but when he saw the design arranged by Katsushi Murakami, who was working on the Chogokin toys at Popy (now Bandai) at the time, he gave the go-ahead on the spot.
The series was produced with a group of creative key animators, such as Eikichi Takahashi, Hajime Kamegaki, Hideyuki Motohashi, Kazuhiro Ochi, Masahito Yamashita, Masakatsu Iijima, Osamu Nabeshima, Yoshinori Kanada and others.
Hayao Miyazaki participated as an uncredited key animator in episode 8 (part A).
The anime series enjoyed a dedicated fan base and contributed to the legacy of mecha anime. It is often remembered for its charming characters, engaging story lines and impressive animation, with iconic and distinctive background music. It is regarded as a significant entry in the mecha genre, bridging the gap between classic and modern anime. The mechanics animation directors, Hideyuki Motohashi and Hajime Kamegaki, both from Studio Z5, worked hard to make the layout design look cool with dynamic action sequences. As a result, the mecha drawings were featured prominently in the anime magazine Animage.
All 51 episodes span on two DVD box set collections, and were released in Japan by Movic in December 2001 and March 2002, respectively. The Blu-ray version was released in Japan by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the first box was released in October 2016 and the second in December 2016. The Japanese version was released by Discotek Media on a 4-disc Blu-ray on January 29, 2019.
In January 2012 New Tetsujin-28 was announced to appear in Super Robot Wars Z2: Regeneration Chapter.