Great Mazinger

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The follow up to Go Nagai's seminal super robot show, Mazinger Z, Great follows the previous manga introducing a new pilot, Tetsuya Tsurugi, of a second robot, "Great Mazinger". While there may be a tendency to view this as the "next stage" in the Mazinger series, it's closer to a continuation that introduces a second robot, alongside Mazinger Z, and builds towards something more akin to Power Rangers/Super Sentai than what one would expect from Super Robot. While the manga suffers from pacing issues, and doesn't have particularly stellar art, the designs of the machines and innovation of the story make up for the lack ... in both while pioneering an entire sub-genre. Admittedly, much of the manga is reliant on Shotaro Ishinomori's innovations in series like Cyborg 009 and Super Sentai. However the way in which the formula is put together is starkly different, and Go Nagai's bold, almost offensive story telling helps provide an identity that has given Mazinger status of a classic in manga.

Often times the arcs feel rushed, or poorly put together, but there is always the possibility that the serialization nature of this alongside the original anime helped supplement some of the material better, filling out characters personalities and giving them a more well rounded, appealing vibe to your average reader. In the manga, they often feel a bit hollow, like there should be something more to it, but I'm willing to be forgiving in this aspect.

Overall I would recommend most people read this although i would argue Getter Robo, serialized around the same time, is a much more modern, succinct take on the Super Robot genre. Mazinger being so early tends to be a bit all over the place, and at this point in time has yet to really find an identity.

I also want to note in this review that I am reviewing the Go Nagao drawn version of Mazinger. It's odd so few users have read this version on MAL, and more have read the other by Outa Gosaku, despite that version being much harder to find, and not the "official" continuation. If I had to assume it's because many are, incorrectly, thinking they are reading this version and adding the other version to their list, but this is the version with two volumes.