STORY --- 6/10
Shin Mazinger Z's form of storytelling can be confusing at times, especially at the beginning. The first episode of Shin Mazinger Z is one that reveals a lot of things about the story and its climax, but then we return to the second episode to restart the series anew, and there's many moments of flashbacks and even a segment where the main characters are living inside of one big flashback, which could further confuse people. It's strange and confusing at times, and not a style I much prefer.
Also, Mazinger Z has moments of classic Go Nagai darkness that we never really see brought up again. In the first few episodes, we have our protagonist screaming in despair over something that we don't really see people react to in most mecha shows, and it really shows a unique perspective. However, once that moment passes, we never really see it brought up again, which can be somewhat disappointing when we see these characters in scenarios that brought them to that original scenario happening again.
That being said, the story is tonally very unique. It has that Go Nagai brand of dark tones mixed with comedic moments, and it can be quite compelling at times. However, near the end it felt to me like they were trying so very hard to throw all kinds of exciting twists and turns at you when, in all honesty, the sudden changes and confusing character alliances can just make you feel lost and disillusioned to the plot.
ART --- 6/10
The animation is nothing special, unfortunately. Movements can be pretty choppy, and there's not really many shots that I would see as things that could inspire awe in a viewer, or get them excited. Many things are presented pretty plainly, which sort of lowers the excitement of the viewer during the combat scenes. That being said, I will give it a point above average for being Go Nagai's art style - I love the use of exaggerated proportions and cartoony designs to explore mature themes, enter dark stories, and star in large-scale action stories. It's a unique and interesting dynamic that keeps the show's look fun and enjoyable, even if the animation can drop the ball.
SOUND --- 7/10
Every seiyuu seems to care about their work, here. Akabane Kenji's intensity as the protagonist, Kabuto Koji, is pretty great. If the animation were of better quality, I'd feel like I'd want to say "ROCKET PUUUUNCH" or "BREAST FIIIIRE" alongside him just because of how good his voice acting can be sometimes. It also has a decent soundtrack, with two great OPs and passable EDs. However, one problem it has is sometimes the songs picked for certain scenes can have very unfitting backing tracks. One song in particular has a very intense tone to it, but it also has a relatively goofy segment in it, so when it's being played in the last episode during a fight against (who would have guessed) a giant robot, it sorta sucks away some of the tension when a goofy bit of music begins playing during a serious scene.
CHARACTER --- 7/10
I adore the character designs of Go Nagai, but what can also be fun is their personalities. Kabuto Koji is one of, if not the first ever, mecha protagonist. However, instead of being some goody two-shoes or caring about everyone around him, Koji has moments of him honestly being mean, rude, or violent. Koji is a street punk who will beat up anyone who makes fun of his grandpa. He'll push people around to get his way. It's very interesting, especially watching him grow into a more sensitive and mature person as the story goes on. However, during the last few episodes, something happens that really drops the ball in terms of Koji's character growth and it's quite a pain.
On the opposite side of Koji, Baron Ashura is another standout character. Ashura has a lot of great moments that I really enjoy - they've got an interesting dynamic, a dark backstory that reveals their loyalty, and some interesting personal conflicts that happen during the course of the series. However, besides those two, I don't really like any of the other characters. They can be generic at best and annoying at worst.
ENJOYMENT --- 6/10
I have problems with the pacing, animation, and some of the characters of Shin Mazinger Z. It really sucked me out of the setting every once in a while when five or six twists are piled up on top of each other in span of ten minutes, or when Koji is shown to fight and defeat giant robots without any introduction or fanfare while having intense fights with other giant robots just an episode before, or an episode later. However, the characters can be fun to watch and the robots at least look cool. The soundtrack also has quite a few good tracks, so I'm willing to sit through some of the more dull moments for the great swelling moments like that, even if their animation can be lackluster.
OVERALL --- 6/10
While not exactly fun to watch for the most part, Shin Mazinger Z is a new take on a Go Nagai classic that really hammers home the sort of dark tones that works like Devilman are famous for, which can make it interesting at times. However, it has a lot of problems and can be somewhat confusing to follow. I wouldn't tell you to go running to any service to watch Shin Mazinger Z, but if you're a huge mecha fan, this series in particular is something that you will have to tackle eventually.
