However, one of the main criticisms of the well-loved kid show is that the protagonist is nothing like Go Nagai envisioned. Kabuto Kouji is supposed to be red-blooded, reckless, and be all GAR. That over-the-top insanity and dark humor Nagai created disappeared.
Imagawa Yasuhiro and his team corrected that mistake by giving birth to Shin Mazinger Z. Every small detail gives off the smell of old school super robot shows with a modern twist. Some may find the previous sentence a good description of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, a Gainax mecha show. But while that show is a good homage to the bygone days in Gainax’s special twist, Shin Mazinger Z is a true homage. The latter is more like a replica!
For example, the animation techniques and art style comes from that era: character designs and mecha designs are simple; the show looks gritty and unpolished; and, for the diehard Mazinger fans, the music from the old show gets a sweet rearrangement by Miyagawa Akira. All of these minor details, when stacked together, fool you into thinking you are watching a classic mecha anime.
But not all of those minor details will be wasted if you don’t have the classic super robot protagonists. Kabuto Kouji, as I mentioned previously, is not just a crazy virile high school student; he is one of the epitomes of GAR. Let us remember what GAR means: it’s a word that describes someone’s masculinity and that it is so overpowering it makes you want to cry like a little girl. Kouji is so reckless and absurd you have to give kudos to the guy. As the show progresses, you sympathize with the protagonist’s family troubles. The secrets that lie in the Kabuto family are complicated and no normal person can take that much pressure; Kouji can. And he’ll rocket punch and BUUUUUREEEEESTOOOO FIRREEEEEEEEE every villain in the face with his MAZINGERRRR ZETTTTOOOOO!!!
His friends and family support his reckless ventures by being badasses themselves. Nishikori Tsubasa, who first appeared not in Mazinger Z but Violent Jack, is my favorite character in Shin Mazinger Z. Supposedly the boss of the Kurogane House onsen, she actually leads a gang of superhumans. She is also the puppet-master combatting for good against the evils of Dr. Hell and his minions. Undeniably the most dynamic character, she is the unsung heroine. While Kouji might be fighting Mechanical Beasts, she is the one that oversees the safety of everyone. In her own way.
Likewise, Kabuto Juzo, the creator of the god mecha Mazinger Z, is a mad professor who is hardcore enough to ride a rocket punch and still scream in joy. His nemesis, Dr. Hell, is a creepy villain who hides in the shadows. He doesn’t appear much, but he lets a creepier monstrosity take the lead: Baron Ashura.
This is where Shin Mazinger Z shines from all the rust that pervades in most animes: a villain where you both sympathize and hate. Ashura is the main henchman but it has no gender -- no, it has two: male and female. Born from the corpses of two lovers, Ashura has two personalities, two voices, and two bodies. It is like a Frankenstein creation, something that should have never been born. Ashura is disgusting and yet, one finds it hard to not pity their tragic love story. To be revived by sharing your lover’s body is indescribable. That unfathomable horror makes the character intriguing and its personality twisted. It blames Zeus, the soul of Mazinger Z, for this disaster. Ashura leaves anyone emotionally confused. How do you hate someone who has a good reason to be a villain?
Sadly, for a show this superb, there are some glaring mistakes. While the story is a beautiful, convoluted mess, one may find it tiring to figure things through. I feel that the length is a bit too long; the Germany arc especially feels a bit stretched for my liking. The worst part about that arc is that they repeat the first scene in every episode. This is different from the other episodes’ openings because it’s the same sequence of animation. And then, there’s that SKE48 ending song. Yes, SKE48 -- the sister group for AKB48. I have no qualms against the group but it’s a huge mismatch. When you have JAM Project playing “The Guardian” in the opening, you can’t honestly think, “Hm, SKE48 might have a good song~”, right?
Of course, with all these small flaws, it still means the show is great. It’s a fun study in anime history for people interested in what the super robot subgenre has to offer. One step into the series and you shall be immersed in the Mazinger franchise. There’s no need to use that time machine anymore; you can sell it off on eBay for a copy of this DVD. It’s worth it.
