Mazinkaiser

Director
Masahiko Murata
Production
Bandai, Dentsu, Dynamic Planning
Country of origin
Japan
Format
OVA
Running time
7 episodes
Year
2001

Mazinkaiser volume 1: Turbo Smashing Sensation! (eps. 1-4)

By John Huxley
22nd Jul 04

I'll hold my hands up, guilty as charged! I'm a rabid Go Nagai fanatic and proud of it! Although my budget restricts me from all but the most readily available of Go Nagai-related products, I've fallen in love with almost everything the man has ever produced. From Mazinger Z, Cutey Honey through to Shutendoji, Kekkou Kamen and my personal favourite, Devil Man and Devil Lady. While he may not be as popular now as he was back in his heyday, Go Nagai is undoubtedly an influential force on anime and manga and can lay claim to being one of the founding forefathers of his art, responsible for conceiving many of the elements that gave Japanese comics their unique identity. Admittedly this would include some of the less desirable elements such as extreme violence, torture and rape, but there's also many other unappreciated facets to his work that are less pronounced. For instance, Yoshiyuki Tomino and his Gundam series are eponymous with mecha anime, but it is Go Nagai and Mazinger Z that really gave birth to this lucrative and distinctly Japanese genre. Although Astroboy and Tetsujin 28 preceded Mazinger Z, Go Nagai's pivotal comic was the first to introduce a giant mech with a human pilot, and while it may appeared cliched today, Mazinger Z was also the first to really establish the format of the super-robot anime, something which Evangelion would ape decades later.

Which leads us neatly to Mazinkaiser, the third iteration of possibly Go Nagai's most influential creation. As the title suggests, Mazinkaiser is the ultimate Mazinger robot, combining and improving the abilities of both the original Mazinger Z (piloted by Kouji Kabuto) and Great Mazinger (piloted by Tetsuya Tsurugi, who only makes a brief appearance during Mazinkaiser). No sooner has the first episode begun do we discover that Dr Hell (the bearded, beady-eyed villain from the original Mazinger TV series) is up to his old tricks again, unleashing his army of monster machines on a vulnerable and unexpecting city, his ambitions of world domination aided by his sexually divided sidekick Baron Ashura. Enter Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger, saviour of the earth and scourge of Dr Hell, a deadly duo of destructive robots that are joined by their less effective but no less integral companions, the lovely Sayaka and the rotund Boss, comic relief extraordinaire.

Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger don't last long, however, and are soon replaced by the Mazinkaiser robot of the title. Mazinkaiser's design is an interesting one. The classic Mazinger designs are very much a product of their time, with sharp lines and geometric shapes the order of the day. Compare Mazinger Z to the likes of RahXephon and the difference is plain for all to see. In an attempt to create a happy medium between old and new, the designers of Mazinkaiser have created a slightly more elaborate robot, adding more curvature and detail while still keeping the basic shape, colour scheme and proportions of the classic designs. I can only imagine that only the most hardened of Mazinger fan will have anything negative to say about this new design, one which I believe does a admirable job of striking a balance between new and old.

And that's really where, as an animation, Mazinkaiser's appeal lies. By updating the production values to modern standards yet still keeping the same classic super-robot formula of old, this is a show that effortlessly radiates the kind of retro chic that would make Starsky & Hutch blush. If you're of a certain age, and even if you're not familiar with the original Mazinger Z, it's bound to bring back a flood of happy memories from your childhood without the danger of having your ideals spoilt by the realisation that the shows you were once so fond of were in fact rubbish. No, Mazinkaiser is a masterclass in retro revival that treads the thin line between update and homage with care, reminding you just how much fun these shows used to be without ever spoiling the illusion.

All this retro chic does come at a price, of course. It might sound a little obvious, but don't approach Mazinkaiser expecting revolutionary new ideas. The characters, the plot, the music, the presentation...almost every single aspect of this show is around two decades past its sell-by-date. The characters are wafer-thin and accompanied by some horridly overzealous voice acting and cliched scripting the likes of which haven't been seen since Space Invaders was the latest hot release down at the arcades. And some of the plot holes are so large you could fit several Great Mazingers in there with room to spare! But if you approach Mazinkaiser in the knowledge that it's as much a homage as it is an update, you'll find yourself having bucketloads of fun regardless. The flaws become part of the charm.

Ignore the fact that I'm a Go Nagai fanatic - Mazinkaiser is a great anime in its own right. If you've fond memories Mazinger Z, Battle of the Planets, Voltron or any such similar show, you owe it to yourself to buy a copy of Mazinkaiser.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, 16:9 screen ratio, technical specs, original Japanese artwork, production sketches, original Japanese opening

Release information: UK: 20th September 2004, ADV

Notes: The cover is nicely designed with some high quality artwork adorning the front of the casing and a cute comicbook style motif on the back. It's a style that suits the retro outlook of the show with its bright colours and clean lines. Open the case and you'll find a single page leaflet with some colour artwork on one side and ADV previews on the other. Slap the disc in your DVD player and you'll be presented with some cleanly designed menus that mimic the graphics on the packaging. The extras are mostly quick diversions, but it's fun to check out the technical specs of all the Mazinger robots and listen to that cheesy J-rock tune in full. The back of the box says it only contains episodes 1-3, so I was pleasantly surprised to find an option to select episode 4 on the disc itself! With four episodes on this disc and only two volumes in total, Mazinakiser is a great choice for those of you on a budget. Highly recommended.

-- John Huxley 22nd Jul 04

Mazinkaiser Images