Violence Jack

A man of action.

Now that the end of the year festivities are around the corner, nothing screams family entertainment like バイオレンスジャック , AKA, Violence Jack. Today's entry is based upon a certain manga, co-written and co-illustrated by legend Go Nagai since 1973, all the way to 2008. Considering how long its run has been, it's quite obvious to agree this is the Manga responsible for creating the post-apocalyptic setting that became a genre of its own. It's funny though, because Hokuto No Ken , which came years later, is  usually deemed as the ultimate representation of Manimé and post nuclear war storytelling. Perhaps, making it less graphic and sexist, allowed Kenshiro to grow into the franchise it is today.

A set of sagas from the manga were adapted in three independent OVAs released in 1986, 1988 and 1990. These OVAs have been released in the USA, Italy, France, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. In some of these countries, the contents of the OVAs have caused censorship issues, while in Australia the second OVA was banned altogether. If you’re familiar with Go Nagai you know that he's known for having eroticism and violence in many of his works. Besides that though, he did end up creating some influential and creative titles like Cutey Honey and Mazinger Z just to name two of his works.

A Hero has to smile sometimes.

Not good.

Anyway, this is an 80’s adult themed OVA and is known as one of the most grotesque, sadistic and cruel anime made in the 80s, and believe you me, there were many of those made in the 80s, and we have covered a few of them here in the past. As you can imagine, the story takes place in a grim post apocalyptic setting. after a massive earthquake (which in the OVAs was triggered by a Comet strike) dubbed 'The Great Kanto Hellquake'. Cut off from the rest of the world, the survivors of the disaster are divided between the strong and the weak, and the land becomes a haven for criminals and renegades from around the world. Violence Jack is uncovered among the rubble and demolished granite by the inhabitants of a ruined city, asking him to help the weak people and helping them destroy what, in most cases, are the strong groups commanded by killers and rapists (this is the story line of "Violence Jack: Evil Town"). In the three OVAs, Jack is requested to help different groups, such as the Zone A (later he ends up helping Zone C women) or a small town, as shown in "Hell's Wind". As for the manga, the stories change drastically, the first being the story of Violence Jack helping a group of female models in a tropical forest in Kanto by possessing a boy living in said forest in order to fight off a roving tribe of bandits. Although Jack maintains a ruthless facade, he often helps the weak, and expects nothing in return. However, Jack's unpredictable nature means that bystanders get injured or even killed on occasion as a consequence of his vicious fighting style.

Jack himself is some sort of Giant who always happens to be in the neighborhood during these attrocities. He's quite obviously very strong and he always sides with the weak, but it doesn’t seem like he really wants to. It just looks like he’s doing them a favor or something. Even though I guess he has some sense of justice in him. Besides that though, he’s just a bland heavy dude as far as the anime is concerned because we don’t even find out who he is, since this is an incomplete adaption of the source material. Besides, he doesn't talk much, so the mystery remains.

The rest of the characters are either just there to die and for you to feel sorry for, or completely evil and sadistic people you’re gonna hope to see die miserably. There’s not much else, really. Most of them don’t have any back-story (with an exception or two) and none of them are particularly focused on, or alive long enough to develop so there’s no point in talking about them much. 

This isn't your Saturday morning Jem.

Size matters.

But, who is Violence Jack?

He is a complete mystery to those who have encountered him. He is often described being 7 to 10 feet tall with the muscles of a gorilla, the fangs of a wolf, and having burning primordial eyes. The man called Violence Jack had his name given to him for his unpredictable, violent nature and for his signature weapon, a large foldout jack-knife that he conceals and sometimes brandishes whenever necessary.

Having appeared out of nowhere after the Great Kanto Hell Quake, Jack wanders throughout Kanto, often picking street fights with those he sees as a threat to Kanto. He often helps those who are weaker than him who are preyed upon by violent nomads and criminals who scour Kanto. Although Jack is described as human, he is often the focal point of strange phenomena that occurs in Kanto. Often when he is finished helping the weak, he will suddenly vanish without a trace of him ever actually being there.

Many of the towns he visits are often subjected to mysterious earthquakes that occur during or after his arrival. His presence alone sometimes incites those he is around to become violent and seek to attack him.

 

This isn't what it looks like.

While Jack is a man of a few words, he uses violence to solve problems caused by violence. After all, it's a futuristic world with no rules. If you want to go philosophical about it, Violence Jack is once again another Animé dealing with sexist culture and its grotesque results if left unsupervised. Everything you see in the three OVAs is seen from a sexist perspective where men are the leads, and women are mere diversions. While it's true the last chapter features a stronger woman seeking revenge, she still has to rely on a man to get the job done, and get humiliated by men in doing so. My point is, don't take it too seriously if you plan to watch it for the first time, or rewatch it after a long time. Most of these made for home videos were made in a time where it was cheap & profitable to make them. The shock value was intentionally added, to separate them from your usual Saturday morning cartoons. They wanted to get your attention. And they did. Now, if you insist on trying to find some value in Violence Jack, I'd say it pretty much describes how society has been for decades. 

This is how Violence Jack was promoted.

Shut up! you little shit!

Much like what we'd seen years before on the Fist Of The North Star animé.  Each OVA revolves around the aftermath of some disastrous event in Japan and as a result, the strong people take advantage of the situation and persecute the weak. And we (the audience) get to witness that, with all the Gory details. Sure, it involves themes like anarchy, lawlessness, corrupt politicians and policemen, and how some people might behave in such situations, their presence is merely to justify what comes next with all the damage they cause, and how only a mysterious over powered man can turn the tables and bring bloody violent, yet fair, revenge in favor of the weak and the abused.

Production values are somewhat good for its time. The soundtrack is a combination of what now has been dubbed as "City Pop" and some hard rock songs very much in the line of what was trending in Japan those days. but it’s quite creepy and fitting most of the time. Sound effects and seiyu acting are great examples of the decade where the OVAs were made, meaning they're great. The character designs aren’t very pretty and neither are the colors, but they are mostly detailed. Character and background animation are the standard for the genre. The three OVAs were released on Blu-ray Disc some time ago, and I highly recommend it. The HD work makes it look brand new, and it comes with a lot of supplemental material.

Kids love violence!

An eye stab?

Now let's got for  quick review of each episode:

Volume 1: Harlem Bomber (1986)- This one has an earthquake, after which, a man kidnaps women and turns them in to sex slaves in addition to going after our hero, Violence Jack. Did I mention that this is the tamer one of the three? Yep, at this point the violence seems pretty basic for an 80’s gore OVA. Besides nudity and sex, there’s nothing here you haven’t seen somewhere else. The story was both meh and also paced badly, it seems messy and rushed, although I'm sure some people might have liked it enough for the producers to continue with two extra volumes.

 

The story is basically about a wasteland ruled by bike gangs and a sociopath anti-hero that brutally kills them all. Jack is causing trouble for a gang called The Slum Lords and the boss is obsessed with killing Jack. One the gang's enforcers helps gather up young women to force into sexual slavery, but he suddenly grows a conscience when one of the girls is his ex-girlfriend. He tries to free the girl, but is caught by the boss of the Slum Lords. The boss will only let him go if he can, of course, kill Violence Jack. 

 

Violence Jack is here!

 

Volume 2: Evil Town (1988)- Now this is the story that made Violence Jack as infamous as it still is. After another natural disaster, people go underground and separate in to 3 groups. One group consists of people who just want to find a way to survive, another group has women only (from fear of getting raped) and the third is a group of vicious thugs lead by a transvestite and his Giant lover. As you can probably guess, this is the volume that gave Violence Jack the reputation it still has. Both men group are equally grotesque and perverted. While some women can defend themselves, they're outnumbered and most of them end up raped and dead. While there are worse graphic examples of this in other Animé, these scenes are unnecessarily long, not to mention the graphic violence that women and even children face on screen. 

 

Like the previous OVA, Evil Town excels at showing carnage and intestines. The blood and gore is far more realistic than most other old anime. People are actually filled with organs, guts, and bone fragments instead of just red paint. One thing I found hilarious was that the artist really loves to draw tits, but sucks at drawing them. The nipples are placed at random locations that seem to change in every shot. It would be easier to predict the exact location of an electron orbiting an atom (and its momentum) than predict where the nipple is going to show up next. At least Heisenberg would enjoy this anime, because it would give him the excuse to make another long math formula. If you didn't get that last joke...go take a physics course.

 

The future is evil.

 

Volume 3: Hell's Wind (1990)- It takes place in a peaceful town somewhere in the wastelands and its quickly attacked by a motorcycle gang. This one is basically like an average HnK episode. But wait, there’s actually a notable character in this one that has some background and a proper motivation (hurray!). The character is a muscular chick with scars on her face and body (she’s really hot btw, they rarely make anime chicks like this nowadays) and we witness her lover being torn to pieces in front of her in the beginning of the episode. As a result she’s out for revenge. Not as insane as Vol’ 2 but still very gruesome at points.

 

If you happen to live in a poorer and under-served portion of the wasteland, you get officer Jack as your defender. Unfortunately, Jack's response time is the worst. He will never get there in time to prevent a rape or a murder. However, he will at least brutally stab the assailants to death with his Jack Knife. Sure he always stops to get that cheeseburger rather than getting to the crime scene on time, but at least he only kills criminals that committed a serious crime. Every person that Jack kills is armed at the time he kills them. Jack doesn't kill petty criminals who run in fear of his manly sideburns by lazily shooting them because he doesn't feel like giving chase, or breaking their cervical spines. Jack would never accidentally choke a man to death for selling loose cigarettes on the street because he wanted to "show off" to his drinking buddies.

What were they thinking in Evil Town?

Sex & violence always sell.

Overall, Violence Jack suffers from not having enough time to develop good story telling. Three OVAs that run for two hours and a half are nowhere near decades of Manga publications. However, the essentials are here and you can clearly understand why his name is Violence. Made in a decade that wanted to make as much money as possible, all these crazy OVAs are a reflection of the 1980s fear of the future based on the cold war and cyberpunk ultra violence. Definitely not for the faint of the heart, or for those who can't see this is a fictional work.

 

 

 

 

Cutie Honey Universe

She's back!

Yes! we're not dead! (yet) and we've been planning this post for quite a while. Today we'll take a look at another Cutie Honey Animé adaptation.

Cutie Honey Universe is the 2018 anime television series directed by Akitoshi Yokoyama at Production Reed. It is the fifth animated project based on Go Nagai's Cutie Honey manga franchise, celebrating the author's 50th anniversary as a manga artist. The series began airing in Japan in April 2018 and is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks.

Today's entry marks our latest entry in the Cutie Honey franchise. So fa we've reviewed the original series, the 90's remake, and the 2004 Gainax's OVAs. We may review Cutie Honey Flash in the distant future.

"The forces of evil are on the rise. When the evil mastermind Sister Jill transforms one of her girls into the bestial Breast Claw and sends her minions out on a mission involving the group Panther Claw and a jewelry store heist, Honey Kisaragi departs from her Catholic girls' school to confront the threat as Cutie Honey. But that's exactly what Sister Jill wants, as she desires Honey's Airborne Element Fixing Device, which allows her to transform into Honey's seven different forms. Meanwhile, Sister Jill is also on the scene in disguise as Inspector Genet, trying to worm her way into Honey's confidence from a different angle."

That old fashioned sense of humor is back.

Sexy violence is back too!

2018 marked 50 years of Go Nagai's work as a writer and manga artist, and given the influence of his back catalogue it's not surprising that his most famous works have been undergoing a resurgence lately. The Devilman franchise has reached an all-new audience with mega popular Netflix exclusive Devilman Crybaby, while the original Mazinger Z anime received a proper sequel over 40 years later with the Mazinger Z Infinity movie. So where does this leave Nagai's high-action, lowbrow magical girl series? An influence to the pantheon that followed, Cutie Honey returns for its first animated outing since 2004 with the release of Cutie Honey Universe. Closely patterned in both story and character design after the original manga series, Cutie Honey Universe was animated by studio Production Reed (who until 2007 were Ashi Productions) and ran for a total of 12 episodes.

As the first Cutie Honey anime in nearly 15 years and part of a wider celebration of Go Nagai's works, you might expect Cutie Honey Universe to be a show that's a bit more welcoming to a new audience. And though Universe is a self-contained show that (eventually) tells you enough you need to know about Honey Kisaragi and her fight against Panther Claw, its overall presentation certainly may turn off a lot of newcomers. In my humble opinion, I'd say this so-called reboot, is in essence, nothing but a humble tribute to Go Nagai's work. Producers didn't have to rediscover fire here. Most of the tropes the original Manga had, are somehow present throughout the 12 episode run of this updated homage.

Shake that booty!

Fight until you're almost naked!

While is obvious to any connoisseur that Cutie Honey comes from a far less complex Manga made in the early 70's. I'm amazed to read all these reviews criticizing the show as lacking both character and plot development.  Misinformation is always a problem when it comes  to reviewing a product based upon  a 47 year old property. There's no way you can measure by today's standards something that was made long ago in a different world.

When you read things like "the poor plotting and characterization is the wildly inconsistent tone of the show" in allegedly well informed Animé sites you realize  deserve to die. Anyone whose got even a glimpse of Go Nagai's works will understand they come from simpler times, and that's the big problem I have with these sites. Their users neither bother to read from start to finish, nor they will watch an entire series with solid background knowledge about the show. They only see the cover and judge.

"The inconsistent tone" reviewers mention, it's because it is supposed to be like that. Cutie Honey has always been an amalgam of comedy, action, sexual innuendo, and plot twists. There are darker characters, comic relief type of characters, and a wide variety of craziness that goes with the territory.

Sister Jill is one mean bitch.

And so are these fangirls.

One thing I agree with the naysayers is that its visuals standout. The adherence to Nagai's original style results in some really great looking character designs, while the bright color palette gives the show a dazzling flair that constantly works in its favor. Praise especially goes to the forces of Panther Claw, which as well as proving to be wild and wonderful also provide some cool body horror moments from time to time. Even though the fight scenes mostly take place against unremarkable blue backdrops, little touches like Honey slicing the entire backdrop and it then staying sliced afterward really add to its "what's old is new again" charm.

Another complaint, and this time I agree with it too, is the fact that the show is missing the iconic Cutie Honey theme song. For legal reasons, the legendary track has been replaced by "You Can't Fight Without Love", which while not a bad song in itself feels completely out of place in a show that's supposed to be celebrating the character's legacy. It's then made worse but the show featuring numerous musical numbers (including one in the final episode) that then repeat this new opening, rather than bring the original back for a different moment of glory. Even as someone unfamiliar with the history of Cutie Honey it strikes of just how out of touch Universe is with the rest of its peers – wanting to seemingly go it alone but also failing to capture the elements that helped make it popular in the first place.

Sexual tension.

Treason.

Up next, the episode guide with a brief plot description:

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Everything About You Is Perfect" ( あなたの全ては完璧)	April 8, 2018
Honey Kisaragi is called in to help out at a hostage situation at a jewellery store involving the evil organisation Panther Claw, where she meets an inspector from France named Genet. Heading inside, Honey comes up against three of Panther Claw's emmissaries, who are after the Airborn Element Fixing Device she possesses. Transforming into the soldier of love, Cutie Honey, Honey fights against Panther Claw, defeating one of its members before pursuing the other two as they escape towards a scrapyard, where Genet manages to kill another one. Honey soon comes up against Panther Claw's leader, Sister Jill, who overpowers her before escaping.
2	"The True Joy of Having Met You" (あなたに出会えた事の心からの喜び)	April 15, 2018
Honey explains to Genet about how her father Dr. Kisaragi gave her a life and a super android body before he was killed while defending her from Panther Claw. Following that incident, Honey teamed up with PCIS investigator Seiji Hayami in order to fight against Panther Claw and get revenge for her father. Meanwhile, Seiji ends up in hospital after his car is rigged to explode, which turns out to be a trap by the latest Panther Claw minion, Fire Claw, to lure out Honey, but she manages to quickly defeat her. Never shy away from a battle. Stage fright?
3	"I Am Made For You" (私はあなたにふさわしい)	April 22, 2018
Honey's best friend, Natsuko Aki, becomes enamoured with Genet, who asks her out on a date and gifts her with a white rose. While Honey deals with another Panther Claw situation, Naoko Sukeban follows Genet and Natsuko to a department store. The store is suddenly attacked by another Panther Claw minion, Badfly Claw, who turns all the other customers into living mannequins. As Naoko and her gang get injured protecting Natsuko, Honey, realising the hostage situation was a decoy, rushes to the scene and defeats Badfly Claw. Following the incident, and with all of the Sukeban girls suddenly receiving white roses from an anonymous source, Natsuko begins to have her suspicions about Genet.
4	"Pure Beauty" (無垢の美しさ)	April 29, 2018
Following a plan devised by Genet, Honey poses as an idol to lure out Panther Claw, only to get captured. However, when they attempt to dissect her body at their hideout, it turns out to be a fake created by the real Honey, who had beaten her captors and disguised herself as a Panther Puppet. Running low on energy, Honey is forced to disguise herself as a statue to evade the Panther minion Scissors Claw, only to find herself in trouble the next morning when Seiji's father and brother, Danbei and Junpei, take an obscene interest in her statue form. After Honey finally shoos them away and reunites with her team, it is revealed that Genet is secretly Jill, who is targeting Honey from within the PCIS team. Heroic transformation. Mean boobs.
5	"Till Death Do Us Part" (死ぬまで気持ちは変わりません)	May 6, 2018
Genet informs Honey and Seiji that their mayor, Noriko Terada, is secretly Panther minion Iron Shadow. Needing evidence to expose her, Honey transforms into a reporter to interview Terada, but doesn't get much useful information out of her. Following Genet's instruction, Honey, along with Seiji's family, follows Terada to an island resort, where she spots her trying to make an arms deal and exposes her. Iron Shadow then attacks with hostages that she had captured and turned into mannequins, preventing Honey from fighting back. However, Danbei manage to use his pervertedness to create a chance to cut off Iron Shadow's whip, severing her control over the hostages and allowing Honey to defeat her. Despite this setback, however, Jill prepares to enact the next stage of her plan to gain Honey for her own.
6	"May Fortune Befall You" (あなたの幸福を祈る)	May 13, 2018
One summer's day, a Panther Claw army led by Dragon Panther and Snake Panther launches a sudden airborne assault against Saint Chapel, as a part of Sister Jill's plan to drive Honey into despair and thus into her hands. With the school destroyed and their schoolmates slaughtered, Honey and Natsuko seek refuge in the woods, with their pursuers hot on their heels. Honey disguises Natsuko as a rock before taking the fight to Sister Jill herself, but ends up severely beaten. Natsuko bursts her camouflage and creates a diversion, allowing Honey to recover, and Naoko ends up blasted while covering Honey and Natsuko's escape from the island. Sister Jill slays Snake Panther for disobeying her orders to capture Honey alive; and for the death of her friends, Honey swears bitter revenge on Panther Claw. Big tits are the main plot trope here. Titty trope troop.
7	"Devotion to You Alone"  (あなただけに尽くします)	May 20, 2018
Following their close escape, Honey and Natsuko (much to Danbei and Junpei's joy) find refuge with the Hayamis. Despite Honey putting up a cheerful air, Natsuko and Seiji are worried about how this terrible loss has really affected her, and wonder how they can help restore her spirits. Natsuko once more confronts Inspector Genet and later tells Honey, who went looking for her, about her suspicions; but as they return home, they find a bunch of Sister Jill's red roses there, which evoke a severe shock reaction from Honey as part of Jill's ploy to break her will. Deciding to fully confide in Natsuko, Honey tells her about her true nature, the Airborne Element Fixing Device, and how this invention has made her Panther Claw's target.
8	"Vows of Love" (愛の誓い)	May 27, 2018
With her new-won knowledge of Honey's true nature, Natsuko is unsure how to cope with her worry about Honey's well-being. Tarantula Panther and her teammate Octopanther are assigned by Jill to kidnap Natsuko. To spring the trap, Tarantula makes contact with Natsuko; but when the latter pours out her heart to her, Tarantula, with her own unrequited feelings for Jill, begins to sympathize with Natsuko and advises her to tell Honey about her true feelings. Natsuko fails her chance at her next date with Honey, and is kidnapped by Jill during the following night. Whilst looking for her, Honey is ambushed by Octopanther, but unexpectedly aided by Tarantula Panther and is left with a new incentive to track down and defeat her nemesis. From sensitive naked statue... ...To naked bombshell.
9	"The Whole World Is Just You and Me" (この世界は二人だけ)	June 3, 2018
Jill sends PCIS a video message, threatening to kill a number of hostages - most of her remaining Panther minions and Natsuko - unless Honey surrenders herself and the Airborn Element Fixing Device. PCIS advises against giving in to Jill's demands and attempts to rescue the hostages themselves, but Jill's deviousness lets her kill off all her Panthers first, saving Natsuko for the end. When Honey arrives, Jill drops Natsuko off the roof of a high building. Tarantula Panther and Honey work together to save her; but Jill corrupts Tarantula, splitting her into a good and evil half. Before Honey can rescue her, Evil Tarantula kills Natsuko with Jill's sword, leaving Honey shattered.
10	"Thank You for Your Compassion and Encouragement" (あなたの思いやり、励ましに感謝します)	June 10, 2018
Honey begins a merciless crusade against all Panther Claw activity across the city. With Natsuko's loss, however, she has begun to lose her former cheerfulness, distancing herself from her few remaining friends, just as Sister Jill (still posing as Genet) has planned. In her deteriorated state, Honey finds herself nearly out of power when she runs into Good Tarantula, who wishes to help her, and Dragon Panther, who aims to protect Tarantula. The battle is halted when Tarantula tells Honey about her awakened sympathy for Natsuko, and that she is therefore no longer Honey's enemy, and after a tense start Honey and the Hayamis take Tarantula Panther and Dragon Panther in. During a subsequent talk, Tarantula breaks down Honey's emotional barriers by turning herself into Natsuko. Deciding to fully go on the offensive, Honey turns to Genet for aid, still unaware that she is giving herself all the more to her nemesis. Japan's obsession with shaved vaginas. ♪♫ No pubes, no pubes ♪♫
11	"You Will Be Mine to the Bitter End" (あなたはあくまで私のもの)	June 17, 2018
Sister Jill keeps taunting Honey at every opportunity, fanning her hatred towards the murderer of all whom she has held dear. Jill challenges Honey to seek her out at her headquarters, Phantom Castle, and Honey decides to engage her nemesis without involving her few remaining friends. Tarantula Panther offers to accompany her, wishing to atone for her part in Natsuko's death, but Dragon Panther knocks her out and takes Honey to the castle herself. There, Genet finally reveals herself as Sister Jill, shattering Honey's resolve to fight until Dragon Panther intervenes on her behalf, and both prepare to charge Jill's monstrous amalgam of her Panther servants, Gill Panther, together. Meanwhile, while looking for Genet, Seiji stumbles into an interdimensional pocket containing frozen figures of Sister Jill's victims, including Natsuko, and thus discovers Jill's secret on his own.
12	"You Will Return with Hope" (あなたは希望を持ち帰る)	June 24, 2018
Jill kills Dragon Panther, and Honey ends up at the verge of defeat as well, when Tarantula, the Hayamis, Naoko and the whole of PCIS - all disguised as Cutie Honey lookalikes - intervene. Upon witnessing her friends' unshaking faith and their willingness to give everything they can for her, Honey recovers her fighting spirit, which the Airborne Element Fixing Device transfers to all her allies, uniting them all into a virtual army of Honeys. As the final fight rages between the Honey army and Panther Claw, Honey faces Sister Jill and, with the hearts of all her friends behind her, finally slays her nemesis. In the aftermath, Honey and Naoko return to their rebuilt school

Overall, Cutie Honey Universe delivers a "to standards"  retelling of a story that doesn't need to be updated. While it may have been produced with new fans in mind, I don't think reboots will help someone get into a classic story. Because, there's no Star Wars remake, and I'm sure there won't be one. Same with Cutie Honey and a long list of Animé from the 70's & 80's.

Now, if you want to update Cutie Honey, push it into ecchi territory. Add full frontal nudity, sex scenes and a slow motion transformation that shows detailed aspects of our favorite super android lady from the 70's. Because, ultimately, that is probably the only thing that hasn't been tried with Honey Kisaragi and her many sequels and remakes.

Relax!

Here's the opening:

Here's the ending:

Cutie Honey's transformation:

Cutie Honey's infamous statue scene:

マジンガーＺ / Mazinger Z

I am your father!

Hello fellow connoisseurs! No! I wasn't dead! (at least not yet) I was just too busy working from home 24/5. Now that I've adjusted to working through my computer from Monday to Friday, I feel healthy enough as to deliver a brand new post about another awesome Animé that everyone should watch based on its historical value alone.

Enter Mazinger Z, the archetype of giant robots Animé!

Background.

マジンガーZ, AKA Mazinger Z, (known briefly as Tranzor Z in the United States) is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. It was adapted into an anime television series which aired on Fuji TV from December 1972 to September 1974. A second manga series was released alongside the TV show, this one drawn by Gosaku Ota, which started and ended almost at the same time as the TV show. Mazinger Z has spawned several sequels and spinoff series, among them being Great Mazinger, UFO Robot Grendizer and Mazinkaiser. Mazinger Z: Infinity, a theatrical film sequel, taking place 10 years after the original series, was animated by Toei Animation and released in theaters on January 13, 2018.

Synopsis.

The villainous Dr. Hell has amassed an army of mechanical beasts in his secret hideaway, the island of Bardos located in the Aegean Sea. He is capable of controlling mechanized beasts with his cane, and instructs them to unleash devastating attacks. However, Dr. Hell doesn't do all the dirty work by himself; he has his loyal henchman Baron Ashura to carry out his devilish plans.

There are also those that will see to it that evil does not prevail. Kouji Kabuto is the young and feisty teenager with a score to settle: his goal is avenging the murder of his grandfather by Dr. Hell. And he might just be able to pull it off, as he is the pilot of Mazinger Z, a mighty giant robot made out of an indestructible metal known as Super-Alloy Z.

Mazinger Z boasts several powerful special attacks. By channeling Photonic Energy through its eyes, and unleashing the Koushiryoku Beam, it can cause great destruction. But things get really cool when Mazinger Z launches its Rocket Punch attack. Dr. Hell and his minions might have just found their match!

The magnificent blu-ray box artwork.

How many characters can you spot?

Review.

It’s hard to think of a clearer Japanese contribution to animation and science fiction than the creation of the giant robot genre. For the millions of kids that grew up outside Japan in the 80s and 90s, and were lucky enough to witness some classic Animé on the tele,  big robot shows were an introduction to a whole new style of "cartoon". Although there were American cartoons featuring robots, the storytelling was nothing like what kids had seen before. Moreover, a lot of fans, experts and forums across the internet (they can't be wrong) agree the origin of the genre can be traced to a single comic — Go Nagai’s Mazinger Z. By the time the series debuted in 1972, readers had already been dazzled by incredible robots like the remote-controlled Tetsujin 28 (another true legend) and especially the sentient Astroboy (Tetsu-Wan Atom). But those robots’ strength was always just out of the reader’s grasp. Mazinger Z was the first series to put a kid protagonist inside the cockpit of a giant robot, and Toei’s 1973 animated series became a huge hit domestically, both in terms of ratings and in merchandising revenue. Such hit would later come to Europe, South and North America.

But what made it so interesting? what makes it relevant today? The 48 year old series followed the adventures of Kouji Kabuto, the hot-headed, motorcycle-riding 16 year-old and pilot of the series’ namesake super robot. Mazinger Z is forged out of Super Alloy Z (whose critical component, Japanium, can only be found at the base of Mt. Fuji) by Kouji’s grandfather, Juuzou. The story more or less revolves around Kouji fighting off the evil Dr. Hell’s weekly mechanical beasts — ancient robot monsters from a pre-Grecian civilization. However, is not like the traditional "enemy of the week" type of show. Mazinger Z did have an ending and few surprises to keep viewers craving for more.

Blu ray matters.

A very young Go Nagai.

Design wise,  the art style is cartoonish by today's Anime standards. If you compare it to other classic shows from around the same time like Mobile Suit Gundam (Gundam 0079 for the uninitiated) or later entries like Super Dimension Fortress Macross or Armored Trooper V.O.T.O.M.S. you'll see the animation style moved on to a more industrially detailed mechanical design which still remains as the standard for Mecha/Robot animation. However, this is by no means a critique stating Mr. Go Nagai's designs were lacking. As a matter of fact, this particular "cartoonish" style was very prominent during the 70's, and you can see it in most of the other Giant Robot shows made in the same decade, and speaking of unique, Mazinger  Z featured two female robots, whose main weapon was missiles coming out of their breast, AKA the "boob missiles". An insult by today's politically correct standards, or an oddity from another time. Moreover, the show had a particular set of characteristics never seen before by an audience outside Japan: In the first episode, Kouji’s mother and grandfather are both killed in front of the viewer at the hand of Baron Ashura, a half-man half-woman character never seen before by the western crybabies. But, wait! there's more death! Dr. Hell burns to a crisp the rest of  Kouji's father research team alive in full detail. This idea of showing real death in kids’ cartoons may be old news today, but in the 70's (and 80's outside Japan) it was a groundbreaking concept. Have you ever heard someone call Animé "Dark & Gritty" or "Not kids stuff"? Well, there you have it! The concept of death & graphic violence in Japanese animation has been around for longer than you think. Despite this, Nagai’s creations became a hit in Europe and South America, because kids from all over the world wanted to see graphic violence, death and weaponized breasts!

The good guys.

The bad guys.

Nagai reportedly got his idea for piloting a robot from watching frustrated drivers in a traffic jam, imagining a car that could sprout arms and legs and walk over the other vehicles. “What I had in common with the children that were seeing robots was that I wanted to have this incredible power,” he told Web R25 in 2009. “I didn’t equate giant robots with weapons, I wanted to give a teenaged character a suit of armor that would turn him into a hero,” he added.

After the massive success Mazinger Z had (and still has) in Japan Go Nagai would continue to provide the world with more original stories. Although he did make more Giant Robot Manga (Getter Robo, Steel Jeeg, Grandizer, and a lot more) He didn't shy away from exploring other genres. As a matter of fact, Devilman, Devilman Lady, Violence Jack & Cutie Honey, some of his most popular creations, are not part of the robot genre he helped create. In addition, he even made one of the earliest Ecchi mangas! Harenchi Gakuen (Shameless School) in 1968. This dirty manga would later be adapted into Animé, live action film (4) & a television drama. This man has pretty much done everything there is to be done in the industry!

The action figure!

The statue!

By the way, did you know that Go Nagai is nothing but a pen name? The actual name behind this wonderful universe is Kiyoshi Nagai. If Osamu Tezuka is the father of manga, Go Nagai  is the cool uncle who lets the kids sneak sips of his beer and always tells the funniest dirty stories. The Roger Corman of manga and anime active since 1967, he has had a great influence on the world of Manga and Anime, as he effectively pioneered many of their most representative genres.

Nagai began his career after he fell sick in college and believed he had colon cancer, as he wished to leave something to be remembered for. By the time he found out he did not have cancer, he was set on his career. Ironically his first efforts at getting published were sabotaged by his own mother! Fortunately, he caught the attention of Shotaro Ishinomori, (creator of Cyborg 009) who helped him get started. Nagai eventually funded his own company called Dynamic Productions.

Nagai is known for intentionally breaking taboos. Even his milder material has a humorously deranged quality to it. His early works got him in trouble with the PTA, and even today some of them can contain controversial material. Nevertheless, most of his TV work is technically safe in the interest of placating censors even in Latin America and Europe (though not the US).

Vintage poster. Awesome!

Girl power.

Over the past 40 years, the author’s works have grown and multiplied. Mazinger Z was the jumping-off point for a raft of related material, including Great Mazinger, Z Mazinger, UFO Robo Grendizer, Getter Robo, Psycho Armor Govarian, and God Mazinger. Later, other series like Mobile Suit Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion were able to refine the giant robot formula by making their robots more realistic; having a limited supply of ammunition, and needing onscreen repairs after tough battles. In contrast, realism was never high on Nagai’s list of priorities. He tried to make his characters as outlandish as possible, and shunned writing long story arcs in advance, preferring to make things up as he went along. “Nowadays, the trend is for the characters to have complex personal relationships, but I think things should feel straighter. That’s why my robots are more fun than what they have now,” said Nagai in an interview with the Sankei Shinbun. It was never Nagai’s intention to teach the youth, just to give them the feeling of being big and powerful. “Kids want to turn into adults fast,” said Nagai. “I just wanted to take that feeling and turn it into a human riding inside a robot.”

Here's the Japanese opening:

Here's the Japanese ending:

Here's the Latin American opening:

Here's the Latin American ending:

Mazinger's Z theme live!