Forum - View topicShin Mazinger -- info and discussion.
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RedLeader
 Posts: 310 |
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Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen (TV)
Offical Trailer NOW Available! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w22ap_0emU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjusticeace%2Ewordpress%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded As we all know, The Great Iron Robot's return is almost here! In six days no less! But what do we really know about the latest addition to the Mazinger family? Well, despite the animation's staff's proclaimations of the show being completely new and having absolutely nothing to do with the name "Mazinger Z", as the old saying goes... If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... Yup. As near as we can tell all the usual suspects are back--Kouji, Sayaka, Shirou, Boss and his gang, Professor Yumi and the other mads, Dr. Hell, Baron Ashura, Count Brokken, even Dr. Hell's most iconic monsters are back. All of which seems to indicate a remake since it's logically impossible for this to be a sequel to either the original series or Mazinkaiser (after all, if Hell was coming back again, shouldn't he be coming back as the Great Marshall?) so remake/reboot/alternate universe, same difference. :p However, there ARE some new things here. The official website, http://www.shin-mazinger.com has just been updated with character data and stuff and there a few new faces. There's a new group that is seperate from the Photon Lab and Dr. Hell known only as the Kurogane Ya or Iron Shop. Don't know what their deal is but they don't look friendly. Also new to the cast is the cop from the original manga whom as far as I know has never been put into any animated version of the series thus far. I'm not 100% sure of his name but I think it's Jikeibu Ankoku. Don't quote me on that, though. Actually, I should point out at this point that the series mecha and character designs are specifically based on the original manga, rather than the TV version. That's not saying much, though since Mazinkaiser did the same thing too. Also, though they aren't mentioned on the website specifically if you've seen some of the promotional art for the show, especially the piece that used to be on the site before this update, then you know the Mazinger Army from Mazinkaiser is going to be in this. That probably means Lori and Roll will be back as well at some point. Furthermore, on the website, we can see that there's been a bit of a cosmetic change that's been done to Aphrodite A. They seem to have replaced her iconic Breast Missles with ... A Breast Cannon. Which... That seems like it'd be even LESS effective than her normal missles... But... Oh well. Moving along, another interesting change that a bit more obvious is that the Jet Scrander now looks TOTALLY different! I remember reading some rumors way back about Mazinger having some sort of new attack where he transforms into a giant fist and from some of the production art I've seen on blogs, it does INDEED seem true and the new Scrander is the actual catalyst for this new attack. Then there's the trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1fvC3R7t5A Regrettably, a better quality trailer is not yet available. In anycase, from watching the trailer the remake aspect is very clear. Same old Mazinger, same old Dr. Hell but with shiny new animation! Not a complaint, just saying it still looks like a remake--until we get to the end. What's the deal with the greek structure? I've heard from other sources a possible tie into the Z Mazinger manga represented by that building and "Zeus" who is supposed to be the guy with the gritted teeth in the first promotional artwork for the series. Unfortunately, since there's little to NO actual data regarding Z mazinger online, I don't know how all that ties together. Perhaps someone here can shed some light on it (honestly, seeing that guy in the picture, even though the helmet was wrong, I thought he was supposed to be Tetsuya). And last but not least... One last bit of info which might indicate a possible direction for the new series... And I'm going to spoiler tag it, just in case... spoiler[Some of the production art that's appeared online includes character design references for the Great General of Darkness. Does that mean next season we should prepare for Shin Mazinger, Great Story?] So tell me what you guys think and post any new or key information regarding the series that may come up now that we're so close to the start date! UPDATE!! BASIC SYNOPSIS FOR NEWCOMERS I realize there are many of you who may have never even have heard of the original Mazinger series who maybe wondering what the deal is with this Shin Mazinger show so here's the basic run down of the original story which should at least give you a basic idea of what the series is about how Shin figures into it. Mazinger Z was not only the first "Super Robot" series (Yes, Super. If you know Gundam, Gundam is what's called a "Real" Robot series. The difference being that Real Robot shows seem more grounded in scientific fact, look believable and are always wrapped up in war and intregue. Super Robot shows are made of, powered by, and are full of fantastic powers and usually have very simple good vs. evil style storylines. More fun than thought, really. Some recent examples of the genre are Gurren Lagann, The Big O, Goddanner, and Gravion), it was also the first robot show in Japanese Science Fiction where the robot was actually operated directly by a pilot as opposed to the robot being able to think for itself or being operated by remote control ala Astro Boy or Gigantor. Created by the infamous Go Nagai, it's full of light humor, fan service (in some iterations, the original TV series never made it past partial nudity, though the manga, in typical Nagai fashion fears NO breasts and Mazinkaiser devotes an entire episode to boobs!), and lots of action and pitched battles. In terms of story, here's the basic set up: Following legends about an island protected in antiquity by a mechanical giant, a team of scientists descend on Bardos Island in the Aegian Sea to research the ancient Mycenian culture that once lived there. To their amazement, they found evidence of advanced robotic technology, and one team member, a Dr. Hell, found a staff that could command the remaining machines towards his will. And with the staff, he killed all the other scientists except for one. Juuzo Kabuto. The stage set, both men toiled for an unknown amount of time at their own projects. Dr. Hell raised an army of mechanical monsters and minions, ready to take over the World! Professor Kabuto, on the other hand, set about creating something that could stand against Dr. Hell and his new found power. He created the super robot, Mazinger Z, a machine so powerful, it could allow its user to become a God or a Devil! "Be a God or a Devil! Whichever you like!", that's what he told his grandson, high schooler, Kouji Kabuto as he lay dying on his lab floor. In the TV series, he died due to a bomb set by one of Dr. Hell's minions, in the manga, he dies from an earthquake that drops heavy debris on him. Either way, he warns Kouji of the impending danger and hands over Mazinger to him. And no sooner does Kouji first pilot Mazinger Z, that Dr. Hell begins his war against Japan and Mazinger's benefactor, the Photo-Atomic Research Institute, led by Professor Yumi. However, Kouji does not fight alone. Joining him in battle are wanna be girlfriend Sayaka Yumi (she constantly fights with him but becomes overly concerned if another girl gets close to him) who pilots Aprodite Ace, a simple robot not really meant for combat but it lets her tag along and get in the way regularly which she enjoys, and local tough guy Boss and his boys, Mucha and Nuke, who pilot Boss Borot, a hunk of junk made from garbage that's even less reliable than Sayaka's Aphrodite, but somehow, Boss makes it work. Together, they fight to keep back Dr. Hell, his mechanical monsters, and his two lackeys, Baron Ashura (who is LITERALLY half man, half woman, split down the middle!) and Count Brokken (and old and HEADLESS Nazi General!  Well, he HAS a head, but it's not on his body. :p) .
And... Not to spoil anything but the series that occured after this one are Great Mazinger, UFO Robo Grendizer, and Mazinkaiser, though it's worth mentioning that Mazinkaiser happens in an alternate universe where Mazinger and Great Mazinger fight together from the beginning and Grendizer never happens. And last but not least for the sake of transmitting what to expect to you guys, here's some neat YouTube movies for ya! A taste of the original: First Opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYCT7M1kBtc&feature=channel_page Second Opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwzYafgjkdE Mazin Saga: The ENTIRE Mazinger family and some extended family too! The music are instrumental remixes of the Mazinger Z Theme, Great Mazinger Theme, and Grendizer Theme. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAec-jyYmTY&feature=channel_page Mazinkaiser Vs. The Great General of Darkness: a taste of what Mazinger will probably look like with modern animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiZwGqhTP5I&feature=channel_page Last edited by RedLeader on Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:08 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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walw6pK4Alo
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Can't say I'm as excited as you are, but still interested none the less. Never saw the original, nor do I intend to. Super robot shows from the 70's and 80's appear to all be the same stuff over and over with only Gundam and Macross able to do something finally different. The only thing that I'd like about it now is that super robot really comes out well with modern animation because all of the harder things they could want to animate can be done and look good while doing it.
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8501 Location: Penguinopolis |
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I've never seen a Mazinger program before, but I may look into this show if just to give myself a different type of mecha show to watch than I usually do.
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RedLeader
Posts: 310 |
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:Can't say I'm as excited as you are, but still interested none the
:less. Never saw the original, nor do I intend to. Super robot shows :from the 70's and 80's appear to all be the same stuff over and :over with only Gundam and Macross able to do something finally :different. Yeah, you'll have to excuse me--I grew up on Supers and didn't see my first Real Robot show until Macross Plus around 1997 or so while investigating the phenomenon of Robotech/Macross which I kept hearing about from friends but somehow missed during its initial run. Well, I think its true of most genres that the shows have very similar aspects to each other but the better ones usually do things to stand out from the crowd. And of course, Gundam and Macross stood out because they're Real Robot shows, not Supers, of which, Gundam was the first Real, of course. Mazinger, though is of note because it was not only the first Super, it was the first piloted robot show ever (in Japan, that is. Of course, H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlien were first but Go Nagai popularized the idea) and set up many common cliches found not only in other Super Robot shows but also in various other animes, including Gundam, such as the main robot having been invented by a direct member of the hero's family who then dies, disappears, or goes crazy leaving the hero to pick up the slack. But of course, like most shows of its type, it's a strictly black and white show without much character development or complexity but then that simplicity isn't for everybody soooo.... ^^; :The only thing that I'd like about it now is that super robot really :comes out well with modern animation because all of the harder :things they could want to animate can be done and look good :while doing it. Yes, that's true. In today's age it's possible to render attacks with incredible detail as evidenced by Gurren Lagann and GaoGaiGar. Granted Mazinger's attacks were never terribly elaborate but it should be fun nevertheless! :I've never seen a Mazinger program before, but I may look into :this show if just to give myself a different type of mecha show to :watch than I usually do. Well, if you survived Gurren Lagann, you should be able to enjoy this. Though, just in case you're curious, you should look up the Mazinkaiser OAV and/or movie for some idea of what's coming. Some of the Mazinger movies maybe available on Youtube as well--of which Mazinger Vs. Devilman is pretty good. |
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nightjuan
 Posts: 1473 |
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Well, outside of gaming since that hardly counts, Mazinkaiser is the only animated Mazinger I've ever had the opportunity to see in action.
I have no problems with Super Robots but normally I wouldn't be in a rush to see this. It's my previous familiarity with the works of the director assigned to this project (Yasuhiro Imagawa) which definitely makes me want to check it out. |
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DomFortress
 Posts: 751 Location: Richmond BC, Canada |
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The Greek references like the Talos in the trailer could be explaining how spoiler[Dr. Hell inherent his mechanical beasts from the Greek Mythological civilization of Mycenae, by discovering the Island of Rhodes and later on made it into his mobile fortress.] |
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RedLeader
Posts: 310 |
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:I have no problems with Super Robots but normally I wouldn't be
:in a rush to see this. It's my previous familiarity with the works of :the director assigned to this project (Yasuhiro Imagawa) which :definitely makes me want to check it out. Ah, yes, I failed to mention that in the original post! I'm also excited about Imagawa's inclusion since I'm a big fan of Giant Robo and G Gundam too! ^^ :DomFortress Ah, thanks for that info! That IS interesting--perhaps they'll have a special upgrade for Mazinger hidden at their place!
And thanks for the Z Mazinger info too! It's funny you should spoiler that because while I was at work today, it occured to me that it might be useful to include a basic synopsis of the original series in the OP for the benefit of those who have no idea what Mazinger is and I was going to include that same info in there since it's the key as to WHY Mazinger exists at all and how Dr. Hell became a threat in the first place!
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RedLeader
Posts: 310 |
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So... Uh... Did anyone catch it yet? I just did. And while it was certainly incredible--I'm not going to fault ANY newbies for being horribly confused by it because as a season fan... I had absolutely NO idea what was going on EITHER! I hope it gets subbed soon so I can get a handle on whatever it was I just watched because everything happened so fast and every POSSIBLE thing out of left field came out by the end it felt like I just watched a clip show for not half a show or 2/3rds of a show but for the WHOLE FREAKIN' THING!!!! Hell, at one point, I thought the Vegans and Grendizer were going to show up! Wow... Just... Wow... But yeah, subs are greatly needed to sort the mess out. ^^;;;;
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DomFortress
Posts: 751 Location: Richmond BC, Canada |
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You might not want to watch it in fansubs, because no fans of fansubs can do this epic justice by simply translating the dialogs. This needs professional post-production work with a strong support from the original production staff in order to present the story faithfully. For Fansubs of this epic will be seem as a mockery to me, and both Imagawa and Go Nagai should deserve more respect than that. That's what I learned from grew up watching Mazinger Z. |
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RedLeader
Posts: 310 |
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Yeah, that's what it seemed like to me too. spoiler[The Dark General as a start and then Dr. Hell and his forces attacking enmass? And the Photon Lab destroyed and Sayaka piloting Venus (and Kaiser Venus at that) rather than Aphrodite. Yup. And I was right about Lori and Roll but it seems they're going to die in the same way they died in the Kaiser movie...
]
That indeed was certainly epic, though. Hell, even BOSS got to be totally bad ass! That was AWESOME! However, I'm going to disagree with you on the fansubbing if only because while I agree that regular fansub house with no past history with the Mazinger franchise would probably screw things up, I have a feeling that fansubs are going to be the ONLY way to appreciate the dialouge and story of the episode, let alone the rest of series as I sincerely doubt we'll EVER get a professional release. Not the way the market is now. And as great that episode was, I really wish I knew what that Kurogane lady kept talking about and I really wanted to hear the story of Professor Kabuto and Dr. Hell finding what they did on Bardos Island... And I'm not a fan of mystery--I want to KNOW what was said and understand it. So, even if it's half assed, I want to see at least a semi readable fansub just so I know what's going on. But, that's just me. :p
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DomFortress
Posts: 751 Location: Richmond BC, Canada |
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I left my comment about the opening act of Shin Mazinger on The Spring 2009 Anime Preview Guide. We should get the words out about this "in-your-face" anime series, and let them know that this is not our "everyday" animated TV advertisements.
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godakame
 Posts: 112 Location: Disney World |
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That was the most epic and effing metal first episode I've ever seen.
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nightjuan
Posts: 1473 |
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I'm not exactly someone who can immediately identify every Go Nagai character and their respective source material on sight, so even understanding the dialogue doesn't really help me make too much out of this, frankly, but I was admittedly entertained and am willing to wait for...things to start making more sense.
Mainly because Yasuhiro Imagawa has previous experience with this kind of ambitious setup (see Giant Robo) and the fact this project is a TV series should provide enough time for some amount of useful exposition in the coming weeks. |
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RedLeader
Posts: 310 |
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:Dom
Yeah, I saw it and responded. It's too bad the whole concept went over Theron's head but hopefully they'll get someone else to look at it who has more experience with the material or at least the genre. :Godakame Damned straight! NO one's more metal than Nagai! NO ONE.
:Nightjaun Yeah, I can feel that. That episode was sort of like- Well. No. It WAS sending a raw recruit fresh out of the recruitment office straight into the Final Battle. LITERALLY. But, don't worry about it! I'm sure the rest of the series will sort it out for you! And if you have questions, ask away here! ^^ Oh, fun fact about the first episode! The opening scene with Kouji introducing himself and giving a monolouge--that's STRAIGHT out of the original manga! He was even wearing the same outfit as in the manga! And of course, the backgroud showing Mazinger's innards is an allusion to Mazinger's original closing sequence. 
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FinfoxAelia
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Well, I can say that this was pretty darn awesome. I loved the old-school style it was done in, and it brings back some very fond memories.
The one complaint that I do have is that it did seem more like thirty minute long preview than an actual episode. Still, I have no doubt that it'll kick the awesome up a notch in episode 2. |
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