Mazinger Z

Lore & Background

The story follows Professor Juzo Kabuto, who builds the enormous super robot Mazinger Z from a fictional metal called Super-Alloy Z, forged from a new element (Japanium) mined from Mt. Fuji. He creates it as a secret weapon against Dr. Hell, a German archaeologist who discovered ruins of the Mycéne Empire on the island of Bardos and went insane after finding prototypes of steel titans. Dr. Hell kills the other scientists, but Professor Kabuto escapes, finishes Mazinger Z, and is killed by a bomb planted by Baron Ashura. As he dies, he tells his grandson Koji Kabuto about the robot, and Koji becomes its pilot, battling Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts and henchmen. The anime culminates in the robot's destruction and the introduction of its successor, Great Mazinger.

Reader's Guide

Mazinger Z is significant for establishing the super robot genre, influencing countless subsequent mecha series. Its concept of a pilot controlling a giant robot from within, inspired by Go Nagai's observation of a traffic jam, broke from earlier remote-controlled robot shows. Its English adaptation, Tranzor Z, aired in the United States, while an earlier English dub by Consolidated Amusement Co. aired in Hawaii and the Philippines. The series' legacy includes legal disputes between Nagai and Toei over rights and royalties, which later improved.

Did You Know?

• The original concept was named Energer Z and controlled by a motorcycle, later changed to a hovercraft to stand out from Kamen Rider.
• The name Mazinger Z is a play on the Japanese words ma (demon) and jin (god).
• A planned OVA project titled 'Mazinger Z: The Impact!' was cancelled due to rights disputes with Toei, who held exclusive animation rights.