Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!

Plot

Characters

Kabuto family

• Kouji Kabuto: The protagonist of the story. After the death of his parents, Kouji works hard as the 'Mother Hen' to the surviving members of his family - his brother Shiro, and his grandfather Juzo. Kouji has a high regard for his grandfather, whose patented inventions were the source of the Kabuto family's income and shows zero tolerance to anyone who ever insults his grandfather. During the primary attack of Ashura Corps., Kouji becomes the pilot of his grandfather's greatest invention - the Super Robot Mazinger Z. Like previous incarnations, he is a hot-blooded young man who occasionally acts before he thinks.
• Shiro Kabuto: Koji's younger brother.
• Juzo Kabuto: Koji's grandfather and the creator of Mazinger Z. Known as a great robotics engineer in addition as the man who discovered the Japanium Ore, which led to the creation of the Photon Energy and Super-Alloy Z. Along with Dr. Hell, he uncovered the Mechanical Beasts on Bardos Island but opposed him upon discovering the dangers of the Kedora.
• '''List of Mazinger characters#Kenzo Kabuto: The son of Juzo Kabuto and father of Koji and Shiro Kabuto. In the original series, Kenzo and his wife are believed to have been killed in an accident involving the construction of Mazinger Z. In reality, Kenzo survived and later built Great Mazinger in secret, without the knowledge of his sons. In Shin Mazinger, he is stated to have died previous to the series and a number of episodes are dedicated to Koji learning of the truth of his death. In the earlier Episodes, Kenzo was shown to be a traitor and followed Dr. Hell. Nishikiori Tsubasa was forced to kill Kenzo with the help and request of Tetsuya. But in Episode 26, it was shown that he is still alive having cut-off the infected body that Dr. Hell corrupted during the re-constructuring of his damaged hand. It was revealed that Dr. Hell implanted a Kedora in his hand that controlled his mind. He later reveals to Tsubasa that the Mycenae empire would come if Kouji defeats Dr. Hell.

  Photon Power Laboratory

• Sayaka Yumi: The daughter of Professor Yumi. She pilots Aphrodite A, a female robot and later the much improved Venus A.
• Yanosuke Yumi: Sayaka's father, a renowned professor of mechanics, and head of the Photon Power Labs. His name in all previous Mazinger series was read as "Gennosuke", but in the second episode of this series he was called "Yanosuke".
• OVA series, the twins first appear as assistants to Prof. Yumi and the objects of affection by Koji, Shiro and Boss due to their bustier physiques, much to the annoyance of Sayaka. They survived the final battle after following the plan of Tsubasa and lead the Million Corps against Dr. Hell. They were defeated by the King of Hell but the twins survived in Episode 26.
• Shun Azuma: Pilot of Baion β, and later Shin Baion β. He survived the final battle after following the plan of Tsubasa and lead the Baion Corps against Dr. Hell. The Baion Corps were defeated by the King of Hell but Shun survived in Episode 26.
• Masao Oide': Pilot of Daion γ and later Shin Daion γ. He survived the final battle after following the plan of Tsubasa and lead the Daion Corps against Dr. Hell. The Daion Corps were defeated by the King of Hell but Masao survived in Episode 26. Although defeated by the King of Hell in Episode 26, the 100 Rocket Punches were implanted in the bodies of the Million Corps, Baion Corps and Daion Corps which, Kouji successfully launched against the King of Hell.

  Kurogane house

• Tsubasa Nishikiori: Head Mistress of the Kurogane House, a spa in Atami. She and her staff have a mysterious connection with the Kabuto family as well as vast knowledge about Dr. Hell and the Mycenaeans. Tsubasa originally appears in Violence Jack. In later episodes, as the dark secrets of the Kabuto family was revealed, it was told that Tsubasa is the original assistant of Dr. Hell and a well skilled biochemist. She was revealed to be the mother of Kouji and Shiro and the wife of Kenzo Kabuto.
• The Kurogane Five: Staff members of the Kurogane House. They once lived violent lives until they met Tsubasa, who saved them from death as a result of their situations. Reborn again, they swore unwavering loyalty to Tsubasa and vowed to serve and protect her, as well as the Kabuto family, with their lives. Each member is also equipped with a Super Alloy-Z weapon created by Tsubasa and Juzo. The Kurogane Five are loosely based on characters who appear in other works of Go Nagai, most notably Violence Jack and the Abashiri Family. The members of the Kurogane Five are:
• *Cross: Head clerk of the Kurogane House and Tsubasa's right-hand man. Cross provides vital information to Tsubasa regarding the incidents surrounding Atami. He is known to show incredible strength and resilience. His weapon is his own body, now made of Super Alloy-Z.
• *Django: Described by Inspector Ankokuji as a "weird Mexican looking guy", Django's role is to bring tourists to the Kurogane House on the outskirts of Atami, as well as recruiting new members to the staff. He is an expert marksman, having an array of guns, rifles, and special ammunitions, and shooting down his targets with pinpoint accuracy. When opposing more powerful opponents, he unleashes his Super Alloy-Z bullets.
• *Sensei: Head chef of the Kurogane House. Though he never speaks, his cooking skills are said to be the best in the world. He is a master swordsman who has shown extraordinary skills with a blade by slicing a fish into sashimi pieces in a moment and then letting the fish swim in the water still alive despite having its head and bones remaining. In battle, he fights using a Super Alloy-Z sword.
• *Yasu the Weasel: Working as the House's bath attendant, he is an expert in the use of bombs and grenades. If need be, Yasu can blow himself up using the photon power bomb planted in a Super Alloy-Z chamber in his own body to protect Tsubasa and the Kabutos.
• *Kikunosuke: The Head Waitress of the Kurogane House. Also called "Sister Kiku" by the staff and even Tsubasa herself. Despite her small stature and old age, she is the most feared member of all the Kurogane staff. In battle, she moves at superhuman speed that surpasses even Sensei's and fights with a thin Super Alloy-Z thread used to bond and/or slice apart her opponents. Her character and choice of weapon is loosely based on the characters from the Abashiri Family.

  Bardos Island

• Dr. Hell: Koji's archnemesis. He, along with Juzo Kabuto, discovered Bardos Island, home of the ancient Mycenaeans. Uncovering the Mechanical Beasts, Dr. Hell uses the technology of the Mycenaeans to build his army of giant robots in a campaign for world domination. He seeks the technology being developed at the Photon Power Lab to make his armies truly unstoppable. Described by Juzo as a genius biochemist, he is even able to revive the dead.
• Baron Ashura: Dr. Hell's right hand, Baron Ashura is a half-man, half-woman combination. He/she commands the undersea fortress Saluud and the Ashura Corps, one of the divisions of Dr. Hell's army. A number of episodes are dedicated to revealing Ashura's story.
• warrior with a series of bizarre physical abilities. He takes the form of Jim Mazinger, a character from Violence Jack. Pygman has high regards towards Baron Ashura, and shows his support in Episode 8 when he rescued Ashura from the team of Koji and Tsubasa, and again in Episode 9 as Ashura was punished by Dr. Hell for failing to defeat Mazinger Z numerous times. Unlike his comrades, Pygman does not lead any Mechanical Beasts. Instead, he relies on his mystic powers and physical abilities to advance Dr. Hell's schemes.
• serving under Baron Ashura, who regards them as his/her 'daughters'. They were created for the sole purpose of assassinating Koji Kabuto and Tsubasa Nishikiori. Most of them were destroyed during an attack on the Kurogane house and another was defeated by Koji when he, Sayaka and Boss escaped the Saluud. A fairly intact Gamia was recovered and repaired, eventually fighting alongside Detective Ankokuji.

  Mycenae

• Zeus: The legendary Greek God. In Shin Mazinger, he is revealed to be a commanding officer of an extraterrestrial army using the Earth as a strategic point in battle against an unknown enemy. He is said to be the cause of the fall of the Mycenaean Civilization when he defied the order of his superior, Uranus, and battled his own men to defend the Mycenaean people. He is also called "Z Mazinger", a name Juzo later used as the inspiration for the creation and naming of his robot, Mazinger Z. He is based on the character Zeus, who appears in the Z Mazinger manga. Zeus's appearance is used as a metaphor to describe Mazinger Z as a god if used to save the Earth. Zeus is also revealed to be one of the three gods that commands Mycenae, the other two being his rival, Hades, and Poseidon.
• Kedora: A Mycenaean soldier in the form of an alien creature. In the pilot, Kedora describes itself as a being made to destroy other civilizations and manages to take control of Mazinger Z. Kedora is based on a character taken from a Mazinger Z short story by the late Ken Ishikawa.
• Archduke Gorgon: In the original series, he leads the Mycenaeans against both Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. In Shin Mazinger, Gorgon was a subordinate of Zeus who betrays him by offering the body of Tristran in a manner similar to the Trojan Horse. This caused Zeus to lower his guard to be attacked by Hades.
• Tristan and Isolde: The previous lives of the Baron Ashura. The names are probably inspired in the romantic narrative Tristan and Isolde.
• Hades: One of the three gods of the Mycenae along with Zeus. He's the ruler of Hell and originally appears in the Z Mazinger manga. Hades attempted to eliminate Zeus after the latter lowers his guard from Archduke Gorgon's offering of the body of Tristan, but was defeated when Zeus fights back along with assistance from Koji and his Mazinger Z.
• The Emperor of Darkness: A being of flame, he immediately appears after Hades was defeated by Zeus and Mazinger Z, sinking Bardos Island into the sea. He originally appears in Great Mazinger as the true leader of the Mycenaean Empire.

  Other Characters

• who can fuse with Schtroheim's other creation, the giant robot Danube α1, and battles Mazinger Z in order to fulfill her father's dream of surpassing Juzo's creation to become the greatest robot engineer of all. Her story and name seem to be inspired in the German poem Die Lorelei by Heinrich Heine.
• : Previously known only as “Blade”, he's a shadowy figure who appears in the first episode killing Viscount Pygman. He is the pilot of Energer Z and is believed to be also the pilot of Great Mazinger, as the silhouette of the said robot appeared behind him in the background in the first episode. In this series, he is an ace robot pilot who assisted the Kabutos, Dr. Hell, and Nishikori in exploring Bardos Island, and battled Dr. Hell when he made his first bid for World Domination. After his apparent death, Tsubasa learns that he is her lost brother.
• . Great General of Darkness also appears in Mazinkaiser as the main antagonist after the fall of Dr. Hell. His role in the series is not yet fully known. As shown in Episode 2, the damaged Mazinger Z lumbers away from the Great General of Darkness giving a clue to the next Mazinger and Great Mazinger series.
• Demon Lord Dante: The demon from the series of the same name. Though not directly involved in the story, Demon Lord Dante's form emerges enveloping Mazinger Z when it is controlled by a Kedora, emphasizing the metaphor of Mazinger Z becoming a devil when used to destroy because of its power.

  Anime Versions

Episodes

Staff

• Original work: Go Nagai
• Direction/Scenario: Yasuhiro Imagawa
• Music: Akira Miyagawa
• Opening 1 theme song: Kanjite Knight performed by ULTIMATE LAZY for MAZINGER
• Ending 1 theme song: Brand New World performed by Natsuko Aso
• Opening 2 theme song: Shugojin - The guardian performed by JAM Project
• Ending 2 theme song: Tsuyokimono yo performed by SKE48
• Sound direction: Tetsu Motoyama
• Character design: Shinji Takeuchi
• Mazinger & mechanical beast design: Tsuyoshi Nonaka
• Art direction: Masatoshi Muto
• Director of photography: Yoshito Kuwa
• Animation production: BEE·MEDIA, Code
• Producer: Hasshu Tokuhara, Ichiko Nagai, Satsuki Mizuno, Yoshinaga Minami, Katsumi Koike, Koji Morimoto, Daiki Hasebe
• Planning: Takashi Nagai, Shunji Inoe, Kazumi Kawashiro
• Series organization: Yasuhiro Imagawa
• Narrator: Tessho Genda

Media

Home video

Music

Manga

''Shin Mazinger Zero''

''Shin Mazinger Impact! H Chapter''