God Mazinger

God Mazinger

Cover of God Mazinger volume 1 (1984)
ゴッドマジンガー
(Goddo Majingā)
Genre Fantasy
Novel series
Written by Yasutaka Nagai (1, 4, 7, 10)
Tatsuhiko Dan (2, 5, 8)
Hideki Sonoda (3, 6, 9)
Illustrated by Go Nagai
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Imprint Kadokawa Bunko
Original run March 1984 – December 1984
Volumes 10
Anime television series
Directed by Yoshio Hayakawa
Written by Hiroyuki Onodera
Music by Kentarō Haneda
Studio TMS Entertainment
Network Nippon Television
Original run April 15, 1984 – September 30, 1984
Episodes 23
Manga
Written by Go Nagai
Published by Shogakukan
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday
Original run May 15, 1984 – September 15, 1984
Volumes 4

God Mazinger (ゴッドマジンガー Goddo Majingā), also known as Majin Densetsu (魔神伝説) is an anime, manga and novel series created by manga artist Go Nagai. The anime aired on Japanese TV from April 15, 1984 to September 30, 1984 in the network Nippon Television with 23 episodes.[1][2] The manga was originally published in tankōbon format by Shogakukan in 4 volumes in 1984.[3] The novelization was published in 1984 and lasted 10 volumes.[4] The three of them share the same basic premise but have a different story.

Plot

A Japanese teen named Yamato Hino, a young sports enthusiast, during a quiet and ordinary day begins to feel strange calls from an indefinite dimension. Frightened and confused, the boy thinks that he had hallucinations but during a thunderstorm a lightning bolt drags him into a parallel world: the ancient kingdom of Mu, ruled by King Muraji whose concern is to defend the capital of his kingdom, attacked by monsters commanded by the evil Dorado of the Empire of Dinosaurs.

In the kingdom of Mu, a legend tells of a titanic being that stands ready to defend the population from any threat and the king wants to awaken the giant statue of the god Mazinger; to do this he needs a brave boy whose name is Yamato, the only one capable of awakening the mighty giant. The devout prayers of the king and the princess are heard: the boy arrives to the dimension of Mu and the statue suddenly becomes alive. A luminous beam covers the boy that is absorbed into the body of the statue, which begins to move. When the monsters of Dorado broke through the defenses of the kingdom, God Mazinger defeats the dinosaurs and makes the enemy army flee. And thus the legend becomes a reality.

Yamato joins the court of King Muraji, becoming the champion of the Kingdom of Mu, always ready to repel the attacks of the evil Dorado and his fearsome dinosaurs.

Anime

Episodes

# Title Original airdate
01 "yomigaerishi densetsu no kyojin" (蘇りし伝説の巨神) April 15, 1984 (1984-04-15)
02 "erabareshi mono no sadame" (選ばれし者の定め) April 22, 1984 (1984-04-22)
03 "hikari yadorishi mono no nazo" (光宿りしものの謎) April 29, 1984 (1984-04-29)
04 "mazinger no himitsu" (マジンガーの秘密) May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06)
05 "eldo ooji no kishuu" (エルド王子の奇襲) May 13, 1984 (1984-05-13)
06 "aira o sukue!" (アイラを救え!) May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20)
07 "kieta mazinger" (消えたマジンガー) May 27, 1984 (1984-05-27)
08 "isoge! senshi yamato" (急げ! 戦士ヤマト) June 3, 1984 (1984-06-03)
09 "kyooryuu koojoo hakken!" (恐竜工場発見!) June 10, 1984 (1984-06-10)
10 "osorubeki himitsu" (恐るべき秘密) June 17, 1984 (1984-06-17)
11 "torawareta aira" (とらわれたアイラ) June 24, 1984 (1984-06-24)
12 "ubawareta tegakari" (奪われた手がかり) July 1, 1984 (1984-07-01)
13 "ayaushi mazinger" (危うしマジンガー) July 8, 1984 (1984-07-08)
14 "hikari yadorishi mono no kyoofu" (光宿りしものの恐怖) July 15, 1984 (1984-07-15)
15 "sasurau muu no tami" (さすらうムーの民) July 22, 1984 (1984-07-22)
16 "muraji no saigo" (ムラジの最期) July 29, 1984 (1984-07-29)
17 "erudo no himitsu kichi" (エルドの秘密基地) August 12, 1984 (1984-08-12)
18 "kyooi no kaitei kuukan" (驚異の海底空間) August 26, 1984 (1984-08-26)
19 "kesshi no kotei tansa" (決死の湖底探査) September 2, 1984 (1984-09-02)
20 "dorado no ikari" (ドラドの怒り) September 9, 1984 (1984-09-09)
21 "yamato tai dorado!" (ヤマト対ドラド!) September 16, 1984 (1984-09-16)
22 "yamato ga Shinda!?" (ヤマトが死んだ!?) September 23, 1984 (1984-09-23)
23 "yamato tai erudo" (ヤマト対エルド) September 30, 1984 (1984-09-30)

Source(s)[1][5]

Staff & production notes

Source(s)[1][2][7][8]

Manga

The manga, although it shares some similarities and the same premise, differs from the anime with a more mature tone and also has a different conclusion. It was originally published in tankōbon format by Shogakukan in 1984. It was later re-printed in 1986 by Kadokawa Shoten under the title of Majin Densetsu and also under the original title by Chuokoron-sha in 1995 and Daitosha in 1998.[4][9]

Date Vol. ISBN
May 15, 1984[10] 1 4091490018
June 15, 1984[11] 2 4091490026
August 15, 1984[12] 3 4091490034
September 15, 1984[13] 4 4091490042
Date Vol. ISBN
October 7, 1986[14] 1 404921007X
November 7, 1986[15] 2 4049210088
December 7, 1986[16] 3 4049210096
Date Vol. ISBN
September 25, 1995 1 978-4120024771
Date Vol. ISBN
January 5, 1998 1 978-4886531008[17]
January 5, 1998 2 978-4886531016[18]

The manga has also been published in ebook format by ebookjapan.[19]

Novel

The novelization also expands the basic story and has several differences with both the anime and the manga. It was written by Yasutaka Nagai (volumes 1, 4, 7, 10), Tatsuhiko Dan (volumes 2, 5, 8) and Hideki Sonoda (volumes 3, 6, 9), with illustrations by Go Nagai.[4][20] It was published by Kadokawa Shoten under the label Kadokawa Bunko.

Date Vol. Subtitle ISBN
1984-04 01 蘇る魔神 4041577012
1984-05 02 ヤマト追放 4041577020
1984-06 03 妖魔都市ダイカン 4041577039
1984-07 04 ムー彷徨人 4041577047
1984-07 05 陰謀の王 4041577055
1984-07 06 秘められた神櫃の謎 4041577063
1984-08 07 謎の花姫 4041577071
1984-09 08 魔境の四聖獣 404157708X
1984-11 09 破滅の迷宮 4041577098
1984-12 10 不死鳥大陸 4041577101

Media

Home video

In Japan, the anime series was released in home video format in the 1980s by the company VAP and it was also released in VHS by Maxam in 2000.[7] The series has also been released in DVD format two times. The first time in June 25, 2003 by Pioneer LDC (standard number PIBA-3157) as a DVD-box set with the full series.[21][22] The second time, also as a DVD-Box, in March 21, 2007 by Columbia Music Entertainment (standard number XT-2387/90).[23][24]

Additionally, the whole series is available in several video on demand internet services.[25][26][27]

Soundtracks

Two vinyl records were released in Japan by VAP during the 1980s. The first was a single released in April 1984 containing the opening and ending themes [6] The second was a LP album with the full soundtrack, released in September 1, 1984.[28]

Title Company Artist Standard number Release date
God Mazinger VAP Shoko Suda
Harumi Endo 		10137-07 1984-04
God Mazinger Original Soundtrack VAP 30155-23 September 1, 1984

Also, a compact cassette was released in September 1984 by VAP.[29]

Picture books

Besides the manga and the novel, some picture books targeted to children were also released in the 1980s. One was published by Hikari no Kuni,[30] another by Shogakukan[31] and the last one by Asahi Sonorama.[32]

Appearances in other media

Besides its related media, God Mazinger has appeared in other media. The most prominent is its appearance in the "Dynamic Super Robots Taisen" clips that were included at the end of the DVDs of Shin Getter Robot tai Neo Getter Robot. God Mazinger appears alongside Great Mazinger, Venus A, Getter Robot G, Kotetsu Jeeg, Govarian and Groizer X to rescue Mazinger Z and Aphrodite A, but are defeated and in turn saved by Shin Getter Robot and Grendizer just before the arrival of Mazinkaiser.

In the Mazinger Angels manga, there is a saga dedicated to God Mazinger, where Princess Aira appears controlling a female version of God Mazinger and with the help of Jun Hono defeats the enemies of the kingdom, after Jun and the professor accidentally end up in the Kingdom of Mu. It is later with the help of Aira that Venus A becomes Queen of Gold.

The opening and ending songs of the series are included in several CD compilations of anime series. These are:

Merchandise

A few toys and action figures based in God Mazinger were released by manufacturer Mark.[33]

Relationship to the Mazinger series

The series is considered as part of the Mazinger saga, if not only for the name of the title and that of his creator. In fact, a Japanese book called Mazinger Bible, released in 2002 for the 30th anniversary of the first Mazinger series, includes the God Mazinger, along with other Go Nagai's manga books that have not been made into anime, such as the adult-oriented MazinSaga, Z Mazinger, and First Comics' Mazinger comic book released exclusively for the U.S. market in 1988.

Also, the concept of God Mazinger was a candidate to be the sequel of the original Mazinger Z series but, in the end, the sequel was decided to be the concept of Great Mazinger, and later UFO Robot Grendizer.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "God Mazinger". Mazinger series TV list (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "TV anime God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: allcinema. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  3. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/book_titles/104072
  4. 1 2 3 "God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. ↑ "I Titoli delle Puntate". God Mazinger (in Italian). Italy: Enciclo'Robopedia. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  6. 1 2 "God Mazinger details" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison House. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 "TV list" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  8. ↑ "God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison Generation. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Il manga". God Mazinger (in Italian). Italy: Enciclo'Robopedia. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  10. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221281
  11. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221280
  12. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221277
  13. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221274
  14. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220956
  15. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220950
  16. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220948
  17. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221267
  18. ↑ http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221265
  19. ↑ "God Mazinger, Nagai Go - eBOOK Initiative Japan". Nagai Go Special Corner (in Japanese). Japan: eBOOK Initiative Japan Co. Ltd. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Nagai Go - Illustration book list (part 1)". Nagai Go (in Japanese). Japan: Dynamic Land. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  21. ↑ "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Pioneer) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Seven and Y Corp. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  22. ↑ "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Pioneer) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  23. ↑ "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Columbia) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Seven and Y Corp. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  24. ↑ "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Columbia) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  25. ↑ "God Mazinger - Anime Channel" (in Japanese). Japan: DMM. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Yahoo! Video - anime - God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: Yahoo Japan Corporation. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Video Animation: Tokyo Movie ONLINE: God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: ShowTime, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  28. ↑ "God Mazinger Original Soundtrack" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison House. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Cassette" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  30. ↑ "God Mazinger 1 - Hikari no Kuni TV Ehon" (in Japanese). Japan: Mandarake Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  31. ↑ "God Mazinger Tanjo no Maki - Shogakukan no TV Ehon" (in Japanese). Japan: Mandarake Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  32. ↑ "God Mazinger". Ehon (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  33. ↑ "God mazinger / CollectionDX". CollectionDX.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
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