God Mazinger

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 (1984-04-15) to September 30, 1984 (1984-09-30) in the network Nippon Television with 23 episodes.[3][4] It is given the international title Space Adventure The Deity on the official TMS website.[5] The manga was originally published in tankōbon format by Shogakukan in 4 volumes in 1984.[6] The novelization was published in 1984 and lasted 10 volumes.[7] The three of them share the same basic premise but have a different story.

God Mazinger
Cover of God Mazinger volume 1 (1984)
ゴッドマジンガー
(Goddo Majingā)
GenreAdventure, fantasy,[1] mecha[2]
Novel series
Written byYasutaka Nagai (1, 4, 7, 10)
Tatsuhiko Dan (2, 5, 8)
Hideki Sonoda (3, 6, 9)
Illustrated byGo Nagai
Published byKadokawa Shoten
ImprintKadokawa Bunko
Original runMarch 1984 – December 1984
Volumes10
Anime television series
Directed byYoshio Hayakawa
Written byHiroyuki Onodera
Music byKentarō Haneda
StudioTMS Entertainment
Licensed by
Original networkNippon TV
Original run April 15, 1984 – September 30, 1984
Episodes23
Manga
Written byGo Nagai
Published byShogakukan
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 15, 1984 – September 15, 1984
Volumes4

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 newly crowned Queen Aira Mu, becoming the champion of the Kingdom of Mu, always ready to repel the attacks of the evil Dorado and his fearsome dinosaurs.

Anime

Episodes
#TitleOriginal airdate
01"Revival Of The Legendary Giant"
Transcription: "yomigaerishi densetsu no kyojin" (Japanese: 蘇りし伝説の巨神)		April 15, 1984 (1984-04-15)
02"The Chosen One"
Transcription: "erabareshi mono no sadame" (Japanese: 選ばれし者の定め)		April 22, 1984 (1984-04-22)
03"The Mystery Of The Light-Bearer"
Transcription: "hikari yadorishi mono no nazo" (Japanese: 光宿りしものの謎)		April 29, 1984 (1984-04-29)
04"The Secrets Of Mazinger"
Transcription: "mazinger no himitsu" (Japanese: マジンガーの秘密)		May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06)
05"Raid On Prince Eldo"
Transcription: "eldo ooji no kishuu" (Japanese: エルド王子の奇襲)		May 13, 1984 (1984-05-13)
06"Save Aira!"
Transcription: "aira o sukue!" (Japanese: アイラを救え!)		May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20)
07"Disappearing Mazinger"
Transcription: "kieta mazinger" (Japanese: 消えたマジンガー)		May 27, 1984 (1984-05-27)
08"Hurry! Warrior Yamato"
Transcription: "isoge! senshi yamato" (Japanese: 急げ! 戦士ヤマト)		June 3, 1984 (1984-06-03)
09"Dinosaur Factory Found!"
Transcription: "kyooryuu koojoo hakken!" (Japanese: 恐竜工場発見!)		June 10, 1984 (1984-06-10)
10"The Amazing Secret"
Transcription: "osorubeki himitsu" (Japanese: 恐るべき秘密)		June 17, 1984 (1984-06-17)
11"Aira Captured"
Transcription: "torawareta aira" (Japanese: とらわれたアイラ)		June 24, 1984 (1984-06-24)
12"The Deprived Clues"
Transcription: "ubawareta tegakari" (Japanese: 奪われた手がかり)		July 1, 1984 (1984-07-01)
13"The Ruined Mazinger"
Transcription: "ayaushi mazinger" (Japanese: 危うしマジンガー)		July 8, 1984 (1984-07-08)
14"Fear of the Light-Bearers"
Transcription: "hikari yadorishi mono no kyoofu" (Japanese: 光宿りしものの恐怖)		July 15, 1984 (1984-07-15)
15"The Wandering Muu People"
Transcription: "sasurau muu no tami" (Japanese: さすらうムーの民)		July 22, 1984 (1984-07-22)
16"The Last Of Muraji"
Transcription: "muraji no saigo" (Japanese: ムラジの最期)		July 29, 1984 (1984-07-29)
17"Erudo's Secret Base"
Transcription: "erudo no himitsu kichi" (Japanese: エルドの秘密基地)		August 12, 1984 (1984-08-12)
18"The Marvelous Ocean Floor"
Transcription: "kyooi no kaitei kuukan" (Japanese: 驚異の海底空間)		August 26, 1984 (1984-08-26)
19"The Deadly Ocean Exploration"
Transcription: "kesshi no kotei tansa" (Japanese: 決死の湖底探査)		September 2, 1984 (1984-09-02)
20"The Wrath Of Dorado"
Transcription: "dorado no ikari" (Japanese: ドラドの怒り)		September 9, 1984 (1984-09-09)
21"Yamato Vs Dorado"
Transcription: "yamato tai dorado!" (Japanese: ヤマト対ドラド!)		September 16, 1984 (1984-09-16)
22"Yamato Dies?"
Transcription: "yamato ga Shinda!?" (Japanese: ヤマトが死んだ!?)		September 23, 1984 (1984-09-23)
23"Yamato Vs Erudo"
Transcription: "yamato tai erudo" (Japanese: ヤマト対エルド)		September 30, 1984 (1984-09-30)

Source(s)[3][8]

  • The scheduled broadcast of August 19, 1984 was cut for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Of the originally planned 24 episodes, one episode was cut and the 24th episode Mazinger disappears in the sea (海に消えたマジンガー, umi ni kieru Majingā) was not aired.[3]

Staff & production notes
  • Airtime: Sunday, 10:30-11:00
  • Network: Nippon Television
  • Production: Tokyo Movie Shinsha
  • Original work: Go Nagai
  • Producer: Norio Hatsukawa (Nippon TV), Shunzo Kato (Tokyo Movie)
  • Production manager: Motoyoshi Tokunaga
  • Series organization: Hiroyuki Onodera
  • Episode direction: Yoshio Hayakawa, Tetsuya Endo, Shuji Iuchi, Kamekichi Itano, Toru Itozu, Akira Nishimori, Goro Mikawashima, Yukimatsu Ito, Tomio Shiwasu, Atsushi Minami
  • Scenario: Masaki Tsuji, Satoshi Namiki, Hiroshi Onogi, Yumiko Tsukamoto, Hiroyuki Hoshiyama, Shigemitsu Taguchi
  • Music: Kentaro Haneda
  • Character design: Satoshi Hirayama
  • Animation director: Hideyuki Motohashi
  • Art director: Eiko Suto
  • Director of photography: Hirokata Takahashi
  • In-between animation: Nakamura Production
  • Finish animation: Studio Noel, Yumin-sha, Studio Robin
  • Special effects: Satoshi Tokuda, Michiko Honma
  • Backgrounds: Saotome Production, Studio Fuga
  • Photography: Takahashi Production
  • Recording director: Ayumi Date
  • Music director: Seiji Suzuki
  • Recording: Atsushi Ono
  • Effects: Masakazu Yokoyama
  • Music selection: Yutaka Aida
  • Editor: Yoshihisa Tsurubuchi
  • Titles: Kogu atelier
  • PR: Taeko Yoshitake
  • Colour coordination: Michiko Ikeuchi
  • Production advance: Koumei Nosaki, Yoshinaga Minami, Takahisa Yokomizo, Toshiya Saito, Shinji Takahashi, Mako Matsumoto
  • Audio recording: Tohokushinsha
  • Film developer: Tokyo Laboratory Ltd.
  • Opening theme: "Dreamy My Love" (lyrics by Yoshihisa Araki, composition & arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, performed by Shoko Suda)
  • Ending theme: "Toki no Yuwaku" (時間の誘惑, toki no yūwaku, translated as "Temptation of time") "時間" is regularly read as "jikan" but the furigana of the song indicates that it must be read as "とき", toki[9] (lyrics by Yoshihisa Araki, composition by Masami Ito, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, performed by Harumi Endo)
  • Cast: Hiroshi Takemura (Yamato Hino), Yoshiko Sakakibara (Aira Mu), Sho Hayami (Eldo), Osamu Kato (Dorado), Yumi Takada (Kaoru Hino), Shigezo Sasaoka (God Mazinger), Yuzuru Fujimoto (Muraji), Eriko Hara (Madoma), Kumiko Takizawa (Yoname), Daisuke Gori (Deriya), Hiroya Ishimaru (Giron), Nobuyuki Furuta (Noro), Masashi Hirose (Bura)

Source(s)[3][4][10][11]

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.[7][12]

  • Shogakukan (Tentomushi Comics)
DateVol.ISBN
May 15, 1984[13]14091490018
June 15, 1984[14]24091490026
August 15, 1984[15]34091490034
September 15, 1984[16]44091490042
  • Kadokawa Shoten (Yamato Comics)
DateVol.ISBN
October 7, 1986[17]1404921007X
November 7, 1986[18]24049210088
December 7, 1986[19]34049210096
  • Chuokoron-sha (Chuko Aizoban)
DateVol.ISBN
September 25, 19951978-4120024771
  • Daitosha (St Comics)
DateVol.ISBN
January 5, 19981978-4886531008[20]
January 5, 19982978-4886531016[21]

The manga has also been published in ebook format by ebookjapan.[22]

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.[7][23] It was published by Kadokawa Shoten under the label Kadokawa Bunko.

DateVol.SubtitleISBN
1984-0401蘇る魔神4041577012
1984-0502ヤマト追放4041577020
1984-0603妖魔都市ダイカン4041577039
1984-0704ムー彷徨人4041577047
1984-0705陰謀の王4041577055
1984-0706秘められた神櫃の謎4041577063
1984-0807謎の花姫4041577071
1984-0908魔境の四聖獣404157708X
1984-1109破滅の迷宮4041577098
1984-1210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.[10] The series has also been released in DVD format two times. The first time in June 25, 2003 (2003-06-25) by Pioneer LDC (standard number PIBA-3157) as a DVD-box set with the full series.[24][25] The second time, also as a DVD-Box, in March 21, 2007 (2007-03-21) by Columbia Music Entertainment (standard number XT-2387/90).[26][27] US publisher Discotek Media will release the series with English subtitles on SD Blu-ray on January 28, 2020 (2020-01-28).[28]

Additionally, the whole series is available in several video on demand internet services.[29][30][31]

Soundtracks

Two vinyl records were released in Japan by VAP during the 1980s. The first was a single released in April 1984 (1984-04) containing the opening and ending themes [9] The second was a LP album with the full soundtrack, released in September 1, 1984 (1984-09-01).[32]

TitleCompanyArtistStandard numberRelease date
God MazingerVAPShoko Suda
Harumi Endo		10137-071984-04
God Mazinger Original SoundtrackVAP30155-23September 1, 1984

Also, a compact cassette was released in September 1984 (1984-09) by VAP.[33]

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,[34] another by Shogakukan[35] and the last one by Asahi Sonorama.[36]

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.

Merchandise

A few toys and action figures based in God Mazinger were released by manufacturer Mark.[37]

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.[10]

References
  1. Toole, Michael (July 17, 2011). "Super Robot Island: Dork of the Moon". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. ゴッドマジンガー（テレビアニメ）. akiba-souken.com (in Japanese). Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  3. "God Mazinger". Mazinger series TV list (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  4. "TV anime God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: allcinema. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. "Space Adventure The Deity" on the officiel TMS Entertainment website
  6. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/book_titles/104072
  7. "God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  8. "I Titoli delle Puntate". God Mazinger (in Italian). Italy: Enciclo'Robopedia. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  9. "God Mazinger details" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison House. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  10. "TV list" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  11. "God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison Generation. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  12. "Il manga". God Mazinger (in Italian). Italy: Enciclo'Robopedia. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  13. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221281
  14. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221280
  15. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221277
  16. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221274
  17. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220956
  18. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220950
  19. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1220948
  20. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221267
  21. http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/books/1221265
  22. "God Mazinger, Nagai Go - eBOOK Initiative Japan". Nagai Go Special Corner (in Japanese). Japan: eBOOK Initiative Japan Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  23. "Nagai Go - Illustration book list (part 1)". Nagai Go (in Japanese). Japan: Dynamic Land. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  24. "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Pioneer) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Seven and Y Corp. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  25. "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Pioneer) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  26. "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Columbia) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Seven and Y Corp. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  27. "God Mazinger DVD-Box (Columbia) product description" (in Japanese). Japan: Amazon.com, Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  28. Right Stuf!. "God Mazinger Blu-ray". United States. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  29. "God Mazinger - Anime Channel" (in Japanese). Japan: DMM. Archived from the original on 2008-12-20. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  30. "Yahoo! Video - anime - God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: Yahoo Japan Corporation. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  31. "Video Animation: Tokyo Movie ONLINE: God Mazinger" (in Japanese). Japan: ShowTime, Inc. Archived from the original on 2009-02-17. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  32. "God Mazinger Original Soundtrack" (in Japanese). Japan: Anison House. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  33. "Cassette" (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  34. "God Mazinger 1 - Hikari no Kuni TV Ehon" (in Japanese). Japan: Mandarake Inc. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  35. "God Mazinger Tanjo no Maki - Shogakukan no TV Ehon" (in Japanese). Japan: Mandarake Inc. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  36. "God Mazinger". Ehon (in Japanese). Japan: The world of Go Nagai. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  37. "God mazinger / CollectionDX". CollectionDX.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
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