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Go Nagai's Mazinger related mechas and characters have many different toy lines, developed since Mazinger first appeared in the 1970s. Some of the most well known ones are described here.
Popy was a classic Japanese toy maker, creator of the Chogokin line of toys, which later folded into its parent company Bandai. When it released its Jumbo Machinder line, Mazinger Z was the first character chosen for the line. They were 22-24 inch tall, moderately articulated figures made of polyethylene. Later on, Great Mazinger and Grendizer models were made, with similar characteristics. They were also introduced in North America thanks to Mattel, who rebranded the line as Shogun Warriors.
Some Mazinger Z villains, the Mechanical Beasts, were also ported to this line, though they didn't have the same format as the hero robot, being only 19-21 inches tall and made of soft vinyl. Originally intended only to be store displays, very few specimens of these evil mecha have survived and have become a coveted (and expensive) collector's item due to their rarity. At some point, it even remained unclear if some of them had ever actually been produced. The known produced models include:
Most of the models were distinctive for having variations from the original characters, specially in their color schemes and weaponry. Many of the rescued models can be seen at the Bandai Museum.
In 1974 Popy launched a new line of die-cast metal robot and character toys. It was named Chogokin (超合金, Chōgōkin, Chō: Super, gōkin: alloy) as the fictitious material which first appeared in Go Nagai's Mazinger Z manga and anime. The first model was "GA-01" Mazinger Z and it had several versions:
1) Popy GA-01 Version 1 – 1974
2) Popy GA-01 Version 2 – 1974
3) Popy GA-01 Version 3 – 1974
4) Popy GA-01 Version 3G -
5) Popy GA-01 Version 4 – 1979
6) Bandai Version 4G Etharnal Masterpiece – 1984
7) Bandai Version 4 Etharnal Masterpiece
6) Bandai Version 4 Etarnal Heroes – 1986
7) Bandai Version 4 Etharnal Masterpiece Reissue (Based on Version 1/2 design) – with additional normal rocket punch fist.
8) Banpresto GA-01 Version 1 reissue – 1999
9) Banpresto GA-01 Version 1 reissue black – 2000
10) Bandai CGA-01/CGA-01G (Gashapon based on Version 4 design) – 2001
11) Bandai The Chogokin GT-01 (Based on Version 4) – 2003
12) Bandai The Chogokin GT-00 (Based on Version 1) – 2004
13) Version 4 Hong Kong Bootleg
Popy realized also a model of Hover Pilder, with the code PA-05. It seems that the versions where three, all of them realized in 1975 Later Popy realized a model of Jet Pilder, with the code PA-30.
Great Mazinger was realized with the code ga-05
Grendizer had the code ga-37. The first version had two different boxes: one for the robot and an other for the soucer. The next thre versions were sod in a unique box; but any of them had some difference in the built, colors and box
Soul of Chogokin is a popular toy line released by Bandai in 1997. Focusing mainly on classic mechas, these adult collector oriented toys are made mostly of diecast metal, with plastic parts, usually PVC or ABS. They embody the spirit of the vintage Popy and Bandai Chogokin toys of the past. The line began as Bandai was winding down their Hi-Complete Model line. The last figure in the line was meant to be Mazinger Z, but they decided to turn that prototype into the first entry of the new Soul of Chogokin line.
Among its items (that include Tetsujin 28, Gaiking, Getter Robo and Neon Genesis Evangelion) some of the most popular ones are those related to Mazinger, associated with the "GX" prefix (the "PX" prefix is from the Soul of Popynica Series). These include:
| Code | Model | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GX-01 | Mazinger Z | 1997 | |
| GX-01 | Mazinger Z Iron Castle Ver. | 1998 | |
| GX-01B | Mazinger Z (Black version) | 1998 | |
| GX-01R | Mazinger Z (Renewal Version) | 2002 | |
| GX-01RB | Mazinger Z (Black Chrome Renewal Version) | 2003 | |
| GX-01RG | Mazinger Z (Gold Renewal Version) | 2003 | |
| GX-01X | Mazinger Hangar | 2000 | |
| GX-01R+ | Mazinger Z (Weathered Paint) | 2008 | |
| GX-02 | Great Mazinger | 1998 | |
| GX-02B | Great Mazinger (Black Version) | 1999 | |
| GX-02R | Great Mazinger (Renewal Version) | 2002 | |
| GX-04 | Grendizer | 2000 | |
| GX-04B | Grendizer (Black Version) | 2001 | |
| GX-04S | Grendizer King of Space Set | 2002 | |
| GX-04X | Drill Spazer & Marine Spazer | 2002 | |
| GX-07 | Mazinger Z OVA Version | 2001 | |
| GX-07I | Iron Z | 2008 | |
| GX-08 | Aphrodai A | 2002 | |
| GX-08MA | Aphrodai A (Mazinger Angels) | 2004 | |
| GX-08MAW | Aphrodai A (Snow White Version) | 2005 | |
| GX-09 | Minerva X | 2002 | |
| GX-09MA | Minerva X (Mazinger Angels) | 2004 | |
| GX-09MAB | Minerva X (La Sirene do Noir) | 2006 | |
| GX-10 | Boss Borot | 2002 | |
| GX-10B | Boss Borot (Black Version) | 2002 | |
| GX-11 | Dianan A | 2002 | |
| GX-11MA | Dianan A (Mazinger Angels) | 2004 | |
| GX-11MAM | Dianan A (Marine Blue Mermaid) | 2007 | |
| GX-12 | Venus A | 2002 | |
| GX-12MA | Venus A (Mazinger Angels) | 2004 | |
| GX-12MAG | Venus A (Queen of Gold) | 2006 | |
| GX-25 | Garada K7 | 2004 | |
| GX-26 | Doublas M2 | 2004 | |
| PX-01 | Hover Pilder | 2000 | |
| PX-01X | Mazinger Head | 2000 | |
| GX-45 | Mazinger Z (Edition Z) | 2009 | |
| GX-45A | Mazinger Z (Atami Night Version) | 2009 | |
| GX-45C | Mazinger Z (Comic Color Version) | 2010 | |
| GX-47 | Energer Z Restyling | 2009 | |
| GX-47T | Energer Z (Test Type) 2010 | ||
| GX-47N | Energer Z (Normal Color Version) | 2010 | |
| GX-49 | Mazinger Z (Big Bang Punch Ver.) | 2009 | |
| GX-49G | Mazinger Z (Gold Version) | 2010 | |
| GX-70 | Mazinger Z DC | 2016 | |
| GX-70VS | Mazinger Z DC vs. Devilman Options Set | 2017 | |
| GX-70CN | Mazinger Z DC (Chrome Noir) | 2018 | |
| GX-70SP | Mazinger Z DC (Anime Color Version) | 2018 | |
| GX-70SPD | Mazinger Z (Damaged Anime Color Version) | 2019 | |
| GX-73 | Great Mazinger DC | 2017 | |
| GX-73SP | Great Mazinger DC (Anime Color Version) | 2019 | |
| GX-75 | Mazinkaiser | 2017 | |
| GX-75SP | Mazinkaiser (20th Anniversary Ver.) | 2022 | |
| GX-76 | Grendizer DC | 2018 | |
| GX-76X | Grendizer DC Spazer Set | 2018 | |
| GX-76X2 | Grendizer Drill & Marine Spazer | 2018 | |
| GX-105 | Mazinger Z -Kakumei Shinka- | 2022 | |
| GX-XX01 | D.C. Series Compatible Secret Super Weapons Set 01 | 2020 | |
| DGX-01 | Mazinger Z | 2012 | |
| DGX-01X | Mazinger Z (Jet Scrander Set) | 2013 | |
| DGX-01R | Mazinger Z (50th Anniversary Ver.) | 2023 | |
| DGX-02 | Great Mazinger | 2015 |
This line includes Mazinger Z, Aphrodite A ("Aflodai") and Garada K7. Promotional images including Boss Robot and Doublas M2 surfaced, but never saw release due to the cancellation of the line (Actually, these two figures finally finished trading and it is currently possible to buy them, although at a rather high price.) Released in 2001, it was meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mazinger's birth. Other notable models from the same manufacturer are those related to Devilman and Getter Robo.
Designed by Taku Sato and Yasushi Nirasawa, these 12 inch models made of ABS and PVC had an exquisite level of detail, inspired in retro-styled, steampunk aesthetics, as if they had been conceived at the beginning of the 20th century, and represent a departure from the more classic representations of the robots. The Mazinger and Aphrodite models featured versions in their regular colors as well as repainted versions.
Like the Soul of Chogokin models, these were fully poseable, included a stand and several accessories. Little figurines of the pilots were among them, and Garada's pilot was Dr. Hell.
Planned for release from Fewture are the following robots:
- No.5 Boss Robot (Mazinger series)
- No.6 Doublass (Mazinger series)
- No.8 Mazinger 1969 (Mazinger series)
- No.9 Great Mazinger 1969 (Mazinger series)
Prototypes of No.5 & 6 were on site as well as renderings of the rest, but photography of these items was prohibited. Release dates for No.5 & 6 couldn't be given, though Fewture is hoping for an autumn release for No.8 & 9.
A line of three 18 cm PVC statuettes of Sayaka Yumi, Jun Hono and Maria Fleed, showing them in their pilot suits. These figures include a stand and each character's helmet.
They have also released resin kits of both Koji Kabuto and Tetsuya Tsurugi who, like the girls, are in their pilot suits. Both of these are extremely rare as they were only sold at a special event in Japan some years ago.
As in many other countries of Latin America, Mazinger was extremely popular in Argentina in the 1980s. Because of the demand for merchandising, in 1985 toy manufacturer Play Ful obtained a license from Toei Animation to produce a line, but unlike other franchises (more popular in the U.S.), there were no moulds available to produce the toys, and so Play Ful had to develop their own. The resulting dolls were made of PVC and very fragile, but held a decent level of resemblance to the original characters, sometimes modifying the colors.
The first one to be made was Mazinger Z, and it featured launchable fists and a separate Hover Pilder. Subsequently, mechanical beasts Belgas V5, Brutus M3, Grengus C3 and Gelbros J3 were added to the line. These shared Mazinger's body but with different paint work and the particular traits of each mecha. Grengus C3 for example, didn't have fists but its characteristic black orbs, and these could be launched just like Mazinger's fists. Gelbros J3's left and right heads were fully articulated, and had claws instead of hands.
Aphrodite A was also included, and was probably the model that stranded the most from the original mecha. Her body was specially made and was completely different from the "male" mechas. She featured 3 pairs of breast missiles that could be fired thanks to a mechanism in her back. Jet Scrander was produced later, and also a Great Mazinger doll, which was a modified Mazinger Z.
Nowadays is quite difficult to obtain most of these toys in good conditions, since they were so fragile and had a number of accessories that could easily be lost.
Revoltech is an action figure line from the Japanese company Kaiyodo. The main selling point of the line is the 'Revolver' joint, which all of the figures utilise. This gives the figures a high degree of poseability, allowing for many dynamic and varied poses. The Revoltech version of Mazinkaiser stands 12 cm tall and comes with two Kaiser Blades, a Kaiser Sword, Kaiser Scrander, and four optional hands. A display base is also included, which allows the figure to simulate a flying position.
In the Macross Japanese anime series and its English adaptation Robotech, the first mass-produced transforming aerospace fighter mecha is called the VF-1 Valkyrie. The VF-1 Valkyrie is referred to as a "variable fighter" in Macross.
Shogun Warriors was a line of toys released by Mattel Inc. in North America from 1979 to 1980. The line consisted of several imported toys based on Japanese anime mecha.
Mazinger is a long-running series of manga and anime featuring giant robots or mecha created by Go Nagai in 1972. It introduced the concept of mecha as robots which are ridden by humans and controlled like vehicles to Japanese science fiction ; it would thereby be a primary source of inspiration for the Super Robot sub-genre, particularly throughout the 1970s.
UFO Robot Grendizer, also known as Grandizer, Goldrake and Goldorak, is a Japanese manga and animated television series created by Go Nagai. The series is the third entry in the Mazinger series, later relegated into a spinoff series. The series is produced by Toei Doga and Dynamic Planning, directed by Tomoharu Katsumata, and written by Shozo Uehara. It aired on Fuji TV from October 5, 1975, to February 27, 1977. The mecha's first appearance in the United States was as a part of the Shogun Warriors line of super robot toys imported in the late 1970s by Mattel, then in Jim Terry's Force Five series. A remake of the original anime series, Grendizer U, aired from July to September 2024.
Great Mazinger is a Japanese anime television series and manga comic book created by Go Nagai and Dynamic Productions. The story is a sequel and direct continuation of Mazinger Z series after its initial success. The series was aired on Japanese television in 1974, immediately following the end of the first Mazinger series. It ran for 56 episodes.
A die-cast toy is a toy or a collectible model produced by using the die-casting method of putting molten lead, zinc alloy or plastic in a mold to produce a particular shape. Such toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber, glass, or other machined metal parts. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection molding, but the two methods are distinct because of the properties of the materials.
Mazinkaiser is a Japanese anime OVA produced by Brain's Base and Dynamic Productions, based on the Mazinkaiser design that debuted in Super Robot Wars games and the original Mazinger Z manga by Go Nagai. The OVA follows Kouji Kabuto, Tetsuya Tsurugi and the rest of the "Mazinger Team" as they fight against Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts while Kouji stumbles upon a forgotten laboratory where he finds Mazinkaiser, the most powerful robot ever built. The series chronicles Kouji's experience with the machine as he copes with Kaiser's power while defeating Dr. Hell's forces.
Gunbuster, known in Japan as Top o Nerae!, is a Japanese OVA anime series produced by Bandai Visual, Victor, and Gainax and released from 1988 to 1989. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the creator and director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis manga and anime Aim for the Ace! and hit action drama film Top Gun, whose plot inspired Gunbuster's. To celebrate Gainax's 20th anniversary in 2004, a sequel to Gunbuster, Diebuster, was released as an OVA. The sequel features new characters and mecha, but retains the format and many of the concepts of the original series.
Chogokin Sometimes spelled either Chougokin or Cho-gokin is a fictitious material which first appeared in Go Nagai's Mazinger Z manga and anime and is later adopted by Popy in 1972 as the name of a new line of die-cast metal robot and character toys sold in Japan. The first of these is "GA-01" Mazinger Z, which, in spite of questionable engineering that led Popy to offer a free replacement campaign, ignited a craze that changed the face of the Japanese toy industry in the 1970s. Bandai, the parent of Popy, continues the Chogokin line to this day, branded under their own name.
Jumbo Machinder is the name of a series of large-scale plastic robots sold by Bandai's character toy subsidiary, Popy in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto molded out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a sturdy plastic also used for shampoo bottles. Jumbo Machinders are generally 24" in height. After Popy's success with the Jumbo Machinder series, several other Japanese companies, including Takatoku, Nakajima, and Clover began producing large-size plastic robot toys as well. Several of the Jumbo Machinders were retooled for sale in the USA and Europe in the late 1970s as Shogun Warriors.
Golden Warrior Gold Lightan is a mecha anime television series that aired from 1981 to 1982 in Japan. The show was also popular in Hong Kong and was aired there around the same time. There are 52 episodes that were aired at 30 minutes each.
Soul of Chogokin (SOC) (超合金魂, Chōgōkin Tamashii, lit. "Soul of Super-alloy") is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai Spirits.
Mazinger Angels is a manga series which began in 2004 and chronicles the adventures of four women who pilot giant robots in the Mazinger vein. The concept is a spoof on the late 1970s and early 1980s popular TV series Charlie's Angels. It was originally published in Kodansha's Magazine Z, starting on 26 June 2004 (#2004-08) and ending on 25 November 2006 (#2007-01). It was compiled in four tankōbon.
Space Ironman Kyodain is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction superhero television series. The show, like numerous others of its type and era, were produced as a joint effort between manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori and Toei Company producer Toru Hirayama. It premiered in 1976 and ran for 48 episodes. The show is well known for its strange plot and costume design, rapid-fire and purposefully disorienting editing, and unique, sometimes surreal, atmosphere. The late Yūsuke Natsu and Takeshi Sasaki starred as Skyzel and Grounzel respectively.
Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot figures.
Godaikin or GoDaiKin was a line of Super Robot toys released by Bandai America from 1982 to 1985, composed of figures from Popy-created series such as Chogokin and Popinika.
Super Robot Chogokin, is Bandai's robot toy line-up diverse from the popular Soul of Chogokin franchise, first introduced in August 2010. Despite being under the Soul of Chogokin family, the major difference is the size - only scaling around 14cm. Aside from the size, the other main selling points for the line-up are the flexible articulation of the robots and added weapons set(s) to evoke some of the effects, memorable moves, and attacks seen in each of the robots' respective series. This toy line is mainly focused on the Super Robot series as well as the Super Sentai and Armored Core series. Just like the Soul of Chogokin, the robot figures are molded in plastic and diecast metal. Extra accessories such as bases and laboratory are also in the works. Super Robot Chogokin is targeted to a mature demographic, but priced lower than the Soul of Chogokin line.
Mazinkaizer SKL is a Japanese OVA sequel to Go Nagai's Mazinkaiser, which was in itself a spinoff of Mazinger Z. The first episode of the OVA was first screened on November 27, 2010 and was released on January 28, 2011. It also has a novel adaptation serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Hobby Magazine and a manga adaptation published in the mobile phone magazine Shu 2 Comic Gekkin. Like Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!, characters and references to other works of Go Nagai appear in this series.
Robot Girls Z is an anime television series produced by Dynamic Planning and animated by Toei Animation. The series is a comedic parody of various mecha series produced by Toei, anthropomorphizing robots from those series into magical girls. The series aired on the Toei Channel between January 4, 2014 and March 2, 2014 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. A preview was streamed on YouTube on October 18, 2013. The opening theme is "Robot Girls Z" (ロボットガールズZ) by Kikai♡Shoujotai, whilst the ending theme is "Team Z's Power" by Robot Girls Team Z.
Mazinger Z is a Japanese super robot manga written and illustrated by Go Nagai. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973 and Kodansha's TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974.
