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The protagonist rides on a giant robot, battling strange enemies. Created by Go Nagai, Mazinger Z brought the heroes out of safe zones and placed them at the helms of machines.
Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s Tetsujin 28 (1956–) features a massive, remote-controlled robot. The robot itself has no will. Because it is remotely controlled, the hero operating the robot is safe from harm. In other words, the robot is a weapon, similar to today’s drones. In Mazinger Z, on the other hand, the protagonist rides a small fighter jet docked on the head of a robot, which is easily targeted by enemies and considered the most dangerous and vulnerable spot.
Young readers saw these battles as something real as they watched them unfold with excitement. They climbed aboard miniature robots called Chogokin in the worlds of their imaginations, engaging in battle and taking damage before rising again and again.
In 1972, Go Nagai launched both the TV animation and manga series projects at the same time. By bridging the story’s world with character merchandise, this franchise created a giant robot universe and a new market, which continues to thrive today.
Shueisha Manga Art Heritage, under the supervision of Go Nagai and Dynamic Production, has produced an art print of this monumental work.
Autographed by Go Nagai.
A collection featuring realistic colors that cannot be produced with the offset printing process used for comics and manga magazines. This collection is printed on the 100% cotton velvet fine art paper used in museum collections.
Go Nagai made his manga debut with Meakashi Polikichi (serialized in Bokura) in 1967. In 1968, he began publishing Harenchi Gakuen in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series was a tremendous hit. In 1972, he launched two series, Devilman in Weekly Shonen Magazine and Mazinger Z in Weekly Shonen Jump, while the animated versions were being developed for television simultaneously. In 1973, he started serializing Cutie Honey in Weekly Shonen Champion. His works span a wide range of genres, from gag comedy to dark fantasy, science fiction, and horror. As of 2024, he continues to publish series. In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier) by the French government.
The protagonist rides on a giant robot, battling strange enemies.
In 1972, Go Nagai launched both the TV animation and manga series projects at the same time. By bridging the story’s world with character merchandise, this franchise created a giant robot universe and a new market, which continues to thrive today. This paved the way for such series as Getter Robo (1974–), Mobile Suit Gundam (1979–), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–).
Mazinger Z was followed by the sequels Great Mazinger (1974) and UFO Robot Grendizer (1975–), which were big hits in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. In 2024, Grendizer was rebooted as the animated series Grendizer U.
