Mazinger Z

If you are a little taken back by this redesign of Mazinger Z, keep in mind that this is not the first time that the iconic robot has undergone a makeover. Mazinkaiser, Mazinger SKL, Mazinger 1901, Mazinger 1969 and even Shin Mazinger Z are all different takes on the godfather of all super robots.

ThreeZero decided to take a radical approach when imagining their take on Mazinger Z. Their incarnation is reminiscent of a super robot mixed with a bit of farm equipment. It is if they said “What if Mazinger was a real piece of equipment?” The result is dramatic and divisive. Fear not though, the design was supervised and approved by the creator himself, Go Nagai.

As this is a pre-production sample, there is no packaging that I can show you. It actually came packed in a box for Real Steel Atom and loads of bubble wrap. Special thanks to the folks at ThreeZero for allowing us to take an early look at this behemoth.

Mazinger Z stands 16” tall and is made entirely of a mix of ABS and PVC Plastic. Despite the size, the figure really isn’t that heavy. It’s mostly hard ABS plastic and feels very different from the ThreeA robots I am used to. However it is very solid and toy-like. Nothing feels fragile or breakable.

The paint of course is amazing. the trademark weathered detail is present in all its glory and looks perfect on the figure. Each piece looks like it could actually be made out of worn metal.

The head is on a ball joint with a swivel neck. The pilder is removable and the wings on the pilder can fold down. The small detail on the head and pilder is remarkable, right down to the tiny rivets.

The eyes feature a light up gimmick which is activated by a switch on the back. Remove the black panel that is secured by magnets to reveal the switch. The light not only illuminates the eyes but also the peg onto which the pilder secures. This implies that the pilder is meant to light up, however the plastic used for the cockpit does not transfer the light. Three watch batteries are included to power the feature.

The shoulders have nice solid clicky joints for both rotation and swivel. The handles on the shoulder are just a bit softer plastic than the rest of the body, reducing the chance of breakage. The biceps swivel, the elbow bends, the forearm swivels, and the wrists are on ball joints.

Each hand features individually jointed fingers and thumb, which are nicely detailed and with tight joints. There are no variant hands.

Mazinger Z also includes Iron Cutter attachments that snap on to each arm. Each set features blades that extend out from the base.

The chest and waist joint is rather nice, with a full motion ball joint in the chest and a swivel joint in the waist. I really like the independent, working pistons on either side.

The legs were the real issue of contention for me when I first saw this design. However, after seeing it NYTF and now in person, I rather like them. They’ve got great mechanical detailing up top which leads into a plated metal look. The legs are on firm clicky joints which also swivel out to the side. The upper thigh has a swivel and then it leads to a primitive large single detented knee joint. It’s at these parts that you can feel the hollowness of the ABS plastic body, and it makes me wish there was a little more weight to the lower half of the figure.

The lower legs are large and blocky with nice vent detail on the back and large shielded panels on the sides.

The feet are on ball joints and the toes are moveable with functioning pistons. The heels also slide out a little but I can see no functional reason for them to do so.

Mazinger’s only weapon (aside from the Iron Cutters) is the large Iron Sword. It’s 13 inches long and like the figure, wonderfully detailed.

The problem comes when you try to get Mazinger to hold the sword. The wrist is not tight enough to support the weight of the sword so you have to angle it just so to make it work. Also there is no peg on the handle to secure the hilt to the hand. You have to rely on the tightness of the fingers to hold the sword.

It’s a quality piece with fantastic detailing. The real question is going to be if you like the design. Either you love this look or you don’t. That’s going to be the deciding factor for most people. ThreeZero has an established track record of quality so there’s no doubt that this is a great figure in terms of construction and durability.

Mazinger Z is available for pre-order now through the ThreeZero online store as well as other fine toy retailers. It’s expected to ship in fourth quarter 2014. Thanks again to ThreeZero for the review sample!