Mazinger Z

When Mazinga Z was relaunched in 2009 with a new TV series, we knew there would be changes. But I don’t think anyone expected a change so radical as to make Mazinger a Transformer.

When the GX-45 Mazinga Z Soul of Chogokin was released, it was a pleasant surprise. It was a great toy, with new engineering, but the basics of Mazinger stayed intact. Then shortly thereafter, another Mazinger was announced. It looked like the same figure, but with a large wing called the God Scrander. This scrander could wrap Mazinger and turn him into a giant fist.

GX-49 Mazinger Z arrives courtesy of HobbyLink Japan

So why the two releases then? Why not just bundle the scrander with the GX-45? One theory is that that maybe including the fist gimmick would have been a “spoiler” for the series”. The most likely scenario is that despite similar appearances, the GX-49 is an entirely different toy.

At first glance the core Mazinger Z figure looks the same, but closer inspection reveals a ton of differences. First, this new Mazinger lacks a lot of the articulation that the previous one had. Gone is the chest joint and waist joint. Gone are the lower metal legs and feet. Also gone is the ability to extend the leg and ankle joints. The chest and lower legs are an entirely new mold.

The head still looks nice and sharp, and still includes the detachable hover pilder. The hover pilder has a clear canopy and the wings can fold. Be careful – the tail of the pilder extends beyond the back of the head – it can easily be bent or broken.

The upper arms are metal, and the lower arms are held in place by magnets. Forearms are swappable between regular and firing arms. Two sets of hands are included – open and closed fists.

The God Scrander is a really massive wing for this figure. It features segmented sections so you can pose the wings in a variety of ways. The wing fits into a slot on the back and then snaps around the waist in the front. Three awkward jets protrude from the back of the scrander.

Combined, the toy is very top heavy.

The God Scrander and Mazinger Z can transform into what is known as the Big Bang Punch. This attack is literally the Fist of Zeus, and this glowing attack is extremely powerful.

The transformation is almost a “perfect” transformation, meaning almost no parts need to be swapped.

To start, the chest of Mazinger opens and the head is folded down into it. The chest ornaments are folded down. The arms get pulled out and shoulders bent back with a new joint system. The hands are removed and replaced with fingertips (the only parts swapping).

Push the gold points down on the wings of the Scrander, then push the wings down and back until they click together. Unfold the red tabs in the wings and attach to the back of the legs, then bring the wing sections around the front and click together.

The jets on the back of the scrander are then swung around and become fingers. The fingertips unfold from the end of the jets.

There you have it – the Big Bang Punch!

It’s a little small compared to my hand, but probably the same as an average Japanese persons hand.

While the attack is supposed to be in a fist, it is a fully articulated hand, so you can put it in a variety of poses.

Several stand parts are included so that you can display the toy in either robot mode or Big Bang Punch mode. The stand attachment for the punch mode is weak – it doesn’t clip on at all, so if you move it wrong it just slides off.

In robot mode the stand has an attachment for Mazinger in flying mode, or standing with a place to rest the scrander.

I was surprised as to how different this was than the GX-45. It’s an entirely different toy, with a unique transformation. Purists will scoff at the idea of Mazinger Z Transforming into a fist, but fans of the new anime will appreciate the gimmick.

In my opinion, it’s not a bad toy at all – it’s just not essential. It’s a one-trick pony. What it does, it does well, but you really have to like the alternate mode to justify buying it.

GX-49 Mazinger Z is available at HobbyLink Japan