History Anime / ShinMazinger

''Shin Mazinger Impact! Z Chapter'' is an entry in [[GoNagai Go Nagai's]] ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Mazinger]]'' series, directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (''GiantRobo'', ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam''). While it features many characters and machines from other Go Nagai series, it is not a remake or sequel to the original TV show and manga but a complete reboot for the series intended for viewers new and old alike.

''Shin Mazinger Impact! Z Chapter'' is a new entry in [[GoNagai Go Nagai's]] ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Mazinger]]'' series, directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (''GiantRobo'', ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam''). While it features many characters and machines from other Go Nagai series, it is not a remake or sequel to the original TV show and manga but a complete reboot for the series intended for viewers new and old alike.

* ThisIsMyNameOnForeign: Gee, I sure wonder who that "Blade" guy could be...

--->Count Brocken: W-who are you?
--->Boss: They call me Boss. Not even the Author knows my real name.

--->Count Brocken: I AM A TRAGIC CHARACTER!

---><Count Brocken> "W-who are you?"
---><Boss> "They call me Boss. Not even the Author knows my real name."

---><Count Brocken> "I AM A TRAGIC CHARACTER!"

* TheAce: Tetsuya, so much so in fact that ASHURA calls him the best pilot to ever exist. What did he do to claim such a statement? Why nothing short of ''winning'' against a Kedora in a half-assembled Mazinger prototype. Thats right -- an unfinished '''''prototype!'''''

** [[spoiler: Anybody who watched the first episode knows the similarities between Mazinger Z and the God Zeus. Then, episode 18 comes in and reveals that Zeus is one of the Three Great Gods, and we get to see Hades, the second one... whose look (the face, especially) bears a certain resemblance to [[UfoRoboGrendizer Grendizer...]] SequelHook?]]

* YourMindMakesItReal: DoubleSubverted. During the journey into the Kedoras's illusions, we ''were'' told this would happen and not long afterwards Master, Django, Yasu, and Cross died in various ways. They seemed gone for good. Come episode 19 they've returned, but all sporting some injuries... possibly implying that yes, their minds ''did'' make it real, just to a muted extent.

** In a meta-sense Mazinger's eye beam took several levels. Originally it was just an eye beam good against mooks. Shin Mazinger it suddenly outclasses the breast fire, normally the most powerful weapon in its arsenal. That is...until it gets Big Bang Punch.

* RecapEpisode: Inverted. By the looks of it, the first episode is made entirely up of clips from the second half of the series

* RecapEpisode: Inverted. By the looks of it, the first episode is made entirely up of clips from the second half of the series)

* IntergenerationalFriendship: Detective Ankokuji and Shiro get along pretty well. This is gets lampshaded when the later gets rather sad after his friend goes missing in action.

* HeroicSacrifice: As of episode 18 Cross, Django, Yasu, ''and'' Master have all seemingly bit the dust due to being crushed by one of the myceanean gods, having his torso bitten through by a tiger-centaur thing, blowing himself up to give the others the chance to get away, and being impaled by the humanoid part of the tiger-centaur. However considering what we saw in the first episode its [[WeCanRebuildHim doubtful either of these will be permanent.]]

** This is a RunningGag throughout the entire Mazinger franchise, and can be seen in at least one episode of Mazinkaiser off the top of my head.

** Later, when the confusion hits it's peak and Boss and Brocken's own soldiers are playing soccer with Brocken's head...

* VideoGame/SuperRobotWars: Made its debut in ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2'', though even before this was announced, the franchise was explicitly name-dropped by the mechanical designer, who said he was requested to come up with an "all new, awesome MAP attack" for Mazinger -- the Big Bang Punch. When the God Scrander shows up in ''Z2 Saisei-hen'', it does indeed have a MAP version of the BBP.

* [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like Mother Like Son]] [[spoiler: Episode 16 has Kouji and Tsubasa in one sequence sporting identical [[SlasherSmile Slasher Miles]] next to each other]]

''Shin Mazinger Impact! Z Chapter'' is a new entry in [[GoNagai Go Nagai's]] ''[[Anime/MazingerZ Mazinger]]'' series, directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (''GiantRobo'', ''GGundam''). While it features many characters and machines from other Go Nagai series, it is not a remake or sequel to the original TV show and manga but a complete reboot for the series intended for viewers new and old alike.

The ShinMazingerZero manga was released near the same time, but is not actually related to the plot of the anime.

* HotBlooded: Kouji, given his history of being controversial amongst conservative Japanese parents in his [[Manga/MazingerZ original incarnation]], does not disappoint here. He is very shouty and brash, full of self-confidence.

** The above mentioned fight with [[spoiler:Hades]] is particularly notable because it's aimed at a similar act done by ''Anime/DaiGuard'', which in turn was a tribute to the ORIGINAL MazingerZ!

! This series features examples of:

** Tsubasa and her followers (Cross, Master, Yasu and Django): ''ViolenceJack''

*** Tsubasa actually originally appeared in a manga called ''GakuenTaikutsuOtoko'', as the leader of a school guerrilla. In ''ViolenceJack'', a manga known for taking old GoNagai series and {{Deconstructing}} them, she was aged up and made the leader of a group of criminals. Imagawa must have liked this portrayal better, so he chose to use it in the show.
** Likewise, Pygman's ''character design'' is taken from ''ViolenceJack''. The actual character himself is from ''MazingerZ'', but his new appearance is not.
*** For irony points the character design is the Mazinger analogue for ViolenceJack: Jim Mazinger.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The appearance of Blade, [[spoiler:who is almost certainly Tetsuya Tsurugi, the pilot of Mazinger-Z's successor, GreatMazinger]]

* SequelHook: And how! With so many mysteries left unsolved, [[spoiler: such as Blade,]] we can look forward to [[GreatMazinger Great-hen]]. That is, unless [[GiantRobo history repeats itself...]]

* ClassicalMythology

** The above mentioned fight with [[spoiler:Hades]] is particularly notable because it's aimed at a similar act done by DaiGuard, which in turn was a tribute to the ORIGINAL MazingerZ!

* MechanicalHorse: The Iron Masks often ride these.

Set in the near future (or rather, [[{{Zeerust}} the near future as imagined in]] TheSeventies), humanity enters another energy revolution following the discovery of Photon Power. Derived from the Japanium ore discovered under the foothills of Mt. Fuji, its intended use was to solve the world's energy problems with its unimaginable power. Seeking this energy is [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dr. Hell]], a madman who wishes to twist the energy to his own means, who with his subordinates Baron Ashura, Count Brocken and Viscount Pygman, commands an army of HumongousMecha excavated from the depths of Ancient Greece to seize the Photon Power Lab for himself.

* RageAgainstTheHeavens (Zeus vs. the rest of the Gods)
* RecapEpisode (Inverted. By the looks of it, the first episode is made entirely up of clips from the second half of the series)

* ReedRichardsIsUseless (Averted. Kouji and Shiro note that their grandfather makes a killing on the patents for all his inventions. However, he spends most of his money on his research)

* RevolversAreJustBetter (Django's Magnum Z revolvers, which fire Super Alloy Z bullets that can penetrate anything and are so durable that he can pluck them out of his victims for re-use later)
* RobotGirl (The Gamia sisters, and [[spoiler: Lorelei]])
* RoboticReveal (While several characters are later revealed as robots/cyborgs, [[spoiler: Cross]] fits the classic version of this trope)
* RocketPunch (It's a [[TropeNamer Mazinger]] show so there's lots of them. The titular robot can even [[UpToEleven transform into a giant Rocket Punch itself]], which Kouji calls the "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T9aBE153Xw Big Bang Punch]]")

* SealedEvilInACan (The mechanical beasts, sealed behind the statue of Zeus in Bardos Island)
* SequelHook (And how! With so many mysteries left unsolved, [[spoiler: such as Blade,]] we can look forward to [[GreatMazinger Great-hen]]. That is, unless [[GiantRobo history repeats itself...]])
* SerialEscalation: (The series is constantly outdoing itself and hits the peak in the final episode, which ''claims'' to feature 100 Rocket Punches).

* ShoutOut (There are tons of these sprinkled all over the show, mostly to other GoNagai manga)

* SpamAttack / RapidFireFisticuffs ([[spoiler: 100-Shot Rapid Fire Rocket Punch. WAAAAAAAAY more punches than the name claims. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX469Ftb-m4 And it is AWESOME]] ]])
** Might also count as a [[spoiler: fleet of [[AttackDrone Attack Drones]] ]]
* {{Stripperific}} (The Gamia sisters, who end up wearing just cloaks with nothing on underneath)
* SuperpoweredEvilSide ([[spoiler: Mazinger Z has some kind of "devil" form, which resembles the titular demon from GoNagai's ''Manga/MaoDante'', activated when the Kedora docks with it]])
* SuperRobot (Again, it's a Mazinger show, so this is kind of a given)
* VideoGame/SuperRobotWars (Made its debut in ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2'', though even before this was announced, the franchise was explicitly name-dropped by the mechanical designer, who said he was requested to come up with an "all new, awesome MAP attack" for Mazinger -- the Big Bang Punch. When the God Scrander shows up in ''Z2 Saisei-hen'', it does indeed have a MAP version of the BBP.)
* TechnicalPacifist (Well, Yumi wants to use photon energy for peaceful purposes... but will not think twice about shooting you into oblivion if you endanger his daughter)
* ThemeMusicPowerUp (Kanjite Knight in episode 8, which gave Mazinger enough power to halt a SUBMARINE ISLAND)
** And again at the end of 23. The final two episodes even managed to take the ending theme and turn them from sugary J-Pop crap into freakish hot-blooded awesomeness.
*** By the way, the second ending theme is mostly about WarIsHell.

* TheProfessor (Prof. Yumi as well as the Three Doctors)
* ThisIsMyNameOnForeign (Gee, I sure wonder who that Blade guy could be...)
* ThoseWackyNazis (Count Brocken, a ''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot headless undead cyborg Nazi]]'' who carries his head around with him at all times, and his Iron Legion air forces)
* TogetherInDeath (Baron Ashura... who became together in life again, when they were resurrected as two halves of the same person)
* TookALevelInBadAss: Everyone with a name gets to do something badass. EVE.RY.ONE.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture (Played with. The show takes place "in the near future," but as a homage to the original series made in 1972, the world resembles TheSeventies)
* UnwittingPawn ([[spoiler: All the good guys fall hook, line and sinker for Baron Ashura's plan.]])

* WeCanRebuildHim (Aside from all of Dr. Hell's subordinates, the gangsters that work for Tsubasa were saved from the edge of death by her and have become ridiculously strong as a result)
* WhatCouldHaveBeen (Energer Z is actually based on GoNagai's original concept sketches for Mazinger. He efentually rejected the motorcycle gimmick for being "too KamenRider".)
* WhyAmITicking (Averted: Yasu knows he has a bomb inside him (a Photon Power bomb, no less), and is willing to give his life to protect his mistress Tsubasa)

* YourMindMakesItReal (Double Subverted. During the journey into the Kedoras's illusions, we ''were'' told this would happen and not long afterwards Master, Django, Yasu, and Cross died in various ways. They seemed gone for good. Come episode 19 they've returned, but all sporting some injuries... possibly implying that yes, their minds ''did'' make it real, just to a muted extent)

* TheAce (Tetsuya, so much so in fact that ASHURA calls him the best pilot to ever exist. What did he do to claim such a statement? Why nothing short of ''winning'' against a Kedora in a half-assembled Mazinger prototype. Thats right -- an unfinished '''''prototype!''''')
* {{Badass}} (The series seems to be trying to extend this to as much of the cast as possible... of particular note are Nishikiori Tsubasa, her followers, and Baron Ashura)

* BackFromTheDead (Being steeped in Gothic horror tropes, many of the cast were supposedly dead people revived by science)
* BackToBackBadasses (Tsubasa and Stroheim pull this off in episode 15)
* BadassGrandpa / CoolOldGuy (''Juzo Kabuto''; the Shin Mazinger portrayal of him is widely agreed to be the single most enjoyable and likable in the history of the entire franchise. [[spoiler: He may even be cheating death!]])

* BerserkButton (For Kouji, it's insulting his grandfather Juzo. For Baron Ashura, it's his/her appearance... especially when it thinks ''you're'' the one responsible for it)
* BigDamnHeroes (The ENTIRE first episode is essentially a series of BigDamnHeroes entrances, by the entire cast. Likewise, the series seems to specialise in awesome sudden entrances from heroes and villains, usually as part of a CliffHanger)
* TheBigGuy (Cross, who is actually [[spoiler: a cyborg made from Super Alloy Z]])
* BrainInAJar (The Kedora)
* BreakingTheFourthWall (Several times throughout the series, including characters talking to/hearing the narrator or being aware of their own role in the story)

* BreathWeapon (Z's Rust Hurricane)
* CallingYourAttacks (With [[HotBlooded Kabuto]] [[IdiotHero Kouji]] piloting, what else do you expect?)
* CaptainEthnic (Viscount Pygman, a pygmy shaman "hailing from a scorched land," who can use curses and control wild animals)
* ChestBlaster ("Breast Fire!")

* CliffHanger (Almost every episode)

* CrazyPrepared (Juzo Kabuto, Nishikiori Tsubasa, Dr. Hell, [[spoiler:the entire Mycenae civilization]])
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass (Boss's two flunkies are capable enough in a fight to beat some of Baron Ashura's men on their own)
* CurbStompBattle (In Episode 1. Archduke Gorgon attempts to attack Kouji, only to get near-instantly obliterated by Zeus's gigantic spear)
* {{Delinquents}} (Boss and his gang''s''. He's apparently gotten the support of every delinquent group in Japan behind him)
* DepletedPhlebotinumShells (Django's instant-freeze rounds and Ankokuji uses ''something'' that can hurt Pygman despite his magic defenses)
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu (In episode 18, [[spoiler: in order to help Zeus, Kouji dual [[RocketPunch Rocket Punches]] Hades, the literal God of Hell, '''IN THE MOTHERFUCKING FACE!''')]]

* EinsteinHair (Juzo, since he's a MadScientist)

* ExcitedTitleTwoPartEpisodeName (Every episode except the first ("Finale") follows this format)
* EyeBeams (The Photon Beam. Reaches the caliber of a WaveMotionGun at full output)

* FaceHeelTurn (Although it's not a true FaceHeelTurn in the actual series, one of Go Nagai's other SuperRobot creations - Groizer X - makes a cameo appearance as an enemy robot in several episodes)
* FanDisservice (In episode 2 - Juzo, and in episode 12 - Baron Ashura)
* FauxActionGirl (Sayaka)
* FemBot (Aphrodai A, Venus A and Million Alpha)
** How could you forget the Gamia sisters?
*** Because they're Robot Girls and not fembots?
* FiveManBand (The Kurogane Five/Kurogane Goninshuu, comprised of Yasu, Cross, Django, Sensei, and Kikunosuke. They don't really fit into any of the set archetypes, though)

* {{Foreshadowing}} (The appearance of Blade, [[spoiler:who is almost certainly Tetsuya Tsurugi, the pilot of Mazinger-Z's successor, GreatMazinger]])

* FullBodyDisguise (Baron Ashura and his/her men often don these. Played for laughs, since they shouldn't be able to disguise themselves as convincingly as they do - the Iron Masks for example manage to wear helmets ''under'' their rubber masks)

** I think just Pygman in general falls under this trope.

* GagBoobs (Aphrodai A's breasts have covers which can be flipped open to reveal machine guns and missiles. Then there's Million Alpha, which sits Lori and Roll in two cockpits jutting out the chest. Later on they get a twin-pronged pilder which docks with the two holes in Shin Million's chest, forming its breasts)
* GambitPileUp (A huge amount of them from both sides, to the point that in the penultimate episode Dr. Hell essentially says that the entire show until that point was just a series of backstabbing, plots and deception)

* GoneHorriblyWrong (The Kedoras. A relic of the [[AbusivePrecursors Myceneans]], they at first appear loyal to Dr. Hell; one serves as a bridge for Archduke Gorgon before Zeus smites them both, and another attacks Kouji, stating its intent to "destroy all foreign civilizations". It then shows Dr. Hell in his lab ''destroying'' all his Kedoras, as "foreign civilizations" apparently includes Dr. Hell and his henchmen)
* {{Gonk}} (Many, many characters, as per [[GoNagai Go Nagai's]] cartoony art style)
* GunsAkimbo (Django, with both revolvers and gatling guns)

* HeelFaceTurn (Between series. In the Mazinkaiser OVA, there were three Gamia Q machines, they were evil, rarely spoke, and apparently were Baron Ashura's "daughters". We've only seen one so far, but she was definitely a protagonist)
** Well, we've seen ''five'' of them now. Maybe they're rebuild her from the parts of the first four...
*** Like daughter like mother-father hermaphrodite. As of episode 19 Ashura's helping the heroes.
**** [[spoiler: Wait, no he wasn't. It was a BatmanGambit by Pygman]]
**** [[spoiler: Wait, no she is, and has plotted with Tsubasa]]
**** [[spoiler: Wait, --fuck!]]

* HeroicBSOD (Kouji, when he realizes that by piloting Mazinger in the village, [[NoEndorHolocaust he's accidentally crushed many civilians]])

* HeroicSacrifice (As of episode 18 Cross, Django, Yasu, ''and'' Master have all seemingly bit the dust due to being crushed by one of the myceanean gods, having his torso bitten through by a tiger-centaur thing, blowing himself up to give the others the chance to get away, and being impaled by the humanoid part of the tiger-centaur. However considering what we saw in the first episode its [[WeCanRebuildHim doubtful either of these will be permanent.]]

* HotBlooded (Kouji, just... Kouji. Imagawa seems to be [[SerialEscalation attempting to outdo]] ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' in this department)

* HotbloodedSideburns (Of course!)
* HowWeGotHere (Episode one is titled "Finale" and it seems to tell the story of the character's climactic final confrontation. Episode two is entitled "Activate! Mazinger!", making it the real 'first episode' in terms of chronology)
* [[LargeHam HUGE Ham]] (The narrator. Good Lord, the ''narrator'')

*** ''[[SuspensionOfDisbelief Too]]'' hammy?

* IHaveManyNames (Zeus, of course. The series gives "Zeus" and "Z Mazinger")
* ImplausibleFencingPowers (Master covers this trope)
* IntergenerationalFriendship (Detective Ankokuji and Shiro get along pretty well. This is gets lampshaded when the later gets rather sad after his friend goes missing in action)
* JAMProject (They're playing under a slightly different name for this one song, but it's pretty much 100% JAM Project doing the opening song)

* LatexSpaceSuit (The pilot suits for both the male and female characters)
* LickingTheBlade (Django's done this with his GUN. And his tongue is long enough that the KISS guys would be green with envy)
* LightningBruiser (Danube Alpha One, which was designed to circumvent its inferior armor compared to Mazinger with drastically improved agility thanks to being a self-aware machine.)

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters (37 named characters, and it's a 26 episode series. Despite this, they are all tied into the story somehow and get their own chances to shine)
* LongTitle (The full title of the show, in English, is ''True Mazinger Impact! Z-Chapter on television'')
* LukeIAmYourFather (Tsubasa was once Dr. Hell's assistant and was just as gifted in the field of biomedical research as he was. Together they made Viscount Pygman and Baron Ashura. [[spoiler:She also]] [[spoiler:[[strike: might be]]]] [[spoiler:IS Kouji and Shiro's mother]])

* MadScientist (Arguably half the focus of the story. Dr. Hell, Kouji's grandfather Juzo and Dr. Schtroheim are classic examples, [[spoiler: Tsubasa and Kenzo]] probably count too)
* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover (For GoNagai. In addition to Mazinger, the series includes several characters from other GoNagai manga, though with different roles and personalities) These include:

* MasterOfDisguise (Baron Ashura and his/her men)

* MechanicalHorse (The Iron Masks often ride these)
* MeaningfulName (The "Mazin" in "Mazinger" is composed of two words. "Ma" meaning Devil, and "Shin" meaning God. This refers to Juzo's statement about how Mazinger Z is powerful enough to make its pilot a God or the Devil)

* MixedMetaphor (Mazinger Z is apparently an "Unsinkable castle of steel")
* MonsterOfTheWeek (Averted, despite Mazinger and SuperRobot tradition. Many episodes have no robot fighting at all, and when the villains ''do'' attack it usually involves multiple robots at once or in the same day)
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate (Subverted with Dr. Hell. Turns out ''long'' before he dabbled in mad science, he was a perfectly sane and respected biomedical researcher)

** (Its name is... Its name is... ITS NAME IS... ITS NAME IS... '''ITS NAME IS--!''')

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast (Dr. Hell, The Great General of Darkness and The Emperor of Darkness)

* NeverBringAKnifeToAFistfight (Averted in Episode 16 when the Kurogane Five faced down [[spoiler: A Kedoras-controlled Mazinger Z]]. Kikunosuke asks Master if it would really be smart to take on [[spoiler: Mazinger Z]] with nothing but a katana blade and offers him a boatload of guns. He accepts, and it probably helps make things easier for him)
* NeverMessWithGranny (Kikunosuke)
* NoEndorHolocaust (Averted in Kouji's first battle, when he accidentally crushes a bunch of civilians during a robot fight)

* OmnidisciplinaryScientist (Averted - all of the scientists are specialised in different fields such as robotics, biomedicine, energy research and so on, and they frequently turn to each other for their knowledge)
* PowerOfLove (The only explanation for why half of Baron Ashura's body was rotted, ''except'' for the halves that were touching each other, right?)
** [[spoiler: Or not. The final episode shows that their whole bodies were preserved, but Dr. Hell dissolved half of each in acid.]]
* PrehensileHair (The Gamia sisters)

* TruerToTheText: In some ways, this is closer to the original ''Mazinger Z'' manga than the first TV series - like having a much closer art style to Go Nagai's.