#Machine Head Tetsujin

[thebutcher-5]

Redline (2009)

Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Dopo tanto tempo, nello scorso articolo siamo ritornati a parlare di cinema italiano e per la precisione di un film italiano anni ’60, una delle migliori decadi per il nostro cinema, e l’abbiamo fatto attraverso un film del grande Luigi Comencini, Tutti a casa. L’8 settembre 1943 viene proclamato via radio l’armistizio e i soldati italiani festeggiano la…

[wanderersrest]

G Gundam Prelude: The Real Robot vs Super Robot Debate

So before I begin talking about Mobile Fighter G Gundam, I'd like to take a minute to preface that conversation with a companion piece of sorts. This involves the nature of how the mecha "genre" of anime is divided into two subgenres, and how this subdivision (*synth and bass solo play at the same time*) is often used as a sort of dick-measuring contest by fans to argue that their preferred genre is better than the other.

Tetsujin 28-go, Mazinger Z, and the "Super Robot"

To understand the two sub-genres, we first need to understand the general history of the mecha. Technically speaking, our story really starts with Osamu Tezuka's Mighty Atom (Astro Boy in the west), but the giant robot style of mecha would not appear in earnest until Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go (Gigantor in the west) and Go Nagai's Mazinger Z. Tetsujin and Mazinger would go on to codify a lot of the tropes common to a lot of these early robot series alone. If it wasn't either of those two, chances are likely Ken Ishikawa's Getter Robo will have you covered.

These so-called "Super Robots" were known for their superhero-like power sets. They were usually powered by either nuclear power or a fictional power source such as Photon Energy or Getter Rays. Almost every single robot in these stories were made with some sort of Super Alloy (or Chogokin), and each super robot had a whole arsenal of weapons, including but not limited to swords, axes, drills, lasers, and, of course, the rocket punch. These super robot series would dominate a lot of Japanese television for most of the 70's. But behind the scenes, one man would be forging his own path. And at the end of the decade, he would release a show that would turn the canon of mecha stories on its head.

Gundam, VOTOMs, and the "Real Robot"

In 1979, the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam would air on Japanese television for the first time. This is one of the many mecha series directed by anime legend Yoshiyuki Tomino, and follows a direct lineage from his other works such as Brave Raideen, Zambot 3, and Daitarn 3. Gundam, however, would herald a new style of mecha stories thanks in part to it ditching a lot of the more fantastical elements of its "super robot" forebears in favor of a more grounded war story. These would be the so-called "real robot" style of mecha stories, and would further be codified by Ryousuke Takahashi's first two series, Fang of the Sun Dougram and Armored Trooper VOTOMs.

The "real robots" were a hard departure from their super robot brethren in that they were grounded in reality. Gone were the super alloys and the fantastical weapons, which were now replaced with weapons similar to that of a modern military. More importantly, the stories were now about wars, not with aliens as the antagonist, but other people. Humans. These stories would dominate a lot of the 80's, though the more traditional robots of the 70's would still be around as well.

There's just one problem with the term "Real Robot." The realism doesn't come from the machines themselves.

The Realism of Really Real Robots (It's Not What You Think It Is)

(Wanderer Not Mention Patlabor Speed Run [IMPOSSIBLE])

One of the issues with the term "real robots" is the fact that the realism in most "real robot" shows does not necessarily come from the robots themselves. Take blog favorite Patlabor, for example. Part of what makes the Labors as realistic as they are is not necessarily due to the imagined mechanics behind these machines. It's how the existence of these giant machines changes the lives of the characters. It's little things like how having a special police division that's devoted to Labor crimes is a bit of a money pit, or how SV2 has constant insurance problems due to the fact that Division 2, even in their best moments, are just as destructive as the people they're supposed to stop.

Or take the original "real robot" series, Mobile Suit Gundam. The realism does not lie in the design of the RX-78-2 Gundam. The realism comes from the One Year War and how it affects all of the characters. We can see this in how badly it affects the Gundam's pilot, Amuro Ray, as the poor sod of a teenager basically develops PTSD throughout the original show's run. And it's not just Amuro that's under a lot of stress. The infamous Bright Slap happens not only because Amuro refuses to get back into the Gundam, but because White Base captain Bright Noa (who's 19, by the way) is also at his wit's end. Never mind the fact that the slap makes everything worse.

So What Does This Have To Do With G Gundam?

Everything. There's this idea that being a "real robot" series is what gives Gundam its bite and that G Gundam spits in the face of Gundam's original vision by being a hot-blooded "super robot" anime. There's just a couple of problems with that line of thinking. First, it's insulting to the series to say that it has nothing worthwhile to say. Y'know, G Gundam. The series that opens with the Gundam Fight (the Future Century replacement for traditional war) making its way to a ruined Rome, where the poor people who could not afford to leave for the space colonies are panicking as the Gundams literally crash onto their homes. The series where some of the last dialogue of the series is how, even after defeating the imminent threat that was the Devil Gundam, there is still work to be done when it comes to fixing the world, namely by finding a more sustainable replacement to the Gundam Fight. This doesn't even touch on the fact that all of the nations of the world join forces to face an threat that could wipe out all of mankind.

Second, and the part that I think is more insidious, is the idea that G Gundam is a lesser series because it went for more of a classic robot anime vibe as opposed to the serious war story that Gundam is known for. I say this is insidious because it not only ignores the fact that Gundam had just come off of the heels of the extremely depressing Victory Gundam and needed a bit of a palette cleanser, but it also implies that only so-called real robot stories can have serious storylines. God forbid something like Space Runaway Ideon exist, which is probably one of the most serious classic, pre-Dougram robot series out there, or Combat Mecha Xabungle, which is a really goofy but technically a "real robot" series.

This is also related to the idea that G Gundam is just "dumb fun." This line of thinking I can understand, because let's not kid ourselves here. While I wouldn't call this series dumb, G Gundam is kind of known for being insane (but in a good way). What makes this take just as grating is when a similar series can get away with a similar style of story just because it's not related to an existing franchise like Gundam. A series like, oh I don't know, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. And that's a series that's often treated as somehow being different from most other mecha shows because "it's about the characters." Gurren Lagann is one of those shows, and people often treat it like it's a literary masterpiece while G Gundam, which I'd argue is one of the former's progenitor series alongside Getter Robo and GaoGaiGar, is treated as B-movie schlock. It's not, and I hope you'll join me when I dive into the insane masterpiece that is Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

[mainspars]

Latest adobe pdf reader update

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE PDF

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE INSTALL

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE UPDATE

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE UPGRADE

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE FULL

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE PDF

When I use a Windows machine and open this PDF with Acrobat Reader there it contains a form with dropdowns and input fields.

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE INSTALL

I dislike Abobes bloatware so much that I will not install their Acrobat Reader on my Mac. The creator of this file format, Adobe Systems, offers a free viewer, called Adobe Acrobat Reader, so that you can view a PDF file.

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE FULL

If this doesn't work, then they can head over to Adobe's website and download the full Adobe Reader installer from the Acrobat Reader Download Center. Here you can find a real life example PDF (Thanks to Tetsujin), Canadian immigration application. However, if users want to manually install the upgrade, they can go to the Help menu and click on Check for Updates.

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE UPDATE

Read more: Adobe allows users to share Photoshop, Illustrator projects with collaboratorsĪdobe says that while administrators will be able to use their preferred methods of updating managed environments, user-installed versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader are set to update automatically as soon as a new update is detected.

LATEST ADOBE PDF READER UPDATE UPGRADE

This makes it absolutely essential for users of the software to upgrade their installations as quickly as possible, as leaving the software unpatched with known security flaws is quite dangerous. Perhaps more worryingly, Adobe also revealed that it has received a report that one of the vulnerabilities ( CVE-2021-28550) was being actively used to target Adobe Reader users on Windows in “limited attacks”. While Acrobat Reader DC is the most common software for this need, other options include Foxit PDF Reader and Nitro PDF.Stating that the security updates for both Adobe Acrobat and Reader for Windows and macOS were released to address multiple critical and important software vulnerabilities, the company said that if a malicious actor was able to exploit the flaws, it could grant them the ability to execute arbitrary code (read: dangerous commands) on the current user's system. There are many app alternatives for users with PDF needs. Where can you run this program?Īdobe Reader DC is available on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices. Users can feel confident downloading and using Adobe products. Overall, Adobe is a reputable and trustworthy company, with policies in line with industry standards. Windows Key+i > Apps > Click Edge > Advanced Options. However, if you want to retain Edge as default pdf reader - You should repair / reset Edge. Windows Key+i > Apps > Default Apps > Change default apps by file type > Scroll down to. Adobe shares personal information within the Adobe family, outside advertising and sales companies, and third-party companies. You can change default pdf to Acrobat Reader. They use cookies to track the use of their website and apps. Adobe uses personal information to provide users with specialized, targeted websites, apps, and other products or services. The download is very fast, getting Windows users up to speed in no time.Īdobe’s Privacy Policy is similar to that of other large tech companies. The interface itself is well organized and clean in appearance. The app is fast, easy to navigate, and makes viewing and annotating PDFs on-the-go much easier. The basic Reader DC app is free, with in-app purchases available, including Acrobat Pro DC. is only available with an upgrade to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. The ability to edit fields, format documents, etc. It’s important to note that the Adobe Reader DC app for Windows, while convenient and free, has limited PDF capabilities. Within the Reader app, users can view their PDFs in three different modes: fit to screen, continuous scroll, and reflow. Once you are ready to share your PDF, simply create a customized link and send via email, or collaborate directly within the app.Īdobe Reader DC works seamlessly with other Adobe apps such as Adobe Scan, where users can scan important documents, and work on them within Adobe Reader DC. Reviewing and signing a PDF has never been easier with Adobe Reader DC’s signature capability. You can even receive notifications for files you have personally shared or documents shared with you which contain pending actions. Users can interact with the PDF as well by comment directly on the document using drawing tools or sticky notes, highlight text, and view and reply to other comments within the PDF. With the Adobe Reader DC app, users can open and view PDF documents quickly, search within the document for specific verbiage, scroll through the document, and zoom in and out. There’s no wonder Adobe Reader DC is installed on over 600 million devices What are the capabilities of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC?

[prakhayth]

6DURABILITY6ENERGY4FIGHTING SKILLS6INTELLIGENCE5SPEED6STRENGTHBIOGRAPHYCOOL EXEC, HEART OF STEEL

Tony Stark is the wealthy son of industrialist and weapons manufacturer Howard Stark and his wife, Maria. Tony grew up a genius with a brilliant mind for technology and inventions and, naturally, followed in his father’s footsteps, inheriting Stark Industries upon his parents’ untimely death. Tony designed many weapons of war for Stark Industries, far beyond what any other company was creating, while living the lifestyle of a bon vivant.

Fate would take a dark turn for Tony Stark once he decided to consult on a weapons contract overseas in enemy terrain. An improvised explosive device exploded underneath Tony’s transport, and he was brought to the brink of death.

Awakening as a prisoner of the warlord Wong-Chu, Tony made a gruesome discovery: the explosion had sent a piece of shrapnel mere inches from his heart. It was only the timely intervention of fellow captive and engineer Yinsen that kept the shrapnel at bay.While held captive, and forced to work on weapons, Tony turned his near-death experience into inspiration. What if he could power an iron suit that would not only keep the shrapnel from killing Tony, but also help him to escape?

Combining their genius, Tony and Yinsen built a mighty suit of iron armor that would be dubbed Iron Man. This first suit left a lot of room for improvement, but it still did what Tony couldn’t do alone. Yinsen sacrificed his life so the final preparations could be made, and Tony, wearing the Iron Man suit for the first time, escaped and returned to the United States a changed man.With full access to his equipment, Tony built a new, more streamlined suit of armor—the first of many updated versions he would create—and dedicated his life to fighting threats to the world.

IRON MAN

Since that first suit built in a cave, Tony has created dozens of new suits and upgrades over the years. However, throughout the 50-plus Iron Man models, there are common offensive and defense capabilities found in most iterations.

The primary weapon contained within every suit, the repulsor rays use energy pulses to repel and disrupt enemies and are generated through the suit’s gauntlets. The suit’s booster jets enable Stark to fly fast enough to break the sound barrier, and maneuver more quickly than any fighter jet.

Iron Man’s helmet provides Tony with a heads-up display that gives him 360-degree vision, access to information about his surroundings and enemies, and the ability to transmit and block transmissions along any frequency. The helmet also gives Tony a degree of resistance to EMP and psychic-based attacks.

A weapon centered in Iron Man’s chest, the unibeam is capable of projecting dazzling light, and can also be used as a powerful force beam that is even more powerful than the repulsor ray.

Each of Tony’s suits provides a full range of telecommunications, including the ability to jam and transmit on any frequency, and sophisticated artificial intelligence capable of piloting Tony to safety should he be rendered unconscious.

Beyond his all-purpose suits, Tony has created specialized armor for specific scenarios. Some notable examples include the Hulkbuster armor (so-named as its size and strength allow Tony to stand toe-to-toe with the Hulk, when needed), along with deep-space, underwater and stealth suits.

One thing common to most of Iron Man’s recent suits is the integration of Extremis, an attempt to re-create the super-soldier serum with many modifications. When using Extremis, Tony can interface with his brain’s repair center, which allows him to rebuild his body from scratch. Essentially, Tony is able to merge his mind, body, and armor in unprecedented ways. He can “armor up” in mere seconds—with armor stored within himself—gains split-second reaction times, and can even generate new internal organs to replace the old. Unfortunately, Extremis is also vulnerable to being hacked, and the Skrulls and other organizations have done just that.

REPULSING THE REPULSIVE

Numerous villains have made up Iron Man’s gallery of enemies, with many of them similarly armor-based in order to counter Iron Man’s abilities. The Russians have created both the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man to try and stop the threat posed by Iron Man, and have fought Stark through numerous iterations.

The Mandarin is one of Iron Man’s fiercest archvillains. A tactical, mystical and technological genius, the Mandarin sought ultimate power, and often Iron Man is the only one smart and strong enough to stand in his way. In fact, the Mandarin, working with warlord Wong-Chu, captured Tony Stark and indirectly brought about the creation of Iron Man. The Mandarin has returned again and again to pit his magic and intellect against Stark technology.

A competing industrialist, Obadiah Stane, never lost his taste for weapons and was a great fan of psychological warfare. He took hostile control of Tony Stark’s company for a time, and though he perished in battle, his descendants are perhaps even more ruthless than he was.

Another rival industrialist on par with Stane, Justin Hammer is interested in the accumulation of wealth and power and sees Tony’s altruism as a big stumbling block toward that goal.Other foes of note for Tony through the years have included the Ghost, Radioactive Man, and nefarious organizations like Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM).

FIGHTING AND SMITING

Iron Man can’t always fight alone and has many notable allies and teammates. Stark is one of the founding members of the Avengers and is considered one of the “Big Three” core members, along with Thor and Captain America. While he has left the team at various points for personal reasons, he has always returned to fight alongside them again and again. He is one Avenger that can always be counted on.

Originally, Tony’s secretary Pepper Potts and limousine driver Happy Hogan grew to be Tony’s two best friends in the world. A romance between Pepper and Tony fizzled out, but she and Happy found happiness together for a time, until his tragic death. More recently, Pepper has taken up occasional super heroics herself, with an armored suit Tony has created for her called Rescue.

Former military man James “Rhodey” Rhodes became Tony’s bodyguard and trusted confidant. When Tony’s alcoholism got the better of him, Rhodey became the new Iron Man. Later, Rhodey donned a weapons-laden variation on the Iron Man suit and dubbed himself War Machine, fighting alongside Tony many times.

During a mind-clearing vacation from Earth, Tony joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, making fast friends with Rocket Raccoon especially. While Tony would eventually return to Earth, Rocket’s technology has made its way into many successive iterations of the Iron Man armor.

HEIGHT

6'1'', In Armor: 6'6''

WEIGHT

225 lbs., In Armor: 425 lbs.

GENDER

Male

EYES

Blue

HAIR

Black

UNIVERSE

Marvel Universe

OTHER ALIASES

Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, Shellhead, Golden Avenger, Tetsujin, Formerly Crimson Dynamo, Formerly Iron Knight, Formerly Hogan Potts, Formerly Randall Pierce, Formerly Spare Parts Man, Impersonated Cobalt Man (Ralph Roberts)

EDUCATION

Ph.Ds in physics and electrical engineering

PLACE OF ORIGIN

Long Island, New York

IDENTITY

Publicly known

KNOWN RELATIVES

Maria Collins Carbonell Stark (mother, deceased), Howard Anthony Walter Stark (father, deceased), Morgan Stark (cousin), Edward Stark (uncle, deceased)

POWERS

Heightened Senses

Superhuman Strength

Regeneration

Genius Intelligence

GROUP AFFILIATION

Avengers

Avengers West Coast

Illuminati

S.H.I.E.L.D.

AMAZING ARMOR, BLAZING POWER

Since creating that first suit, Iron Man has gone through numerous events significant to his life.Originally, to cover for Tony Stark’s escapades as Iron Man, he convinced the world that Iron Man was his bodyguard. This helped explain the perceived close ties between Stark and Iron Man to both the outside world and even those who fought alongside Iron Man.

It was a brawl with the trickster god Loki that convinced Iron Man, the Wasp, Ant-Man, Thor and the Hulk to band together as a team. The Mighty Avengers stood tall, battling foes that no single one of them could face alone. Though the temperamental Hulk would leave straight away, Iron Man would become one of the Avengers’ core members, along with Thor and a newly revived Captain America.

Tony, working alongside Nick Fury, was also a key player in the buildup of S.H.I.E.L.D. from a tiny, secretive government branch to the well-equipped, global peacekeeping force it became. Though Tony and his chauffeur and best friend Happy Hogan both fell in love with secretary Pepper Potts, Tony, out of respect for his friend, agreed to step aside. Pepper and Happy were soon married, though their relationship would be a roller coaster.

Having faced near death more than once thanks to his injury, Tony underwent a heart transplant, and finally no longer relied on the Iron Man suit to live.

Tony’s dependence on alcohol was brought to a head when Iron Man failed in battle while under the influence. It was only the timely intervention of friends Bethany Cabe and Edwin Jarvis that Tony was able to keep his alcoholism at bay for a time. Alcoholism being what it is, though, is something Tony will have to manage for life. In fact, it wasn’t long after this that Tony relapsed, this time passing along his armor to Rhodey to become the new Iron Man until he was able to recover. This relapse also cost him his company, which he lost to his fiercest rival, the manipulative businessman Obadiah Stane.

On the road to recovery, but looking for a change in scenery, Tony moved to California. Back in the armor, he joined the newly formed West Coast Avengers. This newfound resolve led him to create a new company in Silicon Valley, called Stark Enterprises.

Sick of finding Stark technology among his enemies, Iron Man went about neutralizing all his technology among his armored foes. Unfortunately, many of these designs were used by S.H.I.E.L.D., who weren’t at all happy about their Mandroids and Guardsmen being shut down. Ultimately, Iron Man squared off against government operatives and temporarily faked his own death, something he would do more than once in his career.

Eventually, Tony discovered that the Iron Man suit was causing his nervous system to deteriorate. After briefly experimenting with a telepresence suit, Tony created the War Machine suit to protect himself. He again faked his death and put himself into suspended animation, passing the War Machine suit along to Rhodey, who continued in his stead.

After Tony recovered, he seemingly went rogue, murdering several people and forcing the Avengers to recruit a teenage Tony Stark from the past to combat him. These events were later revealed to be manipulation by the time traveler known as Immortus, but in the interim, the adult Tony was killed.

During a battle with Onslaught, the younger Iron Man was one of the many heroes, including his fellow Avengers, who were shunted into an alternate universe and believed dead. Eventually returning to his own reality, this younger Tony merged with a resurrected adult Tony thanks to Franklin Richards, who was in turn exonerated for previous charges. Stark then set up a new company called Stark Solutions and rejoined the Avengers.

The Iron Man armor technology became so sophisticated that it gained sentience and malevolence. While attempting to shut down this sentient armor, Tony Stark had a heart attack. The armor replaced Tony’s heart with an artificial one to save his life, and Tony began steering himself away from such high technology out of fears of this incident happening again.

After Tony revealed his identity as Iron Man to the world at a press conference, the U.S. military determined it now had the ability to use Stark technology wherever it wanted. Tony managed to become Secretary of Defense, hoping to keep an eye on said technology.

Tony was forced to resign as Secretary of Defense due to manipulation by an insane Scarlet Witch, who brought about the destruction of Avengers Mansion and the temporary break-up of the Avengers. Soon after, Stark would join a gathering of heroes to stop a Super Villain prison breakout, leading to the formation of a new Avengers team who would use Stark Tower as their headquarters.

During this period, Tony began using the Extremis serum to merge his mind, body and armor together in unprecedented ways.

The Avengers—and the Super Hero community at large—would face tremendous conflict when Tony faced off with longtime ally Captain America regarding the Superhuman Registration Act, siding with the government’s decision to regulate superheroes. The two ended up leading their own large factions of heroes, fighting for what they believed in, though Tony’s side eventually won the hard-fought conflict. In the wake of this Civil War, Stark would help convince Bucky Barnes to become the new Captain America after Steve Rogers was assassinated, while Tony himself became director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Tony was unable to stop the Earth from being taken over by Skrulls, as the aliens bypassed Stark defense technology used around the world. He was forced to resign as S.H.I.E.L.D. director and the Avengers again temporarily disbanded, replaced for a time by a government-sanctioned team run by Norman Osborn.

As the Extremis serum began to fail in Tony’s body, causing his mind to deteriorate, he decided to erase all the information about Earth’s heroes gathered by the Superhuman Registration Act from the world’s computers, to stop it from falling into Norman Osborn’s hands. To restore Tony to his previous intelligence, his friends “rebooted” his mind, though doing so wiped out his memories of the Super Hero Civil War and the events that followed.

Tony created yet another new company, Stark Resilient, to provide free energy to the world. This enraged traditional industrialists like Justin Hammer. After Tony overcame mind control by a resurgent Mandarin, he decided to leave Earth for a time and join the Guardians of the Galaxy.Thanks to machinations by the Red Skull, many of Earth’s heroes and villains had their morality inverted. The now idealistically evil Tony Stark decided to sell the Extremis technology to the world, creating a utopia but leaving everyone dependent on him both physically and monetarily. It was only through a reboot of the universe during a second “Secret Wars” event that this malevolent Tony Stark was undone.

Once again, the world’s heroes came into great conflict with each other, this time over an Inhuman named Ulysses that could see crimes and other events before they happened. When the Avengers used this precognition to ambush Thanos, Rhodey was killed in the process, and Tony decided to make sure nobody used Ulysses’ abilities ever again.

This culminated in a battle between Iron Man and Captain Marvel. Tony lost and went into a coma. In his absence, an A.I. version of Tony assisted young genius Riri Williams in creating a new suit of armor, allowing her to fight as Ironheart in Tony’s absence.

[reversemoon255]

Goo Goo Goldeero~ Mahou Tetsujin Travelion!

Oh course the line full of magical creature’s sixth ranger would be a train. Makes total sense. Actually, no. No it doesn’t. Still, I wasn’t sure what to think of this toy until I had it in hand, and I ended up really happy with it. It’s not perfect, and I’m surprised it isn’t a head taller than everyone else, but it does what this line does best: play well with others.

The Good: This toy’s interplay is great. Despite the fact that it never takes any of these forms in the show, it is capable of swapping its chest plate with every other machine in the line. And it’s not like it’s coincidental; it has added engineering in order to accomplish this. You may have noticed the tiny trains located in its legs:

They’re not just decorative: you can combine them together...

And use them as an extension so that all the other chest plates can fit into Travelion’s recessed chest cavity:

If it didn’t have these added pieces it would only be able to give its chest piece to other machines and not accept any of them. It shows that the designers really cared about a gimmick that never existed in the show...for the moment. The engine even has handles for MagiKing to hold onto!

Looking at the toy itself, it’s pretty fun. Lots of paint in places I’m not worried about chipping, stands solid, and I really like how the coal car folds multiple times in order to transform.

The Bad: But that’s the only part of the toy that transforms. The arms and chest barely do anything, and the legs do zero. While the electronics are neat, their inclusion feels unnecessary. It’s a single red light and default train sounds like the ones you hear from every toy train in existence.

The Ugly: This thing it pretty flimsy. When I flipped out the car connections for the first time, a bit of the toy fell off. Second time I flipped them out it broke the other one:

It makes me feel like kid gloves are a necessity, which is bad since this is supposed to be a kid’s toy. I wish the plastic was thicker throughout the toy.

Overall, I like it. Its interplay is great, and is an excellent addition to the three toys in this line I reviewed previously, even if it doesn’t quite match aesthetically. You can find it for about $30 on average, so if you have one or two Magiranger toys and are looking for another, it’s a cheap option.

[wanderersrest]

The Mazinger Z Experience

Spoiler Warning for basically everything Mazinger-related; specifically the original Mazinger Z, Mazinger Edition Z/Shin Mazinger Z, Shin Mazinger Zero and its sequel, Mazinger Z: Infinity, and Grendizer U

Also, if you want to read Shin Mazinger Zero and its sequel, I'll just say it now: BIG FAT CONTENT WARNING FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IF YOU DECIDE TO READ THEM.

Ah, Dungeon Meshi Mazinger Z. My beloved Iron Fortress. Few machines can hold a candle in terms of importance to you, those few being either Tetsujin-28, Getter Robo, the RX-78-2 Gundam, the VF-01 Valkyrie, and Evangelion Unit 01. I might be a little bit biased though. Just a little bit.

Recently, I decided that I would start reading more manga. As I had said in my second Idle Thoughts post on Patlabor, I had started reading the manga version of Patlabor. Well... I read a lot more than just Patlabor (which is great, by the way; if you like Patlabor, go read the manga if you haven't already). I managed to read through all of Getter Robo (I blame the YouTuber CheeseGX exclusively for making me Getter-pilled), Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon (which is amazing, btw), and, of course Mazinger Z.

And boy oh boy was that a wild ride. To say nothing of the fact that Grendizer U is currently airing, I figured now would be a great time to just talk about random stuff involving the Iron Castle, Mazinger Z!

Oh, also, for future reference: there are two series tied to the name Shin Mazinger. For all intents and purposes, the TV series will be referred to as Mazinger Edition Z, while the manga series will be referred to as Mazinger Zero.

Yasuhiro Imagawa Will Cause Me to Overdose on HOT BLOOD

My first experience with Mazinger Z was watching 2009's Mazinger Edition Z: the Impact, otherwise known as Shin Mazinger Z. I would only learn later on that this series was directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa, but I remember feeling my body temperature rise as I continued to watch the series. It was that familiar sensation. A sudden increase in fighting spirit. A boisterous energy that makes you want to yell at the top of your lungs.

It's what a lot of people call HOT BLOOD. Mecha heads, especially those who love the classic giant robot shows made in the wake of Mazinger Z, will know this feeling well. HOT BLOOD is a common trope with a lot of these shows, with some of the big names associated with the term including the aforementioned Mazinger Z alongside Getter Robo, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann among others.

Really, what I wanted to highlight is that Imagawa-san is a purveyor of HOT BLOOD. Because this is another moment of Imagawa helming a HOT-BLOODED mecha series, the other two being G Gundam and the first three episodes of Getter Robo Armageddon. And those are just the shows I've actually watched (I will get to Giant Robo one day, I swear). It's why I enjoy a lot of these shows.

Also Imagawa and the people working under him are really good at mecha introductions. Not necessarily tied to HOT BLOOD per se, but a good HOT BLOODED giant robot series does need a good introduction. And man, does Imagawa and company deliver. Let's just say that there's a reason why I use the gif at the beginning for Mazinger. And that's saying a lot, since the original Mazinger Z's introduction is just as iconic. All Edition Z does, as Edition Z is wont to do, is lean into the idea of Mazinger Z being either a god or a devil.

I'm So Mazinger, Even This Acronym

Another entry in the Mazinger franchise that I read was Shin Mazinger Zero and its sequel, Shin Mazinger Zero vs The Great General of Darkness. And like it's TV Anime counterpart (that being Mazinger Edition Z, or more aptly, Shin Mazginer Z), Mazinger Zero leans in to the core themes of what make Mazinger, well, Mazinger, arguably even more so than even Edition Z. And this is best exemplified not in the original Mazinger Zero, but its sequel series.

Based off of its title, the sequel manga is named after what is arguably one of the most important of the original Mazinger Z: Kouji Kabuto is eventually defeated. Not by Doctor Hell, but by the Great General of Darkness and his Mycenaean Empire. This is treated as a darkest hour kind of thing, until Tetsuya Tsurugi shows up to save the day with his Great Mazinger. This introduction acts as a general bridge for Mazinger Z to transition over to its sequel series Great Mazinger.

Shin Mazinger Zero vs The Great General of Darkness throws a wrench into this with one major change: Mazinger survives and ultimately beats the Great General of Darkness. But before we get into that, I might be burying the lede a little bit here.

Something that should be noted about Mazinger Zero is that the titular robot is actually a twisted incarnation of the classic Mazinger. Whereas Edition Z's Mazinger leans into a little bit more into the idea of Mazinger as a god, Zero's version of Mazinger leans more into the idea of the machine becoming more of a devil. If we're comparing this to the other members of the Holy Trinity, Mazinger Zero would be comparable to both the Getter Emperor or the Turn A Gundam.

Also there's time travel involving Minerva X, but I'll get to that... right now, actually.

See, Mazinger defeating the Great General of Darkness in their first encounter in the Zero timeline is important, because it messes with the timeline of the setting. This causes everything to go haywire in a series where, up to this point, the timeline has been relatively stable thanks to Kouji and Minerva X. But because Mazinger could not handle the idea of losing and being saved by Great, it went out of control.

Mazinger getting totaled is kind of a landmark scene for this franchise, since it's what establishes Great Mazinger and later Grendizer as its successors. But Mazinger not accepting this outcome in Zero means that Mazinger keeps on winning. And it keeps on winning to the point where it creates an alternate timeline where the only giant robot show to exist are Mazinger Z and the shows and manga that came out before it. So while things like Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, and Ambassador Magma would still exist in this timeline, shows that would come out after Mazinger Z like Kotetsu Jeeg, Getter Robo, Voltes V, Zambot 3, Mobile Suit Gundam, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and Pacific Rim all do not exist.

Heck, even both Great Mazinger and UFO Robot Grendizer never happen in this specific timeline. The only reason Kouji is even able to bring Tetsuya is that he creates a film explaining the events of the manga up to that point in an attempt to will Tetsuya back into existence. The only reason he can't do the same for Duke Fleed is because, as Minerva X explains to Duke Fleed in the manga, Mazinger Z never meets Grendizer. Sure they both exist in the same shared universe due to Duke and Kouji being friends, but officially Mazinger Z and Grendizer never officially meet (there is a one-shot chapter in the Grendizer manga featuring the two of them as well as Great Mazinger, but I don't think that's officially canon).

Fun Spoiler Fact: I didn't pick those post-Mazinger series at random. If you read Mazinger Zero vs The Great General of Darkness, you'll see what I mean.

Mitsuo Fukuda is a Good Fit For Grendizer; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and... uh... Respect the Saudis?

As I've said in An Abbreviated History of Mecha, I am not terribly familiar with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. What I AM familiar with is its, shall we say, rather divisive nature as a series. I am also familiar that a lot of the blame also tends to be thrown at series director Mitsuo Fukuda. As I understand them, a common criticism of SEED I can recall was the fact that the series overly relies on melodrama in a rather ridiculous manner.

If I remembered that correctly, then it pleases me to tell you that 2024's Grendizer U is, in my humble opinion, a great fit for Fukuda. I believe a lot of this stems from the fact that our protagonist Duke Fleed is a better fit as a melodramatic messiah figure than, say, Kira Yamato. It also helps that Grendizer U also has preexisting source material like the original UFO Robot Grendizer, whereas Gundam SEED can only take the more surface level aspects of the original Gundam.

This is, of course, only a theory. As I have also heard, the production history of Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny is arguably one of the more troubled productions in the franchise. But that's another story for another day, and one that requires me to do more research.

What I can talk about is the production history behind Grendizer U. It should be noted that the original UFO Robot Grendizer, and really most of the Mazinger Z franchise, is popular in countries outside of Japan and the US. And while this isn't unheard of (See: Voltes V and The Philippines), Grendizer is a frustrating case since the country it is most popular in is Saudi Arabia. The reason why this is frustrating is because the Saudis are the ones bankrolling Grendizer U. And because they are bankrolling Grendizer U, it means that the series (which is a summer anime in Japan) has not been localized outside of Saudi Arabia. The only way to watch Grendizer U currently is through, shall we say, alternate means. It's vexing, because Grendizer U has been a pretty fun romp so far. Hopefully there are plans for a global release outside of Saudi Arabia in the future.

There Is a Charm to Robots That Can Do Everything

Something that is refreshing about a giant robot like Mazinger Z is, surprisingly enough, the very toyetic nature of the Iron Fortress. The fact that Mazinger is a giant humanoid machine standing at least 50 feet in height and is armed to the teeth with rocket punches, axe blades, missiles (a lot of missiles, by the way), two lasers (depending on how you classify Breast Fire), and a breath attack that turns most metals into dust. Oh yeah, it also has a winged backpack that allows it to fly, and said backpack's wings are sharp enough to cut buildings and monsters in two. And when I say it's refreshing to see a robot like Mazinger, this is even going into things like how the Black Castle is designed.

Why? Because mechanical design for giant robots did not exist when Mazinger Z was created.

No seriously. Mechanical design in relation to giant robots wouldn't be taken seriously until arguably Combattler V and at most the original Mobile Suit Gundam. But before then, giant robots were, to my understanding, largely designed by the rule of thumb of "this looks cool" (or in the case of Getter Robo specifically "this looks like three jets smooshed together"). There's a certain wonder to these early machines who I would assume go on to inspire a whole generation of people in become righteous people (pay no attention to the militia who named their armored vehicles Mazinger Z).

Even moving outside of the mechanical design of Mazinger, part of the charm of these older machines (and the ones that harken back to this era of robots like GaoGaiGar and Dai-Guard) is that they tend to tell simpler stories. To be clear, I'm not advocating for stories to be dumbed down. It's just that a lot of mecha stories, especially in the wake of both the original Gundam as well as Neon Genesis Evangelion, have felt a need for stories to be more and more complicated themes. And that's good! That's a good thing! It shows that the vague and nebulous genre known as mecha has matured from where it started, but information overload is also a thing that exists.

Mazinger Z, as far as stories (and especially as far as mecha stories are concerned), is a fairly simple one. This is not a bad thing, as I have argued that Mobile Fighter G Gundam benefits from having a simpler story. We tend to assume that serialized storytelling is objectively better than episodic storytelling, but I would argue (as I did with G Gundam) that that is not always the case. Think about how US darling series New Mobile Report Gundam Wing is thought of today as this incoherent mess that, while having some pretty interesting critiques of war, is wrapped up in this ball of unlikable and arguably insane characters and bizarre story beats. I could go on about how bad Gundam Wing is, but my name is neither Arin Hanson nor Barry Kramer. The important point is that being episodic does not necessarily mean that a series is lesser. Just remember that the original Star Trek, arguably one of the most important shows in all of science fiction, is largely episodic in nature. The same applies to seminal science fiction shows like The Twilight Zone and, to a lesser extent, Doctor Who are also episodic affairs.

(I'd like to clarify one more thing: I'm not saying that Mazinger Z does not have anything substantial to say. That's folly; every story has a message that people can take away from it, the author's original intent be damned. If anything, downplaying what Mazinger Z brings to the table is disrespectful not just to the series itself, but also mecha as a whole.)

Extra Thoughts

Before I go, I do have a couple other stray thoughts about Mazinger in its various iterations. These are little things that I thought were interesting or funny.

I haven't watched all of Mazinkaiser yet, but I love that Mazikasier in general is basically "What if Mazinger, but Getter?" No really, the origins behind Mazinkaiser was basically a what-if scenario from Super Robot Wars that conjectured what would happen if Mazinger Z was subjected to the effects of the Getter Rays. Mazinger Zero's iteration of Tetsuya Tsurugi is basically "What if Tetsuya, but Getter pilot," and guess what Tetsuya eventually pilots? Great Mazinkaiser. Hell, Mazinkaiser SKL is directed by Jun Kawagoe, the man who directed every Getter Robo OVA and the Getter Robo Arc Anime. I'm sorry Mazinkaiser faithful. I know I tagged you all in this post, but I promise I'll get to it one day.

Mazinger Z protagonist Kouji Kabuto has never had a consistent voice actor, which is surprising when compared to fellow Holy Trinity compatriots Ryouma Nagare and Amuro Ray.

Grendizer U has revealed to me that Kouji x Duke is a thing, and I'm not going to lie: I can see it.

Mazinger Z vs the Transformers is amazing. Definitely read that when you get the chance. The friendship between Boss and Grimlock is peak, by the way. It's... it's just peak.

Anyways, if there are any specific series I'd recommend, definitely give Mazinger Edition Z a shot if you like Imagawa's previous works (specifically G Gundam) and also like Go Nagai's stuff in general. As I said before, Mazinger vs the Transformers is also peak, and I've also been enjoying Grendizer U. Maybe one day I'll finally get around to watching the original Mazinger Z. Who knows. I finished all of the City Hunter anime once. I'm currently rewatching City Hunter 2. I think if I can watch City Hunter twice, I can do all of the Toei Mazinger series.