Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Mazinger Z: TV Series Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Mazinger Z Collection 2 brings more action-packed adventure to the table with the second and final collection in the original series run. Created by Go Nagai (Cutie Honey, Devilman), Mazinger Z was originally broadcast on the Fuji Television Network and Toei Channel. The theme song music is by Michiaki Watanabe. Mazinger Z features animation production by Toei Animation (Digimon Adventure, Dragon Ball Z). Collection 2 of Mazinger Z includes episodes 47-92.

Kōji Kabuto (Hiroya Ishimaru) and his allies have returned for more adventures. The goal remains to stop the evil Dr. Hell (Kousei Tomita) and his ambitions to overtake the entire country of Japan. Dr. Yumi is also back – along with the Photon Power Laboratory. Yet the stakes are higher than ever as Dr. Hell manages to cause more chaos than before with brand new allies such as Duke Gorgon.

New and improved mecha beasts are also adding more risks to the mission. Can Mazinger Z remain as the powerful mecha robot needed to stop the enemies and defeat the growing threat of Dr. Hell? The opposition might be growing stronger each day but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. The fight is never over and Mazinger Z is determined to stop the villains.

The characters play a nice role in the success of the series. Kōji is a great lead character and he certainly plays a big role in the overarching success of the anime. Kōji is a tough and brave fighter and he has a determination to do his best while utilizing the mecha robot Mazinger Z. The character design by Keisuke Morishita (Great Mazinger, Manga Mito Kōmon) and Yukiyoshi Hane (Uchu Kubo Blue Noah, The Laws of the Sun) are impressive and add another nice element to the series production. These designs stay true to the original manga and certainly work well for the anime.

The mecha designs by Go Nagai are impressive and one of the greatest highlights of the series. The mecha designs are bold, creative, and energized – showcasing the robotic elements of the series. Mazinger Z is a wonderful mecha design. In particular, it is worth noting how powerful the big mechanized robot is on the series and the role the robot plays in helping to fight the villains. With Nagai’s expert design, Mazinger Z is an iconic mecha and there is no doubt that the robot plays a big role in the appeal of the series.

The animation is one of the best things about Mazinger Z. The animation direction is top-notch and there is something inherently charming about the art style. The series exudes creativity with the undeniably fun and epic old-school animation. Hand-drawn animation is remarkably special and something about the classic and also vintage style of old-school anime makes for an even more rewarding experience.

One can simply sit-back and enjoy the incredible animation – the animators produced something special and there is a clear attention to detail that makes the style of animation feel essential. It even feels iconic and the animation style imbues a sense of wonder in each frame of the art work. Sometimes, looking at a single frame of art in the image appears as wondrous as a piece of art one might find hanging up in a museum.

The score composed by Akira Ifukube (Shin Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One) and Michiaki Watanabe (Getter Robo Go, Great Mazinger) is epic and one of the great strengths of the production. The music is epic in scope and there is a lot to appreciate about the role the score plays in the production. Expanding the sense of adventure and adding to the sense of excitement created by the series, Mazinger Z is even more special as a result. There is something wonderful about that, indeed.

Written by Keisuke Fujikawa (Galaxy Express 999, UFO Robo Grendizer) and Susumu Takaku (Cutie Honey, Voltron), Mazinger Z Collection 2 continues to deliver action and thrills. The writing is fun (providing the right balance of mecha and character to the series). The scripting works well and ultimately provides the ingredients audiences are looking for.

Directed by Yūgo Serikawa (Cyborg 009, Three-Eyed One: The Prince of Devil Island), Mazinger Z Collection 2 continues the adventures and brings the original series to its close. Serikawa has an entertaining style as a director and the action remains one of the forefront elements. There is something enormously entertaining about a good old-school mecha and the goods are certainly delivered here in spades.

It is never easy to say farewell to a favorite series. Fans will have to prepare themselves as the set includes those concluding episodes of the original series run. Even so, what a joy it is to see classic anime series like this released by distributor Discotek Media. There is something so heartwarming about classic old-school animation. It is so easy for classic anime to bring a smile to one’s face. Fans won’t be able to resist. Put on some PJs, grab a bowl of cereal, and sit down for a good time with Mazinger Z. The anime will even bring back Saturday morning vibes and one can’t resist that feeling.

Mazinger Z: TV Series Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Mazinger Z Collection 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is impressive and there is a lot to appreciate about the transfer. Discotek did an outstanding job with the presentation and delivers a native high-definition scan.

The high-definition presentation provides an enormous degree of clarity and detail in the image. The encode capably showcases the epic old-school animation. Mazinger Z shines on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray release also benefits by showcasing one of the advantages of physical media over streaming video services.

Streaming video services tend to provide video with more compression. By comparison, physical media tends to provide higher bit-rates and superior encoding. This is one of the great advantages of the physical format.

Mazinger Z: TV Series Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality sounds excellent on the release. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear on the release. The encoding manages to bring out the best in the audio presentation. Everything from the sound effects to the original score and soundstage is crisper with the lossless audio encoding.

Discotek provides great encoding quality and it showcases one of the advantages of physical media over streaming – the superior audio quality. Audio enthusiasts who want the absolute best quality possible will prefer physical media as it tends to have higher bit-rates compared to streaming counterparts. Outstanding.

Mazinger Z: TV Series Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover artwork features the same key art as is featured underneath the slipcover. There is plenty to appreciate about the art and Discotek does an exceptional design job. The quality of slipcover helps to make the release feel even more special: providing a nice release both in hand and while displayed on a media shelf.

On disc extras include:

Clean Ending #2 (HD, 1:12)

Creator Roundtable (SD, 19:55) is a nice roundtable extra that will appeal to series fans interested in these sorts of supplemental features – a discussion about the series.

Mazinger Z: TV Series Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mazinger Z Collection 2 is an epic and action-packed blast of energy. Fans of old-school animation will appreciate the charm of the anime series. The epic mecha elements add to the series, too. The set includes episodes 47-92 and brings a closure to the original series run. The Blu- ray releases has a collectable slipcover.

The release features impressive high-definition video and lossless audio. Enthusiasts should appreciate the quality of the release by Discotek. The extras package also includes a creator roundtable – exactly the kind of supplemental feature that will appeal to serious fans of the series. Fans will certainly want to add the release to their collection. It might be hard for some fans to say goodbye as it is the last set of the original run but it is nice to see Discotek continue to shine as one of the best boutique labels around.  Recommended.