January 3, 2001 CURRENT RUMBLE Presto ... Z! Analyst 1.3.01 A typical early evening browsing the shelves of Mandarake. Haven't scored anything really big from the gokin showcase here in a while; they've had SOCs, Takara Jeeg, and several big boxed sentai toys for a few months now. Smatterings of vintage are to be found every so often, most notably a Popy Varitank MIB and lately, a Dangard A ST loose. Most of my purchases here have been of a gashapon-ish nature, actually. But tonight is different. In my browsing I spot a nondescript yet colorful little box. Quite eye-catching, really. A closer inspection reveals it to be Banpresto's reproduction of the original GA-01 Mazinger Z, none other than the father of chogokin. A piece that I've wanted to own ever since I stumbled onto Alen's Ramble about it back in mid-1999. After a quick trip to Asahiya to pick up Hobby Japan, and some really quick soul-searching, I traipse back over to the 'Rake, and the transaction is concluded within minutes. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Mazinger Z. His was the first robot anime I ever saw, and I used to own a 3rd version Popy GA-01 (the version notoriously "reproduced" recently.) I'd only seen pictures of this version in the Green Arrow and Nishimura books. Actually holding it in my grubby little fingers was quite a treat. I am struck by the general balance of this particular design. The colors seem to be more Mazinger-ish than the later version Popy. I think this is because the chest-missile launchers in this version are hidden behind the drop-down chestplate; without the large black holes in the chest, the reds really stand out. The rocket-punch firing triggers, located on his shoulders, are also red. Two sets of fists are included: standard, and iron-cutter. Firing fists on this version of Mazinger are different from the traditional Popy style, the fists load like standard Popy missiles. The pilder isn't removable, but is more detailed than the removable one on the later version. As in the original GA-01, no jetscrander is included. The box is a very nice reproduction of the original, as far as I can tell. The "Cho-Go-Kin" sticker is on it, as is the Popy logo, and cartoony pics on the back showing the toy's action features. There's no styrofoam, however; just some foam padding. I don't know whether or not the real GA-01 had styro in it either, though. The toy has "1999" clearly marked on one of his feet, so there's no chance of it being passed off as an original vintage piece either. It's nice being able to have a little piece of toy history on the shelf. Not only is it a near-flawless reproduction of a seminal toy; to me, it's an homage to Nagai, his creations, and the imaginations of all of us who grew up watching the shows and playing with the toys. Despite never having owned this particular toy before, I look at it on my shelf and I feel instantly connected to my youth again. There was a time (the 80s and most of the 90s, actually) where I heard nary a mention of the super robots of my youth anywhere. Thankfully, those dark ages have passed and the super robot renaissance is in full swing. I'm proud to add Banpresto Z to my collection. A "trophy-esque" piece indeed, but his humble appearance belies a lot of soul, and a lot of history.  RUMBLE INDEX  |  CURRENT RUMBLE