I have been a collector of mecha figures and model kits for a good half of my lifetime. And if I learned anything from all these years, is that you’ll never run out of Mazinger Z redesigns. Case in point being this pre-order from Yotiro-Lab, a company I’ve never heard before though do note that this is a licensed release. This is “Go! Saga” Mazinger Z, and I’m not sure if “Go! Saga” is a title of a new story or the name of a figure line.
This figure stands at around 180mm or 7-inches and has an overall ‘edgier’ design with the knight armor-esque panels and geometries. Also note that it’s primarily made from plastic, and with none of the solicitations mentioning die-cast content, which might be a disappointment for some, but is also why it’s cheaper than other similar figures.
The redesign itself is interesting in the way it veers into the aesthetics of Mazinkaiser with the armor spikes and the geometric patterns on the exterior. It almost looks like Mazinger Zero to a considerable extent. The differences are more apparent when you remember how simple and smooth the original looks.
On that note, the bulky design might introduce some limitations on articulation and I don’t expect this figure to do well in very dynamic poses, but I would expect this figure to pull off the iconic and usual poses done by Mazinger Z.
For accessories, “Go! Saga” Mazinger Z comes with the essentials, including a Hover Pilder, replacement hands/manipulators, and effect parts plus a metal chain to replicate its version of a Rocket Punch attack.
Speaking of Rocket Punches, a display stand is also included to display the launched fist mid-flight. Also note that despite being molded in orange in these prototype images, the final version would be molded in clear plastic.
Ultimately, I really wanted to collect figures of such redesigns, as long as it fits within the constraints I’ve placed on my collection. As such, I finally pulled the trigger and pre-ordered this guy. I’m also inclined to get a copy of MODEROID Mazinger ZEST which was released last year. Both are new redesigns with totally different aesthetic directions.
