Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo: A thorough review of the ultimate robot showdown

"Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo": A miraculous 30 minutes created by the collaboration of super robots

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

March 21, 1975 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

23862

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Nagai Go "Great Mazinger" "Getter Robo"

■ Director

Masayuki Akehi

■ Production

Toei

■ Story

A space monster called Gilgilgun is released from a mysterious flying saucer towards Earth. The Science Fortress Laboratory and Saotome Laboratory capture the radio waves. Getter Robo is dispatched from Saotome Laboratory first. It combines with Getter 1 to intercept the saucer, but Ryo becomes aware of Great Mazinger and fails the mission. Dr. Saotome makes Getter Robo retreat. Meanwhile, Science Fortress Laboratory launches Great Mazinger, but Tetsuya also becomes aware of Getter Robo and struggles against Gilgilgun. Dr. Saotome then visits Science Fortress Laboratory and decides to plan a joint operation between the two super robots.

■Explanation

This film was one of the films in the "Toei Manga Matsuri" released in March 1975. It was the third original theatrical film in the Mazinger series, and it was a collaboration between "Great Mazinger" and "Getter Robo." It was a dream collaboration between Go Nagai's two great super robots, and it is a special film for fans. This film not only provided fresh surprise and joy to anime fans at the time, but it can also be said to have had a major impact on the development of super robot anime that followed.

■Cast

・Tetsuya Ken/Keiichi Noda/Jun Honoo/Yumi Nakatani/Shiro Kabuto/Kazuko Sawada/Kenzo Kabuto/Hidekatsu Shibata/Ryuma Nagare/Akira Kamiya/Hayato Kami/Shunji Yamada/Musashi Tomoe/Nishio Nori/Dr. Saotome/Kosei Tomita

■ Main staff

Produced by Tomonori Imada Planning by Ken Ariga and Kenji Yokoyama Original story by Go Nagai Ken Ishikawa (Getter Robo) and Dynamic Planning Screenplay by Keisuke Fujikawa Music by Chumei Watanabe (Great Mazinger) and Shunsuke Kikuchi (Getter Robo)
Art: Tomoo Fukumoto Animation Director: Kazuo Komatsubara Direction: Masayuki Akehi

・Theme song "I am Great Mazinger"
Lyrics by Kazuo Koike Music by Chumei Watanabe Vocals by Ichiro Mizuki

"Getter Robo!"
Lyrics by Go Nagai Music by Shunsuke Kikuchi Vocals by Isao Sasaki

■ Main Characters

・Tetsuya Ken An 18-year-old boy who pilots Great Mazinger. He was raised by Kenzo Kabuto.

Jun Honoo A girl who was raised by Kenzo Kabuto, just like Tetsuya. She pilots the Venus A.

Shiro Kabuto: The second son of Kenzo Kabuto and the younger brother of Koji Kabuto, the pilot of Mazinger Z.

Ryuma Nagare The pilot of Eagle and Getter 1. A 17-year-old boy. Nicknamed Ryo.

Hayato Shin The pilot of the Jaguar and Getter 2. Like Ryo, he is a 17-year-old boy.

・Pilot of the Tomoe Musashi Bear and Getter 3. Captain of the Judo Club.

■ Related works

・Simultaneous screening: "Andersen's Fairy Tale: The Little Mermaid"
"This is a UFO! Flying Saucer"
"Magical Girl Meg-chan: Messenger from the Moon"
"Kamen Rider Amazon"
"Go Robocon!"

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Story and Characters

"Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo" is a work that realizes the dream collaboration of two of Go Nagai's super robots. Although the story is simple, the development of the two robots working together to defeat the enemy must have been very exciting for children at the time. In particular, the development in which Ryo and Tetsuya cooperate in the end despite being aware of each other's robots is also appealing as a story of friendship and growth.

As for the characters, the two main characters, Tetsuya Ken and Ryuma Nagare, are memorable for their robots. Tetsuya is a calm leader who controls Great Mazinger, while Ryo shows his hot-blooded side as the pilot of Getter Robo. Sub-characters such as Jun Honoo, Shiro Kabuto, Hayato Shin, and Musashi Tomoe are also unique and play a role in adding excitement to the story.

■Video and Music

Visually, the highlights are the powerful battle scenes, which make full use of the animation technology of 1975. In particular, the scene in which Great Mazinger and Getter Robo fight together is beautifully drawn, even though it would have been difficult with the technology of the time. As for the music, two renowned composers, Chumei Watanabe and Shunsuke Kikuchi, are in charge of the theme songs for each robot, which are an important element in livening up the atmosphere of the work. The singing voices of Ichiro Mizuki and Isao Sasaki would have also left a strong impression on the children of the time.

■ Historical background and influence

This work was released in the midst of the super robot boom of the 1970s. The Mazinger series and the Getter Robo series were both popular works in their own right, so their collaboration was a dream come true for fans. In particular, the plot in which the two robots work together to defeat the enemy can be said to have had a major influence on later super robot anime. This work was also released as part of the "Toei Manga Festival," and it was one of the most notable works, making it a special memory for children of the time.

■ Recommendation points

"Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo" is a must-see for fans, as it is the realization of a dream collaboration between two of Nagai Go's great super robots. Although the story is simple, the plot of the two robots working together to defeat the enemy is also a fascinating tale of friendship and growth. The visuals and music also make full use of the technology of the time, making it well worth watching. Furthermore, this work was released in the midst of the super robot boom of the 1970s, and it can be said that it had a major influence on later super robot anime. It is a work that everyone should see at least once.

■ Recommendations for related works

If you enjoyed this work, we also recommend the following related works:

• Mazinger Z vs. Devilman: Another co-starring in the Mazinger series, this one sees Nagai Go's two greatest heroes fighting side by side.
• "Getter Robo": The original Getter Robo series, depicting the exploits of Nagare Ryoma and his friends.
• "Great Mazinger": The original series of Great Mazinger, it tells the story of Tetsuya Ken's growth.
• "Toei Manga Matsuri": You can enjoy the atmosphere of 1970s anime, including this film and other works that were screened at the same time.

■ Summary

"Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo" is a dream collaboration between two of Go Nagai's super robots, making it a special work for fans. The story, characters, visuals, music, historical background, and more make it a work that is worth watching in every respect, so we recommend you watch it at least once. You will be able to fully enjoy the charm of the super robot anime of the 1970s, including related works.