Soul of Chogokin Gx-75 Mazinkaiser
The extra face, Kaiser Pileder and extra hands are all packed in a tray underneath the display base.
The Kaiser Pileder doesn’t transform, same as with other SOC Pileders. I think the only Kaiser Pileder that does transform is the one that came with a Mazinkaiser bust from Evolution toys?
The set comes with “sleep mode” eyes similar to the Dynamic Classics Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. To swap the face plates, the manual recommends popping the head off and swapping the plates. I personally just use a fingernail to pick at the nose bridge point to get the default faceplate out and save the hassle.
Mazin go!
Pileder on!
At long last! We get Mazinkaiser in the SOC line. It’s hard to believe Bandai’s put this guy on hold for so long. We got Gx-07 OVA Mazinger Z way back when the line was still in its single-digit infancy.
It just took them a mere 80+ releases later (counting repaints) to finally roll out this guy.
Turbo Smasher Punch!
Giganto Missile!
You have to manually remove the missile cover. Missile does not shoot.
Reito Beam! You can flip down Mazinkaiser’s horns just like in scene from the VS General Darkeness movie.
Fire Blaster!
Kaiser Scrander
When connecting the wings, note the hole and the pegs, one side is different from the other (bigger vs smaller).
Flicking out the connector tab can be a problem at first. The first time I tried it, it felt like I was going to tear my thumbnail off. But succeeding times later, it became easier to do.
The Scrander comes with 2 sets of wings. One set for “flight mode” and another for regular mode.
The Scrander can be connected via two ports on Mazinkaiser’s back. Unfortunately, it doesn’t follow the Dynamic Classics Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger design whereby you just slap in the connector and the slot cover “depresses” into the torso. Here, you have to manually pluck the covers free to connect the Scrander.
The lower port is used for flight mode poses. This connection is not that stable though and does not lock in. Basically it’s a “peg goes into hole” connection, with no real “snap” to locking it in position.
It’s good for an “Anime accurate” depiction of how the Scrander connects to the Kaiser but it’s the “regular mode” connection that locks in place.
SCRANDER CROSS!
For regular mode, use the higher connection port on Kaiser.
Note that regular mode wings have hinges so you can get more freedom of movement for the figure. The hinges are super tight (on mine anyway) and are a bit uncomfortable to move.
Kaiser Blades.
To capture the look of the blade handles popping out Mazinkaiser’s shoulders, you’ll have to do a little parts swapping.
Final Kaiser Blade
Note that the actual blade’s “guard piece” is different on the default one on Kaiser’s chest. Please carefully refer to the manual which piece is which and what the orientation is when it comes to inserting the guard piece (the grooves are different on each piece) into the sword hilt before you accidentally plug the piece incorrectly.
Display base
Yep, the protective film layer covering the name plate looks to be a new standard in SOC releases nowadays, to prevent scratching.
You can mount the Kaiser Scrander on the display base.
Comparison with the Gx-07 Mazinkaiser OVA Mazinger Z
Comparison with the Aoshima Shin Seiki Gokin 2015 Toysguardian Exclusive version Mazinkaiser.
Comparison with the SRC Mazinkaiser.
The Good
-Figure weighs 450 Grams (no Scrander) and 507 Grams (with Scrnader) and stands 8 Inches tall.
-The weigh in:
–Gx-07 – 301 Grams
–Gx-75 – 450 grams
–SRC – 275 Grams
–Aoshima – 708 Grams
-Diecast parts include:
–Torso
–Bicep
–Sections of the lower legs (not whole lower leg)
–main joints
–Feet (top halves)
-Love the gold trimmings on the figure. It’s a nice touch. Otherwise the figure would be really dull and plain to look at.
-Impressive shoulder joint design.
-The Fire Blaster chest plates/heat sinks can be moved upwards to allow more clearance for the arms.
-I prefer the proportions on this version compared to the Aoshima and SRC versions. That said, the Aoshima still captures the “chunky” look of the figure in the Anime more accurately though.
The Bad-QC issues – mine has some chipping on the right bicep for some reason. Right out of the box.
-We finally get Mazinkaiser in the SOC line and he can’t fire his Turbo Smasher Punches. The Gx07 OVA Maz and the Aoshima Mazinkaiser have it better than the Gx-75 in this department.
-While there is some (?) articulation in the torso, I think the SRC does “torso crunch” poses better. Like so:
-SHARP POINTS!!! I’ll never understand why Bandai opts to have sharp edges on their stuff. Sharp points on the toy, but dull points on the swords? What’s the logic? Just watch out, folding the arms all the way will scratch the bicep if the points/fins are not positioned properly.
-Personal peeve – somehow the finish just doesn’t “pop” for me. I mean, look at the Gx-07 and it just speaks quality. It stands out thanks to the polished look of the figure. The Mazinkaiser somehow lacks a particular shine to it. I dunno, maybe it’s just me?
The UglyThe now infamous “broken chest plates” issue. For the unfamiliar, there’s an issue going around of Gx-75 Mazinkaisers having broken chest plates right out of the box. The issue stems from the small plastic pins they used for connecting the chest plates to the torso. If your unit gets mishandled during shipping (box gets tossed around), then chances are, the piece gets snapped.
The problem is somewhat hit or miss, meaning not all units will have this problem, but it does exist. I’ve talked to a local toy seller and he admits he had to return some units to Bandai due to this issue. They opted to open and inspect every unit that arrived and then place an “inspected unit notice” inside the toy before shipping them out to customers to prevent abuse from customers who might accidentally break their toy after the purchase.
It is a huge oversight from the Bandai design team when you think about it. I mean, look at the Gx-07 OVA Mazinger Z’s chest plate connectors. Those pins are huge and sturdy!
Overall, it’s a good piece and being Mazinkaiser, deserves a spot next to your SOCs. It’s good, but not epic. The toy itself doesn’t really bring anything new to the table compared to other Mazinkaiser figures, other than the flight mode wings, which don’t really lock in place that well. I was also really expecting more heft to this guy, ah well, like I said, good but not epic.
Hmm.. I wonder if we’ll get Shin Getter Robo down the line?
Funfact: Mazinkaiser’s new alloy is called Super Alloy New Zα (Z Alpha)
Gold
