AnimeJapan2017】Report on the event to commemorate the launch of "Mazinger Z," the origin of giant robot anime, with a big announcement of the lead and heroine voice actors, including Shotaro Morikubo and Ai Chino!

Mazinger Z," the masterpiece that took the world by storm, has returned in the form of a theater version. We report on the special stage held at the BLUE Stage on March 26, 2017, the last day of Anime Japan.
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Mazinger Z" is one of manga artist Go Nagai's best-known works and the originator of the "boarding robot anime" in which a human rides and controls a giant robot. It is a timeless masterpiece that has had a tremendous influence on later robot anime and has been extremely popular not only in Japan but also in countries around the world.

Anime critic Ryota Fujitsu was the MC for the stage commemorating its revival. The stage was witnessed by voice actors Shotaro Morikubo and Ai Chino. This work has been around since before the two were born. Mr. Morikubo seemed to have loved "UFO Robot Grendizer," the third in the series. When his younger sister was born, he remembers telling her that he wanted her name to be Duke Fried (the main character in "Grendizer"). Mr. Chino barely knew the theme song.

So, first of all, what kind of work is "Mazinger Z"?　To find out, a review of the 1972 TV anime was shown. From the famous launch scene, to the powerful weapons and unique characters. I think this is the first time a robot has ever used its hands as punches," said Morikubo. said Morikubo. He seemed to realize that this was the starting point for the giant robots of today.

Finally, the latest version of "Mazinger Z the Movie" (tentative title) was unveiled in the form of a super special trailer. The huge body of Kurogane is shown with profound background music. Dr. Juzo Kabuto's famous line, "It can be a god or a demon. The rotor of the Pile Dancer roaring in the background. The audience applauded the powerful images.

Then, the cast was announced!　It was announced that the main character Kouji Kabuto would be played by Mr. Morikubo and the heroine Sayaka Yumi by Ms. Chino. Ms. Chino said with a smile, "We will be playing the role, not as witnesses, so please give us your support.

Both Ms. Chino and Ms. Morikubo have not yet started recording, but they hope to revive a new Mazinger unique to 2017 while inheriting the charm of a work that has fans all over the world. Mr. Morikubo said that the staff is enthusiastic about the project and that he has a feeling that it will be a wonderful work, and he added emphatically, "We hope you will look forward to it! He said emphatically, "I hope you will look forward to it!

The main staff announced next was Junji Shimizu, who has worked on the theater version of "ONE PIECE," as director, and Junji Shimizu wrote the script for the manga "Tokyo Toy Story. The script was written by Takahiro (Ume) Ozawa, author of the "Tokyo Toy Box" manga. This is certainly something to look forward to.

In addition, Go Nagai, the author of the original manga, gave a special video message. It was revealed that this work, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of his art career, will be released in advance around the world. Mr. Nagai expressed his gratitude to the fans around the world who have supported Mazinger Z over the years, and also commented to the two voice actors, "I hope you will play the two characters of the current era to the fullest. Morikubo-san and Chino-san seemed to become more and more enthusiastic with this encouragement. They closed the stage by urging the audience to join them in their efforts to make the event more exciting.

Afterwards, there was time for the press to take pictures, and to their surprise, the well-known Mazinger Chief from the TV commercials appeared to cheer them on. The two were delighted by this surprise. They were smiling for the camera alongside Mazinger Z "himself".

(Reporting and writing by Tomoko Endo at TRAP)