Underplayed Gems

Mazinger Z vs. The Great General of Darkness (1974)

Mazinger Z vs. The Great General of Darkness poster
Original title
マジンガーZ対暗黒大将軍
Directed by
Nobutaka Nishizawa
Genre
science fiction film, mecha
Country
Japan
Runtime
43 min
Rating
8.2 of 10 from 35 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This film connects two mecha anime series by introducing a new robot and its enemies. The original hero's robot is defeated, setting up the new hero to take over.

action-packeddramatichigh-stakesnostalgicseriousfast-pacedepicclimactic

What happens

Mazinger Z vs. The Great General of Darkness (マジンガーZ対暗黒大将軍, Majingâ Zetto tai Ankoku Daishôgun) is a 1974 Japanese mecha animated film that served as an alternative link between the Mazinger Z series and the Great Mazinger series. It basically introduces Great Mazinger to the audience, as well as his enemies from the Mikene Empire, showing the defeat of Mazinger Z. It was released on July 25, 1974. The final episode of the Mazinger Z anime series would tell the story a bit differently, but with similar results in the plot. The film was also one of the inspirations behind the 2002 standalone spinoff to the Mazinkaiser OVA, Deathmatch! Great General of Darkness (Mazinkaiser vs the Great Darkness General). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.