MANGA REVIEW: Grendizer U: The Inception Vol. 1

 

GRENDIZER U: THE INCEPTION Vol. 1
by Tatsuo Higuchi, art by 8 KEY
Available April 28

It's been an absolute delight to see the works of Go Nagai getting expanded upon over the years. While titles like Cutie Honey, Getter Robo, and Devilman have had some degree of notoriety across North America, the popularity of Grendizer (or Goldorak depending on where you're from) has largely been abroad. Even as a Go Nagai fan myself (and one who's worked on localizations on multiple titles from the creator), this is the series that's gotten the least exposure here. So it's great to see Grendizer U: The Inception getting an English-language release.

This manga serves as a prequel to 2024's Grendizer U, an anime remake of Nagai's 1975 manga and anime UFO Robo Grendizer. Like Great Mazinger before it, this part of the Mazinger Saga, meaning you can expect to see Koji Kabuto and other familiar faces pop up. But you can easily pick up this manga with no foreknowledge... in fact, that's what it's made for.

The story of Grendizer U: The Inception starts well before our hero Duke Fleed arrives on Earth, focusing on the rivalry between himself and Gau Su Uls. Just as Duke, the prince of the planet Fleed, prepares to inherit the right to pilot the guardian deity Grendizer, he must face down someone he once considered a friend and learn more about how his home planet is truly ruled. It isn't long before we jump to more familiar territory: the amnesiac "Daisuke," now living on Earth with Koji and Sayaka of Mazinger Z fame. As the first volume comes to an end, Daisuke comes face to face with one of Earth's greatest mecha.

KEY 8's art for this retelling is slick, preserving the basics of Go Nagai's character design while bringing something new to the table. Tatsuo Higuchi's expansion on his own screenplay for the new series also gives old-school anime fans something we don't often get: solid new perspective on a classic. As fresh and new as it is, this story feels right in the universe of the Mazinger Saga. And until such time as Grendizer U gets a legal release in the States, this manga makes a great stopgap. It's a must-have for any classic mecha fan's shelf.

TEA PAIRING: Secrets in the Garden
A watermelon-lime green tea that's new for spring, this tea brings to mind the greenery of the academy back on Fleed and the laid-back warmth of the ranch Daisuke now calls home. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other book-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!