Sayaka Yumi
Encyclopedia
is one of the heroine of Go Nagai
's manga and anime Mazinger Z
. She was a bit hot-tempered and tomboyish, and had a habit of clashing with the story's hero, Kouji Kabuto even though she had a romantic interest in him.
She was voiced by three people in the original series: Tomoko Matsushima, Minori Matsushima
(reprised the role for Super Robot Wars
), and Kotoe Taichi ( credited as Noriko Egawa, also appeared in Great Mazinger
). She was voiced by Ai Uchikawa
in Mazinkaiser
. (The voice actor for her American counterpart in Tranzor Z, Jessica Davis, is unknown.) In the Italian
dub of the original series, Sayaka is voiced by Liliana Sorrentino, and her Spanish
voice actress is Gloria Gonzalez.
Sayaka has since made cameo
s in other Go Nagai series such as New Cutie Honey
, and has been featured or mentioned in such diverse places as the Super Robot Wars
games and the lyrics of reggaeton
songs.
Sayaka appears at the beginning of the series, actually saving Shiro with her robot Aphrodite from being unintentionally killed by Mazinger, piloted by Kouji, who didn't know how to control it at the time. She provides him with the first hints on how to use the robot, so he can handle it properly and defeat his first mechanical monster.
Sayaka would get the chance to help fight the story's monsters with her robot Aphrodite A
, although more often than not she was unable to make much of a difference, as Aphrodite was not originally designed for combat. A recurring plot thread would see Sayaka constantly lobbying for upgrades to Aphrodite to make her more effective in battle, only to have her requests largely ignored (although Aphrodite did gain the ability to fire missiles from its breast components). Once, during Chapter 52, following injuries to Kouji that she blamed herself for, Sayaka actually piloted Mazinger in a battle situation, but being unfamiliar with Mazinger's controls she was not much more effective than she usually was with Aphrodite.
Approximately three-quarters through the story (Chapter 74), Aphrodite was destroyed, Sayaka sacrificing her robot to save Kouji and Mazinger from a deadly attack by one of Dr. Hell
's mechanical monsters. Afterward, Sayaka received a somewhat stronger robot, Diana A
, which unlike Aphrodite was designed with combat in mind.
Sayaka has skills with motorcycles, and hence she is given a special one called the Scarlet Mobile to control Diana; she rides her bike over a beam shot from the robot's head to place it there, turning it into the mecha's cockpit in a manner similar to the Pilder vehicle piloted by Kouji to control Mazinger Z. (Series creator Go Nagai
had originally intended for Kouji to link up with Mazinger via a motorcycle component, but changed it to a flying vehicle reportedly to avoid comparison to Kamen Rider
. With the Scarlet Mobile and Diana A, Nagai finally got to use this idea.)
As is a common theme in Go Nagai's giant-robot series, Sayaka is shown to have a special bond with the mecha at her control, as if they were extensions of her own body. Both Aphrodite and Diana tend to reflect Sayaka's mood and mannerisms in their "body language" while she is piloting them. A more extreme example of Sayaka's connection to her robots can be seen in Chapter 75, where she is shown to be despondent over the loss of Aphrodite and even tries to drown herself while following a vision of the destroyed mecha into a lake.
Following the defeat of Mazinger Z in Great Mazinger
, Sayaka flies with Kouji to the United States. She would return with him later in the series, to help destroy the Mikene Empire.
ish -- a far cry from the traditional Yamato Nadeshiko
archetype used to write sympathetic females in anime prior to Mazinger Z. Sayaka helped pave the way for a much more assertive female presence in shounen anime and manga in later years, and even iconic characters such as Neon Genesis Evangelion
s Asuka Langley Soryu
can trace their lineage directly to Mazinger Z and Sayaka Yumi's groundbreaking portrayal.
In some respects, Sayaka was virtually the prototype for the now-common "tsundere
" character archetype. The relationship between herself and Kouji was often tempestuous, with Sayaka frequently hiding her attraction to Kouji by arguing with him, and on at least one occasion (Chapter 52) the two even had a physical confrontation over a misunderstanding. The fight was sparked by Shiro's botched attempt to recover his Jet Scrander Mazinger Z toy, which he had carelessly flung into the bathroom that Sayaka was using. Unfortunately, he tried to retrieve it using Kouji's fishing rod, and succeeded only in pulling a towel off Sayaka's otherwise nude body. This led Sayaka to mistakenly believe Kouji was peeping on her, leading to an especially violent brawl between the two pilots; Sayaka even scratched Kouji's face with her nails at one point. However, their feelings for each other were genuine and, no matter how much they squabbled, they would always make up in the end (often by annoying each other all over again). While the Sayaka from the original Mazinger Z manga was somewhat less confrontational, she still had a temper and quite the will to fight back whenever she needed it.
, she is shown as a captive of that episode's villain. She, along with Kouji, is also the only character who has appeared in every incarnation of the Super Robot Wars
series of games (with the exception of the first, which had no human characters), in which Mazinger Z and Mobile Suit Gundam
robots are often featured.
Sayaka was to become the 4th spazer pilot in the mecha anime UFO Robot Grendizer, but character developer and co-plotter of the series, Shingo Araki, opposed Go Nagai and designed a new character that did not appear in the Grendizer manga: Maria Grace Fleed, younger sister to Grendizer main character Duke Fleed. Maria soon became a fan-favourite in the latter part of the series.
Daddy Yankee
mentions Sayaka and Mazinger
in the reggaeton
song Machucando
released in 2005, perhaps owing to the massive popularity of the series in the Spanish-speaking world.
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
's manga and anime Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
. She was a bit hot-tempered and tomboyish, and had a habit of clashing with the story's hero, Kouji Kabuto even though she had a romantic interest in him.
She was voiced by three people in the original series: Tomoko Matsushima, Minori Matsushima
Minori Matsushima
, born December 1, 1940, in Chiba Prefecture, is a veteran female seiyū. She currently works for Aoni Production.She is most known for the roles of Candice White , Meat-kun , Sayaka Yumi , Hiroshi , Dororo , and Gyopi .-Notable voice roles:*Candice "Candy" White in Candy Candy *Alexandria Meat in...
(reprised the role for Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
), and Kotoe Taichi ( credited as Noriko Egawa, also appeared in Great Mazinger
Great Mazinger
is a manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai, made as a direct continuation of the successful Mazinger Z series...
). She was voiced by Ai Uchikawa
Ai Uchikawa
is a Japanese voice actress. Uchikawa is currently affiliated with Sigma Seven.- Voice roles :* Chouja Reideen , Kirari Saijyou* Mystery of Nonomura Hospital , Chisato Mamiya...
in Mazinkaiser
Mazinkaiser
is an anime OVA series, inspired by Go Nagai's Mazinger series. The OVA follows Kouji Kabuto, Tetsuya Tsurugi and the rest of the "Mazinger Team" as they fight against Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts....
. (The voice actor for her American counterpart in Tranzor Z, Jessica Davis, is unknown.) In the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
dub of the original series, Sayaka is voiced by Liliana Sorrentino, and her Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
voice actress is Gloria Gonzalez.
Sayaka has since made cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in other Go Nagai series such as New Cutie Honey
New Cutie Honey
is a 1994 Japanese anime series in the Cutie Honey media franchise created by Go Nagai. Inspired by continued popularity of the original 1973 Cutie Honey television series, and first announced by Toei Video on October 1993, it remains the only Honey anime licensed for sale in the United States...
, and has been featured or mentioned in such diverse places as the Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
games and the lyrics of reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
songs.
Mazinger Z
Sayaka would get the chance to help fight the story's monsters with her robot Aphrodite A
Aphrodite A
is a female mecha from the Mazinger Z anime and manga series, created by Go Nagai. It was the first giant robot in the genre to resemble the female anatomy.She was named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty....
, although more often than not she was unable to make much of a difference, as Aphrodite was not originally designed for combat. A recurring plot thread would see Sayaka constantly lobbying for upgrades to Aphrodite to make her more effective in battle, only to have her requests largely ignored (although Aphrodite did gain the ability to fire missiles from its breast components). Once, during Chapter 52, following injuries to Kouji that she blamed herself for, Sayaka actually piloted Mazinger in a battle situation, but being unfamiliar with Mazinger's controls she was not much more effective than she usually was with Aphrodite.
Approximately three-quarters through the story (Chapter 74), Aphrodite was destroyed, Sayaka sacrificing her robot to save Kouji and Mazinger from a deadly attack by one of Dr. Hell
Dr. Hell
Dr. Hell is the main villain of the fictional robot anime Mazinger Z. He is a brilliant, cunning and evil scientist, obsessed with world domination through his creations, the armies of Mechanical Beasts.- History :He was a colleague of Dr...
's mechanical monsters. Afterward, Sayaka received a somewhat stronger robot, Diana A
Diana A
is a female mecha from the Mazinger Z anime and manga series, created by Go Nagai. It was the successor of Aphrodite A after its destruction.She was named after Diana the Roman goddess of hunt.- History :...
, which unlike Aphrodite was designed with combat in mind.
Sayaka has skills with motorcycles, and hence she is given a special one called the Scarlet Mobile to control Diana; she rides her bike over a beam shot from the robot's head to place it there, turning it into the mecha's cockpit in a manner similar to the Pilder vehicle piloted by Kouji to control Mazinger Z. (Series creator Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
had originally intended for Kouji to link up with Mazinger via a motorcycle component, but changed it to a flying vehicle reportedly to avoid comparison to Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
. With the Scarlet Mobile and Diana A, Nagai finally got to use this idea.)
As is a common theme in Go Nagai's giant-robot series, Sayaka is shown to have a special bond with the mecha at her control, as if they were extensions of her own body. Both Aphrodite and Diana tend to reflect Sayaka's mood and mannerisms in their "body language" while she is piloting them. A more extreme example of Sayaka's connection to her robots can be seen in Chapter 75, where she is shown to be despondent over the loss of Aphrodite and even tries to drown herself while following a vision of the destroyed mecha into a lake.
Following the defeat of Mazinger Z in Great Mazinger
Great Mazinger
is a manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai, made as a direct continuation of the successful Mazinger Z series...
, Sayaka flies with Kouji to the United States. She would return with him later in the series, to help destroy the Mikene Empire.
Sayaka's legacy
Sayaka Yumi can be considered a landmark character in the evolution of gender roles in anime. She was one of the first female characters in the genre to regularly take an active role in battles and conflicts, rather than be relegated to the sidelines once fighting began or offering non-combat support. She was strong-willed, beautiful, popular with men and good-hearted... but also brash, stubborn and tomboyTomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish -- a far cry from the traditional Yamato Nadeshiko
Yamato Nadeshiko
is a Japanese term meaning "personification of an idealized Japanese woman", "ideal" in the historical context of the patriarchal, traditional culture of Japan...
archetype used to write sympathetic females in anime prior to Mazinger Z. Sayaka helped pave the way for a much more assertive female presence in shounen anime and manga in later years, and even iconic characters such as Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
s Asuka Langley Soryu
Asuka Langley Soryu
is a 14-year old fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Within the series, she is designated as the Second Child and the pilot of the Evangelion Unit 02...
can trace their lineage directly to Mazinger Z and Sayaka Yumi's groundbreaking portrayal.
In some respects, Sayaka was virtually the prototype for the now-common "tsundere
Tsundere
is a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...
" character archetype. The relationship between herself and Kouji was often tempestuous, with Sayaka frequently hiding her attraction to Kouji by arguing with him, and on at least one occasion (Chapter 52) the two even had a physical confrontation over a misunderstanding. The fight was sparked by Shiro's botched attempt to recover his Jet Scrander Mazinger Z toy, which he had carelessly flung into the bathroom that Sayaka was using. Unfortunately, he tried to retrieve it using Kouji's fishing rod, and succeeded only in pulling a towel off Sayaka's otherwise nude body. This led Sayaka to mistakenly believe Kouji was peeping on her, leading to an especially violent brawl between the two pilots; Sayaka even scratched Kouji's face with her nails at one point. However, their feelings for each other were genuine and, no matter how much they squabbled, they would always make up in the end (often by annoying each other all over again). While the Sayaka from the original Mazinger Z manga was somewhat less confrontational, she still had a temper and quite the will to fight back whenever she needed it.
Other versions
- In Tranzor Z, the Americanized version of Mazinger Z, Sayaka's name was changed to Jessica Davis, and she was rewritten as a cousin of Kouji Kabuto (renamed Tommy Davis in this dub).
- In the MazinkaiserMazinkaiseris an anime OVA series, inspired by Go Nagai's Mazinger series. The OVA follows Kouji Kabuto, Tetsuya Tsurugi and the rest of the "Mazinger Team" as they fight against Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts....
OVAs Sayaka is the pilot of first Aphrodite and afterwards a modified version of Venus AVenus Ais a female mecha from the Great Mazinger anime and manga series, created by Go Nagai. She plays the traditional role of the lady robot that helps the mazinger robot fight the enemy. She was named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.- History :...
, the classic companion of Great MazingerGreat Mazingeris a manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai, made as a direct continuation of the successful Mazinger Z series...
, whose traditional pilot was Jun HonoJun Honois a fictional character featured in the works of Go Nagai. She is the Heroine character in the Super Robot series Great Mazinger and pilots the title female robot Venus A.- History :Jun Hono showed up in the first episode of Great Mazinger...
. - Sayaka appears as a main character in the Mazinger AngelsMazinger Angels-Releases outside of Japan:The manga was also released in Hong Kong and Taiwan by d/visual taipei and in Italy by d/visual.-Toys:Besides the manga, a series of toys from the Soul of Chogokin line from Bandai have been released. The main robots from Mazinger Angels are available as part of the GX...
manga series, in which she once again pilots Aphrodite A.
Cameos
Sayaka makes cameos in several other Go Nagai series. Sayaka (or at least, a girl very closely resembling her) makes a brief cameo in episodes 27 and 33 of Devilman, and in the second episode of 1994's New Cutie HoneyNew Cutie Honey
is a 1994 Japanese anime series in the Cutie Honey media franchise created by Go Nagai. Inspired by continued popularity of the original 1973 Cutie Honey television series, and first announced by Toei Video on October 1993, it remains the only Honey anime licensed for sale in the United States...
, she is shown as a captive of that episode's villain. She, along with Kouji, is also the only character who has appeared in every incarnation of the Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
series of games (with the exception of the first, which had no human characters), in which Mazinger Z and Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
robots are often featured.
Sayaka was to become the 4th spazer pilot in the mecha anime UFO Robot Grendizer, but character developer and co-plotter of the series, Shingo Araki, opposed Go Nagai and designed a new character that did not appear in the Grendizer manga: Maria Grace Fleed, younger sister to Grendizer main character Duke Fleed. Maria soon became a fan-favourite in the latter part of the series.
Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican Reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball,...
mentions Sayaka and Mazinger
Mazinger
is a long running series of manga and anime featuring giant robots or mecha. The name can also be pronounced "Mazinga", as it is has been known in several countries, including in the United States of America.-Series:The series in order:...
in the reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
song Machucando
Barrio Fino en Directo
Barrio Fino en Directo is the second live album by Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee, released on December 13, 2005, by El Cartel Records. The album is a live collection of songs from Daddy Yankee's previous album Barrio Fino...
released in 2005, perhaps owing to the massive popularity of the series in the Spanish-speaking world.