Japanese Reading Report: 27 April 2025

真マジンガー衝撃！Ｚ編

So I dropped the original Mazinger for this. I've been enjoying this version of the story a good amount, however the sheer number of characters with their own "deal", abilities, histories, and motivations is exhausting and I don't anticipate paying much attention to the lesser characters. The whole ordeal feels a bit like Giant Robo, but without the animation quality (this is fine, but not pristine), and without the immaculate charm.

Still, I think it's a good way to experience Mazinger. We get a proper introduction to the robot, to Kouji, Sayaka, and various villains and evil robots, and the action is nearly non-stop.

母性

Following from last week, the plot this week revealed the teased drama from the start of the book. For clarity I think it's best to name the characters the following way: The Daughter is the youngest woman in the family who writes in first person during the 娘の回想 sections. The Mother is the middle-generation character; the woman who writes the 母の手記 sections. The Grandmother is the eldest woman and mother of The Mother whom everyone adores.

So basically we are reintroduced to the idea that the Mother is obsessed with the Grandmother and it comes to a head when a disaster leads to the Mother having to save either her mother or daughter. Despite the Grandmother's protestation and insistence that she focus on the new generation, the Mother demonstrates her preference for her own mother over her daughter. That sentiment follows into future interactions between them after the Grandmother's death. There was a sad scene where the Mother thinks to herself about how she resents her daughter for "having a mother" (it's herself!) who she no longer has. She also bemoans that she no longer has a family, because she doesn't include her daughter or husband (or in-laws). Her reasoning for excluding them is its own messy thing, but I don't want to just repeat her chapters here.

The Daughter's chapters haven't been quite as interesting yet. Despite the traumatic moment she doesn't really have a memory of her mother's choice, so it's not really something she lives with - her main trauma involves losing her grandmother and feeling that her mother's love is conditional.

Each chapter also starts with an investigator (I think in the timeline this person's scenes are the last chronologically) trying to figure out if a young girl (may or may not be the Daughter; I'm unsure at this point) jumped or fell off a high building. The Investigator has had some interesting thoughts about what "motherhood" even means. I look forward to reading more.