Background:

This version of War Machine hails from the 2010 live action “Iron Man 2” movie, played by Don Cheadle. The War Machine suit was modified from the “stolen” MKII Iron Man suit and beefed up with extra armour and weapons by Stark’s business rival Hammer Industries.

Name: War Machine
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Line: Sci-Fi Revoltech
Sculptor: Enoki Tomohide
Designer:
Scale: Non-scale
Material: PVC, POM
Release: Oct 2011
Original Price: ¥3,334 (approx. $42AUD / $43USD)
Height: 155mm / 6.10inches

Packaging:

War Machine comes in the standard Sc-Fi Revoltech flip open box with lots of information about the character and toy all over the packaging. The box surface feels really nice with the celloglaze finish giving it a high quality feel.

Accessories:

War Machine is pretty much a self contained unit so there isn’t really a need for a lot of accessories. He does come with two extra pairs of optional hands, but to bolster the display-ability of this toy Kaiyodo has made some gun firing effect parts for the shoulder mounted Gatling gun and the arm mounted machine guns. Then there’s the name plate and Revoltech coin box but no coins.

Form/Sculpt:

It is quite difficult to say if this toy is movie accurate or not, I mean it looks great and highly detailed but all movie War Machine toys I’ve seen differ slightly in their appearance and design from one to the other. I will point out though that this version seems to have a rather large ass. Other than that I think it’s great!

Articulation/Action:

When it comes to articulation, there’s no doubt Revoltech has it down packed. There are heaps of joints, 24 in total which allows you to make any pose you can think of. I do have to reiterate that I think the toy would be much nicer with stronger joints, as the revolver joints tends to have a bit of play in them which don’t always hold poses particularly well. Because of this I find it hard sometime to balance the toy, would help if it came with a stand.

Paint/Print:

War Machine comes highly finished with great paint app and fine print detail. The paint job is incredibly tidy, possibly one of the best I’ve seen on a Revoltech toy. The silver parts have panel lining detail applied, combined with the pad printing it makes this guy look quite realistic.

Detail/Features:

War Machine features a folding down thigh panel, I’m not sure what this does as it doesn’t really interfere with articulation but its there just so you know.

Here’s War Machine with Iron Man MKVI, you can see he is much beefier and the details look much more refined. I think the War Machine sculpt is a very nice improvement from the MKVI. Stacked up against Hasbro’s version of War Machine you can clearly see there is a lot of difference in the designs although both are instantaneously recognizable as the same character. There are aspects of both which I prefer over the other but in terms of overall design and quality I think Revoltech has a slight edge here.

Overall:

This is a really nice depiction of the movie War Machine in toy form. The build quality of this toy is quite good, accompanied by a nice paint app there really isn’t anything bad I can say about this toy. Being a Revoltech it is also quite readily available at a reasonable price. If you’re a fan of War Machine you’ll definitely love this toy, and who doesn’t love War Machine!

Thanks for reading:)

Wild Tiger from “Tiger & Bunny” is finally here! One of the best anime series I’ve ever laid eyes on, seriously!

Background:

From the anime series Tiger & Bunny, the main protagonist Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, aka Wild Tiger is a veteran “NEXT” (individuals with super powers) living and working in a futuristic city called Sternbild City. The superheros of Sternbild City are sponsored by real life companies and their heroic activities are broadcasted on the popular television show “Hero TV” where they each try to accumulate points and improve their hero ranking. At the end of each season the highest ranked hero is crowned “King of Heroes”.

Name: Wild Tiger
Manufacturer: Bandai
Line: S.H.Figuarts
Sculptor:
Designer: Masakazu Katsura
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, PVC, POM, Zndc
Release: Oct 2011
Original Price: ¥4,500 (approx. $56AUD / $58USD)
Height: 148mm / 5.82inches

Packaging:

The packaging format is the same as other S.H.Figuart releases, a thin profile cardboard box with a large front window. Keeping in theme with the anime, it comes draped in vibrant and exciting Tiger & Bunny style graphics. On the back there are dynamic photos depicting the features of the toy and a short description of the character in Japanese. Very nice.

Accessories:

Wild Tiger comes with a pair of wire gun parts, Good Luck Mode right arm part, 2 extra pairs of optional hands and surprisingly a custom Wild Tiger damashii stand. To attach the wire gun part, the arm armour parts needs to be pull off and the wire gun parts sandwiched in between, this process is relatively simple. Getting the Good Luck Mode right arm part in place requires a little bit of bravery as you do need to tug the right arm off with a bit of force, but everything seems to be pretty solid. The damashii stand is a nice inclusion as this allows Wild Tiger to be placed in mid-flight poses.

Form/Sculpt:

Wild Tiger’s armour looks just as good in toy form as it does in the anime. The molds are very sharp and highly detailed especially around torso area. There are a lot of clear and translucent parts used in this figure and it really adds a whole new level of detail to the toy. My first impressions of the toy when I picked it up was that it felt quite solid but very bottom heavy thanks to its die-cast feet. This turned out to be a good thing as it balances the figure quite well.

Articulation/Action:

As can be expected from the S.H.Figuarts line, this toy has amazing articulation. Featuring articulated toes, double jointed knees and elbows, ball joint hips and articulated waist and chest, the toy can recreate just about any poses from the anime. The only place where articulation was restricted is the head, due to the large collar design on his chest armour Wild Tiger is unable to look upwards. I have also heard stories about the leg joints breaking on this toy, fortunately this has not happened to mine but best to be careful.

Paint/Print:

On the whole the paint app is quite good, although there are a few bits which I think could have been done better, especially because S.H.Figuarts are supposed to be really good in this department. The clear shoulder pads are somewhat cloudy in appearance, and the paint app hazy. However all the pad printing logos and Wild Tiger’s chest logo appear to be clean and sharp.

Detail/Features:

Compared to the S.H.figuart Kamen Rider figures, Wild Tiger stands just slightly taller and as you can see the proportions are very different. Anime vs Tokusatsu!

Overall:

If you’ve seen the anime, you’ll understand how awesome Wild Tiger is, and you’ll also understand why this toy is so sought after! Not only is this an awesome character from an awesome anime, the toy itself is also very well made. I’ve had no problems with mine so far but do take into account there are people out there who’ve had broken joints and smudged print detail. I think as long as you are careful with it, it’ll be a great addition to any collection.

Thanks for reading as always:)

Right after I received my Fewture Ex Gokin Shin Getter 1, I was so impressed by the quality and presence of the toy I immediately set out and pre-ordered the next release in the Fewture Ex Gokin toy line – Energer 1969.

Background:

Energer was the original concept robot for Mazinger Z. Inspired by a traffic jam, Go Nagai came up with the idea of a giant robot controlled by a motorcycle docked inside its head. The idea of the motorcycle would later evolve to a hovercraft type vehicle, and the robot renamed Mazinger Z to evoke the image of a demon god.

Name: Energer 1969
Manufacturer: Art Storm Co. Ltd
Line: Fewture Ex Gokin
Sculptor: Alan Moriguchi
Designer: Sato Taku
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, PVC, POM, Zndc
Release: Oct 2011
Original Price: ¥19,800 (approx. $263AUD / $257USD)
Height: 238mm / 9.37inches

Packaging:

The box for the Energer 1969 is not quite as large as the Shin Getter 1 box, but it is still quite sizable. It comes with an outer delivery box which protects the inner box perfectly with the help of some corner styrene padding. The main box is wrapped in plastic which I assume is to protect against dust and moisture during transportation or storage. The box material is very thick and wrapped in high quality gloss paper, and it even has a sleeve. The toy itself is very well protected, everything is wrapped in bags and the moving parts of the toy (neck and thighs) have been wrapped padding material to prevent scratches.

Accessories:

Energer comes with a very limited number of accessories. There is of course the Pilder Machine with Koji Kabuto (I think) at the controls, a set of plastic clear breast plates, a pair of open palm hands, a pair of weapon wielding hands designed to be used with Mazinger’s sword (not the one in the photo) and a display stand which I couldn’t be bothered getting out. I was surprised to find that the red set of breast plates were also made from plastic even though Art Storm’s website states that it is Die-cast?

Form/Sculpt:

What more can I say except “wow”. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of admiring this beautiful toy. It does share a lot of the same parts as the Mazinger variant which is not a bad thing, but it does get a new head sculpt, different breast plates and of course the ramp on the back. This is a very hefty and solid piece, with the majority of the body work being die-cast. Although I’m not fortunate enough to also own the Mazinger toy, if you take the ramp off Energer’s back it looks like it may also be able fit the Jet Scrambler.

Articulation/Action:

Energer features nice rachet joints which feel very solid but are somewhat limited in their range of movement. The only joints which do not get the ratchet treatment are the waist, neck, wrist and shoulder roll joints. I also feel that the ankle could make use with a tilting joint but it’s not too bad as is. I couldn’t manage a lot of dynamic poses with this toy but with something like this you really don’t need to as it looks best on display in the neutral pose.

Paint/Print:

At a glance, the paint scheme looks very simple but once you delve into it there are actually a lot of nice little areas with delicate paint app. The face looks absolutely stunning up close, I love the red highlights on the forehead and around the eyes. The breast plates have panel lining applied to the front as well as a detailed inking applied to the back. The gold highlights throughout the figure are very tidy and really brings out the sculptural detail of the toy. As far as mechanical detail goes, there is a pair of pistons on the upper chest which looks wonderful. The Pilder Machine is considerably well painted for something so small although there is no detail on the rider’s face.

Detail/Features:

The bike ramp on the Energer is made from two sections and can be lifted up to allow the Pilder to ride up its back.

Just like its Mazinger and Great Mazinger counterpart, Energer’s mouth can be opened to recreate the “Howling Canon”.

Also just like its Mazinger and Great Mazinger counterpart, the magnets in the forearms are also prone to falling off but a bit of super glue will fix that quick smart. Just make sure you put the magnets in the right way!

Just for laughs, let’s pit this guy up against the Mazinger AD-1901 toy (cos I’m too poor to afford the Mazinger 1969 toy XD). As you can see, the design has come a long way but I love them both!

Overall:

With the price of both Mazinger 1969 and Great Mazinger 1969 going through the roof, this guy is a really nice substitute if you want a piece of Dr Robo’s brilliance on your shelf. I also think there is a bit more of a significant meaning behind this toy, being the concept design that started it all. However you’ve gotta be quick, I don’t think it will be long until the price of this guy soars, but don’t quote me on that.

Thanks for reading!

This was one of my favourite arcade games back in my high school days, but at $2 (that was a lot back then!) a pop it wasn’t a game I could play often which meant I never really got very good at it. However, I did quite like the mecha design, even though Temjin wasn’t the Virtuaroid of my choice it’s still great to see it being made into a toy.

Background:

Name: Temjin
Manufacturer: Bandai
Line: Composite Ver. Ka
Sculptor:
Designer: Katoki Hajime
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, PVC, POM
Release: Oct 2010
Original Price: ¥4,800 (approx. $60AUD / $62USD)
Height: 148mm / 5.82inches

Packaging:

Packaging is relatively compact and slim, there is a bit of wasted space being in a box format but this is pretty standard nowadays. The box itself is quite sturdy, it features a large display window at the front which wraps around to the top allowing a view of the contents. Inside, there is a backing card with a nice artwork of Temjin that sits behind the plastic liners which holds the toy in place.

Accessories:

Temjin comes packed with quite a few weapons, ready to wreck havoc. It comes equipped with the MPBL-7mk2-d assault rifle, the MPBL-7mk3 beam rifle, a power bomb and beam blade attachment for the beam rifle. Other accessories include an optional soft type antenna for the head, disc for the backpack, optional hands and a display stand. The weapons fit very nicely and easily in the hands and the bomb has a little tab which fits into the open palm hand.

Form/Sculpt:

I can’t say that I remember Temjin very much from the games as I didn’t used to use him, however compared to the artwork on the packaging backing card, I’d say this toy is relatively accurate to its original design. Being an original Katoki Hajime design, it doesn’t surprise me as this line is overseen by the man himself. In terms of materials used, the toy feels great and the details are really quite sharp thanks to the use of ABS on the external parts.

Articulation/Action:

Temjin is one nimble Virtuaroid, it features many useful joints which holds poses beautifully. What I like about this toy is that all the joints are relatively simple yet effective. The head shoulders and hips for example are on ball joints which works well and give a huge range of movement. Temjin also features toe articulation which really helps with a lot of the wide stance poses.

Paint/Print:

This toy also features plenty of pad printing detail, a signature of Katoki’s works. The paint app is really nice and tidy which is further accentuated with the use of translucent parts. Its worth noting that there is a pearl paint effect on all the blue and white parts of the toy which the photos may not have picked up very well.

Detail/Features:

There is quite a fun gimmick on this toy and that is the opening console styled backpack which houses the boosters. As you open the lid of the console, a little tab lifts the disc up.

When compared to the 1/144 scale GFF RX-78-02 Gundam, the Temjin stands only about half a head taller, but due to the body proportions it does feel much bigger than the GFF counterpart.

Overall:

This guy is by no means my favourite mecha, nor was he the mecha I chose when I used to play this game, but this toy was just so much fun to play with that I’d happily recommend it to anyone. Another great thing about this toy is that it is mostly overlooked, so most places (HLJ, AmiAmi) have him on sale at the moment for a great price, get yours today and enjoy the fun!

Optimus Prime from the live action Transformers movie finally gets the Sci-Fi Revoltech makeover. Lets see how well Kaiyodo has done with this release…

Background:

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots Transformers, appearing in all three of the live action movies so far with little to no change in mechanical design. He is a just and courageous leader, fighting on the side of the humans to protect Earth from the evil Decepticons.

Name: Optimus Prime
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Line: Sci-Fi Revoltech 030
Sculptor: Yuki Oshima
Designer:
Scale: Non-scale
Material: PVC, ABS
Release: September 2011
Original Price: ¥3,620 (approx. $45AUD / $48USD)
Height: 140mm / 5.51inches

Packaging:

Optimus Primes comes in the standard Sci-Fi Revoltech Packaging featuring a Velcro shut flip opening lid. There is a ton of information regarding the movie and figure, unfortunately its all in Japanese but it really makes the packaging look professional. I like the fact the cardboard stock has a matt cello finish adding to the quality of the overall product.

Accessories:

Optimus Prime comes with a stack of weapons, interchangeable hands and a name plate. As with all Sci-Fi Revoltech releases, it also comes with a little orange box where you can store the extra hands but no plastic Revoltech coin included with this toy. The weapons consist of an energy blade as well as 4 different guns.

The guns can be connected together in different configurations to make various types of weapons, and there are also quite a few spots on the arms and shoulders of the figure which the weapons can connect to. I’m not sure why there were so many guns included, I would have rather received two energy blades but that’s just me.

Form/Sculpt:

Overall I’d say Kaiyodo has done a good job in capturing the design of the movie Optimus, although there are a few things I’d personally like to see different. The first is the proportions. To me this version of Optimus looks a little bit too stocky, especially around the shoulders. Not a big deal but Optimus should be a bit more slender, imagine a toned athlete rather than a football player. The other problem lies within the series itself – the revolver joints. The joints themselves have a bit of play in them making the figure slightly floppy. I’ve never really been a fan of these joints but they do do a good job with the sculpt which is the reason why I keep coming back to this line.

Articulation/Action:

The other thing that Kaiyodo does well is articulation and this figure has tons of it. Whatever pose you can imagine, this toy can pull it off, that is once you get all the joints lined up in the right orientation – which can be tricky at times but not impossible. According the product description there are a total of 19 revolver joints used in this toy, an impressive number for such a small toy.

Paint/Print:

The movie Optimus Prime is very intricate in design, and there is heaps of little mechanical detail everywhere throughout the body and I’m happy to report that Kaiyodo has pulled it off perfectly. The paint app on this guy is simply brilliant. Not only is the paint job very tidy but even the smallest of detail has been considered. The flame artwork also come out very well, even the gold gradient on the arms and feet wheel arches have been reproduced.

Detail/Features:

There has been many movie Optimus Prime toys made to date, so how does this one compare to some of the other more popular released? Compared to the Hasbro/Tomy Takara Leader Class RA-24 Buster Optimus Prime, the Revoltech version is tiny but heaps more detailed and much more movie accurate.

Compared to Tomy Takara’s Dual Model Kit Optimus Prime the Revoltech version is minuscule. Both are very detailed and relatively movie accurate although I do prefer Tomy Takara’s version more.

Lastly a size comparison with 3.75” figures, you can see how small the Revoltech toy actually is, which makes it even more amazing how much detail is crammed in.

Overall:

This is a good representation of the movie Optimus Prime, it has great articulation, movie accurate sculpt and neat paint application so it ticks all the right boxes. It is also much more affordable and easier to obtain than most of the other versions which is another plus. I don’t really mind that it doesn’t transform as I do prefer displaying my Transformers in robot mode anyway. For all Transformers and Revoltech fans, this is definitely a great pickup!

Thanks for reading!

Before my Robot Damashii [Side Yoroi] Dann of Thursday arrives, I thought I should take a closer look and share the toy that started my fascination with the Gun X Sword (ガン × ソード) series, and oh boy was it an awesome series!

Background:

The story of Gun X Sword takes place on a planet called the “Planet of Endless Illusion” where modern cities, stone castles and old western outpost towns co-exist. The main protagonist, Van, is the pilot of Dann of Thursday, one of 7 of the “Original Seven” armors which orbits the planet inside their satellite station. Van is a skilled fighter, unable to fully recollect his past, his only goal is to search the planet for a man with a clawed right hand who killed his bride to be and seek revenge. Along the way he meets and is joined by others, each linked in their own unique way to the clawed man.

Name: Dann of Thursday
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Line: Gun X Sword
Sculptor: Takeshi Hamazaki
Designer:
Scale: Non-scale
Material: PVC, ABS
Release: Jan 2007
Original Price: ¥12,800 (approx. $168AUD / $165USD)
Height: 235mm / 9.25inches
(to top of head)

Packaging:

A quick glance at the packaging and you can tell immediately that this is a quality product. The box is made from thick heavy stock with high quality gold foil printing, no expenses spared here. Inside the box, there are just a few twisty wires to keep the figure in place with plastic liners protecting the moving parts during transportation. Very collector friendly with solid plastic trays.

Accessories:

Accessories wise, Dann comes with his signature sword which has the ability to split into two, additional hands for various poses and a large display base with a metal rod stand. The swords fit together very nicely but an extra handle piece is required to be fitted in order for Dann to wield the smaller sword. The display base depicts the seven icons representing the “Original Seven” mechas that orbit the planet. The stand itself is the only metal component in the set but I find the design of the connecting piece to be rather useless. It has a ball joint rod at the end which means the only thing its good for is keeping figure upright.

Form/Sculpt:

“Wake up Dann!” This figure is certainly awake in all aspects from the design to the sculpt. It perfectly captures the lanky stature of Van which Dann resembles. Each part of the mecha’s armour panels are sharply detailed, and the soft hose lines beautifully integrate into the toy. One criticism I do have about this sculpt is the slightly oversized rear end and thighs of this toy compared to the anime drawings, however this is a small issue and is only really obvious when viewed from the back.

Articulation/Action:

This toy has plenty of articulation, all with really good range as well! Most of the poses from the anime can be recreated with ease even though the joint designs are relatively simplistic. The elbows and knees for example are single jointed and rather than using the more traditional ball and swivel joints for places like the hips and shoulders, this toy makes use of a series of cut joints. This does take some getting used to as you need to manoeuvre the pieces around a bit to get the right pose, although it does mean that there are no hideous gaps in the body where the joints would normally be.

Paint/Print:

Where do I begin, there is just so much tasty paint detail on this toy its hard to describe in words but in short its absolutely beautiful. The thing I like the most is how Max Factory have replicated the G.E.R fluid (essentially the muscles) effect using translucent parts for the moulding then painting over it – it really makes the figure glow. There is plenty of panel lining and shading going on as well, its simply a work of art.

Detail/Features:

A couple of simple gimmicks on this toy can be found, mainly to help with articulation if anything. Firstly the hoses on the legs can extend to allow the knees to bend more freely.

The elbows also have a similar mechanism where the hose is connected to a rotating piece allowing the forearms to bend more freely, although in this case the hoses do still collapse at the end.

Lastly a couple of comparison shots showing the size of the figure. I was very surprised at how big this figure is when I first received it. I had imagined it to be around the size of a 7” figure but as it turns out Dann stands over 9” tall, similar in height to a MP-08 Masterpiece Grimlock. Standing against the 7” Otoha Karas figure, Dann towers over him by almost two heads.

Overall:

Max Factory’s Dann of Thursday action figure has always been high on my wish list. It was only a couple of months ago I was finally able to track one down, luckily it was brand new and the price was much less than I was prepared to pay for it.

These days you’d be lucky to find one at all, and if you do you’d be lucky to find one for less than 3 times the original RRP of around $165USD. Max Factory don’t tend to produce in large quantities with their toys which makes them hard to get if they turn out to be popular – such as this one.

This is an excellent collector’s toy, it does have a few small flaws but it more than makes up for them with the breathtaking sculpt and finishing. If it weren’t so expensive and hard to come by I’d recommend it to everyone.

There is a popular saying “Last but not least” and it certainly applies in this case. The last of the four Black★Rock Shooter girls have finally arrived and I am absolutely smitten!

Background:

From the anime OVA Black★Rock Shooter, Strength is one of the supporting casts that did not receive a lot of screen time. Shown at the start of the anime approaching the battle between Black★Rock Shooter and Dead Master, it reflects Yuu’s (Strength’s other self) growing feelings of being left out.

Name: Strength
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Line: Figma SP-018
Sculptor: Masaki Asai
Designer: Huke
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, PVC
Release: Aug 2011
Original Price: ¥3,619 (approx. $49AUD / $47USD)
Height: 120mm / 4.72inches

Packaging:

Strength comes in the same format of packaging as the other BRS girls, her packaging colour of choice is a mustard yellow which suits her just fine. As always, a good sized window displays the contents, with photos at the back showing the features of the toy. All the contents are well laid out and fits snugly in the plastic liners and the cardboard liner again has the perforated di:stage cover.

Accessories:

Strength doesn’t come with a lot of accessories but I think it’s enough to make this a good toy. Firstly there is only one extra face part with the same emotionless expression looking slightly further off to the side, then there’s the pair of huge mechanical “Ogre Arms” each with individually articulated fingers and stabilizing rods (long & short x 2 each) and a standard rack of spare hands and a figma display stand. It’s also worth noting that Strength’s hoodie is made from soft PVC and can be taken off.

Form/Sculpt:

Sculpturally speaking, Strength is as cute as a button although her facial expression doesn’t quite convey the same message. Her hoodie and dress are made from soft PVC and contrasts nicely against the rest of the toy which are made from harder plastics. Strength also features a soft translucent purple bony tail coming out from the top of her panties (I only peaked for review purposes! XD). Her Orgre Arms are simply amazing, they swap out from the shoulders and fit very tightly in the joint.

Articulation/Action:

Like most figma toys, articulation is pretty amazing. The only part that has been hindered in this particular toy is the hip joints due to her dress, other than that I can’t really spot any faults. Not counting the fingers in the Orgre Arm, I count about 20 points of articulation for this toy, impressive for something so small. As for the Orgre Arm fingers they each have 4 segments, and 3 for the thumbs.

Paint/Print:

I’m happy to report there are no problems with the paint app on the Strength figure I received, unlike Black Gold Saw which was a bit effy. The face is absolutely gorgeous, the Orge Arms are well weathered with paint chips and the white trim on her costume is pretty tidy on the whole, oh and I love the bow on the back of her dress! The only small problem I can see is that the matt finish of her hoodie and dress may be prone to scratch marks so be careful with it.

Detail/Features:

Finally its time to put Strength up against Black★Rock Shooter and see who is the tallest!! BRS wins by half a head. What about the rest of the BRS ladies? Strength needs to eat more veggies! Aren’t they all just adorable?

Overall:

There are many reasons why you should buy this toy, not only is it actually a really well made toy, the characters and the designs are just absolutely stunning. It’s hard for me to say which of these four lovely girls is my favourite, but I do know Strength is definitely up there.

If you like Huke’s work, if you like Black★Rock Shooter, if you like figma action figures then this is a no brainer. Or if you simply like small cute girls with massive mechanical arms that can tear a bus apart then this is definitely the toy for you!

Thanks for dropping by:)

Background:

From the packaging bio:
In the ruins of old Detroit, a crime ridden ghetto of the not too distant future, a good cop, Alex J Murphy, is killed in the line of duty. A team of doctors and scientists are able to piece him back together as an unstoppable crime-fighting force called Robocop. Impervious to bullets and bombs, and equipped with high-tech weaponry, Robocop quickly makes a name for himself by cleaning up the streets of violence ravaged Detroit. Despite his new, metal exterior, Robocop is tormented by fragments of memories of who he used to be. As Robocop discovers his past and the identities of his killers he is out to seek more than justice…he wants revenge!

Name: Robocop
Manufacturer: Neca
Line: 7″ Action Figure
Sculptor: Roger Mutt / Kyle Windrix
Designer:
Scale: Non-scale
Material: POM, PVC
Release: Aug 2011
Original Price: $17.99USD
Height: 180mm / 7.09inches

Packaging:

Robocop comes in a traditional heat sealed clamshell packaging. All in all it is quite compact and shows the figure well. Not particularly collector friendly if you decide to open it up and play with the toy but it does the job!

Accessories:

Robocop is very sparsely equipped, he comes only with his Auto-9 pistol and an interchangeable right hand with a spike. The sculpt of the Auto-9 is reasonable but could do with a bit more detail. Its also note worthy that it cannot be stored in Robocop’s right thigh.

Form/Sculpt:

It’s a mixed bag of emotions for me with this Robocop. I really like the overall sculpt and the movie accuracy of this toy however I was sorely disappointed to discover that the particular figure I received has a severely deformed left leg, hence why he is standing crooked. I have no idea how this passed through the factory undetected? It’s pretty obvious isn’t it? Maybe they just didn’t care?

Articulation/Action:

Even with a crooked leg, the articulation is pretty decent for a Robocop figure. He isn’t exactly known for his acrobatics so I wasn’t expecting a lot. The head is on a massive ball joint so it moved freely in all directions. It has a chest rocking joint as well as swivelling waist joint. The shoulder joints rotate all the way around and also lifts up. The hips are also connected by a ball joint and has plenty of movement. The one place I would have liked to see a bit more range are the elbow joints.

Paint/Print:

I wasn’t overly impressed with the paint app on this guy, everything looks sloppy and unrefined. There is overspray and uneven paint everywhere. Neca has tried to bring out the purple-ish reflection of Robocop’s armour but I would hardly call it a success, you can see it in certain lighting but they should have put the effort into QC rather.

Detail/Features:

To give you an idea of just how bad the deformed leg is, here is a few close up shots of it. Seriously, are they blind? Think about it, some guy had to pick this part up, look at it and paint it with a brush so how can they have missed it?

On a more positive note, Robocop does feature working pistons. Still not good enough to make up for the f****ed up leg though.

Lastly, comparing Robocop to Neca’s own Predator line. Robocop is still quite a bit smaller than the Predator, not sure if they are in scale or not? Either way the Predators are much better toys than the Robocop, although they do suffer from similar QC problems, ie missing knee pad on my Classics Predator.

Overall:

If you are interested in picking this guy up I suggest you get him from a brick and mortar retail store, that way you can inspect the toy before you buy. If you can find a good example it’s still quite a nice Robocop toy for the price.

I really hope Neca does something about the QC, it’s a shame to see nicely sculpted toys being produced so badly. Oh well, better luck next time…I hope!

GaoGaiGar is a great combining super robot anime series which I absolutely love. Sure the obligatory combining sequence in every episode can become a bit repetitive but the storyline is intriguing and the characters are full of personality. Highly recommended!

Background:

GaoGaiGar, also known as “The King of Braves GaoGaiGar (勇者王ガオガイガー )” is an anime series that began in 1997. The story takes place in the year 2005, the Japanese government creates a secret organization “Gutsy Geoid Guard” aka GGG to combat an alien life form known as “Zonderians” on Earth who uses Zonder metals to infuse human hosts with nearby machines to turn them into “Zonders”. Once turned they will seek out to destroy the source of their stress and it’s up to the GGG to stop them with the help of Galeon (mechanical lion of alien origin), Guy (cyborg) and GaoMachines which combine to form GaiGaiGar!

Name: GaoGaiGar
Manufacturer: Bandai
Line: Super Robot Chogokin
Designer: Kunio Okawara
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, POM, PVC, Die-cast
Release: Aug 2011
Original Price: ¥5,000 (approx. $63AUD / $65USD)
Height: 145mm / 5.7inches

Packaging:

If there is one word to describe the packaging design, that word would be “exciting”. The graphics and the photos convey action and power, quite appropriate for this toy. I also like the fact the box is quite compact, and all contents are stored tightly inside without wasting much space. Same goes for the Key to Victory Set 1 (sold separately).

Accessories:

GaoGaiGar comes with a mountain of accessories, heaps more than most toys I’ve owned! It comes with the Dividing Driver, option unmasked face part, Broken Magnum effect part, Zonder core, Protect Shade effect part and of course extra optional hand parts. All the accessories are beautifully made and easy to swap around, but I was surprised to find that the Protect Shade effect part was made from the same thin material as the packaging liner, not that it mattered to me.

And if you want even more accessories, and who doesn’t, you can purchase the Key to Victory Set 1 for an additional ¥2,000. With this set you get Goldymarg in Marg hand mode (non-transformable), Goldion Hammer, optional hand parts and those yellow energy spiky things GaoGaiGar uses to extract Zonder cores with. The Hammer itself is relatively heavy so it is difficult to do any sort of pose apart from holding it upright, but other than that it’s an excellent addition to the toy.

Last but not least, GaoGaiGar came with a bonus “Overload” effect part. This is a cool 4 piece snap together translucent base which adds a lot of action to an otherwise stationary object.

Form/Sculpt:

From any angle, this version of GaoGaiGar looks absolutely perfect. The proportions are spot on, the details are crisp and plentiful and everything just fits together effortlessly. Being from a Chogokin line it does of course contain die-cast parts, and these are present in the leg area, namely the tracks of the DrillGao. Not a lot but enough to make this guy feel relatively solid.

Articulation/Action:

Not only does GaoGaiGar look awesome, it also features amazing articulation. In fact there are so many moving parts I’m not exactly sure how I can accurately count the number of joints on this toy, but as far as I can tell there are over 30 joints and moving parts in total – very impressive. The joints themselves are all nice and tight and hold poses well with the exception of the hip joints as the legs are rather heavy.

Paint/Print:

So far the toy is looking good in all departments, and it looks like the streak will continue with the paint. As you can see, everything is painted with great detail and clarity. I can hardly find any mistakes, over sprays, uneven paint or bad colour matching. Honestly, there is nothing to fault here and it’s quite amazing to see such high quality paint app on such a small figure.

Detail/Features:

There are some really cool gimmicks on this toy, including the sliding knee feature which actually allows the legs to bend even further back.

The mouth of Galeon can be closed, not that it should be in this mode but its nice to know the feature is there.

To my surprise the wings on the StealthGao is actually hinged which I’ve never seen in other GaoGaiGar toys. This allows the arms to have less obstruction when rotating, a nice touch.

Lastly, to give you an idea of the size of this toy I’ve got a Kotobukiya Hybrid Full Action model GaoGaiGar to compare against the Bandai version. Sure the Bandai version isn’t as big and doesn’t have as much die-cast content, but I think it’s a much nicer looking representation and it is also much better executed. For those that aren’t familiar with either toy lines, here’s the 3.75” Stormtrooper with GaoGaiGar.

Overall:

The good news, I’m happy to report that this is a great toy. It is really well designed and made with great finishing touches. The bad news, is that as of writing it is now sold out at all major online retailers so if you want to get your hands on this amazing little gem, you’ll have to jump online and scour through forums and secondary online shopping sites to find this guy. There are still a few floating around with a reasonable price tag so act quick before they’re all gone!

Thanks for reading!

I’ve never played the games, I’ve never seen the animes but I’ve always thought Cybaster was an interesting and great looking mecha. So naturally, when I found out Bandai was releasing this guy in the Composite Ver. Ka toy line, I ordered it immediately.

Background:

Cybaster (魔装機神サイバスター) or alternatively spelt Cybuster is a fictional robot from the Super Robot Wars series. From what I’ve read, it comes from an extra-dimentional origin, it is a “Masouki” piloted by Masaki Andou. The Cybaster was blessed by the Wind elemental’s saint level spirit Cyfith, making it the fastest Masouki, and the only one with the ability to transform.

Name: Cybaster (Cybuster)
Manufacturer: Bandai
Line: Composite Ver. Ka
Designer: Moriya Junichi
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, PVC, POM
Release: Jul 2011
Original Price: ¥5,800 (approx. $70AUD / $75USD)
Height: 160mm / 6.30inches (to top of head trim)

Packaging:

Packaging wise it is a pretty standard Composite Ver. Ka design, with large window at the front. There are graphics and photos relating to the toy as well as some explanation text (in Japanese) at the back. Inside, the figure lies between some plastic liners with the wing parts and display stand parts in a separate layer beneath.

Accessories:

Cybaster comes with a pair of swords two High Familiars, optional hands and a Display stand. The two swords included are the standard Discutter as well as the Vanity Ripper which splits to form two separate swords. To split the Vanity Ripper in two, it does involve some parts swapping, namely detaching a little tab and attaching the sword handle in place – no big deal but it have should been retractable to minimize the possibility of loosing parts. Aside from that I found swapping out the hands a near impossible task, the ball joints were just way too tight, unnecessarily tight.

Form/Sculpt:

Robot Mode: Sculpt wise I recon it is absolutely spot on. It looks great, well proportioned and finely detailed. However, this is one very spiky figure and it doesn’t help that the body parts are made from rigid ABS material. Another problem I found was with the balance of the figure. The wings are pretty solid and it makes Cybaster very back heavy so he does not tend to stay standing straight up very well without the help of the stand.

Alt mode: To be honest, I’ve never really liked the alt mode of Cybaster, it looks a bit like an after thought transformation, and the head of the bird coming out of the crouch just looks wrong. But it is what it is, and for what it is, it looks okay. You may not be able to tell from the photo, but in Cybird mode, the peg hole for the stand is not at the very bottom of the figure, and as the stand is fixed in position the Cybird will end up pointing upwards when connected to the stand.

Articulation/Action:

Looking purely at the amount of movement in each limb, I’d say this is a figure with good articulation. However, there are quite a few problems with it. Firstly as I’ve mentioned already it is very unbalanced and putting it in any sort of pose without a stand is going to be difficult. Secondly, it is very spiky so handling the toy is not the most joyous thing I can think of, and yes those spiky bits do tend to fall off from time to time, adding to the frustration. Then theres the problem of the knees bending the wrong way (as if it was going to transform). Once you do get over these few issues, the toy looks great in most poses.

Paint/Print:

The figure is covered with a nice metallic silver coat of paint but I did notice a few imperfections straight out of the box which you sometimes do get with mass produced toys. Otherwise the paint app is mostly tidy and there are nice details throughout. The figure also has a few transparent green panels which look rather nice, giving it a bit more depth. The swords are well decorated with little “gems” and panel lining. I really like the High Familiars included with this set, and you can see the paint and detail quality is very good on them.

Detail/Features:

In terms of scale, I’m not sure if this particular Cybaster is in scale with the Volk’s version (Dengeki hobby limited) as I don’t have one to compare with, but I do have Dygenguar to give you an idea of the size. For those of you unfamiliar with either line, here’s a 3.75” Stormtrooper which should help you visualize the size of this thing, its not big at all.

Overall:

This could have been a great toy if some of the issues were fixed before release. It just felt like there was a lack of concentration from the engineering team towards the end of the project. Things like the overly tight ball joints for the hands, the back wings being way too heavy, the spikes being too sharp (should have been made with a softer grade of plastic) and the display stand not being able to rotate up and down, but alas.

I’m a little unsure whether or not I’d recommend this toy. On the one hand it looks great, but on the other hand it can seriously drive you nuts trying to “play” with it so I’ll leave the decision up to you guys.

Thanks for reading!