Me Blog

Saint Seiya Myth Cloth - Goddess Athena

2014-07-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

In order to save Athena from certain death in the hands of the Lord of Hell himself, Seiya and his friends were tasked to deliver Athena's divine Cloth to her in Elysium. After fighting countless specters and gods, Seiya and his friends finally confronted Hades with a dying Athena in front of them. Before the final showdown between Athena and Hades, she donned the legendary Athena God Cloth.

The Athena God cloth depicts the Goddess Athena herself equipped with her full gear.

About 40-50 percent of the figure was made using metal.

Different angle of the Athena God Cloth. This was one of the best looking God Cloth to date.

Putting the cloth on Athena was actually quite straightforward.

Some parts from the dress/frill were excluded.

I like Athena better without the helmet.

This figure came with a close-eyes face. I cannot recall when she actually did that in the anime.

It also came with a open-mouth face.

This figure was what a lot of people considered as the last release for the Saint Myth Cloth series. The design and crafting of the cloth was as close as you can get to the anime adaptation. The face sculpts were perfect and the same goes to the hair sculpt. The only issue I have with this figure was the articulation. Even though the improved body was able to give the figure a lot of freedom, all of those articulation were restricted once the cloth was put onto the body.

Despite the issue, this was a great figure and it looks great among my Saint Seiya collection. I guess this will be the last I will ever see from the Saint Seiya Myth Cloth series. Pick one up if you are a fan of the series before the price goes off the roof.

Fewture Ex Gokin Getter 2

2014-07-03T00:00:00.002-07:00

Getter 2 was piloted by Hayato Jin with the assistance of Benki Kurama and Ryoma Nagare in the original Getter Robo anime/manga.

Getter 2 was the most petite among the 3 Getter Robo configuration.

Close up on Getter 2. It has a good amount of diecast metal on it.

Getter 2 came with the Getter 2 machine.

Getter 2 with the Getter Reactor inserted into the chest compartment.

The lower chest armor used to conceal and protect the reactor.

The shin can be lowered to review the Getter energy tube.

Close up on the face.

Tilt the the head up and the skeletal feature such as the grinning skull can be seen.

Both arms were equipped with a pair of gigantic claw.

Either one of the arm can be removed and reattached with the iconic Getter Drill.

The drill was a huge chunk of resin/plastic so it was difficult to have the joint hold it in place.

Getter Drill!!!

If you were not satisfied with the thin drill bit, it can be replaced with this gigantic cone bit.

Drill on mecha was made popular by Getter 2 way before Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann was around.

Since I was a late to the Fewture Ex Gokin series, I have problem trying to hunt this old release down with the limited budget which I have with me. This figure suffers a lot in terms of balancing and articulation. The slim design with a high center of balance makes it a challenge to keep this figure up right. The weak joints on the legs does not help either. The arms suffer a similar issue especially when either of the drill was attached to the arm. Despite the issue, this version of Getter 2 is still a masterpiece and is really something to behold.

Figma #SP-046 Guts Berserker Armour Version

2014-06-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

The duel with Grunbeld proved too much for the battle-exhausted Guts until he was equipped with the Berserker armour.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Guts in Berserker mode.

The helmet resembled the hell hound which was the negative aspect of Guts.

A comparison between 2 version of the Dragonslayer. The one on the left belongs to the Black Swordsman while the one on the right belongs to the Berserker. They were similar in form but different in finishing.

It never ends well when Guts go berserk. At least for his enemies that is.

The Berserker will attack with reckless abandon.

In this form, Guts movement was similar to those of a beast.

Schierke was included with this figure in her spiritual form. She was one of a few characters which can help Guts regain his senses.

Watch out Guts! Something is coming!

What in the world...

This figure was a limited edition product which came with a volume of the Berserk manga. As I have expected nothing less from Figma, the articulation was pretty good. All the joints on the figure can be moved to a wide range of angle enabling all sorts of pose for the figure. The finishing and sculpt were great too. The armour and facial expression for both Guts and Schierke was very close to the source material. The only issue I have with this figure was the price tag. I was a late comer to the Berserk series so by the time I was looking for this figure, the price have inflated for quite a bit in the secondary market. That aside, I think that this figure was a good buy and worth every penny i spent on it. Go grab one if you were a fan of the series before the secondary market droves the price tag even higher.

Figma #187 Guts Band of the Hawk Version

2014-06-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

Guts was the captain of the raiding party for the mercenary group known as the Band of the Hawk which was lead by Griffith, their charismatic leader.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Close up on the figure.

Rear view of the figure.

Close up rear view.

Rear view with the great sword attached.

Guts with his battle gear.

Guts with his traveling cloak.

Guts with his full battle gear.

Time to swing this baby around! Guts can hold this figure without much problem.

The cloak restrict movement so I have to remove it.

The regular head was swapped out with this yelling head.

The broad side of the great sword can be used for blocking.

Guts and Griffith.

Two sides of a coin.

A not-so-accurate depiction of their first duel.

The articulation and paint application on this figure was on par with the best figure Figma have ever produced. The face sculpt and design of the figure was very accurate to the original source. This version of Guts was considered as the latest in the Figma line and it depicted Guts in the Golden Age of the series. It was not as dark or gloomy compare to the Black Swordsman version which shows a battle-hardened Guts. This figure compliment the Griffith figure which was released earlier. Berserk was a long running manga and it have quite a number of fans due to it's intense plot and complex characters. This figure was obviously targeted to a niche market and die-hard fans of the series will surely get their hands on one of this.

D-Arts Black Zero

2014-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Zero gets an upgrade in Mega Man X4 in the form of the Black Zero enhancement and Bandai took this opportunity to release another much-sought-after figure.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Close up front view. The paint application was good on this one.

Rear view of the figure.

Close up on the rear.

The black and white scheme with a little of gold and silver highlight was really good.

I cannot remember when was the last time I used the Z Buster.

This figure come with the right amount of different faceplate for the figure to express itself.

The Z-Saber on this version is purple in contrast to the blue on the normal version.

As an addition, this release comes with a faceplate depicting the character in the manga.

Black Zero was identical to the Zero which was released a few years back. The original version have somehow caught a huge demand and is now highly sought after in the secondary market. Similar to the normal version, this version have great articulation and good paint application. If you missed out getting the normal version, this might be the second chance you have been waiting for.

Figma #120 Guts Black Swordsman Version

2014-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

After surviving the Eclipse, both Casca and Guts found themselves in the care of a blacksmith called Godo. Godo and his adopted daughter Erica, nurse them back to full health and later equipped Guts for the new challenges ahead of him.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Close up on the figure. The sculptor managed to nail the head sculpt.

Back view without the cape.

Back view without the great sword. Holy Batman! Look at the utility belt!

This is an impressive figure.

The great sword known as the Dragonslayer.

Due to Gut's proficiency with great sword, he does not have any issue using it to it's full potential.

This figure does not have any balance issue.

The hand joint can hold the great sword in place.

Besides using the great sword to slay his enemies, Guts also utilize the cannon which is hidden in his prosthetic left arm.

The cannon packed enough punch to kill even Apostles.

This is another great release for the Berserk Figma line. This figure has great articulation and the joints can cope with the extra weight of the great sword without much issue. The finishing was gritty which suit this figure very well. My only complaint regarding this figure was the cape. It is made of some low quality fabric which will deteriorate over time. That aside, Max Factory should also consider reissue this figure because it has become quite rare even in the secondary market and collectors will need to pay a large sum just to secure it. All in all, this version of Guts was very well sculpted and every fans of the series should get one while it is still available.

Super Robot Chogokin - Mazinkaiser

2014-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here comes the emperor who can surpass God and Devil himself, Mazinkaiser. It is one of the most prominent mecha in the Super Robot Wars series.

Out-of-box content. Nothing much to see here.

Front view of Mazinkaiser.

Close up on the front. The detail is good for a SRC figure.

Rear view.

Close up on the rear. I can see my own reflection from the glossy finishing.


The detail on the face was nicely done but the Kaiser Scrander seems to be lacking.

Let us flex some muscle!

Double Smasher Punch!

Fire Blaster!

Knuckle Sandwich! Nope, this is not canon.

This figure comes with 2 Kaiser Blade. I have no idea what is the over-sized blade for.

Every Kaiser needs a sword.

The Kaiser Scrander unit.

Front view of Mazinkaiser with the Kaiser Scrander.

Rear view of Mazinkaiser with the Kaiser Scrander.

The once land-bound Mazinkaiser can now fly.

Mazikaiser was released right after Shin Getter 1 and this complete the duo. This Mazinkaiser figure was one of the best figure from the Super Robot Chogokin line. It is really rare for me not to rant about something but Mazinkaiser here is very much a perfect figure. It has great articulation, good finishing and has a good amount of accessories. If I have to be picky, I guess my only issue with this figure was the price tag. Retailing at around USD80, it was expensive for a Super Robot Chogokin figure. That aside, it is a must-have for any Mazinger or Go Nagai fans out there.

Figma #138 Griffith

2014-04-01T00:00:00.002-07:00

Griffith was the charismatic leader of a group of mercenary called the Band of the Hawk in the Berserk series.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of Griffith.

Close up on Griffith. The face sculpt was pretty accurate.

Rear view of Griffith.

Close up rear view of Griffith. The only thing which does not seems natural was the hair.

Griffith with his full gear.

Griffith with the helmet on.

Enough talk. Time to draw our blades!

Despite his feminine look. Griffith was actually a good fighter.

Figma did a great job translating the Griffith character into a figure. This figure have full-range articulation for all the joints. The finishing was top notch. My only complaint regarding this figure was the hair and the cloth which make up the cape. There were not enough detail on the hair pieces to suggest that it was actually hair to begin with. As for the cape, a cloth cape will certainly make it a lot flexible for posing but it looks cheap on this figure. All in all, Griffith was a figure which was targeted at the fans of the series so grab one if you are loyal follower.

Reap what you sow...

2014-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

25th March 2014

Fewture Ex Gokin Getter Poseidon

2014-03-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

Getter Poseidon was the successor to Getter 3 in Getter Robo G. It was formed with the machine Poseidon-Dragon-Liger set up combination and it was piloted by Benki Kurama, assisted by Ryoma Nagare and Hayato Jin.

Front view of Getter Poseidon. It was the most robust among it's brothers.

Close up on Getter Poseidon.

Getter Poseidon came with the Getter Poseidon Machine.

The chest part can be flipped over to review the chest compartment which house the Getter Reactor.

The rib cage was lowered to protect the Getter Reactor.

The articulated arm of Getter Poseidon.

Getter Poseidon came with an extra set of legs. This was the default leg.

The default legs can be swapped out with these track legs.

This leg have some degree of articulation in the ankle it is very detailed.

Time to test our might!

The chest housed a number of missiles. Getter Poseidon also comes with a pair of open-hand with articulated fingers.

Getter Cyclone! The fan at the base of the head can generate a sharp burst of air to decimate an opponent.

Poseidon Punch!

You will be in trouble if you see Getter Poseidon reaching out for you.

Ikuzo! Hayato! Benkei!

I have bought both Getter Dragon and Getter Liger so I am compelled to get Getter Poseidon. Fewture have once again produced a very good gokin figure. The design is slick and very true to the original. Articulations were good and a huge improvement over Fewture's product from the previous years. My only complaint regarding this figure was the finishing. There were something which looks like finger prints on the figure especially on the chest piece. It does not stand out so you wont be able to see it unless you focus your attention on the area. This will truly be a masterpiece if Fewture can step up their efforts in improving the quality of their finishing.

D-Arts X (San Diego Comic Con Limited Edition)

2014-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bandai produced a D-Arts figure exclusively for the San Diego Comic Con which was the much beloved Blue Bomber, Mega Man X.

Out-of-the-box content. It was exactly the same with the regular release.

Front view of the figure. The chrome finishing was very eye catching.

Close up on the figure.

The regular version looks pale in comparison to the chromed version.

We do not negotiate with the Mavericks!


Ready! Aim! FIRE!!!

It is time to put this buster to good use!

The articulation was as good as the regular version.

Charged buster shot!

I was reluctant to get this chrome X for the exorbitant price tag it was put on sell in the secondary market. Fortunately, I stumble upon this while I was on honeymoon in Hong Kong and I remember paying around USD80 for mine which was acceptable for me. It has all the pros found in the regular version such as the great articulation, good proportion, sharp detail and a good amount of accessories. I have mixed feeling towards the chrome finishing. On one hand, the finishing looks great! There are some imperfection on the seam lines but that is still acceptable to a certain extent. On the other hand, the chrome finishing reduced the freedom of articulation on the figure. It was very likely for the parts on the figure to make contact with each other and in the process chipped or scratched the chromed surface. That was one of the reason why I was reluctant to pose it vigorously during the photoshot. That aside, it was still a very nice addition to my Mega Man X collection. Grab this if you can find one for a reasonable price.

Revoltech Sci-Fi #049 Iron Man Mark XLII

2014-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Mark 42 was another Iron Man suit which was design by Tony Stark while he was suffering from severe anxiety after the Chitauri invasion.

Out-of-box content. This is standard issue for Revoltech.

Mark 42 in it's full glory.

Close up front view of the figure. There are lots of detail and panel line on this figure.

Back view of the figure.

Close up back view of the figure. Similar to the front, there are tons of detail here.

This figure comes with 2 different type of Repulsor effect part.

The one on the right is longer than the one on the left.

Pepper is in danger! I need to get to her as soon as possible!

Up! Up! And away???

Help is on the way!!!

HONK!!! HONK!!!

Apparently this suit is still in the testing phase so it falls apart easily.

There is nothing much to say regarding this figure. It was more or less similar to the previous release with some minor changes to the design and paint scheme. Mark 42 comes in the inverted gold-red scheme which looks great. The finishing was just your average Revoltech standard. Articulation was good thanks to the Revoltech joints but there were still space for improvement. After producing more than half a dozen Iron Man figures and Kaiyodo have yet to figure out a way to conceal those joints. Not sure if stupid or lazy. That aside, the earlier Iron Man releases have one or two extra gimmicks such as the concealed missiles, LED arc reactor, booster flaps and etc. This release have non of those! Once again, not sure if lazy of being cheap. The only redeeming feature on this figure was the detail. There were detail all over the figure from panel lines to the different layers of armour. Fans like me will be sucked into getting this figure for the look and design of the Mark 42 suit. I expect this trend to continue on for another 3-5 figures before the Iron Man fever dies off. Let us all hope that Kaiyodo does not plan to release the other remaining 34 suits from the third Iron Man movies.

Figma #133 Samus Aran

2014-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Way before Lara Craft became the mainstream sweetheart of the gaming world, there was Samus Aran. As a tribute to that, Figma has produced a figure of our lady in her power suit.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of Samus. The suit was painted in a red, gold and bronze.

Close up on the front. There were a lot of panel lines which adds up to the detail of the figure.

Back view of the figure.

Close up on the back. Is that a jetpack?

Unlike most female protagonist which wear very skimpy and revealing armour. Samus wears a full body armour.

Articulation was great for this figure. Here are some action pose.

Hip hip hooray!!! I have no idea what am i thinking when I took this shot.

Jump shot!

The figure came with a blaster effect. It was one of the best effect part I have ever see so far.

Samus can kneel without much issue.

Let us play some football. This figure came with a morph ball.

Every wonder how Samus can just conveniently roll into a morph ball?

Figma did a great job with this figure to the point that they have to reissue it due to the high demand. The sculpt was detail and sharp, the paint application was good and it came with great articulation. I am not a die hard fan of Samus or the Metroid series but I have to admit that this was an overall great figure. My only complaint regarding this figure was the lack of a head for Samus which we can swap with the current head. It would definitely make this release complete if Figma ever produced it. That would really be the icing on the cake.

Year of The Horse!

2014-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Thirty first of January 2014 mark the beginning of a New Lunar Year for Chinese all around the world and this also mark the first year I am handling out "ang pow" to the "poor" and "needy". Here were some quick facts I found on the net regarding the horse:

1. The horse is the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle.

2. As of 2014, we are in the Wood Phase of "Wu Xing" (Five Movements/Phases/Steps/Stages, commonly known as the Five Element) so this is the year of the Wood Horse. It will take approximately 60 years for us to revisit the Year of the Wood Horse which is in year 2074 (not sure if I am still alive by then).

With that, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year.

Revoltech Sci-Fi #045 Iron Man Mark I

2014-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

What would you do when you were caught by a bunch of terrorist and were forced to produce weapons for the said group? Build an armour and free yourself from your captors! That is how Tony Stark did it!

Out-of-the-box content. Nothing much to see here.

Front view of the figure. It is not pretty but looks cool nevertheless.

Front close up. The asymmetrical design of this suit is very appealing.

Side view of the figure.

This figure comes with a lot of detailing and weathering.

Back view of the figure. Is that a water bottle at the back?

Is that something like a power regulator unit?

Close up on the right arm. There was a missile concealed inside.

Hi! I am the Thin Man from Wizard of Oz.

Let us heat up the party!

I am exhausted after partying all night.

Here is another Iron Man figure from Revoltech. I was a bit reluctant to get this initially because it was one of the most ugly Iron Man suit out there. Despite that, it has some redeeming features such as the realistic design, good articulation and good amount of weathering. My only problem on the figure was Tony Stark. Yup Tony Stark! This figure was suppose to depict Tony Stark in the Mark I armour but there was no single visage that this Mark I was actually worn by him. It was as if this figure was of a robot build upon the Mark I armour. All in all, it was still a very good depiction of the Mark I armour so grab it if you want to complete your Iron Man figure collection. Makes you wonder how long we will have to keep this up.

UFO Annular Trailer + Transformers Optimus Prime

2014-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

In Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Optimus carried it's annular trailer into the battlefield which acted as a weapon rack when it was fully deployed.

This was the annular trailer produced by UFO.

It was an original design and definitely not a pirated product. It comes in different version. The which I have here was the silver version.

Optimus with the trailer. The trailer sits right into the peg on the prime mover. This is as close as you can get to movie accurate.

The trailer once fully deployed. That was how the name annular trailer came from. It formed a circular weapon rack.

Close up on the interior of the annular trailer.

The LED gimmicks were on the canister. It was a nice addition to this product.

The interior of the trailer/rack was rather detailed too.

Optimus sitting on it's weapon stash to ponder on what to equip. I can use some extra accessories with this rack.

This was another big third party purchase for me. It was not acceptable for Optimus Prime to move around in vehicle mode without it's trailer so I did what was right and bought this annular trailer. Boy was I excited when I received it once it was finally released!

It was huge and it compliments Optimus both in trailer mode or weapon rack mode well. The transformation was really well designed. No disassemble or part swapping needed which was really neat. The only downside regarding this product was the finishing. The blue marking above and below the trailer was a bit off on mine. That aside, the price tag for this product was a bit too steep. All in all, it was a great purchase in my opinion. This will surely made any leader class Optimus Prime whole and complete.

Fewture Ex Gokin Getter Liger

2013-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Getter 2 gets an upgrade in the form of Getter Liger in Getter Robo G. It was formed with the machine Liger-Poseidon-Dragon set up combination and it was piloted by Hayato Jin, assisted by Benki Kurama and Ryoma Nagare.

Front view of Getter Liger. It is smaller than it's brother, Getter Dragon but still pack quite a lot of weight.

Close up on Getter Liger.

Getter Liger came with the Getter Liger Machine.

Close up on the internal. The skull feels funny. I cannot describe what seems to be wrong with it. It could be that sinister smirk/smile. The Getter Reactor is sitting nicely inside the chest compartment.

The rib cage was lowered to protect the Getter Reactor.

Close up on the right arm. There was a lot detail on every inch of the figure.

Close up on the left arm. It functioned as a canister to conceal the weapons on Getter Liger.

Look at those sexy legs!!! Do not get me wrong. I do not have any leg fetish.

The left arm can be opened for weapon deployment.

This figure came with a chain weapon and a Liger missile.

The weapon is attached using a magnet mechanism. Chain attack!

Liger Missile!!!

There was a total of 3 different hand to choose from which can be attached to the arm.

The right hand on Liger can be transformed into a gigantic drill. Drill Arm!!!

I knew I was in trouble when I bought Getter Dragon. I was awed by the design and detail of the figure. I knew I have to get it's brothers too so once Getter Liger was up for preorder, I quickly secured mine without a second thought. Imagine how excited I was when I returned home from work a day or 2 ago and found this big box sitting at my home with labels telling me that Getter Liger is in the house. I postponed all my evening plans to do a quick unboxing and then took Liger out for some inspection. I have to admit that this was another great release by Fewture, the Getter Liger on par with what I have expected. The only complaint I have with this figure was the panel line. Some panel lines were not painted while some were painted in a very haphazard way. Fewture really needs to step up on the quality control especially on their finishing. With that aside, it is safe to say that Getter Liger is another masterpiece which you should not miss if you can afford to pay for the hefty price.

Fewture Ex Gokin Mazinger 40th Anniversary Version

2013-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Mazinger Z was acknowledged as one of the most well-known robot from the Golden Age of Mecha. It was created by Dr. Juzo Kabuto and it was later piloted by his grandson, Koji Kabuto.

Front view of the "black fortress".

Close up on Mazinger. The head spot an evil and vicious design.

Kabuto piloted a Hover Pilder.

Pilder On!!! Mazin! Go!!!

Come! Kikaiju!!!

Here is a knuckle sandwich!

Not getting enough? Here is another!

Rocket Punch!!!

Size comparison between Mazinger and Leader Class Optimus Prime.

This Mazinger was a reissue in conjunction to Go Nagai's 40th Anniversary celebration. It spotted a different colour scheme which was more fateful to the original anime series.

It would have been very difficult to find this figure nowadays because this have been out for years even if you are willing to sacrifice your first born to the devil. I consider myself lucky because I accidentally bumped into this while I was honeymooning in Hong Kong a while ago. It was slightly more expensive from the retail price but it was worth it. I told the shop assistant that I wanted to look at the figure and once everything was proven in order. I paid up in cash without looking back.

The articulation was good but not as impressive as the later Ex Gokin releases. The paint job was nicely done but there were still some flaws here and there but it was not too prominent. I was reluctant to pose it aggressively for I was afraid to chip off the paint during the process. My only issue with this release was the lack of accessories. The original release came with the jet scrander and 2 extra hands with cutter on it. In order to complete this figure, I will have to hunt for the add-on parts separately which will most likely cost me another few hundred bucks. That aside, this is a great release from Fewture and it is a must have if you are a Mazinger fan.

Fewture Ex Gokin Getter Dragon

2013-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Getter Dragon was the successor for Getter 1 in Getter Robo G. It was formed with the machine Dragon-Liger-Poseidon configuration and it was piloted by no other than Ryoma Nagare assisted by Hayato Jin and Benki Kurama.

Front view of Getter Dragon. This was a huge chunk of gokin.

Close up on Getter Dragon. Details were littered all over the place.

Size comparison with Black Getter 1. Getter Dragon was about 1 inch taller.

Getter Dragon Machine. How I wish that it was transformable.

The chest can be opened up to review the Getter Reactor inside.

Close up on the arm. It has a joint at the elbow and the shoulder. The hand was attached with a ball joint.

Close up on the leg. There were tons of detail here. The leg was hold in by 3 major joints. One at the ankle, another at the knee and lastly on the hip.

Getter Dragon with the Getter Wing attached. The wing adds another level of detail on the figure.

It is time to bring out the props. Getter Tomahawk!

The Tomahawk was a double bladed axe. It was a finely crafted weapon.

What is better than a Tomahawk? What about double Tomahawk?

It has been a while Fewture produced another figure for their Ex Gokin line. All this while it was just a reissue/repaint version of the Getter 1,2 and 3. Everyone was excited when Fewture announced the Getter Dragon, Liger and Poseidon. I missed the chance to preorder the Getter Dragon and so I thought it might not meant to be mine. I was given a second chance to purchase this figure and I grab it without looking back. The design of this figure was awe inspiring. Sato sensei must have poured a lot of work into designing it and the sculptors did an excellent job translating the design from paper into the figure which we can see now. The articulation was limited but sufficient enough to do it's job. The finishing was nicely done but there are a few places which were not painted at all. The area at the side of the hand padding was not painted. It was an annoyance to me. Not to mention that some of the panel lines were half painted over. Fewture really needs to improve their quality control on these. Even with those apparent issue with the finishing, Getter Dragon is still a great figure and you should grab one too if you can afford it.

Robot Damashii Doraemon 2112 Version

2013-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Doraemon was meant to be yellow in color until the tragic incident with a robot mouse which gnawed off it's ears. Doraemon proceed to cheer himself up by drinking accidentally drank a "sadness" potion which caused it to wept, the yellow color washed off and his voice changed due to the potion. As a result, he developed a morbid fear of mice despite being a robotic cat, because he was suffering musophobia.Bandai took this opportunity to milk the fans off their hard earned money by releasing a limited edition 2112 version for the 100 years countdown event.

Out-of-box content. The mouse is no where to be seen and this figure came with eye plates in different expression compare to the normal release.

I am going to go visit my future self.

Dokodemo door!

Hiya me of the future who was living in the past!

What are you, my past self doing here? This is going to cause disturbance in the space time continuum!

Chill out! Have a Dorayaki from the future which was your past!

Wah!!! A mouse!!! Wow! I have never seen a life specimen before!

This limited edition Doraemon was similar with the normal release version with a slight difference in the form of different expression for the eye plates and also the exclusion of the mouse. The gold plating was impressive but not close to flawless. There were some finishing imperfection all over the figure. The joints on both arms were stiff/stuck which was most likely caused by the plating. That aside, this was overall a great figure and it deserved a place in your collection much like how Doraemon deserved a special place in our heart.

FWI-3 Jet Power Upgrade Kit + Transformers Optimus Prime

2013-10-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

"Fans Want It" or FWI for short is a third party company which is dedicated to produce add on parts for leader class transformers figure from the movie series. When Takara/Hasbro first introduced the Jetfire Prime, a lot of fans lamented that it was far from being movie accurate including myself. After waiting for more than a year, FWI came out with their own version of the jet power parts and it was something to behold.

Out-of-the box jet power parts.

Jet power parts on Optimus in vehicle mode. Looks like a prime mover hauling a plane wreckage.

Time to suit up!

The jet boots gave Optimus and extra height of about 2-3 inches.

Fully suited and ready to deploy.

Ready yourselves Decepticons!

Close up on jet powered Optimus.

I have my doubts in purchasing this since I have never dealt with any third party Transformers product before but boy was I glad that I actually took the plunge. The jet power parts were not something which were fabricated from the parts of the leader class Jetfire. It was made solely on the idea of a perfect jet power parts for Optimus and it managed to achieved that flawlessly. The parts snap on Optimus without much of an issue. The matte finishing was a bit lacking but still fits the job nicely. My only complaint regarding this add-on parts is the price tag. I bought this upgrade kit at around USD90 which was equivalent to half of the price for Optimus. Despite being expensive, it was still money well spent.

Super Robot Chogokin - Shin Getter-1

2013-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Change Getter-1, switch on! If you were born in the 80's then you were most likely exposed to the golden age of mecha and you were very likely to know the Getter Robot.

Out-of-box content. Nothing much to see here. A few pairs of extra hands. An open abdomen part and a scythe.

Front view of Shin Getter-1.

Close up on Shin Getter-1.

There is no denying that this is Shin Getter-1.

Action time!

Behold my belly button! Opppsss... I mean Getter Beam!!!

This aint your Kamehameha. Stoner...

Sun...

Shine!!!

Shin Getter-1's wrist blades are often used to cut up enemies.

Getter Scythe!!!

This weapon is something to behold. The length is longer than the height of the figure itself.

I have always wanted to get myself a Shin Getter-1. I have my chance when Kaiyodo released one years ago but I missed that opportunity. Fast forward to the present, when I heard that Bandai is going to release Shin Getter-1 in their Super Robot Chogokin line. I ordered mine without a second heartbeat.

Overall, this was a great figure. A big portions of the figure were made of steel so it was rather heavy. Articulation was a bit limited due to the design of the joints. Paint application was good with little to minor flaw. The only complaint I have with this figure was the price tag and the limited accessories. This figure was priced at 25% higher than the older release from the Super Robot Chogokin series. Shin Getter-1 was slightly taller than my other figures from the Super Robot Chogokin line but I do not see that as a good reason for the high price tag. The least that Bandai should do was gave us a generous amount of accessories but that was not meant to be.

If you can look over those issue, this Shin Getter-1 is the figure for your collection.

D-Arts X (Ultimate Armour)

2013-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am Mega Man,

Im blue and cyan.....

The blue bomber gets an additional upgrade in the form of the Ultimate Armour in Mega Man X4.

Out-of-box content of the figure. Nothing to scream about here.

Front view of the figure.

Close up on the figure.

Back view of the figure.

Special highlight on this figure is the translucent/clear armour part.

This enable the inner workings to be viewed.

X in the Ultimate Armour does look menacing.

Take this!

X getting ready to perform his ultimate move. The Nova Strike.

X enveloped himself with energy before performing a flying tackle to obliterate his enemies.

Years have passed since I last played Mega Man X4. I can hardly recalled how X looked like in his Ultimate Armour. When I first saw the product picture of this figure, I was kind of put off by the weird design especially the little small plane on the chest and not to mention the large scrander-like backpack. I have learned to love the odd and yet unique design.

That aside, there are some flaws on this figure which I would like to point out. First of all, the articulation. The overall articulation for this figure was great but some joints are just too loose. The joint connecting the chest and the waist was loose on my figure. Not to mention that the joints on both the ankles were weak too. I got around fixing that with some BlueTag. The second issue I have with this figure was the finishing. There are a patch of bubbling effect on the gold finishing on the left shoulder guard of my figure. This annoyed me the most because I have no easy way to fix it. Last but not least. There was this small imperfection on one of the face sculpt which leaves an annoying black spot on the face.

All in all, Bandai still needs to do a lot in terms of their quality control. If you are a Mega Man/Rock Man X fans just like me and you are willing to accept any shortcoming from this product then do get yourself one of this baby.

Revoltech Sci-Fi #025 EX Iron Man Mark IV

2013-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I could not resist the temptation and finally bought myself the very illusive Iron Man Mark IV which was a limited edition figure.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Close up on the figure.

The revolving joints can provide a wide range of articulation.

Three, two, one, take off!

Those effect parts are good to portray the figure in certain action such as in mid flight.

Repulsor ray!

Want to have a iron-fist sandwich?

Mark IV was basically a recoloured Mark VI with some minor differences. That means that Mark IV has every single flaw which was present in the Mark VI and I have covered all those in my Mark VI review. Since this was a limited edition figure, most reseller was demanding for a premium price for this figure. Some reseller was asking USD200 for this on ebay! I bet there will always be someone who is willing to cough out that amount of money for this but I am definitely not that guy. Fortunately for me, I have managed to secure this figure around the actual retail price. All in all, Mark IV is basically identical to Mark VI. If you are a diehard fan or just wanted to complete your Iron Man figure collection from the Revoltech series then by all means grab it if you come across it at around retail price. If not, you can just grab Mark VI and forget about Mark IV.

Super Robot Chogokin - Anti-Gurren Lagann

2013-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Although the Anti-Spiral is able to overwhelm the Dai-Gurren Dan with immense force, they choose to take a form similiar to the foes in order to inflicting absolute despair upon their defeat.

Out-of-box content. Drills, lots and lots of drill.

Front view of the Anti-Gurren Lagann. This is basically Gurren Lagann with a different colour scheme.

Close-up on the front. This figure also spot a different head design with a featureless face. In another word, this mecha does not show any emotion which suits the Anti Spirals theme very well.

Bandai gave us 3 additional face plate with different emotion for us to express ourselves. I actually prefered all those alternative face plate.

It comes with 2 pairs of long pointy purple drills.

Time for some action poses.

Drills were made from soft rubber material so it does not really hold up straight like a solid drill.

My drill will pierce the heaven! Opppsss wrong slogan.

Hey you over there! Yes! You!!!

I have a pair of wings which fits Anti-Gurren perfectly.

Most people might not know where this mecha originated from. It is neither in the anime series nor the OVA. It was actually made especially for the Super Robot War series. I am not sure if Banpresto intentionally refused to put TTGL (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann) into the game due to power balance issue or they are just trying to save the best for later. Since there are no TTGL so there would not be any Granzeboma. The Anti-Spiral need a mecha to represent themselves hence the Anti-Gurren Lagann was borned. The black and red colour scheme gave this mecha a gloom and menacing appearance, befitting the Anti-Spiral.

The design of the figure was great besides the oversized knees. Initially, it looks kind of awkward but the design actually grows on me. Articulation was great with a lot of metal parts. The finishing on the figure was great with minor or neglectable flaw. Grab this figure if you are a fan of the series. I highly recommend it for your collection.