SHIN GODZILLA - Art Spirits Plex Hyper Solid PVC figure

This past July Art Spirits released the second Godzilla figure in their Hyper Solid line. I had a very difficult time finding any reviews of the figure online, but decided to take a chance and order it anyway. It carries a pretty hefty price tag (mine came to just over $200 shipped), and without a proven track record for the manufacturer like, say, X-Plus has,  I knew I was taking an awful chance. I'm happy to say that - in this instance, the chance paid off - the figure is wonderful! It's a great addition to my Godzilla collection, and might be my favorite incarnation of Shin Godzilla in figure form!

Hyper Solid Shin Godzilla comes in an enormous window box. Because it's made of PVC, not vinyl, the tail comes attached, and the box needs to accommodate that. It's a bit difficult to see the details of the figure even with the window, because it's wrapped in protective plastic. There's another smaller window on the back of the box, which had me puzzled for a bit - it doesn't allow you to see much of the figure, so I was wondering about its purpose. Then it dawned on me - Shin Godzilla's two most distinctive features are his hideous face and his hideous tail tip. Yup, the window allows for direct examination of the grotesque appendage. Other than the windows, the box has several shots of the figure from a couple of angles. Inside, the figure and accessories (yes, it does have a couple) are plastic wrapped and trapped between two plastic shells. Everything is well-protected, while remaining easy to open and collector friendly. Once out of its package, the figure honestly felt smaller than I expected. Part of this is due to the immensity of the box, I'm guessing, which really raises expectations. In hand, it's slightly larger than the S.H. Figuarts version (there's a comparison picture below), and much smaller than the X-Plus standard version.

That said, the figure itself is gorgeous, and quite heavy. It seems to be "solid" red PVC, with a translucent quality to it, painted over with charcoal black. I'm assuming the "Hyper Solid" moniker refers to the insanely dynamic pose (hyper) and to the hefty nature of the PVC (solid), but that would probably be too obvious. The sculpt is VERY detailed, with varying textures and beautifully sculpted musculature, especially around the shoulders. The face is striking (as it should be) in its monstrous nature, with special attention paid to the interior of the mouth(s), and plenty of razor sharp teeth. I find the teeth a be a bit more symmetrical than on other versions, but man are they needle thin! They are also everywhere, cropping from the lips and jawline at truly crazy angles. The lava-like texture of the thighs wind down to heavily wrinkled feet studded with random haphazard claws, before ending in the large, clearly defined toe claws. The arms are perhaps longer than they should be - long enough to be sharply bent at the elbows and still have the claws reach the chest area - but they look good.

The tail is enormous in terms of length and girth, and curls up and back to end in the nightmarish tail-tip "face", which comes off looking less like bubble gum and more scarred than in other versions I've seen. The black paint could maybe have been applied a little heavier in places, but I think the intention might be to shine a light through the figure from behind and allow it to "glow." The dorsal spines, especially, are quite devoid of black paint except along the very edges.

Hyper Solid Shin Godzilla is in a much more dynamic pose than any other static figure I've seen, and comes across as even more dynamic than he might have been in the film. The statue catches him mid-roar, leaning forward and twisting to the side, head thrown forward and tail sweeping up and curling around. In contrast, my X-Plus Shin Godzilla stands nearly upright, head tilted downwards in a forward march. Additionally, Hyper Solid includes an optional second head, with the lower jaw spread apart in preparation for his devastating atomic breath. It's not purple and there is no effect part - this catches a very specific moment just before his full fury was unleashed. Both heads are equally well-done, and slide out from a thick post at the top of the neck. It does leave a very noticeable seam. A nameplate is included, as well, but it's in Japanese. It's worth noting that a variant version of this figure has been solicited with purple for the mouth interior and spines, but for some odd reason it's listed at $330 or more and there's absolutely no way I'm willing to pay an extra $170 for purple plastic.

There are two other things worth mentioning, both having to do with QC issues (unfortunately). First, the weight distribution of the figure is just a tiny bit off. As a result, his feet don't both sit flush - he tips slightly to his right. It hasn't been enough to cause the figure to fall over yet, but it does seem to want to. The other issue is probably pertinent only to my figure and may not be one anyone else encounters: there's a large spot where the tail was glued into the body and the glue spilled over. It looks like crazy glue or epoxy of some sort, and has left a large white spot at the base of where the dorsals transition to the tail. I may try to rub some cleaner in there to see if it will get rid of it, but it is the only disappointment I have with the figure (and it is something that should NOT happen at this price point). Otherwise, I love everything about the Art Spirits Hyper Solid Shin Godzilla! It's a really striking piece, and might even command more attention on the shelf than my much bigger X-Plus version, simply because of its super-dynamic pose. It's a pricey figure, no doubt, but I'm guessing that its value will increase over time. I really hope Art Spirits continues the line, as I'd be very happy to have a shelf set aside for them, especially at this scale! This figure is what I wanted my S.H. Figuarts Shin Godzilla to look like, and I'd love to see what they would do with GMK (and honestly any other Godzilla)! Art Spirits did release a Godzilla 2000 as the first figure in the line, but there are some things about the head sculpt that have kept me from buying it so far. If the line expands, I'll probably regret not having it, but only time will tell...

Hyper Solid on the left, SH MonsterArts on the right