I've read a bit of negativity with regards to Y-MSF figures, but I was happy enough with Megalon to go ahead and order a Godzilla. I chose the 1964 version because 1) he was available, 2) the price was reasonable and 3) it's a suit version that I like. I have the S.H. MonsterArts '64 and I've pre-ordered the X-Plus Previews '64, so I figured he'd have a decent place on the shelf, even if he wasn't well-done. As it turns out, I'm actually pretty pleased with this Y-MSF version overall.
Y-MSF's 1964 Godzilla stands right about 6" tall to the crown on his head and measures about 8" long to the tip of his tail. He comes in 2 pieces- his tail to be attached with the help of a hair dryer (which I also needed to use to soften and bend his feet into place, as they came with a severe inward bend). The tail has an upward sweep and clears the ground by a large amount, which helps to offset the instability of Godzilla's forward lean. In all, it makes for a pretty neat and fairly dynamic pose - he looks like he's been captured just as he's about to step forward with his left leg.
'64's head is sculpted with a downward curve, so he tends to look better on a shelf that's at eye level or higher. The sculpt is good, without being exceptional. It's a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The skin texture details are there, but they seem a tad soft to me. Oh, it's better than Bandai vinyl offerings (especially the American releases, which are just awful), but nowhere near the quality that you get from X-Plus.
The seam lines are prominent at the legs, tail and elbows (which are cut to allow the forearms to tilt in and out, which does add a neat variety of posing looks, actually). There's also a large plug for the dorsal spines that has a fairly poor fit around the bottom.
The paint is ok, but comes off as a little sloppy in that there's (intentional) overspray at the toes, claws and dorsals. It also seems really thick on the underside of the tail, even obscuring some of the sculpted detail. The head and face are nicely done- especially the eyes (I wish my SH MonsterArts' eyes were this even!). The mouth is very red and the teeth have a little added detail, though it's not perfect. Oddly enough the sculpt of his nostrils seem to be a bit off-center. The chest and knees have a tinge of spray, as well, and (again) it doesn't come off too great, looking more like butterscotch than highlighting.
Despite my complaints, Y-MSF Godzilla 1964 is a good figure. He looks great on the shelf, especially with other 6" scale vinyl kaiju. He's got some issues that I'd take exception with if he was an X-Plus figure, but which I can live with from Y-MSF. Godzilla 1964 will run you a bit more money than an average Bandai would, but a LOT less than you'll pay for an X-Plus.
That said, I personally think all of the Godzilla vinyls are overpriced and way over what I'm mostly comfortable with. I also don't seem to enjoy them as much as the S.H. MonsterArts versions, so I'll probably be sticking with those for the most part, with an occasional vinyl of my really favorite suits if the price is right.
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| Y-MSF Godzilla 1964 with Y-MSF Megalon |
Great review! I have this figure as well, and I’m fine with what Y-MSF has dished out.
ReplyDeleteY-MSF may have received some mixed opinions on their figures, but I find them to be unique enough to deserve some kind of honorable mention at least. I like how they combine stylistic paints job with sculpts whose details certainly do better than some of Bandai’s designs.
Some of their best sculpts are probably Kumonga, Manda, Varan, Megalon, Godzilla ’62, and Godzilla ’64.