GETTER DRAGON - Bandai Infinitism HG 1/144 scale action figure model kit

The Getter Dragon is the fifth action figure model kit released by Bandai as part of its Infinitism line. Similar in concept to Gunpla, these are a series of pre-painted, snap-together model kits that share a similar (if not identical) internal structure. The outer "shell" of each is designed to have a similar aesthetic, based on the look of the central characters in the anime film Mazinger Z: Infinity. That's where the "Infinitism" brand comes from. The designers have re-worked each super robot to look as they might have, were they a part of
that same movie universe.

Like the others, Getter Dragon stands about 7" tall once completed. It is fully, fantastically articulated, and can achieve a wide range of poses. The bright colors really make this one stand out on the shelf, and the upcoming Steel Jeeg, with his watermelon color pallet will really make this an eye-catching group! Dragon getter has a marvelous face/head sculpt, and the purple chest plates sit over top of silver stickers, giving them a shimmering quality. Everything else is pretty similar to what we've come to expect from the line. The articulation is great, and the hip joints can drop down to allow the legs to move around the waist belt a little bit. The knees on this one feel a little "longer" or stretched out to me than they are on the other figures, but I think that's just an illusion.

Getter Dragon comes with a display stand, alternate hands, and a pair of Getter Tomahawks. There are additional handle pieces to allow the tomahawks to combine (you can even connect them together to make a single long double bladed "scythe" like Grendizer might use). One cool feature is the cape - Getter Dragon does not use a Scrander like many of the other robots in the line do. Rather, he flies using the Getter Wing. In this case, it's an articulated plastic cape. Two edges of the cape can be removed and attached to a Tomahawk, thereby making a Super Tomahawk! It looks awesome!

All of the models in this line are excellent. I still feel like Mazinkaiser might be the best they've released so far, by Getter Dragon is wonderful in his own right. The build seems to be steadily improving, as well. The sprue connections are more hidden in the build this time, so even though there's no under gating going on, most of the stress points are well-hidden. These retail for less than $40 in Japan, but here in the States you can usually find them in the $55-$70 range. I do feel like that's on the high side for what you get - at $45 you'd be getting a great deal - but I enjoy them enough to continue collecting them. Steel Jeeg has been released in Japan, but hasn't appeared overseas yet, and there's no word on any releases to follow it at the moment...