MEGALON - Y-MSF Vinyl Figure Review

I remember my Saturday afternoon treat, growing up, was watching insane Kung-Fu movies or monster battle epics, and chief among them was "Godzilla vs. Megalon". There was a little boy's weird peddle duck thing getting sucked into a pond-swallowing crack in the earth, a mute robot who could change size at will named Jet Jaguar, and a titanic 2-on-2 monster throw down at the end. As a kid, what wasn't to like? As an adult, I can recognize that this is one of the worst Godzilla films in the franchise, but that doesn't keep me from thinking that Megalon is still one bad-looking dude. Even now, he may be my favorite kaiju design ever. But, I must be in the minority, because it's really hard to find toy versions of this guy. There's a Bandai 9" (I don't like the drill hands on that one), an X-Plus Large Scale (it's beautiful, but REALLY expensive), a couple of "deformed" or "gashapon" mini versions, and then there's this: Y-MSF 6.5" vinyl Megalon. I've never owned a Y-MSF figure before, so I really had very little to go on when I decided to purchase this, other than that IT'S MEGALON, and it was less than $100. So, is this guy worth the cash and effort it takes to get him? Let's find out...

I'll say this for starters: I think they nailed the sculpt. This is exactly how I remember Megalon. He stands 6 & 5/8 inches tall to the top of his star, and measures about 6 inches from the points of his drills to the end of his tail. He's made of an incredibly lightweight vinyl. It's striking how feathery this figure feels. He weighs in at 3 oz. (compare this to the Bandai Godzilla '68 in the picture below, who's 4.3 oz). He just feels...thin, I guess is the word I'm looking for, and not really up to hard-core play.

That said, he looks fantastic. The proportions are spot-on, and the entire sculpt exudes a variety of textures. His smooth star transitions to a fine pebble-grain for his head. The yellow markings on his torso and wings are sculpted, and the mouth looks like a separate piece (I believe there's an "open-mouth" version of Megalon out there, as well). The arms and legs have large overlapping plates/feathers/scales, and the drill hands look great both on the interior and exterior. Megalon's tail has fierce thorns atop it, and completes the pebble-texture begun at the head, though here it's rougher and more...icky.

The wings have some additional raised lines to suggest overlapping transparent pieces, while the feathered armor continues down his legs until the feet become pebbly again and end in 2 wicked claws on each foot. The paint is good, though not exceptional. The yellow on the wings is muted and inconsistent in coverage, while the body fares a bit better. The eyes suggest the honeycomb texture with a light gold spray over top, The drill hands, tail thorns, mouth and toenails are silver, and mostly very clean. The toes are the exception, with some overspray onto the foot, though it seems that may have been intentional. There's a bit of tan on the antennae and a hint of silver to the star and horn. Megalon himself is a sort of dark charcoal with a light greenish tint. In all, he's a great looking figure with plenty of neat detail and a sufficient paint job.

Megalon's pose is interesting. He's kind of leaned forward from the waist up. I wish he could be raised up a little more upright, but it's not possible despite some limited articulation. There's cuts at the shoulders and crotch which allow the arms to be raised a bit, and the legs adjusted just enough to get the feet to lie flat. The tail has 2 cuts, I believe and the head can be adjusted a tiny but, but I don't think either of those are really meant to be posed significantly. So, he's relatively static, as most vinyl kaiju are. Which means his look depends largely on whether or not you like the sculpted pose. The Bandai Megalon stands much more erect, and I don't much care for it. The X-Plus Megalon looks as though he's in the midst of a battle swing. This Y-MSF version is somewhere in-between. I like the general look, but he really needs to be displayed at eye level or higher to be appreciated due to his hunch.

On a side note, he seems to be posed slightly asymmetrically. His stance is just a shade deeper on his left that his right, which causes him to lean slightly to his left. It's a small thing, but it does bug me a bit.

Foot and toe details

Drill Hands

Y-MSF's Megalon looks great on the shelf. Whether it's beside his baddie ally Gigan (shown is the Bandai America 6.5" Gigan), or facing off with Godzilla. I don't personally have an in-scale '73 Godzilla, but he looks pretty good opposite Bandai's Godzilla 1968. I have no regrets about purchasing him, and would gladly do so again. I may try to track down a reasonably priced X-Plus Megalon, but until that happens I'm happy to have this version terrorizing my shelf. In fact, I'm so happy with him that I'll be keeping my eyes out for more Y-MSF Godzilla toys to add to my collection.

On a side note, I understand that there is another version of this Megalon done in a brown color scheme. I'm not sure how the color variants and the mouth variants match up, but I believe the sculpts for the rest of the figure are the same.

S.H. MonsterArts GODZILLA 2000 Millennium figure review

Since his inception, the Godzilla I identify with has been a slow, lumbering behemoth. This is due, in part, to the realities imposed on an actor working from within a heavy rubber suit. He stomps, slowly, standing mostly upright. He's not built for speed, but with various levels of thickness about the thighs (depending on the suit), he portrays a triangular forward silhouette: he's a mountain brought to life. His deliberate and methodical plod has contributed a great deal to what Godzilla represents. He is an unstoppable force of nature. He sweeps in like a storm- you can see him coming, and there's nothing you can do to alter the destruction you are about to be subjected to.

But here...we have something a bit different. This is a Godzilla for the new Millennium. We are all, go, go go, and now it seems that Godzilla is, too. S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla Millennium 2000 sports a truly hunched pose, and that's how he's meant to look. He's lunging forward, almost like he's about to break into a sprint. As such, his eyes are sculpted/painted as staring up and forward through his brows. His ears are pulled back and his fangs are bared in a snarl that reminds me of a hissing cat. And, oh, the spikes all over this guy! Handling him is like hugging a rose bush- there's just no pleasant way to do it. Those qualities work together to make this one of the most unique and interesting Godzilla designs I'm ever likely to own. If only this was what the new Godzilla 2014 design was like, I'd be a truly happy camper (and, no, I'm not a huge fan of what I've seen of the new movie Godzilla...).

Godzilla 2000 looks oddest to me when viewed head-on. With his severe hunch, his eyes get lost, as does most of his upper torso. Personally, I think he looks best when viewed from a 1/4 side angle. The sculpt, articulation and paint are all top-notch. That is, after all, what you are paying for (this guy comes bare-bones, no accessories at all). His asphalt body has a greenish tinge in the right light, and there's a few highlighted spots of light brown. The finger and toe nails are awesome, with wicked hints of striations and paint in darker gradations as the nail joins the appendage. The dorsal and tail spines are just as threatening in an absolutely real sense: the spikes are sharp and hard, with a lovely shimmering purple hue to the blade-like edges. The image of "oversized sharp edges" carries throughout the sculpt, from the huge dorsal spines and enormous claws, through the elongated fangs (which, unfortunately, aren't as sharply sculpted as they ought to be), the tremendous tail, and even throughout the rough bark-like skin, whose texture is emphasized with deep trenches between scales. Everything about this Godzilla is X-treme...

S.H. MonsterArts Millennium Godzilla 2000 stands just under 6" tall to his hunched head, though his spikes might get you a bit more of an inch. He measures around 13" to to tip of his tail, depending on how you choose to pose it. He poses fairly well (certainly better than any previous MonsterArts Godzilla incarnation), even for an amateur poser like myself. His joints have a pretty good range of motion, and are more intelligently designed than they have been previously (the feet, ball-jointed hands, head/neck and tail are all vastly improved).

His huch is difficult to alter due to the way the dorsal spines are layed out, combined with the weight they carry. Personally, I can't get him nearly as upright as the photos on the back of the box suggest. I also can't get the tongue to hinge out of the way to close his mouth completely. I'm not thrilled with the way the teeth are painted. Whether intentional or not, there's a lot of red slop on mine. I wish they were cleaner. Otherwise, this guy is darn near perfect. The gaps at the joints have been resolved (see Burning Godzilla 1995 for the issues I refer to) very well, and he does a fantastic job of being aesthetically pleasing while also being a heck of a lot of fun to mess around with and pose.

From what I've read, people seem to be very pleased with this newest version of Godzilla, and it's with good reason. He's got a dynamic sculpt, despite it being nearly the complete antithesis of the previous "best" Burning Godzilla, who exudes smooth curves, a nearly completely upright posture and thick, deliberate slowness. 2000's feline predatory look is ferocious and fully threatening, while suggesting motion everywhere. Don't expect any accessories and you won't be let down by their absence. Know what you are paying for: a top-notch sculpt and paint work, with excellent articulation and terrific engineering. You likely won't be disappointed- I know I'm not...

Gamera 1995: Guardian of the Universe

This version of Gamera is based on his look in the 1995 film "Guardian of the Universe". It was released by Trendmasters in 1998, and it was designed as a toy, not as a collector's item. Keeping in mind that this was a $10 toy for children, it's surprisingly good. Of course, it pales in comparison to Bandai vinyl and Revoltech versions, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better version at this price.

Gamera stands about 4 and 1/4 inches tall. He has an acceptable sculpt, in that he's a recognizable representation of the film's look. There's a pretty decent level of detail, with varied textures: wrinkly, saggy skin on the arms and legs, symmetrical engravings on the shell belly and bumps scattered across the outer shell. The head and face are well-represented, as well. The claws and toes are a bit more gloppy, but that seems to be more a result of sloppy paint than the sculpt. There are a couple of eyesores, however. You'll find five screws and their corresponding holes on the underside of the shell, four more on the arms, a battery cover (to no purpose on this version) on the shell back, and a series of microphone holes (to no purpose on this version, either) on the chest. I think there was a larger version made that utilized the electronics that this smaller, scaled-down version is missing. The left foot is sculpted with the toes pointing up- not sure why since the leg doesn't move back far enough to allow the toes to lie flat.

The paint is poor. There's lots of slop, especially on the claws, toes, fangs and chest. I think the claws/teeth was intended to look like weathering, but it just comes across as dirty. The eyes and inner teeth are thankfully pretty good, but there's an odd yellow line painted down the front of his chest. Gamera's mouth is sculpted mid-roar, and there's a giant hole in the center of his mouth for the included launching fireball accessory (which shoots fairly well, even after 16 years).

The articulation is surprising- I wasn't expecting what I got. The head can tilt very far forward and backwards, though I would have liked a swivel or something there, too. Mostly, that's because his head is glued on with a slight tilt. There are swivels at the shoulders, hips, and tail, and the elbows can bend. That doesn't sound like much, and it's not, but the joints generally have a pretty good range of motion. You won't get anything dynamic, but Gamera's not a dynamic poser- he's a turtle, though it's enough to get him into a pretty good "flying pose" without retracting any limbs.

Trendmasters Gamera is a really good toy. It's sturdier and much more playable than vinyls are, and it's much easier to handle than the Revoltechs. He's still on the smaller side (if you can find the larger, electronic boxed version, go for it (but I'm guessing the cost will be higher)), but he's pretty fun. And at the price I paid (about $12 shipped), he's a steal...

Trendmasters Gamera 1995 & Revoltech Gamera 1995

GAMERA - Bandai Vinyl

This version of Gamera comes from the 1999 film, "Revenge of Iris", and is stamped with a 2005 under his right foot. It's a Bandai vinyl figure (not a Bandai America release) that was originally released in the Japanese market with one of those tags attached to its shell.

Gamera 1999 stands about 5 1/4"inches tall, and is a pretty great looking figure. The sculpt features some awesome detail. There's a subtle scale mohawk atop the head that feathers away down the back of the neck. Unlike Godzilla, who (in his various incarnations) sports rough bark-like skin, Gamera has deep folds to replicate drooping skin. The arms, legs, tail and throat all the way down to where the top of the inner shell becomes his "chest" are full of layers and folds.

The face looks great from any angle, somehow coming across as "wise". The eye coloring is especially striking- a bright green. Despite the strengths of the face, my only complaint about the figure comes in here, and it has to do with the paint of the teeth. It's the tusks, actually. They are only half-painted, which looks terrible from some angles. I'll do some touching-up eventually to take care of that. Otherwise, paint on the figure is minimal, but strong. Besides the teeth and eyes, the fingernails, toenails and chest get the paint apps. The chest is especially nice- a shimmering gold has been dry-brushed over the beautiful sculpted detail to really make the shell pop. There's a little brown highlighting on some of the bone protrusions to add some realism.

The outer shell is beautiful- very symmetrical with smooth plating overlapping, with some sharper outer edges. There are a few places where the matte has some glossy marks, but the overall look is great. Gamera has cuts at the shoulders, hips and near the base of the tail. They allow for some slight adjustments of his standard pose, but this isn't really an articulated figure- it's more of an adjustable statue.

For what he is, Gamera is a terrific figure. He looks great, faithfully captures the look from the film, and is well-engineered. Until I get an X-plus figure, he'll probably remain the best vinyl kaiju I own. On top of all that, he was a great deal at under $20 from Clawmark Toys. Highly recommended!

GYAOS - SciFi Revoltech Series No. 007 Figure Review

This figure is based on the "villain kaiju" from 1995's "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe", the first film in the modern Gamera trilogy. It was released by Kaiyodo as part of their SciFi Revoltech line, which introduced collectors to a range of highly articulated monster figures. The figures come in attractive, collector-friendly book-style window boxes with loads of photographs and Japanese text, and feature some neat accessories, detailed sculpts, excellent paint apps with some weathered highlights and a maddening level of articulation, via the special Revoltech "revolver joints". I personally have a very difficult time with these, but I'm pose-impaired anyway, so your level of success may easily eclipse mine.

Gyaos comes sandwiched in a plastic tray, complete with a few twisty ties and plastic slips for protection. I kind of like that (even though it's mostly unnecessary)- it makes me feel like I'm getting a collector's piece, and not some cheap toy. Included are: a storage box and Japanese toy coin, a name plate in Japanese, a mini flying Gyaos and its clear stand, and a large black stand and attachment piece for the figure. Gyaos comes with his right wing/arm detached, but it pops on very easily. That's actually one of the "perks" I had to get used to with these revolver joints: they are designed to have their attachments pulled apart and replaced. In some instances, one needs to use some needle-nosed pliers to rotate the joint before snapping the limb back into place.

Gyaos is an awkward-looking creature when standing, and the figure is no different. He looks much more imposing and natural in an in-flight pose.

The figure's articulation works well with the design to allow a range of poses. In short, he's fun. The revolver joints accomplish their mission: for instance, there's a joint at the shoulder, and one on either side of both hands. The rubbery material used for the wings combines with these to allow them to fold inwards and outwards really naturally for some neat options. The hips and knees work well together to allow him to stand or "fly". My only difficulties came at the knees and ankles, which are hinge joints, but are a shade loose, which means he tends to topple fairly easily unless you distribute his weight just right.

The sculpt and paint are great, with some neat textures and cool highlighting to capture the Gyaos look. I don't find him to be quite as detailed as an SH MonsterArts figure, but he's still reasonable in the "collector" realm.

The engineering of the figure is very thoughtful and practical. There's a small rubbery "wattle" below the throat that covers the joint when he tilts his head back. I already mentioned the material used for the wings. The tail can spread slightly for "flight mode". It's all good. There's only 2 exceptions for me. One is the stand- it's really black and thick, and it's supposed to attach at the base of the tail (which seems a little awkward to me). I'm going to opt for a Tamashii Stage Act stand instead. The other nitpick I have is with the absence of a beam attachment. I haven't seen the film for a while, but I thought he had a beam (I know the 1967 Gyaos did, and his figure comes with one)?

Gyaos looks amazing in-flight! With this figure, I'm looking for an accurate representation of the film with enough articulation to get a couple of cool poses on the shelf and enough detail to keep me coming back to check him out. He accomplishes all of that! In fact, once I got messing with him in-flight, I loved that look so much that that's how he's going to stay on the shelf for now.

Gyaos 1995 is a terrific figure. If you are a Gamera fan, he's a must-have, and he's worth the investment. He looks great, is fairly easy to pose, and menaces Revoltech Gamera quite well. Highly recommended!

Revoltech Gamera 1996, Gyaos 1995 & Gamera 1995

SH MonsterArts Kiryu Mechagodzilla 3

This is my second-favorite figure of 2013. Kiryu hits on all cylinders: beautiful packaging, terrific sculpt, flawless paint, brilliantly engineered articulation, some great accessories and neat "little extras" in the form of opening panels and articulated thrusters. It's an absolute joy to behold, and (despite a hefty price-tag) does everything it can to make itself a worthwhile purchase.

Kiryu, aka Mechagodzilla 3, aka MSF-3 comes in a beautiful window box. Everything is held tight in a clear sandwich tray as shown. You get: 3 interchangeable sets of eyes, a removable cannon backpack, and a removable dual laser for each arm, complete with an additional knife attachment for each. Everything attaches securely and relatively painlessly, and works as it should. It's enough to get a great variety of looks and poses, combined with his opening chest panels for the Absolute Zero Cannon, opening thigh panels for thrusters, super-articulated tail and a couple of small adjustable thrusters just behind his shoulders.

Kiryu is my favorite Mechagodzilla design, and this figure captures all the great angles and nuances of the suit perfectly. The proportions are awesome, and the sculpt is engineered to work in tandem with the articulation. The figure can most certainly achieve poses that the actual suit could not. There are a couple of spots where tube attachments restrict movement a bit, so be careful around the head and thighs areas where you'll find them.

Otherwise, there are loads of articulation points, and most provide a decent enough range of motion to make posing a joy rather than a chore. There's a piece just above the hips that's unattached (it's where those 2 tubes wrap around at the waist) and floats to allow the waist to have a better range of motion. The shoulders allow movement forward, backwards, out to the sides, etc. I can't explain it all, and wouldn't want to: suffice it to say that he poses as well as you'd possibly want him to.

Kiryu stands about 7" tall and feels solid (there's some metal in his construction". At the MSRP of around $95, he's expensive. But you're getting a quality representation of an awesome character. I managed to catch a VERY fleeting sale on Amazon just before Christmas (it was one of those 10-minute deals) and picked him up for $62 shipped, for which I'm ecstatic. I love, love, love Kiryu and am so thrilled to have him as part of my SH MonsterArts collection...