Mazinger Z - Soul of Chogokin Dynamic Classics action figure review

 I've had the GX-70 Soul of Chogokin Mazinger Z D.C. (Dynamic Classics) figure in my display case for over a year now, but I've never really spent time checking out all of its "bells and whistles." In fact, I've discovered that my collecting habit often goes this way: a new figure arrives, I excitedly crack it open, I take it out, look at the accessories, fine tune the vanilla pose, put it onto a shelf, and promptly forget about it. This year, I'm planning and hoping to spend a bit more time enjoying each figure, posing it, testing out the accessories, and generally getting more of my money's worth. In that vein, I decided to spend some time with my GX-70.

I have a few Soul of Chogokin pieces, but most of them are actually space ships, rather than figures. In fact, I only own 2 other SOC robots besides this guy, and one of them is a brand new purchase. The first thing that strikes me about an SOC figure is its heft and solidity. With lots of die-cast metal content, this is a figure that absolutely does NOT feel cheap. The paint is glossy and expertly applied (check out the level of paint detail around the eyes of this guy in the pictures below), and features some beautiful shades of blue and red throughout the piece. Bandai takes the opposite tack of a company like threezero with these figures - there is no weathering, washes, dry or airbrushing to highlight fine details. Mazinger Z is largely smooth and featureless. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you want a Mazinger that is true to the animation, this is pretty good!

SOC Mazinger Z stands about 6.5" tall and is a significant jump up in terms of quality and amount of accessories from the smaller Super Robot Chogokin version I reviewed previously (this version also cost me about $120 18 months ago, and the price is currently slightly higher than that).

Mazinger Z comes with a pilder that can go wings out for flight mode, or wings up for docking. There's a magnet embedded in the underside, and it sits flush and snugly  in the landing platform of the head. There's also an alternate faceplate with eyes dim, to simulate "off" mode when the pilder is not docked:

We get six hands (2 fists, 2 karate chop, and 2 splayed), alternate elbow joints to simulate elbow missiles, or for rocket punch (but there are no effect parts or stands to support the rocketing arm), a pair of iron cutter forearms, an alternate diaper front to allow for deeper crouches, a scrander with a launching pad or with a docking belt (the wings can detach and flip as needed), a display stand with a couple of different locking mechanisms for supporting the figure as well as a flip top to allow for much of the smaller parts to be stored inside. It's a lot for one figure, and just about everything you could possibly hope for, with the exception of a "launched navel missile" or some rocket punch effect parts and support rod. The figure has some decent articulation, but I didn't expect it to move like a SH Figuarts Street Fighter. The torso is fairly restricted, and the legs weren't easy for me to work with. That said, it's a lovely figure and I really enjoyed playing around with the accessories and seeing how they all went together!

I will be displaying Mazinger Z with fists, pilder on, and his scrander on the launch pad (I feel like Z doesn't spend much time in flight, so he's more anime-accurate to me without the scrander attached).

Mazinger Z - Bandai Tamashii Nations Super Robot Chogokin figure review

The Super Robot Chogokin version of Mazinger Z is my idea of the "bare bones minimum" you can get for a chogokin figure. It's small, standing about 5" tall, and features very little in the way of useful accessories. That said, it's a beautiful figure with some great articulation packed into a small size, and boasts a decent level of die-cast metal content. 

SRC Mazinger Z is a pretty cool looking figure. The sculpt is good, and the high gloss red, black and blue really reflect light wonderfully. Proportions are good - aesthetically speaking, it's an excellent figure. It comes with a removable pilder (which I needed to file a little to get it to sit properly in the crown), a sword (which I don't recall him ever using - I associate the Mazinger Blade more with Great Mazinger), a couple of alternate hands (which are very difficult to snap into place) and a pair of alternate "metallic" giant hands (as well as an enlarged forearm for them to snap onto). That's it. No effect parts, no stand, no scrander or rocket punch. The good news is that those are available, but only via a separate accessories pack that runs an additional $30-$50 on the aftermarket. I paid about $80 new for this figure, which is currently a decent price. It's a nifty little figure, and isn't bad as a starter Mazinger Z figure, or as an introduction to the world of chogokin, but it really isn't a stand-out in any way. I think for it's original $40-ish price tag, I would have been much happier. I did have a Great Mazinger SRC figure that I unfortunately sold off a few years back, much to my regret. That figure had tons of great accessories and some wonderful Thunder Break lightning effects! Might have to re-buy it now that I think of it...

Mazinger Z : Sentinel RIOBOT 10th Anniversary action figure review

 

Originally released at the beginning of 2020, I waited nearly a year before buying this figure. I have several Sentinel RIOBOT figures in my collection, and while I tend to admire them as excellent action figures and collector pieces, I do feel that they are overpriced . So, though I love Mazinger Z, and immediately gravitated towards this RIOBOT, I ended up cancelling the pre-order and waiting for the price (originally about $300 before shipping) to come down somewhat. I did finally manage to get the figure for $241 shipped just this month, and while I feel like that was more reasonable, I still don't feel like I have a figure necessarily worthy of that price (I think $185 would probably be a fair price for this guy). That said (and I know this may sound contrary), I do feel like this is within the Top 3 figures I bought in 2020!

Sentinel's Mazinger Z is comparable to some of my other Mazingers in terms of height, but this one's proportions are a bit more distinctive. This version sports the same large-ball shoulders we saw on last year's Grendizer (I think this is the same body, in fact), and the mid-torso features a much wider spread. The result is that this Mazinger Z appears squatter and blockier than my Metal Build version, and the Soul of Chogokin version is positively wispy in comparison.

Though this isn't my favorite look for Mazinger Z, I do appreciate its uniqueness (after all, I don't want every version of the character to look the same - otherwise what's the point in having more than 1, right?), and it's a heck of a lot of fun to play around with and pose. In fact, it's once I got to the second tray of accessories and actually attached his "Dynamic Scrander" (a pretty good name for it, actually) and started posing the figure that I finally got my money's worth.

Sentinel's Mazinger Z has some die-cast content, but not much. I think the silver parts are metal, and the rest is a very shiny black plastic. It has a little weight, but it's not enough to completely offset the enormous scrander without the stand, for example.

On to the accessories. First off, there's a "Pilder Shield" piece that plugs into the forehead opening. It's a neat idea (after all, Koji Kabuto is pretty naked up there with just the glass shield of the Pilder cockpit between him and Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts) that makes complete sense, and it looks damn cool once it's slid into place. The piece doubles as a cockpit shield on the Scrander, as well. There are two sets of Iron Cutter blades which snap into place on the forearms without any need to remove panels (like most other Mazinger figures require). They are very pointy, very sharp, and very cool-looking! And then, there's the Scrander. It's huge, from tip to tip, and the red panel lines are gorgeous. It's got multiple points of articulation, allowing for several different looks and dimensions (important when trying to fit this guy into a Detolf display case). Mazinger Z includes 4 sword blades and 4 rockets/fingers. These are flat-out-awesome because of the small things they included, which allow for great customizability! 

By itself, the Scrander looks like an imposing Stealth aircraft. The "fingers" act as thrusters, and the blades fold in to nearly disappear. Each thruster has a cover than can be slid up and back, and the body has multiple (three, I think) articulation points, allowing bend. This, in essence, turns each rocket thruster into a finger with knuckles, allowing you to create a very hand-like look which reminded me of the God Scrander from the anime. The caps from each thruster can be removed and snapped onto any of the other pegs, the most important being the elbow point once the forearm is removed to create "Rocket Punch!" 

The blast effect part in the picture here is from the Metal Build Mazinger Z figure. Unfortunately, this Sentinel version does NOT include any effect parts. The blades can be spun around to project out of the scrander, or can be snapped into place at the ends of the thrusters/fingers, or attached to the end of the arms in place of the hands. That's what I mean about customizability - in the hands of someone far more creative than me, this is an outstanding piece. And, like I said earlier, the more I messed around with this figure, the more fun I had. I'm usually really tentative with my figures (I'm terrified of breaking something so expensive), and tend to leave them in very standard vanilla poses on my shelf. With this guy, I decided to give posing and play a try, and I'm really glad I did. With the Dynamic Scrander in place, fingers curled forward, blades attached, and Iron Cutters on the forearms, this Mazinger Z looks amazing! I'm so glad to have finally added him to the Toyseum, and I can safely say he's in my Top 3 figure purchases of 2020!

JoyToy Free Man Machine Armor Mech with Pilot

JoyToy's Free Man Machine Armor stands roughly 9" tall, and represents a mech done in 1/18 scale. It includes a 4", fully articulated pilot and a massive double-barrel weapon, along with a removable pistol (which can be stored in the rifle grip). The pilot has his own pistol, as well, which can be stored in the holster on his right thigh. The mech is available in 2 colors (metallic blue and sand) and is priced at approximately $120.

JoyToy is a Hong Kong based company specializing in 1/24(ish) and 1/18 scale military personnel and mecha. I have several of their products and they generally look amazing, but have some significant drawbacks that I've learned to expect upon purchase. Firstly, the plastic is very lightweight and brittle. I handle these VERY carefully and pose them minimally. Second, they will have loose joints that will need a little care. I've found that putting a little floor wax on the pegs in inside the joints generally takes care of the problem, and I have had no falling issues. Third, there are no instructions other than a small leaflet with a few pictures. I discovered (mostly by accident), for example, that the Free Man is shipped with its biceps and forearms rotated around backwards. I went to bend the elbow and found it quite restricted, before realizing that was due to the incorrect arm part positioning. Fourth, the joints are not always easy to work with. Some feature ratchets and some don't, but I do find it challenging to get them to pose well. As a result, mine will all stay in a standard vanilla pose on the shelf. Otherwise, I love these mechs. They feature really amazing sculpts and the paintwork is great. They are currently posed alongside my Play Arts Kai Titanfall Atlas and they look great! Incidentally, I did conduct a lead test on the paint, just to make sure they weren't painted with lead-based paint, and it turned up negative.

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO - Bandai Kikan Taizen 1/2000 scale starship

I love starships. Always have. One of my first true loves was the Space Battleship Argo, from the Americanized Star Blazers cartoon of the late 1970's. Taken from the Japanese Space Battleship Yamato, Star Blazers featured a gorgeous starship that I drew over and over again throughout my youth. I have several versions of the Argo/Yamato in my collection, including a Taito Super Mechanics version, the stupendous Popynica BPX-01, and a tiny Cosmo Fleet Collection blind-box miniature. But the new Bandai Tamashii Nations Kikan Taizen 1/2000 scale model that arrived on my doorstep this past week is my current favorite! Based on Space Battleship 2202 (or Star Blazers 2202), Bandai's new starship measures just about 6" long, but comes complete with an astounding list of features!

The ship comes in an attractive box COVERED in writing. Unfortunately, it's all Japanese, so I can't make heads or tails of it. There are a couple of dark shots of the model, and one really nice outline of the ship, as well. It's striking just how compact the box is when you first see it, and it's a pretty good indication of just how small the model is. The Kikan Taizen line purports "big model detail" in an affordable, "small model" size. So, many of the kinds of features you'd find on the big Popynica or Soul of Chogokin models are here, as well: working lights (with 2 separate, tiny switches) for the wave motion gun, wave engines, bridges and hull lights, rotating main turrets, and a slew of display stand options. No Black Tigers or Cosmo Zero at this scale, of course, but you still get plenty of fun in a small package! The lights work well, though the main Wave Motion gun glows white rather than blue or red, and there is some slight bleed at the rear (I get some faint yellow coming through the paint at a couple of places, but it really isn't too noticeable). There's also a tiny bit of gapping where the parts are joined towards the front of the ship's hull. The lights are controlled by two switches on the underside - you have to remove a panel VERY carefully underneath to reveal the switches. This whole thing is so small that Bandai has actually included TWO tools for manipulating parts: one is for digging into panels to aid in their removal, while another is for rotating the smaller gun turrets.

The ship itself measures 6 & 1/2" in length, and is beautifully sculpted and lovingly painted, with tons of detail and a bit of weathering. Faint airbrushing highlights hull panels on the sides, and the deck is shaded with a teak wood color. There are missiles in the stack, but (of course) they can't be retracted or extended. Everything is scaled appropriately, and this really does come across as having the same level of love and attention that the S.H. MonsterArts line had at its outset.

Everything is housed safely between a pair of clamshell trays. The antennae and various sharp protrusions of the starship are all present in their thin, delicate form. It's very challenging not to poke yourself or break anything when handling her! Yamato sports two thin panels on the hull that can be removed to install the wings in deployed mode, and one transparent part can be substituted to allow an arm to plug in as part of the display stand. The stand is, in fact, the one part I think I could do away with. It's extremely over-engineered. There are two mirrored rectangular faces with a plethora of transparent arms to attach over the top face, there's a leg for the back of the vertical face, and everything has adjustable cradles. It sounds wonderful, but the simple fact is that the ship sits too close to both faces for them to really reflect anything you'd want to see, and everything is so close to the table top upon which it would stand that it never really looks like it's flying, anyway. I'd much prefer a standard figma-style base with a simple adjustable arm that can plug into the side of the ship. In fact, I will probably try to substitute a different stand to do just this. Don't get me wrong- I really admire Bandai for trying to do something amazing here with this display stand. I just think that there's something to be said for Occam's Razor so far as this particular design goes.

Overall, I love, love, love my new Kikan Taizen Space Battleship Yamato, and frankly I CANNOT WAIT for the release of the second ship in the line: Space Battleship Andromeda! I've seen some images of a standard Space Battleship as the third ship of the line, and I'd really love to see the line go deep, with versions of Yukikaze and Gamilas destroyers and Space Carriers, as well! The scale and size does make it absolutely affordable both in terms of money and shelf space, so I say, "Bring it on, Bandai!" I can't wait to see what they've got in store...

TOMB RAIDER Starring Lara Croft - Varner Studios 9" resin maquette

I recently picked up the older Varner Studios Lara Croft statues, and am really pleased with both! Today I'm taking a look at the smaller "Evening Gown" statue...

Varner Studios does a really nice job with the box. The photos all match the final product closely, and do a nice job of giving you a clear idea of what you are getting. The real unique aspect, though, is the pair of "diary entries" featured on the back. One entry gives a story of an adventure as Lara tells it, while the second describes an interaction between Lara and Varner Studios, telling about their interest in developing a statue of her. The whole thing is quite fun, and I enjoy the playfulness of it all.

The statue itself stands atop a thick rocky base. The texture and detailing of the base is excellent, and the edition number and certificate of authenticity are stenciled onto the underside. Lara's sculpt is simply gorgeous. I'm not sure how, exactly, but it captures the simple, blocky look of the in-game model while simultaneously being sleek and curvy. The dress alone is a wonderful work of art. It's thin enough to look convincing, while still clearly being an additional layer. Speckled glitter throughout the dress and gloves add a nice touch to the overall look, which could otherwise have been fairly plain. The pose is likewise simple, yet elegant. I keep thinking it might have looked a tad more natural with her left hand on her hip, rather than posed the way it is, but I like the look overall. The one place where the statue falls down a bit is the handgun. It's very thick and blocky, looking more like a toy than a handgun.

The face is painted perfectly, with large, wide-set eyes. The lips have a bit of gloss added to them for a very faint shine. Lara's braided ponytail drapes over her left shoulder, giving the illusion of  ever-so-slight movement to the whole piece. The entire statue is a gorgeous take on Lara Croft. It looks amazing on the shelf as part of the collection, or as a stand-alone piece. My only real wish for the piece would be a little more work on the pistol to make it more refined. Otherwise, this one's a real gem!