ToyboxDX Brog: Japanese Toy Blog » Tachi Me!
Brog is Japanese Toy Blog

toyboxdx toy blog brog: is graceful art of daily expressing japanese toy  

March 21, 2007

Tachi Me!

Filed under: Toy News — matt @ 8:00 pm
tachitop.jpg

If you’re a “Ghost in the Shell”-crazed toy-collector, chances are you’ve been lusting for a toy of the adorable yet heavily armed “Tachikoma” robots that appear in the show. For years, there was next to nothing on the marketplace. But as luck would have it, there’s a tangled web of companies releasing different versions for 2007. Here’s a quick checklist to help ya “get ’em all!”

The kinda creepily-named Good Smile Company’s long-delayed “Goodsmi’ Gokin” Tachikoma is looking like the one to beat — though for 17,800 yen it’d better be. Due out in June 2007, it’s got a strangely insect-like “squashed” look in comparison to the early 2005 prototype shots (and to the line art). It’s also got a detailed cockpit and comes with a 9.5cm high, articulated Motoko action figure. From the specs, it’s hands-down the most pimped-out Tachikoma toy. It isn’t described as being in a scale, but it’s 15cm (6 inches) long compared to the 9.5 cm of the 1:24 Wave kit. (Break out the slide-rules.) In spite of the impending release date, there’s next to no photos or information about the toy on Good Smile’s website yet. Chances are the release has been delayed again.

The Artstorm EX Gokin Tachikoma (shown at top, 14,800 yen, due June 2007) has more traditional proportions and a light-up gimmick, but no cockpit. At 15.5 cm it’s ever so slightly larger than the “Goodsmi’ Gokin” version. (Artstorm’s large-scale soft vinyl of the character is already out and retailing for 6,800 yen; a yellow version is due out in May.) The really ironic thing is that all of these Artstorm products, which you’d think would be competitors, are being distributed by the Good Smile Company in Japan.

The Megahouse/VICE “Perfect Piece” Tachikoma (10,290 yen, on sale now) has an opening cockpit, but the figure is molded in a sitting position and the toy is all plastic. At 13.5cm long it’s a nice size, but given the material, they’re going to have a hard time competing against…

Hobby-shop legends Wave. Their W.H.A.M. “action figure” is also all-plastic and lacks a cockpit, but has the benefit of great proportions and the lowest retail price (at 3,780 yen, less than half of the Perfect Piece’s price.) Being a built-up version of the popular Wave 1:24 kit, it’s also the smallest of the lot, at 9.5cm long. Originally due in March, the release date’s been pushed back to the end of April 2007. Blue, Yellow, and Silver variants (as seen in the 25th episode of the 1st OVA series) are following thereafter.

[Talk about it in the BBS…]

Site Map
footer