midst the swarm of melt-in-your-hand goodness of MSiAs and other PVC anime products, one company still produces seemingly bulletproof diecast wonders that give Bandai's Soul of Chogokin line a run for their money. Yes, folks - it's Aoshima's Miracle House to the fore! Continuing their excellent run of Go Nagai's super robots, this time it's the super gothic Mazinkaiser.

Let me state now that I haven't watched the anime or played Super Robot Wars before, so I'm basing my views on the toy's own merits only. There was some confusion about the various repaint versions available. Well, be enlightened by visiting HLJ... The Normal OAV version comes in white/dark-blue; The Limited version is in silver-gray/metallic dark-blue; The "Japan-only" version features silver-grey & blue. I put my money on the Normal version... all three are similar except for the colors and are listed for ¥12800.

To me, the appeal of Miracle House's Shin Seiki Gokin line isn't so much on the accessories and gimmicks, but rather on the extensive use of diecast and superb finishing and attention to details. The first toy in the series, the Shin Getter 1, set a high watermark for both. How does the Mazinkaser stack up? For the Zinc-deficient among you, let it be known you can probably get your RDA's worth by holding a Mazinkaser in your sleep! The heft is substantial - don't throw it at living things. The finish, on the other hand, while still very high, cannot beat the Shin Getter's terrific melding of glossy and matte surfaces. There is very little evidence of paint oversprays or unevenness, and what little defects you see in the photos are just tiny bits of Styrofoam which I'd failed to remove.

Accesorries-wise, the box comes with 2 spare fists for holding the sword, 2 optional gimmick launching arms (plastic), 2 spare hands for the "shaking hands" pose with Shin Getter (already a tradition of sorts), 2 missiles for the torso launcher, a Pilder, a sword and parts for the Scrander.

Early on, the publicity photos of the toy had some of us wondering if it even had knee or elbow joints at all. The good news is, Mazinkaiser is not a total brick. The elbows and knees feature 2 axis of movement, but face it - this toy is not going to be able to pull off any really dynamic poses. The elbows in fact have an extension to allow the solidly built forearms manage some semblance of a fighter's pose. It's most fortunate the joint is held together by a screw... should it loosen in the future, a gentle adjustment with a screwdriver will do the trick.

On to the gimmicks! First up, the Pilder in the head is removable -but you may be disappointed to find it a sawn-off version made just to plug into the head socket. Still, a full version of the Pilder is included. The coolest trick Mazinkaiser has up its sleeve (literally!), are the optional Turbo Smasher Punch arms. Insert the punches and give them a couple of twists to wind up the spring. Press the trigger on the shoulder and watch it SPIN off!! Then we have the obligatory anatomically positioned launcher. No big deal really, except that the trigger is placed on the back and will not be accessible if the Scrander pack is in place. A minor oversight on an otherwise excellent toy.

About the Scrander wings... it's REALLY BIG!They measure about 14" wide when fully assembled. I hope you have enough shelf space, folks! The pack itself is also diecast, with rectangular yellow polycaps to accept the wing stubs. The wings themselves are molded of glossy red plastic, the points and edges are pretty sharp but not dangerously so. It's the tail fins that seem really prickly to me.

And of course, his magnificent sword ... The perfect weapon for a gothic Kaiser to wield. IF it had been diecast as well I would have swooned. But alas, sharply molded plastic will have to do for now.

All in all, Mazinkaiser is a great addition to any Gokin lover's collection. Despite it's minor problems, you'll be glad you didn't turn your back on this toy.

--Drifand