Final Fusion …
Gaogaigar (GGG) is the immensely popular last entry in Sunrise’s brave franchise. It spawn a 8-episode OVA that takes super robot “hot blood” action into new heights. As any other successful super robot franchise, GGG has spawned many toy lines from the traditional transforming kid toys from Takara to diecast collectors items from Kotobukya.
The latest entry is an 8 inch diecast Genesic GGG from Maxfactory, which is not well known for its gokin toys. Many collectors may have missed this just because it is not from a more well-known gokin line such as the SOC or Aoshima. However, in this case, previous inexperience has no bearing on the design and quality of this toy. I would go the distance and call this the gokin “big bang” for Maxfactory.
In short, this is one of the best gokin toys ever produced in Japanese toy history. No matter how you measure it: by its diecast content (wink, wink), scuplt, paint, anime accuracy, accessories, articulation or even packaging. There won’t be any fault that you can find.
An usual rumble will go blow by blow of which part is made of diecast and which part is not. I will not do that here. Instead, I will challenge everyone to just pick one up. It is immediately obvious that this has more diecast content than an M1 Abram tank.
The only obviously plastic part is the Gadget Gao (the bird/eagle on GGGG’s back). I am quite impressed that it can transformed between the bird model (see photo) and the “open-wing” mode.
In addition, EVERYTHING moves. The box boasted that the toy has more than 300 parts! This is unprecedented articulation from a non-Bandai gokin toy. Aside from the normal articulation, the upper body turn and tilt, the two side of the lion’s “mane” move up and down, the lion’s mouth open and close, and all 6 claws on the feet can rotate up and down.
The display stand has a place for EVERY accessory. And this includes a place for each segment of the “tail” (or neck depends on how you look at it) that can detached like in the show. I would claim that the stand is better done than most SOCs.
With a wealth of accessories and ungodly articulation, this toy can do EVERYTHING that its anime counterpart can do, except using Goldion Crasher, which obviously is beyond the scope of this toy.
Furthermore, even the packaging is top notch. Two foam boxes hold everything and a SOC style plastic tray takes care of the smaller parts. Maxfactory even threw in a pair of white gloves so that no fingerprint will ever go on this toy!!!
I have not been this impressed by a gokin toy since GX-06 and Aoshmia Shin Getter 1. Arguably this is more impressive since it is from Maxfactory. The designer obviously gets what toy nuts like us want in a gokin toy and the love shows in every aspect.
In closing, I would say that this puts Maxfactory on the map as one of the premier gokin robot toy maker next to Bandai and Aoshima (which has not produced a super robot gokin after Mazinkaiser).
