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

Desperate for the newest info on upcoming Bandai releases? Dying for news about the newest THE Chogokin releases or hoping for pics of the new “Kahen Senshi” Double Zeta Gundam? Sick of wading through all the girly-girl toys and corporate jargon on Bandai’s main website? Wade no further! Bandai’s just unveiled Tamashii Web! It’s your one-stop shop for info about Bandai’s newest robot-releases, whether they be Mobile Sluts in Action or highfalutin’ Soul of Chogokin toys.

It’s also all in Japanese, but dang, ain’t those purty pictures?

Tamashii means soul in Japanese — in fact, it’s the “soul” in “Soul of Chogokin.” An appropriate name for a website specializing in the goodies that keep mecha- and monster-maniacs crawling back to Bandai again and again and again. Enjoy… And get those wallets ready!

B. Preecha’s photographs (shown here) inspired me to finally Rumble on the “General Marshall Gundam” produced by the Korean company, Academy, in the early 1990s. The box is HUGE. It shows a color drawing of the toy inside, perhaps as the deranged boolegger/designers saw it. Other inset photos show actual pictures of the toy in its various poses.

Opening up the box yields a mech not quite jumbo size, but much heavier. There is an inner tray of vacuformed plastic, of the quality you’d find in a modern action figure package. (Note: if you buy one of these puppies, make sure you check under the hood. My box was full of mold underneath the inner tray.)

Pulling the giant Gundam free of its inner tray, one is surprised how heavy it is. This is no jumbo; nor is it a cheap bootleg. With a few exceptions, the plastic seems of quality equal to the MKII Mushacloth Gundam from which the Academy was obviously derived. Even after sitting on a (damp) shelf for almost ten years, the joints are tight but smooth. One has to respect Bandai’s original designers–and the admiration Academy clearly had for them. Not every toy can be doubled in size (and multiplied by eight in volume) and survive the transition.

The MKII mode of the Academy is impressive based on its size and the elegance of the design. But where it really shines in a gonzo-bizarre way is when you put on the samurai armor. With the exception of the helmet, the General Marshall Gundam’s armor is an exact duplicate of that of the smaller Mushacloth MKII. Unlike the Mushacloth, the armor in no way diminishes the Academy. (I always felt
that the Musha armor looked a size too large for the poor MKII wearing it.) The bulked-up Academy looks, well, bad-ass.

But that helmet … what can I say? I have no idea what Academy was thinking. Rather than the traditional samurai helmet of the Mushacloth, the General Marshall’s helmet looks like a WWII Gi Joe’s helmet as designed by Neptune, god of the sea. It has a strange, gold-chrome trident square in the forehead and a matching gold faceplate that looks more Jacques Cousteau than Lone Wolf and Cub. Better, I think, to take it off and let the MKII head see the light of day.

Articulation is decent, especially for a near-jumbo. You can strike some menacing poses even with the extra mass of the armor. Accessories are what you’d expect from the Mushacloth: two swords, a spear, and a Musha-ized gun. I rather like the chromed letter-opener look of the twin swords, very Franklin Mint. But the weight of Musha gun is simply too much for the arm joints. I’m not sure what Academy was thinking with this goofy attachment, which includes some electronics I haven’t been able to get working.

In an era where jumbos have returned to Toys R Us and even the venerable RX-78 and Zaku designs have received the giant treatment, it’s easy to forget the decade when big not only wasn’t better, it wasn’t even available. As a bright spot from this dark time, the General Marshall Gundam is highly recommended. I applaud Academy’s audacity of for churning it out, evidently without a license. I wonder if they ever got sued?

I laughed at the bug-eyed designs when the designs for Masked Rider Faiz were revealed last year… but when Bandai started shipping the TOYS, oh my!

Seriously, I really thought Faiz looked more like a motorbike headlamp than any “light bug” it’s supposed to be based on. But the design grew on me, mostly aided by the very cool transforming bike “Autovajin”. This design was nicely realized in the first of the SUPER RHF series and eventually overcame my dislike of the larger size of the Rider figure. So when number two was announced, I eagerly awaited its release and eventually got my hands on the Masked Rider Kaixa & Side Basshar set.

Out of the box, it’s fairly obvious there’s going to be no diecast involved. However the plastics are sturdy, with a gloss finish and nicely printed matte decals. Despite having the extra burden of a sidecar, Kaixa’s ride still manages to exude a racy coolness. The sleek menacing lines and black/yellow color scheme brought back memories of a similar bike from the hair raising Lotus Esprit car chase in 007’s The Spy Who Loved Me. :-)

Kaixa’s helmet design features a prominent ‘X’, and this detail is followed through on the bike’s headlamp fairings – 4 silver molded lamps are clearly seen under the X-shaped purple plastic. From the rear, the 6 humongous tailpipes speak of outrageous amounts of revving power. Even the sidecar has 2 pairs of smaller exhausts!

But of course there’s more to the sidecar than just extra room for a passenger. Attached to the main bike via a pair of retracting connectors, the sidecar separates, splits down the middle AND elevates to form the bottom half of a mechanical beast. The main bike’s front and rear wheels extend, then swing round 90-degrees. The rear light fairings fold down to become Kaixa’s battle-mode peddles. The two sections come together and the Side Basshar’s Battle Mode is completed! Blades fold out from the right “hand” while the 6 tailpipes on the other fan-out to become laser blasters.

ROAWRRR! Who’s got the cooler ride now? Excellent, excellent fun, these two Rider sets. I hope the rest of the series continues to live up to expectations.

Oh, by the way – you can’t actually seat another Rider in the sidecar. Unfortunately, there isn’t any legroom at all. What I did was to pop-off the legs from Faiz and simply plop him into place for the title shot. Cheers!

“The Chogokin” figures have managed to charm their way into the hearts of collectors. I just had to buy the Getta One for myself. After I first freed the tiny titan from his Styrofoam tomb I was surprised at just how small this rendition of the Getta One is. However, this palm-sized Popy paperweight has enough Gokin content to play with the big boys.

The Chogkin Getta One blows just away the competition. It is heavier than rubber figure, cuter than the Kaiyodo figure, more soulful than the SoC figure, and more manageable than the Marmit figure.

I know you PVC action figure freaks out there are more concerned about gimmicks and articulation and let me tell you that this Getta One has plenty! Check out this action pose. Getta One’s forearms can also be removed for simulated damage from this week’s Mechazaurus. Gimmick wise, this figure surpasses all of Getta Ones. He can launch his shiny chromed Tomahawk at any unsuspecting Kaiju and finish them off with the rarely seen Getta Headobutto!

If I had any complaint about this marvelous toy, it has to be his yellow chest because it clashes with the other toys. All Getta Ones must match! Ah well despite that one failing, this super robot of small stature is fit to be a champion.

(Ladies?) and Gentlemen, JLP proudly presents to you an epic battle of pint-sized titans, engaged in mortal combat!

These are both SD Leos from Gundam Wing.

In the Blue Corner, molded in green, hailing from a vending machine in Nagoya, Japan, weighing in at a price of 100 yen the Japanese release Leo.

In the Red Corner, molded in Brownish Grey(?) with grey accents, hailing from Toys ‘R US in The US of A, weighing in at an individual price of about USD 1.37 is the American Release Leo from the Superior Defender line.

The Leo is about the only thing from Gundam Wing that I liked. Its a wink and a nod to the Zaku II, but with more “Make the Good Guys look cool when they get blown up” appeal. Leos are possible the biggest mooks in the Gundam Universe with Balls being the only real contender. When I got the JPN SD Leo, I was so happy that I nearly lost control of my bowels.

When SD was released officially in the states, I has no interest in getting the SD Leos, as I was happy with the one I had, I did however want the SD Aries that came in the same 5 pack as one of the Leos. Now that i have them both, I figured I’d compare them. Which one is better?

Construction-wise there is no difference–these are “toy crack” it its most base. While the US Version looks slightly bigger because of the way it was molded, its actually the same size as the JPN release. Ver. US comes with a molded on shield as well as a dober gun, while the JPN release comes with the canister machine gun and a removable shield.

The biggest difference however is articulation. SD Gashapon by their very nature have little articulation, but both of these have arms that move at the shoulders.

Ver. US has a neck joint. Very cool!

BUT, BUT, BUT…

Ver. JPN has a waist joint. I know that’s a big deal to some of you all.

these are both great little “toys” though. I highly reccomend assembling a batallion of Leos today

JLP

“The Chogokin” figures have managed to charm their way into the hearts of collectors. With all the praise that they have been getting, I just had to buy one for myself. When I first freed the tiny titan from his Styrofoam tomb I was surprised at just how small this rendition of the Getta One is. However, this palm-sized paperweight has enough Gokin content to play with the big boys. The Chogkin Getta One blows just away the competition. It is heavier than rubber figure, cuter than the Kaiyodo figure, more soulful than the SoC figure, and more manageable than the Marmit figure. I know you PVC action figure freaks out there are more concerned about gimmicks and articulation. This Getta One has plenty! Check out this action pose. Getta One’s arms can also be removed for simulated damage from this week’s Mechazaurus. Gimmick wise, this figure surpasses all of Getta Ones. He can launch his shiny chromed Tomahawk at any unsuspecting Kaiju and finish them off with the rarely seen Getta Headobutto! As perfect as this figure may seem, its yellow chest makes it stand out among its contemporaries. In closing, this super robot of small stature is fit to be a champion.

Transformers suck. Don’t believe me? Watch as I do a comparison review between a Galvion toy and a Beast Machine.

Pedigree

Beast Machine Burnout is from an overhyped, overwatched 30-minute toy commercial. He’s a transforming racecar with (get this) a personality, feelings, and everything. Goofy, huh? Hasbro made jillions of these and sold them everywhere. He was purchased at a Target store for $7.49 plus tax.

Circus One is from the anime classic Road Chaser Galvion. Like Burnout, he’s a robot, but here’s the catch: he, uh, I mean, it, is a machine that’s piloted by a human. What a well thought out science fiction concept, huh? Galvion was so incredibly popular in Japan that they never dared release toys there. Why? They feared a repeat of what happened during the Gundam model craze, with Japanese children trampling each other in department stores for a chance to get their hands on the merchandise. Instead, they were sold in America as Super Defender Convertors. Circus One, the main character’s mecha, was renamed Indy. It was purchased through eBay for $15 plus shipping.

Winner: Circus One

Vehicle Mode (picture)

Burnout is a futuristic racecar. He has two pipe missiles that launch with finger-popping action. He rolls. If you flip him over, you can see his soul. It’s located under the front wheels, unlike his pal Muddober, whose soul is in his ass.

Circus One is a futuristic racecar. It rolls. The mecha’s rifle doesn’t have a place to clip on, so it just lies there, which I think is a pretty neat feature.

Winner: Circus One

Transformation

Burnout’s transformation is fairly complex for such a small toy, with numerous swivels, pegs, and hinges coming into play. Everything locks together firmly, and once you’re done, the robot mode stands tall and proud.

Circus One’s transformation is a somewhat harrowing experience. There’s an especially cringe-inducing part when you rotate the fists around and the two halves of the arm almost separate completely. Afterwards, you will find some blue dust on your hands. It’s the scraped off plastic from the lower legs grinding against the main body. Eventually you get to the point where you assume it’s finally in robot mode. Once transformation is complete, it may list to one side a little bit.

Winner: Circus One

Robot Mode (picture)

Burnout’s head, surprisingly, looks a little bit like the line art for Circus One’s head. A translucent eyepiece lights up when it catches the sun just so. He has articulation at the neck, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees, and ankles. He can take an action pose, or a more relaxed one.

Circus One, as I noted, lists to one side a little bit. Its head looks nothing like the line art for Circus One’s head.

Winner: Circus One

So there you have it. The overall winner, by a large margin, is Circus One. I’ll buy twenty of those awesome Galvion toys before you catch me buying any cruddy Transformers. Except for the Transmetal Depth Charge that I won on eBay last month. And that Tripredacus I bought off of Ken. That’s it. Maybe the Tankor/Obsidian 2-pack if I see it at Wal-Mart. But nothing else. I mean it.

(If anyone sees that grey Fox Kids repaint of Transmetal Tarantulas for sale, could you please let me know? Thanks.)

Gokin elitists beware! This little toy (or “collectible”, if you prefer) is made entirely out of WOOD. Not a hint of diecast in sight – not even a screw or metallic paint! But this 3-inch tall robot has plenty of personality and even a cool built-in gimmick to boot. :-)

This toy (yes, I play with it) is one in a series of wooden miniatures made by the candy company KABAYA. Among his friends you’ll find a a toaster, a rotary-dial telephone, a fridge, a blender, a TV… and more – all done up in the same retro-kawaii style. Each little toy also comes with its own gimmick or special function. For example, Mr. Robot here is a actually an “accessories stand”, according to the box. You can hang rings on his hands, or… TA-DA!
Open his chest compartment to hide that 10-carat sparkler away.

That’s how simple it is. I like to keep him on my desk as a cheerful little daily companion. Oh yes.Each box comes with a little pack of chocolates, Yum! This is one toy you can’t keep MIB. Except maybe in the freezer ;-)

Disclaimer: Any inherent “soul” or “value” in these little toys is directly proportionate to how much you actually like them. Cheers!

Recently, I had the good fortune to view one of the truly great Japanese toys of this, or any, era:Nofka, the well-known Maladroid mercenary.

Nofka’s design is completely original, a singularly innovative idea even in a toy line as highly regarded as the Convertors.In its eponymous Space Ship configuration, Nofka exhibits an elegant balance between the gritty functionality of a battleship and futuristic aerospace aesthetics.

Yet as imposing as the Space Ship is, Nofka’s brilliance is only fully revealed, after a few simple twists and turns, by its Battle Form.Nofka forms a robot so threatening, so terrible, that it is easy to see why so many regard this mercenary as the very embodiment of the chilling Maladroid credo, Enemy of the Earth.

I, myself, am most taken by the cunning use of the Space Ship’s aircraft carriers as the arms of the Battle Form.Have you ever seen the like?

Nofka’s diecast content is consistent with the high standards set by the Convertors line: six screws, two rivets, and two pins.

The card art is a thing of beauty, with full-color renditions of the Space Ship and Battle Form.

If only the Select company was still with us to authorize poster reproductions of these images, I’m sure the legions of Convertors fans would hungrily snap them up.The instructions, of course, are as comprehensible as any of the best toys made in Japan.

This particular Nofka appears to be the very rare custom edition.It has variant white and red paint operations skillfully applied by a master artisan to the Space Ship’s bow and flanks. In return for my services as a seller, Nofka’s owner made it available for these few photographs before lovingly returning it to temperature and humidity controlled storage.

He is willing to part with it for a price commensurate with its scarcity.

Serious inquiries only, please.

I’m repelled and fascinated by Transformers.

It’s a brand that started out with some of the best Japanese toy engineering found in the waning days of the chogokin era.

It carries on today in the aisles of Wal-Mart with some of the worst design aesthetics to be inflicted on America since Spike Lee put Rob Liefeld in a Levi’s commercial. But the Transformers’ first cousins, the Micronauts, weren’t nearly so fortunate.

After more than two decades in obscurity, Micronauts returned last year to nearly universal disinterest.

The fact that both famous toy lines erupted fully-formed from Takara’s brow would be easy to miss if you compared the two lines today.

This week brought such thoughts to the fore as I unpacked a kind of toy Alpha and Omega:“Emperor and Megas” from Palisades’ Micronauts reissue line, and Hasbro’s “Unicron” from Transformers: Armada.

Emperor and Megas were slight remolds to the earlier, more famous Micronauts villains, Baron Karza and Andromeda.

But the Emperor received such limited distribution in the United States that he might as well have never been released.

Unicron likewise was never really available as a toy, despite Transfans’ pleas since his first appearance in the crass “Transformers: The Movie” (1986).

These toys have nothing, and everything, in common.

Neither would exist without installed fanbases ready to shovel money at whatever manufacturer finally churned them out in plastic.

Obviously, I must be in both fanbases, which says a lot.

Each has action features that suggest they were made for kids, rather than for the dusty display shelves of the collectors who will actually buy them. And both share a design sense from toy eras long gone. In the Emperor’s case, that’s a good thing; Unicron, I’m not so sure. Otherwise, they have about as much in common as Beetras and Macross. But that didn’t stop Hasbro, so it won’t stop me.

Let’s look at Unicron first, as his fanbase wins by mass alone. This is a fine toy, as large robots go. The proportions are nice, the articulation is excellent, and he has that all-important waist joint. I would’ve liked a neck joint, too, but that’s a quibble. The gimmicks are forgettable. A huge missile launcher pops out of Unicron’s chest, H.R. Giger-style, but you need a cursed Mini-con to activate it, and it rarely fires without jamming. There are Mini-con controlled leg missiles, joy. And three compartments open up to hold Mini-cons I don’t own, leaving Unicron mostly hollow, which has got to be symbolic of something. The best feature is doubtless the transformation: with some effort, Unicron folds into a convincing planet mode, complete with working, moon-munching mandibles. Take that, Galactus!

If you liked Palisades’ Baron Karza, you’ll love Emperor and Megas. The plastic is better quality, the colors are more striking, and missiles now fire very well, thank you. The oversized cloth cape (modeled by the black and white Emperors in my pictures) give the Emperor a sort of undead Batman appeal. And the new mantle (which my clear-green Emperor is sporting) both complements the creepy helmet and allows the Emperor to shoulder-mount Megas’ rocket launchers. I like the chrome on Emperor and Megas, but it’s still pretty cheap, and three of these cyborg My Little Ponies side by side looks like the toy section in a Big Lots. Significant problems remain from the Baron Karza reissue: Emperor’s magnemo joint connections are weak, the centaur mode is only barely possible after modification with a screwdriver, and the clear-green plastic on Megas is so fragile that two of its legs were broken in the package.

Nonetheless, I had to have Emperor, just like I had to have Unicron. It’s a sort of relief to know these two entries end my participation in their respective toy lines. There will be no more Palisades Micronauts, and Hasbro will soon displace Armada with the even worse Energon. Soon I’ll be able to obsess over other retro toys I never had as a child, but somehow cannot live without today.

So here’s the bottom line. Unicron is worth the $50 he cost at Toys R Us, but only if you’re so into the Transformers “mythos” that you think having a planet toy with working mandibles is cool. It’s hard to justify the $100 that Emperor and Megas cost me at the Palisades Collector’s Club, even as a Micronauts collector. The old-school Takara flavor is much tastier and far less expensive in the 80s Transformers reissues — even the Hasbro ones.

And for sheer Takara toyetic value, neither Unicron nor the Emperor can hold a candle to my recent, favorite acquisition: Armada Airazor, $10 at K-Mart.