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

Repaints & variants… Ha! They’re just a means to suck away your
dwindling toy fund. Now it’s NORMAL. Now it’s BLACK. Now it’s METALLIC
(and limited). Now it’s ANIME ACCURATE… Hate it! HATE IT! But
once in a while, when the subject matter is right, variants can bring
a real funky kind of joy! And that’s how it was when 6 colorful bugs bit
me and gave a real bad case of chogo-lust.

You know how some toys just sneak up on you? Last December, My brother
came home one day and showed me what he got at a sale: Yet another chogo-costume
Kamen Rider 2 (or so I thought at first).

“Hey, why did you get another one of these? Haven’t we gotten
No. 1 and 2 already?”

‘”Look closer – the boots and gloves are YELLOW!”

“Oh cool. And the scarf is green…”

“GREEN? I thought the box showed it was yellow. Here, see…”

“Hmm… What’s this little label on the back? Shocker Rider
GREEN. That means there are more colors involved I guess…”

“@#$%!“

A quick check in the Kamen Rider mooks soon revealed the dastardly plot.
There were SIX Shocker Riders, the enemy clones created to wipe
out the good guys. And the ONLY thing that differentiated them was the
color of their scarves (or mufflers if you prefer). Yellow, White,
Green, Blue, Purple and Pink. Even sissy PINK, dammit! Head – same.
Gloves – same. Belt and boots – all the same. Not even a special weapon
for each Shocker. Positively shocking…

But still, we were intrigued and decided to try finding the rest. Disaster!
The store only had Green and Yellow were in stock. You can imagine the
look on the bored store assistant’s face when we asked if more were coming
in… “The stocks all there… it’s all we’ve got.” Helpful
chap.

Never mind, we were heading to Hong Kong for a holiday – surely we’d
find some there, right? No such luck. In one store, a frantic Japanese
collector was asking the proprietor if he had any more “Shokka Raidaa?”
“Sorry, all sold out” was the reply. When a seemingly trivial
toy suddenly becomes SOLD OUT, your priorities change pretty quickly!
We found a lot of goodies in Hong Kong, but never did manage to see another
Shocker Rider anywhere.

But this silly tale has a happy ending. Back in Singapore, we returned
to the mall and what do we see but a whole PILE of Shockers. Every
color was in stock. And silly buggers that we were, we gleefully bought
the ones we missed at full retail. I wore that silly smile all the way
home :-)

– drifand

Yamato Toys’ VF-1 Valkyries… Some people swear by them, others swear
at them. You’ll seldom find a more polarised situation when it comes to
fan opinion on these finely detailed, but sometimes problematic toys.
I’ve been a vocal critic of it’s shortcomings but I know a good thing
when I see it, especially when it looks as good as these latest iterations
of my favorite Macross mecha!

If you haven’t owned one of these toys, they are basically a modern take
on the fan favorite VF-1 Valkyrie design, featuring a high level of detail
and sculpt accuracy (approved by creator Shoji Kawamori). The biggest
catch is that unlike the classic Takatoku Toys 1/55 Valkyrie, the Yamato
Toys version requires the legs of the robot to be detached and re-assembled
for its three modes (Fighter, Gerwalk & Battroid). In this respect,
the Yammie (as its fans call it) is not so much a toy as a semi-model.
The line began more than a year ago with the less popular variations and
gradually worked its way through 8 iterations.

During its earlier production run, there were sporadic complaints of
design and quality assurance issues. Loose or poorly fitting parts, usually
the Backpack in Battroid mode and the Gunpod in Fighter mode, were addressed
in subsequent versions. Though minor to some fans, these problems made
me back away from buying the toy, especially when I had first hand experience
of similar issues with the company’s earlier Macross Plus products. By
the time the Hikaru VF-1J Super Valkyrie was released late in 2002, most
of the outstanding issues had been resolved. The very popular Max &
Milia Super Valkyries released early this month incorporated all the refinements
for the line, and the confirmed news that Yamato toys would expand the
1/60 series to include other mecha (Destroid Monster and Quedluun-Rau)
finally convinced me to “buy in”. On to the toy…

To me, the angular head and distinctive diamond shaped lens of the VF-1J
defined the face of realistic transforming mecha back in the 80’s. It
is perhaps the most iconic of Macross robots, bar the Skull Leader’s VF-1S.
The one image that always appealed to me was the stylized pose the VF-1J
struck during the pre-commercial “eyecatch”.

While official art for Hikaru’s VF-1J show a white border for the camera,
I have painted mine dark grey out of personal preferance (like the classic
1/55 toy). The “separate-legs” design of the toy allows for
some pretty dynamic stances, but to actually pull off a pose like the
above required some modifications with a sharp hobby knife! That’s because
the shoulders and elbows suffer from a design fault that prevent good
posing. But first here’s my little homage to the eyecatch sequence: Frame
1 | Frame 2

Here’s what I did to make it work. First I had to fix the restrictive
shoulder blocks. To open the shoulder, you need to pry
off the hexagonal covers for the screws. The opened
parts will reveal the halves of the small white polycap that is causing
rotational problems. Putting them back in place to align them correctly,
I used a sharp 30-degree blade to carve away parts
of the polycap along the upper 3/4’s of the protruding rim. The result
is a gain of 5~10 degrees lateral movement, which allows for better positioning
of the shoulders without “popping off” the chestplate locks
as before. Note: some older versions of the VF-1 use only one
screw plus a very tightly inserted peg. There’s a good chance the peg
will break if you force it open.

As for the elbows, Yamato opted for a symmetrical block
design. The upper arms/elbow block are made of hard PVC, while the forearms
are plastic. The original design limited the arms to less than 90 degrees
of bending. i.e. no grasping of gunpod underarm like the last shot of
the eyecatch. To remedy, I simply used my knife to
shave off the excess PVC on the elbow lock, and cut away parts of the
forearm enclosure. I did this surgery on all three VF-1Js.

Another sore point that hasn’t changed in all versions of
the toy is the strange case of the missing thumb. There are 2 types of
right fists included – a normal “grip” type with closed trigger
finger, intended to fit flush inside the arms in fighter mode, and a slightly
distorted “anime” type with angled fingers and opened trigger
finger, but with NO THUMB. For a Real Robot nut like me, this is a Bad
Thing. Basically the normal fist isn’t very exciting and the opened
fist looks odd at certain angles. My solution is to slice
the trigger finger free from the normal fist. I also cut away some
excess PVC behind the crook of the finger. There’s some distortion of
course, but any other way would require putty and more work.

Lastly, the gunpod needed a strap. Nevermind that it’s quite
impractical if the VF-1 was real, it looks cool! I had a spare strap from
some leftover Dragon Models accessories. So a quick 1-2 with my Tamiya
drill and some elbow grease did the trick. Needless
to say, the gunpod won’t fit under the fighter without some careful jiggling
of the strap hinges. But that’s OK because I hope to display it with a
set of GBP-1S armor (someday). I can’t think of a good reason why Yamato
made the Hikaru 1J a Super Valk. It never appeared as such in the TV series
or film, and will never appear as such on my shelves…

The Super Valkyrie configuration for Max
and Milia’s VF-1Js is the real deal though. Yamato even molded the
boosters in matching shades of attractive red and blue. The micro-missile
pods are detachable and the cover for the booster engines is also removeable.
The main nozzles are moveable, and a pleasant surprise is that the inner
sides of the leg armor are covered, not hollow like the 1/55’s of old.
The Fighter mode is quite impressive with its load
of Reaction Missiles. And the collapsible handle fix for the gunpod means
it doesn’t drag on the floor like earlier versions.
And while the Gerwalk mode is not it’s strongest
selling point, the toy manages pretty well for static
poses.

Overall, these are probably the best looking toys of the
VF-1J ever and a good addition to any Macross fan’s collection. They still
need a bit of work to bring out the best in them, the rest is up to you.

I recently had the opportunity to have my Jumbo Machinder Daimos refurbished
by Dan Webber of Webber toys. Dan makes reproduction jumbo parts and
stickers, and for a fee he will take your Jumbo, clean it and restore
it.

I decided on my Daimos for the makeover. He was dirty, he was missing
accessories, and his stickers were peeling and bubbling. Off to Dan he
went.

Dan takes the Jumbo and disassembles it. He removes all the stickers
and adhesives. After a thorough cleaning, he re-applies his custom stickers.
The stickers are vinyl with a clear coat. He also touches up the paint
on painted areas, such as the head.

His reproduction parts are fantastic. The launching
fist is molded out
of white resin in 2 pieces. It is assembled and then painted to match
the original color. The match is almost exact. And yes, the fist does
shoot. The weight is just slightly heavier than the original. He also
has made reproduction parts such as Raydeen’s bowfist, Grendizer’s
harikens, and your standard firing missile.

About a week later I received the completely restored Jumbo. The difference
is astounding. Daimos looks like brand new.

I do have a few small criticisms. Some of the stickers are a little
bit pixilated. I was informed that they are going to be re-done with
a vector-based program to produce clean lines. Also, he left the original
factory over spray on the head. I guess that is a matter of preference.
I think I would have rather he cleaned it off.

This is a good solution if you want to breathe new life in to your old
Shogun Warrior Jumbos. Check out Dan’s site at www.webbertoys.com.

I have a confession to make: Aside from the footage that showed up in that Kia commercial, I’ve never seen Gorgo. All I know about the movie is that it involves a baby monster and its mama stomping the hell out of London. That and Leonard Maltin called the special effects “exciting”.

Year after year, the refrain I’ve always heard from monster toy collectors was, “Damn, when is someone going to make a Gorgo figure?” Well, that’s what a bold, enterprising Jersey boy went out and did.

No, not me. It was Jim Cirronella from Club Daikaiju, working in conjunction with the kings of kaiju sofubi, M-1 Go. The end result is as impressive as their previous collaborations, Reptilicus and the Rat-Bat-Spider.

As far as the size goes, Mama is slightly bigger than a standard Bullmark vinyl with articulation at the arms, legs, and tail, while Baby is a tad smaller than the mini-size vinyls with the standard waist joint. The vinyl is very thick, and the hand-painted details are excellent.

As vinyl monster toys go, it really doesn’t get any better than this. Even if you’ve never seen the movie. I give it a solid “A”. Pick yours up at Godzilla Shop (you can find Gorgo here) or your local monster toy dealer.

Click on the thumbnails to check out more pictures of the duo, and check out Gorgo’s page at M-1 Go’s official site. Heed Baby’s warning, though: “Don’t touch me!”

Like most young men, I have fantasized about having an entire room devoted solely to robot toys for some time. “Boy, as soon as I get a place of my own I will have a spiffy toy room” I would say. I imagine many of you had/have the same thoughts. Well, don’t give up! You CAN turn an unused bedroom into the toy haven of your dreams! The following four pictures depict the end result of my desires:

Here’s How I did it: First I bought a house, then I put all my toys into a room. “Be more specific!” you say? “I want more details!” you demand? OK, I can oblige. In order to create the room I always wanted, I first built a 1/10th scale model of the spare bedroom and all the furniture I planned to use to display the toys. On a side note, the 2 “real” pieces in the room were hand-me-downs from my Mom. The only pieces I acquired myself were the cheap-o black bookcases. After the model was done, I played with layouts and designed a guide for the paint. Next came the actual painting. Step one was to clear the room and tape it off. Next I applied the orange layer. After that the dark gray went on, and finally, (and this is what took the most time) I brought the gray down over the orange to create the flame effect. There are added touches as well. The display stand seen in the pictures of the room was acquired when I worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. They were getting rid of it, and forward thinking as I am, I grabbed it. Painted to match, I think it makes a nice addition. Also, the “Table of Maximus” is my own design. It both makes use of AND showcases the phenomenal power of these impressive robots. You can’t really see them in the lousy pictures, but the shelves were designed by me as well. They feature steel cable on the ends for a suspension bridge feel. So there you have it. $35 worth of lumber, various snippets of hardware, 4 gallons of paint, 640 gallons of toys, and 45 hours of labor and my visions of toy wonder were fulfilled. Here I am enjoying the fruits of my hard work. Naturally, I have since outgrown the room and will need to make another.

D’ya know Denjin? Probably not. They’re an ultra-minor “garage” toy maker with a single license to their name. Or more precisely, only one that I care about: the license to produce limited-edition, retro-styled, soft vinyl representations of robots from the Mobile Suit Gundam series.

Denjin first caught my eye about a year and a half ago, when they sold a pair of soft-vinyl Zakus (one “Char,” one “cannon fodder”) as convention exclusives. With their old-skool sculpt and satisfying size (roughly equivalent to the “standard Bullmark” scale of nine inches), they were a standout in a flood of depressingly similar Gundam merchandise.

Unfortunately, I missed the boat the first time around, and prices had skyrocketed on Japanese auction sites before I could get my greasy mitts on them. But fortunately, Denjin wasn’t a one-hit wonder.

In the middle of last year, Denjin bulked up their line with a whole slew of new characters. To wit: a “commander type” green Zaku, Doms molded in purple, Char orange, and blue; an “old type” Zaku; and my personal favorite, an old type Zaku molded in the oddly earth-toned personal colors of fan-favorite character Ranba Ral.(I just can’t get enough of that turqoise and sky blue color combination.)

The downside to the Denjin toys is their price. Although loose specimens occasionally appear ine online auctions for $20 or $30, more often than not they’re only encountered mint-in-bag at $75 to $100. That’s a lot of dough for a new toy, especially one that’s practically immoble (in keeping with the style). But then again, what’s a fan of vintage 70’s Gundam soft vinyls to do? Choices were slim to begin with, but they’ve been even slimmer since Clover went under in the early ’80s. Now, thanks to Denjin, those with a proclivity for questionably-proportioned renditions of Gundam robots have a chance to fill their shelves again.

Aesthetics are very important to me, and this carries over to my toy collecting. The accuracy of the sculpt of a toy, and its faithfulness to the anime can make or break a deal for me, so imagine my excitement when Kaiyodo announced the Getter-1 action figure based on the design seen in the “Neo Getter Robo vs. Shin Getter Robo” OVA.

The figure comes in the “Rollout Version” as well as the harder-to-get “Meltdown Version”. Through some cosmic intervention, I managed to score both from HLJ. Both figures are done nicely, and both are capable of very dynamic poses. The head can tilt forward and backward, as well as pivot on the neck, allowing some very cool poses.

The ‘Rollout Version” features a glossy paintjob with some nice weathering, and comes with two Getter Tomahawk axes, Getter Machine Gun, a nicely painted Getter Wing cape, three sets of hands (closed fist, fists to hold the Getter Tomahawks, and open hands), and a couple of round, clear discs meant to be used as a stand. (They have a peg that goes in a hole at the bottom of the Getter 1’s feet). So far, I have not had to use the stands. The figure holds poses well, and it is nicely balanced, so it has not taken any spills.

The “Meltdown Version” features a nice flat paint job, weathered and “dirty” from hydraulic fluid seeping from the battle-damaged parts. It comes with two nicely weathered Getter Tomahawks, a weathered Getter Machine Gun, and the same stand discs as the “Rollout Version”. Its left shoulder comes with battle damage, four pairs of hands (closed fist, closed fist to hold weapons, open hands, as well as an open hand holding the Getter Reactor, with a corresponding, differently posed open hand). The left arm can be removed and replaced with a battle-damaged stub of a shoulder. The Getter reactor has dangling cables, one of which can be plugged into the Getter 1’s exposed guts, to simulate the scene in the OVA when the Getter 1 takes out the enemies by tearing out his own Getter Reactor core and making it explode. The “Meltdown Version” also comes with a nice base stand that features some collapsed building debris, and the remains of a defeated robot-dinosaur.

Both figures are made out of heavy PVC, and the joints feature Kaiyodo’s “Monoshaft” joints. The joints are nice and tight, and my only complaint is some paint chipping on the inside of the elbow joint (see closeup picture) from my repeatedly changing poses. Aside form this, both figures are flawless representations of the OVA’s Getter-1, and I would highly recommend both, as they each have exclusive accessories.

That’s good advice from Mrs. Potatohead for any warrior going into battle… Or as the fiery Drill Instructor in Full Metal Jacket put it, “SHOW ME YOUR REAL WAR FACE!!!“. If ever a Japanese character had a War Face, it’s gotta be the menacing black-clad, machine gun toting Kerberos Panzer Cops from the dark mind of Mamoru Oshii. Imagine yourself clad in impervious armor, laying waste to the enemy in such sweeping fashion that even Sam Jackson would nod in approval… Sure is more likely than getting to pilot a 100-feet tall Super Robot!

Before the explosion of worldwide fan interest in the Kerberos franchise due to the superb Jin-Roh anime, the only way you could own a figure of the trooper was to either get the soft vinyl kit from Kaiyodo, or purchase the exclusive and very expensive Japan-only, mail-order toys from Medicom. I would hesitate to even call those figures real toys because they were only slightly removed from the kits, having the most basic of 12″ figure bodies, and non-articulated hands that could barely hold the included MG-34 or MG-42 machine guns (assembly required). Later, Medicom also released the much improved Jin-Roh version, although the base figure was still very limited in poseability, and the armor was permanently attached to the figure. Check out Tim Brisko’s excellent Rumbles from February for his customized Stray Dogs version, and the Medicom Jin-Roh version.

So now Dragon Models enters the scene, they of the insanely detailed and over accessorized, super realistic 1/6 scale action figures. In their edition of the Stray Dogs Kerberos Panzer Cops, the same maniacal attention to detail lends a level of reality as never before to this fan favorite. On their website (Thanks for the link, AcroRay!), they list 3 versions of the toy, a battle-scarred Toys ‘R Us Japan exclusive, a Japan-only light-up eyes version, and a standard export version. I would have gladly bought ANY version available, but as it is, the dealer here in Singapore managed to snag a good number of the “light-up” version.

Just looking at the included stuff gives you an idea of how good Dragon Models are. The fully-articulated trooper is equipped with a handgun and a Luger, both with removable magazines, the trademark MG-42 machine gun, with spare diecast barrel and a chain of linked metal bullets. I can’t tell you enough how much better the metal bullets looked compared to the “normal” rubber molded ones you get with the set of guns sold separately for 1/6 scale collectors. The heft of the bullets makes the chain obey the laws of gravity more naturally… And the main figure? What a revelation! Like comparing the DX Sazabi to a Gashapon capsule figure! (OK, maybe not THAT drastic.)

Double-jointed elbows and knees, even the feet are double-sectioned. Look at the detailing on the gauntlets! METAL helmet, backpack with grips for the MG-42, working belt clasps that let you remove all the armor. I was especially impressed by the leg armor – hinged knee covers, soft PVC molded shin guards and separate boots that together allowed for very realistic poses. The much sleeker Jin-Roh figure was like a day-old stiff compared to this toy.

And of course… the EYES! The glowing red goggles are the most recognizable feature of any version of the Kerberos Protect Gear. Where previously you had to settle for brightly painted goggles, Dragon Models gives you close to the Real Thing. The actual visage under the helmet and mask is a featureless casing which contains a pair of battery-operated LEDs. Locating the switch was a small puzzle at first as the diagram on the back of the box wasn’t too helpful. But once you remove the mask and balaclava, there it is… a real T2 moment for me. And that blank face with two pinpoint eyes? He’s either the tallest Jawa this side of the Star Wars galaxy, or the closest cousin to the naked EVA-01 from Evangelion :P

I put the toy through the paces and was very happy with the level of finish and playability it offered compared to all previously released versions. My pricey Medicom simply can’t compare… Dragon Models blows it clean away, like the Kerberos would with a real MG-42… BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT!!! No remorse! About the only complaint I could come up with is that the toy is pretty top-heavy, which means that some poses are very hard to hold still. It took me quite a while to get the shots done right, the figure kept toppling over on the table.

I paid about US$85 for mine. If you’re a fan of the design this figure is not to be missed. The more brutish looking Stray Dogs version is now a brother in arms to my Medicom Jin-Roh. I can only hope that Dragon Models creates the ultimate version of the Jin-Roh version as well. Now THAT would be a sight for sore eyes!

Better late than never! This Rumble was actually made in Dec 2002, but was overtaken by events…

Small in stature yet full of surprises, these nifty toys offer more bang for buck than your average MSiA. I mean, it even transforms accurately! Not counting the larger kits, only the huge 1/48 DX Victory Gundam could pull it off, and even then the Core Fighter was a separate piece. So arguably, the Banpresto is the most accurate V-Gundam toy ever! If you’re a fan of V-Gundam or simply love well-made mecha toys, this is a opportunity you shouldn’t pass up on.

Inside the colorful box, the little guy rests in a white vac-formed tray with his beam rifle. Surprise No. 1: It has DIECAST parts!!! No kidding, the forearm tabs and most of the lower legs
are metal! I dare say it has more diecast than the GD-44 Kahen Senshi Zeta. Nor is the plastic cheap looking or brittle… just a notch down from the KH Zeta, and waaaay better than the usual rubbery PVC on MSiAs or even FIX figures.

There are two variations – the normal V-Gundam and the finless Hexa. Strangely enough, the head for the Hexa looks better than the main mecha. More surprises are in store… The thrusters in the backpack and rear skirt armor are articulated! And the gun comes with the trademark swiveling stock. Impressed yet? In robot mode, cool poses are a snap, even the much coveted kneeling pose.

But the main thing about this toy is that it transforms. It separates cleanly into the three main components. First is the Core Fighter. Having owned the 1/48, I’m amazed that Banpresto has managed to go one up on the larger toy. Sure, it’s a little flimsy, but WOW! Check out the intricate joints on the torso which combine to make the Top-Fighter. The lower legs have opening verniers and hidden fins too. Combine it to make the Bottom-Fighter.

Any caveats? Aside from the slightly fugly details on the V-finned head, the shoulder joints are kinda loose and movement is pretty restricted. The side armor pieces tend
to come off by themselves, but a bit of blu-tack helps to keep them in. Of course, no beam shield either, but I don’t miss it. And, as these are meant to be game prizes, QA is not exactly at SOC levels. I paid about US$14 for each, but if you’re buying them blind from an online dealer, be prepared for little tragedies. In the end, I think they make a great addition to the Victory Gundam family :)

– Drifand

When I first opened the cockpit hatch and pulled out the driver figure, I thought, “Rob Zombie?” Because that’s exactly what the Dr. Hell figure looks like. Well, either that or an evil Abraham Lincoln.

Anyway, the Fewture Models 1901 Garada is a great piece. Lots of articulation and stability makes it a major improvement over the first 2 figures in the series. The plastic used is much better than that used for the Mazinger & Aflodai (they have a rubbery feel to them). The arms & legs don’t pop off or flop around and it will hold a pose. The articulation’s much better too. The elbows are double jointed for better bending, the chest & waist are both jointed to allow for hunching over or leaning back, and the neck & skull are both on seperate joints. The only complaint I have is with the feet. The pointy toes are hooked on to a joint on the foot to allow posing so they aren’t glued to the figure. They do tend to slide off. The paint job’s top notch, but I would have preferred  a scheme more similar to the original colors, this one looks a little too much like Skeletor. But with Fewture’s love of repaints it shouldn’t be too long before that color comes out. The figures roughly 9.5″ tall, (close to 11″ counting the head blades) which gives it some height over the Mazinger & Aflodai. 

As for gimmicks, there’s the opening cockpit with pilot figure, opening chest plates, hinged jaw, sliding spinal column which retracts and elongates depending on the torso positioning, 6 hands (with moveable wrists) and a bunch of smaller accessories used for making various weapons. There’s also a ‘Darkpolice Base’ included as well as the bonus weapons for the right wing of the 1901 Mazinger Scrandler (The right wing hasn’t been released yet, the left was included with Aflodai).