"They've got questionable proportions, they lack detail, they're made from the same material as shampoo bottles. A seemingly guaranteed recipe for disaster, but somehow Popy pulled it off. Not even the changes instituted by Mattel for the American "Shogun Warrior" releases were able to completely rob the Jumbos of their inherent charm. (But let me say this: if I ever find the bitch-ass trick at Mattel who insisted on switching the right arms of most of the American releases with that wussy-boy three-missile-shooter, I'm going to make them wish they were never born.)

"Color. Form. Balance. The designers of the Jumbo Machinders were masters of arranging simple blocks of color in an inherently pleasing way. This lends the Jumbos a blurred, impressionistic quality that more "modern" toys lack. (Then again, it could just be my crappy 35mm camera.) It's not the detail; it's the conveyance of the feeling of size and power that makes the Jumbos so sought-after. Their design philosophy embraces the representational rather than the concrete - they teeter on the edge of abstraction. Jumbo Machinders are Monets; Soul-of-Chogokin are more like Eschers.

"A desire to restore balance is what drove me to acquire this pair of XX-13 Drill-Missile fists for my US-release Great Mazinger Jumbo. The infamous three-missile shooter was an affront to symmetry that could not remain unaddressed. In spite of the fact that they're somewhat long when fully extended, the restoration of two similar fists made a complete change in the feel of the toy; check out the photos and decide for yourself. Plus, the Gatling-style launching mechanism of the XX-13s was far too cool to pass up: a twist of a dial launches six rubber-tipped darts in rapid succession. It's an eye-safety hazard the likes of which hasn't been seen in the US since those steel-tipped "lawn darts" were banned. God, I love Japanese toy designers!"

-- Matt Alt