[Alen Yen's ToyboxDX]


    3.20.01-- 4.5.01
RUMBLE INDEX

4.5.01: Unifive Keeps Coming

More auburn enameled Cho Shin Gokin wonders from Unifive are on the street.

Machine Zaborga and Machine Zubagga both sell for Y5,800 and are highly diecast.
-- Darren
4.5.01: Grand-daddy 'Naut

Hailing all the way back from 1975, the re-issue of the original Robotman (Biotron) is out.

Pick up a set of batteries on the way back from the office! Retail price is Y9,800.
-- Darren
4.5.01: D.Kei Presents ...

Toy nut D.Kei shows off his FIX Perfect Gundam and DX Gaoking. Have a look.

The Perfect Gundam is a bit similar to its Full Armor cousin, but this has to be the first respectable incarnation of the Perfect G to hit the shelves. Gaoking: Dig the diecast.
-- Darren
4.5.01: Robot Base

If the Soul of Chogokin Base was too expensive (and too pointless), Banpresto has the solution.

This month, they will release a set of five mini-dioramas featuring SD robots that emerge from their underground base. Pick your favorite: Mazinger Z, Raideen, Tryder G-7, an EVA, and the Macross.
-- Darren
4.5.01: WHERE MY TOYS?!?

Darned top secret Chogo-Phone. Always ringing in the middle of the night.

The SOP Yamato will be released April 20, and the SOC Daiku Maryu will probably be hot on its heels. Bandai's such a tease.
-- Matt
4.2.01: Full-color Phoenix!

From mysterious benefactor Mr. Facets: shots of Unifive's upcoming Choshingokin God Phoenix taken at the Tokyo Toy Show. Mr. Facets notes, "this Godphoenix was hand painted just for display at the Tokyo Toy Show and is not indicative of the final product." Enjoy! And an added bonus: a team shot of the Gatchaman PVC set due in May.

[4.3.01 Mea Culpa: That's not G-4 popping out from the top the fuselage, that's a bird missile. What the pictures don't show clearly is that the louvres on the air intakes open and close. Fun! Oh, and the visors and boots of the PVCs will be super-tough ABS plastic. More fun!]
-- Mr. Facets & Yappy
4.1.01: ClasS.I.C.

As if there wasn't already a flood of Bandai news... Tired of getting out-gokined by its daughter company, Bandai challenges Unifive's upcoming anime-style Kikaider figure with a new line of "Classic" S.I.C.s ("Super Imaginative Chogokin"). Kikaider and two versions of arch-nemesis Hakaider will feature a smidgen of diecast but a ton of Ishinomori style. They're priced to move at Y1680 apop when they ship in late May.
-- Yappy
4.1.01: SOC it to me one more time

We receive two scans from our contact at Bandai late last night: one blueprint and a bit of rough line-art for a spring-loaded torso mechanism. The words "GX-08 Chogokin Damashii Jyunia Q4 2002" leap from our monitors. Great Mazinger's kid sidekick is reincarnated in die-cast. The waiting begins again...
-- Yappy & Roger
3.31.01: Guys & Dolls

Alright, I'm breaking down just this once... only because this news will make certain old-school TBDXers giddy with delight. In August, Medicom will release a mail-order-only 1:6 scale Chizuru through its Time House division. She's part of the Combattra V team if you didn't know... but know you should... Y9800, if you live in Nihon.

Medicom will also continue their distinctly 70s Retro Action Hero line with Kamen Rider Stronger and Riderman. Dig those classic Henshin Cyborg baggy clothes. Y7800 apop. Mail-order limited editions again, unfortunately.
-- Yappy
3.31.01: Dendoh Redeemed

Disappointed that the DX Gear Senshi Dendoh Data Weapons are nothing more than disembodied heads? Cheer up, happy campers, because in early April, for a price of Y2800, Bandai will release DX Chojuuoh Kiba, a full-torso-ed uber-power-up for everyone's favorite breakin' bot. Kiba not only transforms into the "Kiba-Thruster" drill weapon, but also into the "Kiba-Spinner" plane. One caveat: like the previous Data Weapons, Kiba will be a Zoid-esque pre-painted snap-tite kit.
-- Yappy & Matt
3.30.01: Leiji to go

The box for the upcoming Big Scale Soul of Popynika Yamato. 'Nuff said. And a bonus: the inner box holding the parts of the Cosmo Cleaner D kit.
-- Yappy
3.30.01: Executive MS

Here's a quick peek at Unifive's latest high-end Desktop Model: the classically styled RX-78 Gundam. Y15000 buys you a fixed posed "executive toy" with photo-etched internal details. And a shield and beam rifle (not pictured). Still better than that pedulum doodad. Expect it at the end of April.
-- Yappy
3.30.01: Angry Green Giant

Remember our 3.6.01 Rumble about the insane 1/12 scale, Y200000 Zaku Super Scale Hybrid Model? Darren expressed some reservations about it, worrying that it might be nothing more than a single solid block of foam.

Well, see that picture? It's a close-up of one of the prototype's fingers. Heavy-duty screws... fully jointed ABS plastic digits... hands larger than a baby's head. Bandai's now promising full articulation on the monster, with giant industrial sized bolts making up the joints. We'll see if they can pull it off...
-- Yappy
3.28.01: E-Cannonball

If anyone still cares, Takara's finally shipped the first wave of Web Diver toys; you remember, they're the results of an illicit tryst between Yuusha Mightgaine and a Gameboy. What's out:
  • W-01 Jagaon ("Jaguar-on")
  • W-02 Shaakuon ("Shark-on")
  • W-03 Grifion ("Griffi-on")
  • W-04 Garyuun (um... "Garyuun") (these four belong in the "DX Web Knight Series")
  • the "ST"-ish Flash Gattai Gradion set
  • the Gran Blade sword/gun play accessory (very Sentai-ish)
  • two PVC "Web Diver Collection" sets.
For more pics and info, check out Takara's official Web Diver site.
-- Yappy
3.26.01: Gundam Renewal

Gamespot Japan has their 2001 Tokyo Toy Show coverage up. Heavy on the Gundam end, it has pictures of the MSiA Dendrobium (which isn't fully confirmed for production yet), as well as the yet unannounced MSiA Gundam Ver. 02-- a slick Hajime Katoki redesign.
-- Yappy & Matt
3.26.01: Sp*wnzinger

So what's the story behind Fewture's new Nirasawa-designed, steam punk Mazinger AD1901 action figure line? From the mouth of Fewture itself:
"1901 Europe ... 13 years before WW1. A time when free sprited thinking inventors and artists competed for technological advances.

The smartest scientists built a secret underground city called "Metropolis". The research there had yielded rapid development of technology. The research uncovered a new substance in 1901 ... Gokin Z.

Dr. Hell is in another city, Darkpolis. His ongoing research finally began to bear fruit..."
There you go, revisionist history and super robots collide... discuss among yourselves.
-- Darren & Yappy
3.26.01: Green 'Rilla

A little peek at an upcoming Gaoranger power-up Power Animal ... the green Gao Gorilla. It would appear that he's a replacement for the chest component.

If he has any type of nipple missiles, you can bet we at Toybox will report the news pronto. Maybe even send out a mailing.
-- Yappy & Darren
3.26.01: Mobile Armor Madness

If Bandai's upcoming US-market MSiA G-Armor isn't enough ... and WHO can get enough G-Armor? ... DIE, Core Booster, DIE! ... It looks like the fourth Gundam FIX figure (3rd being GP01) will be RX-78 with G-Armor! YAY!

And if that's still not enough, look for a MSiA Dendrobium later this year... not just a GP03, but a full-on two-foot-long mobile armor toy! And we thought the Big Zam was insane...
-- Darren & Yappy
3.25.01: Be good for goodness sake...

Because Bandai's long-awaited 1:48 Scale Radio-Controlled BB-Firing Zaku II will be released in December 2001 (keeping fingers crossed)... at a whopping Y98000. Be real good to your loved ones this year...

Thanks to Newtype Asylum for pointing out the links to Tokyo Toy Show coverage from Game Watch and ZDNet Japan.

And check out Bandai's follow-up to their cat-like BN-1-- a "communication robot" version of everyone's favorite Ultra-kaiju, Pigmon!
-- Yappy
3.24.01: Gundashapon

Cheap Gundam toy crack gashapon is on the horizon. Three transforming "Mobile Change Mobile Suit" items will be available in August. The Zeta Gundam and Bound Doc (Rozamia Badam and Jerid Messa variations) are 9cm tall. Each sold seperately.

Two DX Series "Explosive God Finger" items will materialize in September. God Gundam and "Shin-Hyper Mode" God Gundam are 16cm tall, and feature LED illumination in the finger and chest! Fear the finger!
-- Darren
3.23.01: Brave New World

Turn up that Poison playing on your hi-fi cassette recorder, and tuck your Bugle Boys into your Adidas Sambas! It's 1989 all over again as Takara finally ships their Brave Exkaiser re-release. Check out the 11.27.00 rumble for more info.
-- Yappy
3.22.01: AFFE Exclusive news trickles in...

The GodzillaC mailing list squeezes AFFE organizer Jim Cirronella for information about convention exclusive toys, and he cracks:

"First of all, there will be an exclusive glow version Rat-Bat-Spider available at AFFE. Due to the larger size, we can only make a limited quantity of the glow version (about 300 total), so it will be offered exclusively at AFFE and an event in Tokyo this summer."

"Secondly, we *are* working on a Bandai exclusive for this summer's convention, but at this point, nothing has been confirmed so I won't go into any details. I will tell you that it won't be a Godzilla figure because Toho respectfully declined to be involved directly with AFFE this year. I will also tell you that if we are able to offer another Bandai event exclusive this year, it's going to be very limited, probably to 300 pieces only."

Mmm, glowing M-1 vinyl figure...
-- Roger
3.22.01: When is a Zoid not a Zoid?

When it's a)non-motorized b)totally pre-assembled c)made of lovely diecast metal.

The Kadou-Oh ("Movable King") Liger Zero certainly slipped under our collective radar. This rare Tomy foray into the gokin-verse features styling snap-on plastic armor over a diecast inner frame. Shades of B'TX, if anyone remembers that toyline. This 1:100 scale beast is smaller than the regular snap-together 1:72 Zoids, but makes up for it in poseability-- check out Japanese Zoidophile Katchy's photo-essay. Kadou-Oh Liger Zero is available now for Y3980; separate armor sets will be available the near future.
-- Yappy
3.21.01: Suupaa Grade???

We don't usually run stuff on model kits... but this morsel of info has our toy radars going off. That itsy-bitsy thumbnail shows a glimpse of a 15cm tall "inner frame" for a yet unnamed Bandai pla-model line. Notice the Kadou Senshi-ish level of joints and the heavy-duty, toy-like screw assemblies. So what covers this inner frame? 3 syllables... Ma... Zin... Ga... Expect the grand unveiling at Tokyo Toy Fair.
-- Yappy & Matt
3.20.01: Takashi Murakami @ The Japan Society, NYC

I first saw Murakami's work a couple of years ago, and while witnessing his growing popularity, I've always wondered about the man behind the art. I'd like to think that his work was more than just a well-timed exploit on a resurging interest in the anime culture. It is.

I was expecting a slide show of his latest projects, along with a case by case explanation. But he chose not to focus his own work, and instead had created for this New York audience a half-hour video of his inspirations. It started innocently enough and quickly grew into an unrelenting collage of media. In creating the piece, Takashi had no qualms showing scenes as diverse as traditional japanese landscape paintings, sweeping footage of Di Caprio on the helm of the Titanic, godlike anime monsters at war, footage of the massacre at Omaha Beach from Saving Private Ryan and, of course, cute anime chicks.

After letting the audience recover, he answered questions from a (mediocre) moderator and from the audience. Some of what he said:

In describing the reaction other true japanese "Otaku" had to his work, he went on to say how they colorfully rejected his validity, calling him a fake otaku. This, of course, warmed my heart- who could help but root for an underdog who is accused by those who you'd expect to support him most.

Regarding some insight into what his art celebrates he said something about "consumer culture" or "counter-consumer culture". Either way it's interesting, since he's been quoted as saying that some of his work is "a self-portrait of the Japanese people... cute but has no meaning and understands nothing of life, sex, or reality."

On his original detractors who wanted him to categorize separately anime and art- "I see no difference. They are all the same to me." On what his work is trying to express- "Miscommunication."
-- Arturo


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