[Alen Yen's ToyboxDX]


    4.16.01-- 4.30.01
RUMBLE INDEX

4.30.01: Anabolic Sentai

Introducing Gaomuscle, the secondary robot from Bandai's current sentai, Gaoranger. Stopped giggling? Good. This Tetsujin 28 FX look-alike is the combination of Gaogorilla (Y2000... and featuring "chest-drumming" action), the Gaobear/Gaopolar set (Y3000), Gaoeagle and Gaobison (the last two are components of Gaoking). Ape and teddies will be out any day now.
-- Yappy
4.30.01: Armored Trooper Mazinger

There's not much more to say about Bandai's new toy-kit-fusion Mecha Collection Mazinger Z other than "around Y2000 and sometime in June." Just enjoy its chunky full-bodied goodness...
-- Yappy
4.30.01: Kooky Kaiyodo

Kaiyodo widens its market with the aquisition of some unusual licences this month:

Firing a warning shot across the bow of mighty Bandai, the garage-company-that-could announces the first entry of its "Tsuburaya Pro. Collection Series:" the somewhat fearsome Jumborg Ace. Also a bold move to corner the Medicom/Marmit/Ohtsuka Kikaku "dolly" market, this will be Kaiyodo's first clothed action figure. Jumborg will stand 16cm tall and will come with a miniature Jumbo-Phoenix what will separate into 3 component ships. He'll hit the shelves at the beginning of May for Y2980.

From the new anime Furikuri comes an action figure of the robo-protagonist, Kanchi-- certainly one of the most original designs since um... 7-Zark-7? Y2800 will buy you 22 points of articulation in mid-June.

Finally, for you hardcore Katoki-heads, here're some prototype shots of Specineff and Raiden from the company's Virtua On: Oratorio Tangram line. Release dates TBD...
-- Yappy
4.30.01: Chiller Tidbits

The spring Chiller show was this weekend, and although I didn't attend myself, I have no compunctions about stealing Gene Cahill's pictures and posting them: And as usual, Jim Cirronella had no problem catching some Zs behind the table.
-- Roger
4.28.01: And it begins...

Our friends in the land of the rising sun begin to wax poetic over Bandai's annual five-star gokin onslaught... let the floodgates open!

Ryoushou hits the ground first with his report on everyone's favorite Big Heavenly Space Demonic Magic Dragon. He notes that mini-Gaiking's torso, upper arms, and thighs are loving diecast, but that the toy alone would be worth around Y2000. Ah, just go drool over the pictures...

-- Yappy
4.27.01: THEY'RE HERE!

What? Have you been under a rock? Soul of Chogokin Daikumaryu and Soul of Popynika Yamato! Whoever gets a review into the Rumble first wins... um... uh... the love and respect of your fellow TBDXers. Yup...
-- Yappy & Matt
4.26.01: Multiples:Toys, Art, and Cultural Critique from Takeshi Murakami

Japanese animation (and its meditations upon the interaction between humanity and technology) has become so codified that it has passed from mere cultural phenomenon to full fledged institution. It is no surprise that the generation in Japan who first grew up within its thrall has for the last several years been engaged in its reproduction: revivals of series and characters, and re-issues of toys, etc... MORE!
-- Larry B.
4.24.01: CW's Quest

I finally FOUND the Sentai Timeranger mini set that works with the DX chogokin Timerobo. as you can see from the pics, they are as small as a Diaclone (wish all sentai stuff looks this detailed!). Them choking hazard little dudes also bend much like the Diaclones (missing magnet). The ship's main body is DIE CAST! It also folds into a gun for the DX Timerobo. even though it has no reference to the GD-XX line, it kinda reminds me of the older Popynika line... =)

IMO, I think the Timeranger series is the best line thus far from the current sentai family... guess I'll be looking for the rest of the DX line now... =(
-- CW Louis
4.23.01: Ahem...

For those of y'alls a mite slow on the draw, the "Temporary Crap BBS" was replaced early last week with a new streamlined model. With no warning, admittedly. Which means those of you who directly bookmarked the temp BBS might be wondering where the hell everyone's been. Click here to set yourself right.
-- TBDX Rumble Crew
4.23.01: Forgotten Henkei File #1

G-Changer Gundam Ironbolt Hikoukeitai Bolt Crusher
-- Yappy
4.22.01: VF-Final!

Those crazy kids Graham and Shawn at Macrossworld.com have done it again! Take a gander at their delicous preview of the final "production model" of the Yamato VF-11 Valkyrie toy.

Suprise of the year: the heat-shield has to be cut out by hand and attached with double-sided tape! Other than that, this looks to be the most balanced and well-executed Yamato Valkyrie to date. Read on...
-- Matt
4.20.01: You Say Ya-Mah-to, I Say Ya-May-to

The debate began innocently enough, a throwaway comment at the end of an email exchange between myself and old-skool anime guru Steve Harrison.

"Oh, and BTW?" asked Steve. "The Soul of Popinika Yamato is toy of the year for 2001. Might as well announce it now, it's over.. :)"... MORE!
-- Steve Harrison & Matt Alt
4.20.01: Matt was right??!!

And the crowd gasps... Even after a semi-official denial by Yamato, the current scuttlebutt at macrossworld.com is that the VF-19A Valkyrie (a repainted YF-19 from the VFX2 game) will probably-maybe-quite-likely be released. See our 1.30.01 Rumbles for the original story. Back and forth, back and forth, where we stop, nobody knows...

(once again, those are TBDX-generated mock-ups you're looking at...)
-- Yappy
4.19.01: New Jersey Exclusives!

Just received the following press release on the chogo-hotline:

ASIAN FANTASY FILM EXPO Announces Exclusive Figures for 2001 Event

SADDLE BROOK, NJ - April 19, 2001 – Asian Fantasy Film Expo is pleased to announce exclusive figures that will be available for sale at its second annual event being held on June 15 & 16, 2001 .

To commemorate the 100th birthday of legendary special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, Bandai Co. of Japan will release special edition vinyl figures of two of his most famous special effects creations: Ultraman, the silver and red super hero from the 1966 television series of the same name, and Gomess, the giant monster featured in the pilot episode of Ultra Q (1966). For sale exclusively at Asian Fantasy Film Expo, each figure will be limited to only 500 pieces and will be made available to convention attendees on a first come, first serve basis.

US collectibles retailer Club Daikaiju, in association with M-1 of Japan, will release the first-ever licensed vinyl figure based on one of the screen's most memorable Martian monsters, the Rat-Bat-Spider, from the classic 1960 sci-fi film, The Angry Red Planet. A limited edition of 150 glow-in-the-dark version figures will be available exclusively at Asian Fantasy Film Expo.

Asian Fantasy Film Expo will be held on June 15 & 16, 2001 at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. For more information, please visit the official web site at http://www.daikaiju.com/affe or call (201) 587-8112. Product photos available for review upon request.
-- TBDX Rumble Crew
4.18.01: Viva Las VF-11!

If you haven't already checked it out, Macrossworld.com gets the juicy scoopage on Yamato's upcoming VF-11 Thunderbolt Valkyrie toy! Drool over the delicious details here! This little tidbit would have gone up weeks ago if those lazy Rumble editors hadn't taken time off to deal with their personal lives! What nerve!
-- Matt
4.17.01: Shiver me timbers!

When Takara first announced their new Web Divers line, the general public wept aloud, "But... but it's not Transformers!" Well, thank god. No more arguments about the physics of energon cubes and the sexual proclivities of cartoon robots. Instead of narrative baggage, we get one of the freakishly beautiful toys ever to burst from the loins of Takara: DX Web-Knight Garyuun, the heroic swashbucking mid eighteenth century Sino-European buccaneer galleon-dragon.

The what? That's right, an eye-patch sporting Chinese dragon that transforms into a single-masted boat. How insane. How purely "Japanese." Sure, it doesn't have the most complex transformation-- the entire lower hull simply snaps off to become an over-sized shield, while the rest of the ship folds up to become shoulder pads. But the joy is the details: transparent galley windows, individual ball-jointed cannons, and faux wood-grain details. Wood-grain, baby. And the wonder comes in its size: a king-sized 11" in dragon mode. If that wasn't enough, Garyuun's electronic to boot. The core Web Diver gimmick is the IR port interaction between the sidekick animal-themed robots and Gradion, the central videogame/robot. Unfortunately, Gradion's not available yet... but for the time being, Garyuun's got a seizure-inducing strobing light-up feature. Spooky! And before I ramble any further, check out Garyuun's styling cape. Daring! Yet Pret-à-porter!

So, does Garyuun represent the Japanese reaction to the rampant cultural globalization fueled by the internet? Is it a celebration of new pan-national economic structures as independent, borderless entities, or is it something more insidious: a recession-era warning against a growing Chinese industrial complex? You be the judge.
-- Yappy
4.16.01: Avatar in the House!

Time House, that is. Check out the latest photos of their much-delayed "Okita-Kan" -- Captain Avatar's Flagship from the very first episode of "StarBlazers." Measuring in at over 12 inches and made of fully-painted soft vinyl, this'll give Space Cruiser Yamato die-hards something to pit their Soul of Popinika Yamato toys against. It's due to ship this July at a retail price of 7500 yen ($70).

Only the first 1200 orders will recieve the ultra-special battery-powered detachable motor, suitable for bathtub bombing runs or thrilling your girlfriend, so queue up now -- the deadline for orders is this May. Order through your favorite toy-importer, or have a buddy in Japan snag one from Time House at www.timehouse.co.jp.
-- Matt
4.16.01: Macross STICKER SHOP!

The large-size 1:55 Valkyrie toys (or "Jetfire," for your Transformers fans) made by Takatoku and Bandai in the early '80s are something like a standard currency in the world of Japanese toy collecting. These fan-fave toys are as expensive and difficult to find these days as they are beautifully designed and packaged.

One of the highlights of getting a Valkyrie toy as a kid was getting to apply the obsessively complete decal sets. Crazed "adult" collectors, however, have been loathe to apply them for fear of killing their "investments." Worry no more!

Jerry Tsai, owner of the Valkyrie toy-customizing site vf1x.com, has designed a series of incredibly reasonably priced repro sticker sets for both Takatoku and Bandai 1:55 Valkyrie toys. They're near-perfect copies of the original, and -- even better -- feature die-cutting, meaning you don't have to use an X-acto blade to cut 'em off the backing paper as you did for the old-school sheets.

Check 'em out for yourself here!
-- Matt


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