Alen Yen's ToyboxDX

	9.10.00 -- 9.16.00


RUMBLE INDEX

9.16.00: Perfect Wings

The Perfect Grade Wing Zero Custom from Endless Waltz is coming in November. Price to be Y15,000. See the pretty (but quite mysterious) pictures -- uh, drawings, rather -- right here.

-- Darren

[NOTE: The Rumble (and this site, in general) is meant for TOYS, so we won't run news on model kits unless they're particularly toyetic, like the PG series.]

9.16.00: Dizer Shrink!

Three cheers for Marzia Ghergo! This Mini Jumbo Grendizer is just the max. He's about a foot tall, and delivered in minty condition in his MATTEL GOLDRAKE box. He's got a great sculpt, and his Double Sickle can be removed from his shoulders and equipped in his hand.

Marzia tells me the toy was sold only in the Italian market. His back is stamped with Mattel Italy, Dynamic Productions, Toei Doga, and "Made by FabianPlastica Italiana". The box is covered with great scenes from the anime.

Mini Jumbos have SOUL!

-- Darren

9.16.00: You Thought We Were on the Fringe...

Check out Roman Album Hyper Mook 9: Death Toys 2000, the latest book on collectibles from the publishers of Hyper Hobby magazine. Covering the absolute outskirts of the world of Japanese collecting, the book veers from Japanese Art-truck model kits to incredibly HIDEOUS Korean bootleg robots and vinyls to Tiger Mask collector cards. Bask in the glory of esoterica like Japanese Megaforce model kits! Death Toys also has profiles on fringe collectors, most of whom wisely choose to hide their identities behind latex masks and face paint.

This book is truly for the most outre of Japanese collectors and holds even less relevance for most Western readers. But if you want a window into the obsessiveness of Japanese culture, here's the ISBN: 4-19-720115-X

-- Yappy

9.16.00: Shiny Things From Japan

Autobase Aichi posts SWEET pictures of the special colored JUSCO SpyChangers. Hokey clear recolors are normally a turn off, but these will put a smile on your face.

They also put up yet more pictures of God Magnus, showing off a few interesting features my other post did not cover. That cannon emits different sound effects depending on how it's configured. Very cool.

In other "Shiny Things" news ... the SOP Hover Pilder's MAZINGA Z HEAD is coming along nicely. What's shiny about that, you ask? It's all in the eyes. When you insert your Pilder, his eye blink into POWER UP!!!

-- Darren

9.14.00: Toycom Valkyrie Mk. II!

That's right, kids -- Toycom / Yamato took the criticism of the recent YF-19 transforming Valkyrie to heart, and quickly popped out a second version with a whole mess 'o revisions and re-worked areas...MORE!

-- Matt & Graham

9.14.00: Big-ass Jumbo News

Straight from the bowels of UniFive, a mysterious picture and a cryptic quote: "We are planning 'Convertler V' for next item.sales date unknown."

Our sources are still digging up the story behind this Garada K-7 variant, but rest assured once the mystery is solved we'll be posting it here. And even bigger Jumbo news is coming soon, but isn't all Jumbo news big? A Jumbo thanks goes out to "Mr. Facet" for the scoop.

-- Roger

[Matt says: This is not a joke. That is not a custom. This appears to be on the level. And in case you missed it, read 'Convertler V' slowly, out loud. CON-BART-LAH V...]

9.14.00: The Reds Are Coming!

Not just any Reds. BIG-ASS Reds. To wit: I'm talking about the 6-foot tall figures of Mazinger, Great Mazinger, and Grandizer that are being released by the company Reds in the next month or so. Made of fully painted fiber-reinforced plastic and towering over the rest of the puny, worthless pieces in your collection, they come with a hefty price-tag to match: 298,000 yen (roughly $2,800.) Yikes! Look for photos soon.

-- Matt

9.14.00: Dalvolteus!

More wacky toy madness! We've seen lots of Frankenstein-gokin before. Here's a crazy Korean cross between Daltaneous and Voltes V spotted at a collector's shop in Japan. CHODENJI ROAR!

Hey, at least one Japanese toy shop is featuring their original B-B firing Time Bokan Gaikottsu for about $240. What's the urgency? Is a bad wind coming?

-- Darren

9.14.00: A Cyclone Is Coming!

Kamen Rider's Cyclone, that is. The second "Soul of Popinka" toy to hit shelves, the Cyclone motorcycle measures in at 12.5 cm long, has a diecast inner frame, features a flashing headlight gimmick, and includes a supple and poseable 1:15 scale Kamen Rider fig to boot. 7,800 yen ($75), available at the end of September. Henshin!

-- Matt

9.14.00: Rumble Power-Up Plus!

Introducing our new venue for super-verbose Rumbles that can't fit the strict confines of this page. See the plus-sign in the Rumble below? Click on it, and never again complain about our merciless edits (well, almost never...)!

-- Yappy

9.14.00: New Century Gokin, Old Century Style

It doesn't come with a lot of accessories. It doesn't transform into anything. There's not a lot of gimmicks. Ok.

Could you love a toy, then, because it's almost 100% diecast? How about quality that would make a Swiss watchmaker jealous? Maybe a nice box with a styrofoam tray does the trick for ya?...MORE!

-- Darren

9.13.00: Arise, God Magnus

The God of Transport Trailers is alive and well in Japan. He looks just a little chunky in his robot form, but he's still a lot more poseable than your old Ultra Magnus -- and he has BIG MEAN CANNON. As a transport truck, he's IN SCALE with Super Fire Convoy's firetruck. They look like perfect Kings of the Road next to each other.

If you're into the Transformer look, the combined wonder, GOD FIRE CONVOY, is a big, bad, sound-enabled sight to behold. And that weapon has SO many different modes.

Check out the nifty pictorial analysis on Zaras's Toys & Games website. Zaras even compares Magnus to the mighty Xabungle!

-- Darren

9.13.00: Validation in the Eyes of the Cognoscenti?

A large ad in Sunday's New York Times announces an exhibition of "Robot and Space Toys" at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City. Although no information about the exhibition has been posted on BMA's website, the ad reads as follows:

"...the 250 robots, ranging in ht. from a few inches to almost life-size, and related gadgets in this exhibition -- most of them manufactured during japan's postwar boom -- date from the prewar era through the golden age of robots in the 1950s and 60s."

This should be an interesting show(and hopefully a nice catalogue), although I doubt it will rouse the controversy of the "Sensation" Show held last year at the same venue. (Unless of course Guiliani attempts to revoke the Museum's lease because of the absence of Srungle items).

The show will run from November 10, 2000 through January 28, 2001.

-- LarryB

9.12.00: Obscure Robots Remembered

Yujin (a subsidiary of Tomy known for their MajinKaiser action figures) will ship a great gashapon item in December from their Robot Museum line. Featured are (clockwise from top right) Bismark, Robotman (Biotron), Granfighter, Tobikage, Kuroshishi (Black Lion), and Acrobunch.

You don't find THESE little guys everyday!

[note: the toys in the picture aren't to scale. All should be around the same size-- around 3" tall]

-- Darren

9.11.00: And the Chogo-Hernia Award Goes to...

All heroes need fancy rides. Sometimes, you have to settle for a giant steel dog with a stick shift in its foot.

For those who are tuned out of Tatsunoko's disturbed little Time Bokan world, know this: you'll never understand these shows unless you watch them -- and are whacked yourself. Yattaman was the second and most popular Time Bokan television series, and Yatta Wan was the show's most popular mech. That's your intro. Here's the toy ...

UniFive, ever cranking out HOT diecast Time Bokan toys, went straight for the gokin-lover's heart with their Cho Shin Gokin Yatta Wan. All you need to know about this toy can be summed up with two words: STEEL BRICK.
[Yappy: How heavy? It might be only 6" tall, but it weighs over THREE POUNDS. Insane!]

As you struggle to pull the weighty wonder from its styrofoam kennel, all guilt about spending the cash on a nutty dog is dismissed. You set it down for a look-see on its eight steel wheels embedded in SOLID METAL FEET, and think, "This is TOTAL excess".

Pull the tail -- a chorus of three little drummer-pup basset hounds drop from a door in Yatta Wan's chest, heralding Yattaman's next attack. Open the mouth, there's a ladder inside for Yattaman's mini-mecha to use.
[Yappy: How heavy? It can easily kill a man. Truly the sign of a premium toy.]

Push the button on his head, and you have lights and sirens. The perfect heroes' ride. There's even little Ai-chan and Gan-chan figures included that can ride on Yatta Wan's sides, holding handrails for dear life.

More gimmicks? You got em. Yatta Wan crouches into the wind when he's blasting along at full gallop. While his whole body rotates smoothly forward on his shoulders, his head pulls back for that aerodynamic-doggie look.
[Yappy: How heavy? It makes the Mazinger Z Daigokin feel positively hollow.]

The whole toy was designed with love. There are nice chrome details on Yatta Wan's handholds and exhaust pipes, and important little extras like gimmick pupils for his eyes, that nifty red flag you might remember from the show, and enough little translucent blue mini-mecha to stage a Yattaman battle on your kitchen table. Of course, you'll have more fun if you hold out for Unifive's Gaikottsu, too.

Look, this is toy is not super-new, but you can still find him just about anywhere. It's so surprising the hefty hound wasn't more popular when he was originally released, but, gosh, nobody knew you'd get a legitimate workout every time you put him on your shelf. It's not too late. Buy this, or never again gripe about metal content in your toys.
[Yappy: How heavy? An old-school Takatoku fan once cried, "I just can't come to terms with it. It... it's too heavy for me to play with."]

-- Darren

9.11.00: Move Over, Aibo...

Check it out: Takara's newest "artificial life-form," the robotic sea creatures known as Aquaroids. Designed to "live" in a large tank of water, the Aquaroids are totally self-sufficient, feasting on delicious solar energy to stay alive. Available in jellyfish and fish forms, the Aquaroids use circuit-controlled screw propellers for attitude ajustment and general motion, are full of magnet-powered inner "organs," and pulse through a water-filled aquarium while emitting a ghostly glow.

The catch? You can't just grab one for your own fish tank and let 'em rip; you've got to purchase one of several specialized aquarium sets -- and they don't come cheap. The top-of-the-line "System 60" retails for Y100,000 ($950), and includes both types of Aquaroid. You can get smaller "System 40" sets featuring either the jellyfish or the fish for Y50,000 ($475) a pop, though.

Check out Takara's own Aquaroid site, which features movies of the suckers in action, for more info.

-- Matt

9.11.00: GaoFaiGar Update

Speaking of GaoGaiGar, Singaporean Scout Recce has sent us updated photos of the recent stillborn Kotobukiya GaoFaiGar toy. It's too bad we'll have to wait until November to get our clammy hands on the finished toy.

More GaoFaiGar
More More GaoFaiGar
More More More GaoFaiGar

Read Recce's first impressions of the toy and news about its recall in our newly created rumble archives.

-- Yappy

9.11.00: Kubrick Lives!

Well, the Japanese toy-line bearing his name, at any rate. That's right: Medicom sez that the next toy in their mildly popular Kubrick series will be GaoGaiGar.

It's shaping up to be the most complex Kubrick toy to date: not only does it look amazing in GaoGaiGar mode, but it actually fully converts into the smaller "Gaigar" robot as well. I have to admit to being kinda underwhelmed by the whole series up to this point, but the prototype drawings of the piece in the August issue of Figure-Oh were enough to make even MY jaded ass take another look. Not bad for a glorified Playmobil figure....Look for photos soon!

Actually, I shouldn't be surprised at how successful the whole series seems to be - Playmobil and Lego figures and playsets are all the rage among adult toy-collectors in Japan right now, and Medicom's doing an insanely sharp job of surfing the trend. Three or four sets, including Evangelion, Devilman, and Mazinger-themed versions, are already on sale now; a whopping twenty-two more are scheduledto hit the shelves by next January. Votoms, Planet of the Apes, Blair Witch Project, Getta Robo, GaoGaiGar, Tetsujin 28, SWAT members and gangbangers, additional Evangelion robots and villians, you name it -- Medicom's been nothing if not aggressive in nailing down the licenses and character ideas for the line. But don't take my word for it -- check out the official Kubrick page on Medicom's website.

-- Matt

9.10.00: Votoms Gets a New Suitor

Votoms super-fan David E. Guerra sends us news of a new Votoms gashapon line. What's so special about that? These toys are by BANDAI. The mega-corporation has sunk its mighty hooks into what was once rival Takara's premium toy license. Intellectual property licensing might be much looser in Japan (where multiple companies can easily own parts of the same license), but with Takara's financial woes, there might be hope for future Votoms models or toys under the Bandai banner.

More detailed Votoms gashapon pictures here.

-- Yappy

9.10.00: Gaikottsu!

UniFive announced that the next entry in their sinfully popular Sin Gokin series is going to be none other than the villanous GAIKOTTSU! The Gaikottsu (or "Skull Two," as it roughly translates) is a vehicle from the original Time Bokan series -- and seeing as how the original Takatoku version is incredibly tough to find, undoubtedly more than a few collectors'll be rejoicing at the chance to plug a gaping hole in their diecast collections.

Measuring in at just under five inches long, the Gaikottsu is going to be one hunk'a burning diecast love. There's still no word as to the specific gimmicks; the original Takatoku toy featured an eye-gougingly enjoyable ball-bearing shooting mechanism that, one would hope, will be included in the Uni Five version as well. Look for it early in 2001. (Still no photos, yet, so feast your eyes on this pic of an old resin kit to get a feel for the way it'll probably look.)

-- Matt

9.10.00: Brave New World

Well, here's an interesting, if not slightly generic fantasy mecha design, incorporating elements from Aura Battlers, Mortar Heds, and Shirow's Landmates. What's so special about this robot, you ask? Well, it ain't Japanese.

This thunder-thighed robot is Gairun, the 'hero' mech from the Korean animated series, "Soul Frame Lazenca." Making a giant leap forward from ugly bootlegs and Takara re-issues, Korean manufacturer Sonokong has graced us with a toy of an original design. It's made from a light, waxy styrene only a notch higher in quality than your average bootleg. And the toy might be as articulated as your average Gundam, but its joints, though "detented," don't provide that much range of motion. As far as gimmicks go, all it has are three weapons-- a rifle, a "beam saber," and a halberd-- and moveable gold-plated winglets. But all those shortcomings fall to the wayside when you realize that Gairun's a whopping 15" tall. Take that, you DX Gundam midgets!

The Lazenca line-up also includes Ruta and Mirusin, two transforming side-kick robots.

-- Yappy

9.10.00: Weekend News Spew

From the world of non-magnetic Gundam --

We have plenty of Gun-Crack available right now. Mobile Suit in Action GM and Ball are shipping! GM comes with a shield, beam sabre, two (count 'em!) guns, and lotsa extra fists. Ball comes with -- well, you know what Ball comes with: a Ball Cannon!

Speaking of little action figures, Takara is selling a new Laser Super Satake in their LED Powers line. The first Super Satake flew off the shelves, and collectors had a hard time finding him. So, now's your chance to get an even cooler Satake. This one comes with LOTS of fun little accessories. (P.S.: In case you don't know, Satake is a real Japanese martial arts master with a strong following.)

Who is Tax-Wise? Whoever they are, they've beaten Bandai's SoP Cyclone to the market with a 1/6 scale diecast Cyclone of their own! Working headlights! Woo-Hoo! It's $240, so it must be pretty heavy. Can something displace Cho Shin Gokin Yatta Wan for the Toy Most Likely to Cause a Hernia Award? Nah.

-- Darren

9.10.00: Zeta Gokin Love Continues...

The Action Gokin line from Banpresto has hit the mark -- Mark II, that is! The Zeta Action Gokins are based on that popular sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Z Gundam, which also happens to be a series that produced some very favorable mobile suits. The suits in this toy-line are Zeta Gundam, AEUG RX-178 Mk.II, Titans RX-178 Mk.II, Char's Rick Dias, and the standard run Rick Dias.

These highly posable figures are in the same scale as Bandai's Mobile Suit in Action line, but these toys have one up on the MSIA series: each Zeta Action Gokin has a diecast torso and lower legs. They have a wonderful heft to them -- especially the Rick Dias, with its large leg design. The Mk.II's are by far my favorites. They have an amazing range of motion in the ankle and elbow joints. Zeta Gundam has better proportions than the MSIA Zeta, and all have a nice matte paint application.

I hope Banpresto continues to make Gundam Action Gokins, these mecha translate better as poseable figures than super robots do. I'd love to see an 08th MS Team set or even just an original 0079 One Year War set. Here's hoping!

-- RickyLee

9.10.00: Bats, Rats, & Spiders, Oh My!

It's official! Club Daikaiju will be doing another vinyl figure with Japan's M1. This time they will be making the Bat-rat-spider thing from "The Angry Red Planet". Full scoop and sculpt images are here

-- Sean

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