October 22, 2000 CURRENT RUMBLE THIS Cyclone Won't Blow You Away Darren 10.22.00 Boy, has that "Soul of" label spoiled me! I really enjoyed the Hover Pileder, and was looking forward to Kamen Rider's Cyclone, the second toy in the "Soul of Popynica" line. Finally, it arrived. As I unpack the box, I'm literally cursing. I shake a lifeless little SoP PX-02 container in my hand, certain that Bandai forgot to actually place the toy in the box. What I'm holding is feather-weight. After cracking the tape and removing the tray, I discover, with mixed emotion, the toy is really there. First, a disclaimer: I know more about Kabuki theater than I know about Kamen Rider, Japanese figure toys, or Japanese motorcycle toys. I have almost no experience with them, despite watching a fair amount of Kamen Rider Super-1 in Japan long ago. The Cyclone Cyclone is shrouded in an aerodynamic shell. This shell is all plastic, and relatively non-detailed. That's turn-off number one. Frantically searching for diecast, I probe through cracks in the shell with a ball-point pen. Sure enough, there is diecast in the frame of the bike, but spirits are not lifted. If you can't feel the texture and weight of the diecast, it might as well not be there at all. Getting over the weight issue for a moment, the bike is not all bad. The front fork is highly detailed, and the mechanics of the steering and spring-loaded suspension are quite similar to a real motorcycle. The brake cable runs from the handlebar clear to the front disc. The designers also went to the trouble to run a clutch cable and accelerator line from the handlebar back into the engine housing -- something you won't notice unless you are looking very hard. The rear tire also features spring-loaded suspension. The kick-down full-stand works well on flat surfaces. There is a large, obnoxious toggle switch on the bottom of the bike to switch on the yellow headlights, which actually look pretty darn cool. The replaceable batteries are under the fuel cover. The Kamen Rider Figure The figure is a tiny, super-poseable little thing made from a green, insectiod, plastic skeleton. It features a couple of surprisingly nice touches such as a neck jointed at the head and shoulders, and great flexibility in the abdomen. He comes out of the box wearing a black leather outfit. The problem is, it's a bit too big. That's turn-off number two. Now, according to Yappy, making little leather outfits for dolls is a pain, but the picture on the box is incredible, and I expected mine to look that good. The figure's chest-armor, belt, and antennae must be removed from sprues. The armor is applied to the outfit with velcro. Fists, boots, and antennae snap on. In these pictures, you will not see the antennae, or the supplied red scarf. Despite a little "how to fold your scarf" guide in the instructions, I didn't feel quite up to the task after wrestling with all the other gear. With the addition of armor and henshin belt, the figure looks a bit crowded in front. After a little effort, you can squeeze him into position on his motorcycle, but the armor tends to ride up into his face. With patience, you can put the figure into some very convincing poses, something I find surprising, considering the figure's tiny size. Supplied are two fists, two karate-chop hands, and two motorcycle-riding hands. In Conclusion I really have nothing to compare the Cyclone to, except the Kamen Rider Kuuga TriChaser, a toy I really like. The TriChaser has a good deal of diecast content, and feels like it. If they had left the "Soul of" label off the Cyclone, I'd probably have nothing bad to say -- but I guess I had my expectations raised too high. Still, if you're a Kamen Rider fan, I have a feeling you'll like the toy. Objectively, it's well executed, and a nice memorial to a famous television show.  RUMBLE INDEX  |  CURRENT RUMBLE