To Be, or Not to Be

Tamashi Nations Hong Kong posted this today:
http://p-bandai.hk/tamashiiwebshop/?TOP_F

Depicting the new Perseus Algol Surplice amongst others and open the preorder. Now, they make a point to fix the bad parts of the original Algol (i.e. the head sculpt). I detailed some of them in my Perseus Algol review. But the question remains...do I purchase?
I never really liked the idea of redecos. I have made a few exceptions, but very scarce. Off the top of my head, I can think of the Decepticon Seekers, the three FansProject Commander sets, and maybe the two Kenshin Revoltech figures...which is more of a retool, then redeco I guess. This is the main reason why I never bought Extreme Blast Mode of Destiny. At the time, MG Destiny was all that was available, and Extreme Blast Mode didnt come out until after I bought Full Blast Mode Strike Freedom.

Speaking of repaints, not too long ago, Seibertron.com releases this:
http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/xtransbots-galvatron-upgrade-for-generations-wfc-megatron/24610/
Now, In order for me to enjoy this and display it properly amongst my collection is to purchase another WFC Megatron. I'm not particularly fond of that idea. That Megatron is pretty scarce now, and I would have to be damn certain that this project stays on board before I preorder. Lots of third party projects go down in production. One just went down last month, I believe, and they had to refund all the preorders. The production leader is selling his Transformers collection in order to pay people back.

So, what am I going to do about these? 

As for the Galvatron project, there is still time to see if the project will be completed. I assume it can't be too terribly pricey for now. I mean, its not a Prime mold add-on like say the likes of the Commader sets, or even the Battle Tanker, so I don't assume there will be a huge trailer with a deathly armament array. But if you intend to have "armor" on top of the already thick Megatron, It will end up being a pretty hefty toy. I'm curious to see what they do with the Particle Cannon, and hope they keep his hexagonal knees.

As for Algol? Hmmmm. I think what I will do is wait for it's release. Someone on the inside is bound to make a review or something before I get it, and could let me know what I'm in for. What bothers me the most about this mold is that for a undead surplice of a Saint, it does not feature any striking differences in armor. In fact, there are no differences at all that I can see in the armor, save the color. Sure, the head is sculpted better, but an Appendix could fix that! There is no sign of the wing pieces for the Hermes effect that I can see, either. Like the old Saint resurrections, all six of them had notable differences in the armor. It actually LOOKED like a mirrored dark tainted image of the former Cloth, as opposed to the same Cloth with a new paint job. I'm interested about the "Object use flame" part, but before I assume the obvious, I will hold off. Though the Myth Cloth line is huge, and people are always clamoring over it, this release doesn't seem too appealing to me, and am afraid of it being a shelf warmer. I thought the same would happen with Shaina, and she is still in stock everywhere I look, and even in places I wasnt looking. Since I think Perseus Algol will do the same, I will wait and see what others have to say about it.

In other news, the inspection is complete, and now, I have a bit more time on my hands. That being said, White Rock Shooter's review production should begin within the next 24 hours. I'm really excited to do this, being that the BRS figma is the precise protagonist to the antagonist WRS, so expect some battle poses.

Happy Hobbying, everyone!

A Collector's Admiration, and a Wishlist

Cruising along the web at work, and I stumble upon some collection vids that people have uploaded on Youtube. Some of them are nothing short of spectacular, and certainly makes me feel a bit inferior. However, givin credit where credit is due, I think everyone should take a look at some of these. For instance, this particular Saint Myth Cloth collection is absolutely amazing.

If you know the Myth Cloth series well enough, and look closely at the display, you can see just how much is into it. You can surmise that MUCH money was out into this. EVERY figure has a stand (stands are sold seperately for over 95% of them), there are several Appendix sets, and some Tamashi Web exclusives as well. 

One thing I would like to note on this particular collection is Poseidon. Slick enough to use the Royal Ornament Edition figure (That comes with blonde hair) with the normal Anime edition (blue) hair. The blue hair was an idea from Kurumada when making the anime to represent the seas. I thought this was a nice gesture from this particular collector to have Poseidon on his throne with a dark toned Kamui (my prefered look, actually) and blue hair. Now, what I didn't see are some other exclusives. No Original Color Editions, no black saints, and no Land, Sea, and Marine Saints. They are slo part of the Saint Myth Coth line, but hey...I'm impressed with the collection as is. I don't have room to start criticizing.

Here's another:

Now, I know my girlfriend now doesn't like my collection, so believe me when I tell you that I'm certainly jealous of this man for having a woman that at least seems supportive on camera. Could I get my girl to do that, I wonder? Not without a pair of shoes and a new handbag first, I'm sure! This guy went all out on his as well, and I'm glad I found this vid.

For Tansformers, we have a nice one. A bit long, so you might have to skip through a bit to get the meat and potatoes.

Now, Transformers is THE THING that made me start collecting. I'm an 80's baby, and Transformers has been part of my childhood since first I could remember, so seeing things like this should make anyone drop little insecurities about collecting. Hell, he even has his obviously attractive wife a part of the vid. So...kudos to them!

Me personally, I would never want that many Transformers. I don't collect G1, Bayformers, and ones obviously made for kids. That eliminates over a thousand right there, as well as the  Transformers I have now that I want to sell/get rid of. But looking at this is purely awesome. No matter how childish someone might find this sort of thing, there is no doubt of the dedication, and real heart it takes to keep this. Besides...the resale value on a collection like this is sufficient enough for a new car...so I don't wanna hear it! Maybe I CAN get my girl to do something like this after all.

Gundam is another series that has a certain place in my heart. Now, let me get this out the way. I am American, and by the time Gundam was actually popular in America, it was all due to Gundam Wing. Before that, Transformers and Power Rangers were the leader in robotics for American boys for what I remember. That being said, I am NOT on the Gundam Wing bandwagon. Did I watch it? Yes. Did I talk about it a lot? Yes. but only because there was no other Gundam media readily available at that time in America.

In fact, The first Gundam I ever saw was a 1/144 HG Zeta Gundam in an Electronics Boutique in the early 90's. It was next to a 1/144 HG Nataku. They reminded me of the cool, Japanese style knock-off toys I bought in cheap stores...only legit this time. In fact, they seem like the things that the knock-off's were modeled after (which they were). 

Now, as an adult, I only collect Master Grades. Gundam is entirely too large a universe to get everything I could want, so I stick to getting what I enjoy the most, which is building them. I have had enough Master Grades to know that I cant go back a step, although, I didn't like my Perfect Grade experience too much. I do like Gundam, but I'm not nearly a big of a fan as say...Southeast Asia in general.

I have seen more than these few vids, but I was just listing the ones that I remember off the top of my head. I also came across a vid that asked "What Master Grades would you like to see?" I can't tell you how much this jumped at me. 

Bandai's MG line is certainly my favorite. The thing is, in recent years, it has not been exclusive to just Gundam. Kamen Rider, Luffy, and even Goku have had incarnations of themselves in super poseable, snap together model kits. I thought the idea was pretty clever. Not that I have ever considered purchasing one, but it's nice nonetheless. However, now that this example has been given, it makes me yearn for things I know deserve some MG justice. The Gundams Reborns, Devil, Knight, V2 Assault Buster, and most importantly Double X should be Master Grades. Double X is my favorite Gundam period, and I believe should have been a Master Grade mold long ago. Idea of constricting thos huse satellite cannons and the hidden satellite panels is enough for a preorder there. It doesnt even have a Robot Damashi figure, so I hope Bandai pays special attention to him. Devil Gundam would be a big kit, but a deserving kit. I can only imagine trying to play out the final scene of G Gundam with the Gundam "coalition" against it. Shin Musha, and Musha Mk II are already MG's, so witht he release of Gundam Musou 3 (Dynasty Warriors Gundam), there should already be at least a protoype on the web somewhere. V Gundam was a series highly overlooked, and a somewhat underdog in the Gundam world, though popular enough at least for a Damashi figure. With all the attachments that can go with the V2, I think they can just make a huge kit like the F.A. Unicorn, and get it over with. 

Finally, if Bandai grants me but one favor in this life, it would be to make an MG of anime version Escaflowne.    In the 90's, Sunrise was a leader in anime (along with Manga, Funimation/Toei, and Pioneer), especially in America. They dealt alo with giant robots. A few Gundam series' and Escaflowne. For those of you that may not know much about Escaflowne, it was a bit more adult for the time of its release. In America, it didnt take very well, being vastly outshined in anime by the likes of Gundam Wing and DBZ. Nonethelss, Escaflowne had giant robots called Guymelefs, and they were based on a more steampunk design, rather than modern/futuristic. At the time of its release, it was just another world of robots for me, but as I got older, and re-watched it, they became more like royal machines to me. Something akin to what a queen or king would own. If you actually watch the anime, you would see that its not too far from the truth, as a king is the protagonist, and the suit is his "armor". Anyway, Bandai has made model kits if Escaflowne in the past, but model kit technonolgy has grown since 15 years or so since they came out. Therefore, I would like a revisitation of that series. Reasons being: 1 - It's a beautiful looking machine, and not like your standard Gundam with fusion reactors, electric currents, and hydraulic fluid. MG's specialize in making the skeletal frame first, and Escaflowne's would all be steampunk, and feature components that generate smoke, and the skeletal frame would resemble more of a standing locomotive. 2 - Bandai is making a habit of making toys out of old things. The newest MG's coming out are from Gundam Seed, which is almost 10 years old. The Armor Plus line is Ronin Warriors (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers) and Tekkaman Blade. Tekkaman Blade is considered a classic now, and Ronin Warriors is even older than that. Chogokin Gao Gai Gar is still a fairly new release, and that is based off a robot from the same time frame...ANOTHER Sunrise production! Zeorymer, Reideen, and Macross are all classic anime Chogokin has released in recent years. I even saw a pic on the Tamashi Nations Facebook page of Servo, from Super Human Samurai Syber Squad. 3 - It's Variable. It transforms into a freakin' DRAGON. I know the transforming process can damage the integrity of the mold. MG Unicorn is a straight nightmare in some areas, and so is MG Zeta and Double Zeta. However, I do believe the engineers at Bandai can handle it. Borrow some elements/techniques from Takara, if need be, and make sure to have sturdy joints when changing. If push comes to shove, they can follow suit of the VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom, and add interchangeable parts like the cockpits of MG's Double Zeta and the Impulses. Also, it would be interesting to see what kind of material is used for the cape/wings. i would hope that they not use the same material they used for MG Exia's repair mode, as I think the cape/wings would be more or less a special piece. Transparent parts for the eyes, shoulders and energist, and BAM, you got yourself a sexy, Dragon-armor guymelef.

Would make me a VERY happy man to see any of this come true.

As I was closing this up, I came across this, but nothing has been in the works that I found anywhere since 2010. If it's true about it being die-cast, I shudder at the thought of weight, and paint issues. No matter what, I want this MG...and I want it bad.
http://www.sgcollect.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t63312.html

After this inspection is finished, will start with that White Rock Shooter I promised.

Happy Hobbying, everyone.

Review 4: S.H. Figuarts Super Saiyan 3 Goku

If by some chance you wandered here and do not know who this character is, I would like to take this time out to tell you to go ahead and slap yourself…go ahead…I’ll wait.

How’d that feel?

Good. Let’s go.

Of course, this guy needs no introduction, but I’m, gonna do it anyway. Pretty much the personification of good, and protector of planet Earth, Son Goku. This guy is ridiculous, and quite possibly the most powerful humanoid creation in anime/manga history. It’s Goku…Freakin’ GOKU!

Born “Kakarot” of low class Saiyan warrior Bardock on Planet Vegeta, he was launched to Earth as a child in order to conquer it, but hit his head when he crash landed on the planet. Found by Grandpa Gohan, he was raised Son Goku, and blah, blah, blah. If you want his complete bio (which will take you several hours to get through, I’m sure), go ahead and check it out at http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Goku.

For the meat and potatoes: Goku is a Saiyan that doesn’t find that out until he’s grown, married with a child. After a hella long series of events, Goku learns how to tap into his Saiyan blood and become a Super Saiyan…the first one in millennia, actually. Turning his black hair golden, his black pupils green/blue/turquoise (depending on who drew and colored it), but most noticeably the 500% boost in battle performance. Not that Goku is was slow or weak to begin with, but as a Super Saiyan, having a mountain fall on you, being punched by a intergalactic warmonger(s), or having planet-destroying beams of light shot at him really isn’t much of a problem.

But the reason you’re here is because of stage 3 of his transformation. Dubbed “Super Saiyan 3”, the most notable changes are his increase in hair length atop his head, and the waning of his eyebrows. The thing that makes this special more so than the look, is that Goku is about the ONLY Saiyan to pull off that transformation by himself, and was the first one to do it (I’m not counting Gotenks. Fusion warriors have no claim with me). Although, I think Toriyama picked about the worst villain to unleash this power on, the debut was actually pretty epic. It took an entire episode for him to transform, and a LOT of yelling. In fact, legend has it that Sean Schemmel (voice of American Goku) passed out in the booth doing this episode from screaming. Not that I blamed the guy at all, it was 20 min of straight yelling at the top of his lungs at the least. He gets a gold star from me for that.

Another notable time this was used was the Fusion Revival movie, in which Goku squared off against Janenba. He (SSJ3) and Vegeta (SSJ2) battled him together, getting thwamped at every turn, until they fused and Gogeta opened that can on him. The short fight with SSJ3 Goku was very well drawn for nearly 20 years ago and featured a certain style of fighting that I didn’t exactly notice before. Though Vegeta is not as powerful as Goku, he certainly seemed smarter against Janemba, being more tactical and thinking ahead for his attacks, as Goku seems to think more on command, and rolls with the punches.

Tamashi Exclusive box

Front 

Opened

All Special parts

Factory Base Setting

Interesting design for the hair works making use of versatile ball joints

Anyway, the figure. GOOD JOB BANDAI!! Had to get that out the way. Bandai really listened to their fans on this one. Compare to SSJ Goku, this figure trumps it 10 fold. Firstly, it is much simpler to get him to do the Kamehameha pose. Also, when moving the arms around, it’s easier to maneuver the shoulder clothes back to the torso to make a smoother transition. It’s not just a silly body repaint, with head retool, nor is it a new mold either.

I’ll start from the head. It’s heavy, and don’t be fooled when dealing with it. You’re going to have a hell of a time dealing with weight issues, especially when standing it up. The ankle joints are not strong enough to support the mass of the entire figure for long without eventually tipping over, but there is no need to worry…we’ll get to that in a minute. The head and hair is sectioned off into 5 separate pieces: the face, the “head” and start of the hair, and three more links of the hair ball joint connected. The inter-changeable face is done by a square slot and two circular pegs that insert into the square peg and holes in the head. The ball joints allow for some articulation on the hair, but not a lot, so don’t be too excited. Head it ball jointed to the neck, which shares the same formula as the original Goku figure.

Instant Transmission

Add caption

Shall not pass

Cracking knuckles for battle

*Insert punch sound effect*

Halo effect is perfect

 Come with me, if you wat to live...

The remainder of the body is about the same as well, that is until the elbows. The elbow joint itself is still a double hinged joint, but is slightly longer, giving the bicep and forearm but a millimeter more space than its predecessor, or at least is the case in my particular figure. Again, the hand ball joint is amazing. What I assume they did is take back some of the forearm plastic to allow better range of movement for the wrist, or even added a small mechanism that allows for the joint to protrude some if needed when the selected hand is at an extreme angle. Anyone of the two or even a mix of them would be my best guess.

The paint...well done. No shit. S.H.Figuarts is no noob to toy modeling, and as a professional manufacturer, I expect exquisite detailing. I sure as hell paid for it (got 2 of them just in case). Painting on the face is great. It’s not like there was much to do, anyway. It’s a DBZ character…eyes, mouth, some indents by the eyes, and the “blush” factor to look more realistic, yet stay true to its cartoonish nature. It pretty much looks like makeup on a figure. All that, and the standard yellow they use for the hair blades at the top of the face piece. The hair pieces have a nice shade fading from orange to yellow as you branch outward. They did an even better job of painting his fingernails on all his hands this time. The boots keep the red trim and ropes while the wrists still have his blue sweatbands, matching his undershirt on his orange gi. Now, his orange gi is not the same color as the last Goku. Mind you, I have the original and not the SDCC exclusive so we’re dealing with the bright outfit with bright, minimal shaded and toned hair. The original has more of a bleached look to it. This, I assume is in part to express that Goku’s body glows, and makes his gi glow from the inside out…or something like that SSJ3’s gi is actually golden, though a but dingy golden. I like it this way. It looks cleaner, and he looks more radiant as a character, and not just a shiny fighter. He almost looks a bit…divine, can I say?

Help from D-Arts Zero

Ki blast

Cosmic powers?

EX Gemini Saga's contribution

Kamehame...

HAAA!!!!!!

D-Arts Rockman X First Armor assist

I'm stronger this time...

From the air this time

Take this!!!!

I made this just for you

You will not survive...

Special parts: just enough for me. We don’t expect Goku to come with any weapons, so the best you can expect are faces and hands, right? Well, that’s what you get. A pair of open hands, a pair of “Kamehameha” hands, an “Instant Transmission” hand, and an angry face with pupils to the right. I am NOT a fan of the angry face. In fact, I was hoping that they would give him the yelling face that the original Goku has.  That was a great face. This one makes you move the head for posing, and the way I have to move it, my particular figure has a painting and manufacturing “blemish” on the right side of its neck. Now, the big thing with this release is the special power crescents. They have the ingenious little arrangement that connects with any beam of a Tamashi Stage to surround him. Make no mistake…this is indeed awesome! Makes an already formidable and impressive character/figure that much grander. I’m so appreciative of the job they did for this. Be forewarned…assembly and reassembly GREATLY runs risk of snapping plastic. I did it 3 times, am I’m already starting to see cracks in the plastic, so be careful, and pose wisely. Now, if you recall me talking about how you need not worry about the ankle joints, it’s because SSJ3 Goku comes with its own Tamashi Stage…and rightfully so, since without one, the super cool aura crescents would do you no good. If only they did this with EX Gemini Saga, instead of teasing you with his Galaxian Explosion effect with no means of displaying it rightfully. Of course, they slyly release the EX stage at the same time of Saga’s release, advertising him all over it. No, I didn’t fall for that one, Tamashi Nations! Also, a halo that inserts into the back of the head via a hair blade. That is just beautiful.

Saiyans in attendance

**HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER!!**

"I've been waiting for you, Kakarot."

"Don't do this, Vegeta. I'm stronger this time."

"Silence, Kakarot!"

"I dont have time, Vegeta!"

"Make time."

"Stand aside!!!!"

"Make me!!!!"

"Not smart, Vegeta."

"Argh! Damn you, Kakarot."

*Insert Flash Kick*

We settle it here

Add caption

Hands down, get this thing. It’s not that expensive, and well worth it. It will be gone fast, and will be a rare thing to find later on. You don’t have to be a big fan or follower of DBZ to appreciate this. This just happens to hold more than nostalgic value for me, but its sweetness is too much for it to get away from you. Even if you don’t collect, buying this simple piece and displaying it one the corner of you room, or next to your computer will always looks nice. I’m giving this a 9.5/10. Reason being, the body vastly surpasses its predecessor, the paint was done faithfully with complimenting colors, its effect parts, and stand all for not even 100 bucks. That’s a good gesture to your fans and customers, Bandai. My only real complaint, is that it is a chore trying to get Goku to work with the Tamashi stage, and all his dynamics (hair, and aura crescents) get in the way of each other in certain poses. But this should not at all be a deterrent for purchase. Good job again, Bandai. Keep it up!

"Don't make me tell you again, Vegeta...stand aside."

I have a universe to save.

His final home with the rest of the DBZ family. Patiently awaitig Trunks.

 

To conclude this ever-so-long review, as always, some motivation to get you to go and get this thing. Here is Goku SSJ3 in some of his more memorable moments.

P.S. – Shoutout to Asis Galvin. If you don’t know him, check out his Facebook, and his Youtube. He does hip-hop remixes to anime/video game music, and I have been following him for several years now. He recently made a nice rendition of SSJ3 American transformation. Check it out:

Figma Guts also arrived in the mail. Since I don’t want to break my word, I will be doing a joint review on him and BRS 2035. They will be my first figma reviews, so stay tuned!

Hobby Hobbying, everyone!