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 6: Saint Myth Cloth Perseus Algol

Perseus Algol. The first Saint Seiya review. Let’s make one thing clear…I’m not a Saint Seiya fan. I am solely a fan of Saint Seiya figures. They might just be my favorite style when it comes to toys. I don’t know much about the story, and do not have the patience to go thru the whole thing to figure out what’s going on. I did about all the research I can stand, and come to figure that it’s something that would have caught my eye if I were younger…about 15 years younger or so.

 But enough of that…Perseus Algol is why we’re here. Based on the real Perseus of Greek mythology that killed Medusa, and who used her head to turn to stone anyone that looked at it. In Saint Seiya, Perseus is the Cloth, and Algol is the Saint that wears it. Here however, that ability is amplified. The petrifying ability goes through both blindfolds and eyelids and attacks the retinas. That is a pretty potent ability if you ask me. Anyway, he is eventually defeated, and then resurrected by Hades with a Surplice, mirroring his original Cloth. To get the full scoop on him, take a gander at: http://saintseiya.wikia.com/wiki/Perseus_Algol

Front

Back

Open book

Plastic casings removed

 Perseus Algol is a part of Athena’s Silver Saints, and personified as a figure in the ever-so-popular Saint Myth Cloth series by Bandai. If you don’t know, Saint Myth Cloth is the toyline that coincides with Saint Seiya, and is a monumental line, at that. It incorporates the “armor” system of a central humanoid figure that has additions to itself by adding a predestined assortment of particular pieces that fix themselves onto it. In some cases (i.e. the Myth Cloth case), these particular pieces can be part of some other assortment that does not require a humanoid to complete. This is often called and “Object”. Saint Myth Cloth and Armor Plus usually follow this formula, but there has been many toys that have (or something very similar) used this in the past, most frequently…the Iron Man toy series of the 90’s. 

Base form

Perseus Object

Medusa shield

Saint and Cloth

Perseus and Algol

Acceptance of responsibility

Preparing to don the Cloth

Cloth on

With tiara

Arriving in the iconic Myth Cloth book style box, Perseus Algol’s base figure comes in a rather basic (to most Silver Saints, at least) navy blue sleeveless jumpsuit with metal boots. Head is sculpted in a stern visage and is connected to the head via ball joint in the neck. Blonde hair is in a three part arrangement with one piece connected by the front of the head, another in the back of the head, and the last hooking onto the neck and hanging halfway down the back. But elbows and knees are double jointed with knees in swivels. Ankle articulation allows for both front to back and side to side movement. Shoulder and wrist articulation allows for full range of motion as well. There is even waist and hip articulation to help out.

Don’t be fooled, however. Though very poseable, the base form is…unimpressive, at best. Skinny and unfinished, but there are reasons for it. The armor. 

Hermes effect

Closed eye shield

Anime and Manga versions

The set of armor with Perseus Algol conform to create the “Perseus Object”. Every Saint, Specter, Mariner, God, etc has an object that is the theme for their armor. In Algol’s particular case, the object is more similar to the way he looks donning the armor itself more so than most of the Saint Myth Cloth line. The armor itself is mostly die cast metal (which is a Myth Cloth staple), with some small parts being made of plastic.

The internal frames of the object are plastic, as well as the front chest piece, skirt armors, wrist connector, hand armor, tiara and shoulder armor connections. Very minor parts, in my opinion. The rest of the armor is die cast metal, and make the figure very heavy. This is where good ankle joints are essential. 

Special parts

Silver Saint warrior

The completed donning of the armor is very nice, and sports a nice tainted purpleish/silver hue with sky blue trim. Unlike Gold Saints, or Mariners, Saints of this level tend to have a bit less armor, usually exposing the whole of either thighs, biceps, and/or stomach areas. Both Silver Saints Lizard Misty, and the Crystal Saint have noticeably less armor than any Gold Saint, and Algol is no exception. I am not sure if the amount of armor one has is proof or not of one’s level of power, but if that is the case, Algol would be the strongest Silver Saint in toy form, next to of Lyre Orpheus, of course.

For special parts, you get some standard, and one that is specific to him. For hands, you have fists, open curved finger hands, and open straight finger hands. No two finger hands, however. You also get an extra head, depicting a face with closed eyes and a grin. He also has a second tiara and front skirt armor, in which I can only assume, is to be more reminiscent of his manga adaptaion, rather than his anime one (though I prefer the anime pieces). Now, we all should know a bit a Greek Mythology enough to know about Perseus killing Medusa, whose very face turned mortals to stone. Perseus Algol has a shield with Medusa’s visage that I assume he uses for his petrifying ability. He comes with two shields: one with closed eyes, and one open. They can either affix to his back, or to his arm via the wrist connector. Since he has two shields, he can technically wield one on his arm while the other is on his back.

Aerial pose

Add caption

Petrify

On a side note, Perseus Algol comes with two wing-like ankle pieces that attach to the bottom of his shin armors in a similar fashion to the Sagittarius Cloth. I like to dub this, the “Hermes” effect. Off the top of my head, I can think of Sagittarius, Pegasus God and Perseus Cloths, Bennu and Gryphon Surplices are the ones that share the Hermes effect of having wing-type appendages from the feet/ankle area. The thing about Perseus, is that this certain effect is not advertised in the anime or manga. Now, I can be wrong, and if you know more about this than me, feel free to correct me, but this seems to be a toy only addition, and is a part of the original instructions as a special gimmick. Personally, I like the addition, and have decided to keep it on myself however, it isn’t a very sturdy connection and can more or less look out of place…depending on how you feel about it.

Because of the weight, there is little I can do with a Tamashi Stage, so dynamic poses are out. This particular series isn’t for Dynamics anyway, as much as they are for looking good with “clothes” on. Saint Myth Cloth does have its own specific stand for the line, but I haven’t dove into them. 

Silver Saints in attendance

Overall, 7/10. He still holds a lot of articulation while Cloth is on, but what does that really matter in the Myth Cloth series? Also, since he has a decent amount of hair, he can barely look side to side, and can move his head even less with the hair clip on his neck. My particular figure’s eyes aren’t done well, with them looking in opposite directions. Though he looks the best of all the Silver Saint figures, I dislike the lack of symmetry on his shoulder armor, and the fact that he came with no cape. Collect him of only being a fan is enough for you, or like me, you want him to complete the Silver Saint collection. 

Final place among the Saints

 A small example of Perseus Algol's power:

 Stay tuned for the next review as I will attend to a very excited arrival, figma White Rock Shooter. After that, comparison of Masterpiece Seeker molds from old MP-06 Skywarp to new MP-11 Starscream.

Happy Hobbying, everyone!

Mail Call IV

Thanks to the hardest and earnest good men and women of Big Bad Toy Store, I had a nice gift when checking the mail. This guy is personal favorite of mine, and I have been awaiting this new mold for some time.

Oh, yes. Coronation Starscream. Now, this is a two-fold purchase for me. Thing is, I have a masterpiece of this mold, but it's the American Skywarp. I also managed to buy the 3rd party coronation set for him. This particular Starscream mold is supposed to be a step up from the former Masterpiece molds of the original Seekers. On top of that, Takara made its own coronation set with it, so i can compare and contrast as much as I please...which is what I intend to do. I know I said I wouldn't review and Transformers, but since I can make comparisons, I think I can break this rule...if just for once anyway.
Now, the review for this won't come anytime soon, I'm afraid. It must take a back burner seat to both Perseus Algol, and White Rock Shooter of course. However, the review of Starscream will mostly be of the comparison to the previous Masterpiece mold, so if you're really trying to see what has changed, I'll be diving all into that.
Be sure to check my latest review of figmas BRS 2035 and Guts. They are great figures from great series'. As always...

Happy Hobbying, everyone!

Review 5: figma Black Rock Shooter The Game: BRS 2035 and Berserk: Guts - Black Swordsman Ver.

Here it is…the next review. This one is a double, hitting two figures at once. My first and third figmas, Black Rock Shooter: The Game’s BRS 2035, and Berserk’s Guts Black Swordsman Ver. Make no mistake, they both are great characters, and are great figures on top of that. Since I finally got around to what I promised, I decided to go ahead and throw a bonus on it with a 2nd figure. Onto the review.

 

First, I will go with BRS 2035. She is from the Black Rock Shooter project, which portrays the same character with certain changes in different stories.  Being in an OVA, manga, anime, and video game, this particular character assumes this role with a plethora of tasks ahead of her. I particularly wasn’t a big fan of her design back when I first saw her in a hobby shop in Akihabara back in 2010. She looked like a black Hatsune Miku (which I was HELLA sick and tired of seeing), I didn’t know what to expect of her, and sort of felt like a perv just looking at her outfit, knowing she is a little girl. I see now, I was completely wrong in thinking so. By the time I saw her in action, my jaw fell in my lap from the animation of her fights. My jaw was through the compilation of her fights from the anime. They are…ridiculous to say the least. It’s interesting how this particular anime/OVA is all about women, though made by a man (I think). The “other self’ idea is pretty nice, however, being an adult, it really just makes me think that there is 1: a girl the way she is normally, and 2: the same girl, only on her period. All of the “other selves” are demonic looking incarnations of the original girls they are, and all have a dark side to them, akin most women I met. Not that I’m being sexist or anything, but in a comical (and more truthful way), I don’t really think I’m far off. If you really want to get more in depth about Black Rock Shooter, go ahead and try here: http://blackrockshooter.wikia.com/wiki/Black%E2%98%85Rock_Shooter_%28original_concept%29

What you are really looking for is the Black Rock Shooter (Game) article, since this is where this particular figure is from.  However, if you ask me, it just so happens to be the most boring section of the 4 protagonist Black Rock Shooters.

As it arrived

Opened

Full accessories (without stands)

Factory setting (without wings)

Hair looks nice even from the side

Yelling face and eye flame piece

Again, this is my premier figma, and I left and open mind to the expectations of it. I didn’t know what I was dealing with, and the only thing I knew about figma is what I read on BeamKnight87’s review of his figma Saber. I really bought this to test out a category of figures I have not dove into yet, as well as Black Rock Shooter being so awesomely drawn.

The packaging is pretty intense. It makes sure to encompass the iconic tile pattern that is evident in the BRS world, and the cardboard that goes around the plastic casing of the figure has a cut out portion around the logo. The paint detail on this figure is nothing short of magnificent. This is certainly the CLEANEST paint job of any figure I have ever owned (which is a ton, by the way).  The detail of the barcodes on her mid drift is great…probably stenciled on. Her jacket isn’t flat black, but glossy, with the white trim and star faithfully portrayed. Best thing about the paint, is that it doesn’t seem to bleed anywhere, and nothing seems to be painted over anything else in the wrong places at all.

Another note of the paint is her weaponry. Unlike backpack and wings, both her “Black Blade” (sword) and “Rock Cannon” (Gun) have a base paint that is covered by a grungy, unkempt kind of film that gives both weapons the look of worn metal, which I prefer. It’s a bit different from the likes of say…Armor Plus, and Saint Seiya, whose weapons/special parts look about as glossy and clean as can be. The parts look more like decorative props rather than serious wartime utensils.


Posing



Noel Vermillion inspired

The Black Blade

The Rock Cannon

Wings attached

Other than that, I also like what they did her hair. They didn’t skimp on it at all. The locks are connected by a single figma joint, which provides plenty of room to articulate it how you like. The waist is a bit of a problem. It’s very stiff. There isn’t much turning to be done with it. The kibble at that area doesn’t help either. Actually, you don’t need to move it much, since it will interfere with her girlish figure.

Onto special pieces. They weren’t shy about them. She actually comes with 5 pairs of hands, the Black Blade, the Rock Cannon, and angry face, a hair piece containing blue eye flame effect part, and 2 figma stands…one of  special “claw” to hold the Rock Cannon. The hands are: open hands (fingers together), open hands (fingers open), holding hands (for cannon), a tighter set of holding hands, and angled holding hands (for sword).  The faces are changed by removing the bangs hairpiece, then the face itself. This is also used to change the bangs hairpiece to eye flame piece as well. The stands are special figma stands that actually say “figma” on it. They are extremely similar to Tamashi Stage 4 stands in appearance and functionality, but lack the attaching function to other stands. That function is a trademark of Bandai anyway, so it doesn’t hurt figma if they don’t do it.

This thing is capable of some nice poses, but don’t expect anything too dynamic. figma is not created for dynamics. Bandai is more suited for that. figma is more of a calmer, sleeker, classier sect of figure that emphasizes a more graceful display.

"Restiction 666 released. Dimensional Interference FIeld deployed. Azure Grimoire..."

"ACTIVATE!"

Let's do this

First victim

Death by Black Blade

Down parts: There are some. I’m not a particular fan of the small articulation on the wings. I see where it could have been a nice idea, but my particular figure cannot hold the extra stabilizer on the left wing where I want it. The feet is another issue. Due to her small, girly feet, standing her is a bit of a chore, and you are forced to use the stand. Even if you do pose her on her own, don’t put her anywhere close to a fan, because she will tumble down. Now, I understand that she is a little girl, and that she has a small frame, but what happens with that, is when she is standing straight up, the figma joints protrude pretty drastically. Sure, they could have made the joints smaller, but that would only hinder the integrity of the knee joint. Last thing: the Rock Cannon. The Rock Cannon connecting to the holding hand is guaranteed to test the “bendability” of that hand. Removing and securing the hand onto the Rock Cannon multiple times will work down the strength of that hand.

*Insert epic angelic landing jingle*

Battle ready

 I give this an 8\10. Reason being, it must use a stand for use of the Rock Cannon that is dangerous to use. The arms don’t come together enough to assume the role of holding the Black Blade with two hands. The figma stand doesn’t fully settle into her back, but that just might be my case only. Get this only if you love Black Rock Shooter, or if you are curious about figma. I may have hit some bad things about it, but it is without a doubt a great figure and worth the buy. Hell, it was my first figma, and now I have four.

If this isn’t enough for you to still consider this, I pray you watch this. It’s a bit long, but rest assured, it will keep you entertained. Big ups to the uploader/editor for a job well done.

Place in collection next to figma Black Gold Saw

Next up:

Guts. Guts is from one of the greatest animes I ever watched, Berserk. He can be boiled down to anime’s Kratos, before Kratos was known. He is a savage, stone cold, hot-blooded killer, with a kill count literally in the thousands. In terms of warfare, this guy has seen it all, done it all, and even invented a few things we take as cliché nowadays. He carries a sword as big as him (in which he practices 100 strokes a day with, and Guts is technically 6’3”), and is cased in battle scars. I won’t go too far into him without you doing some research on our own, but the story surrounding him losing his left arm and right eye is freaking unbelievably epic. I mean, c’mon, the guy breaks a sword tip by biting it! Who does that? If you haven’t read the manga, don’t feel bad…I haven’t either. But if you haven’t watched the anime, GET ON IT!!! It isn’t terribly long, but it will keep you entertained. If you can stand for the old school animation, a great story will unfold. Equipped with plenty of character development, and unorthodox yet do-able love plot, and a ton of notable carnage, this anime easily gives credence its popularity and is sure to leave you begging for more. Also, there are movies coming out soon of this anime, so it gives Berserk another chance at animation, only with modern seamless 1080i Blu-Ray awesomeness. That doesn’t mean skip out on that anime, because it’s damn worth it! I watched the whole series in about a day at my friend’s house. Sacrificed my sleep and everything just to see what happens with the Band of the Hawk. Want to know more? Visit: http://berserk.wikia.com/wiki/Guts

As for the figure, again the paint on this is VERY well done. With Guts, more is considered to paint with his mold. His costume is entirely medieval, and his skin isn’t clean and bright like everyone else. Everything about him is colored in dark tones, and rightfully so, since I don’t think he wears a speck of white anywhere. One thing to notice is the weapons he has on his person at base level. An array of throwing knives on his bandolier, and great hunting knife on the front of his belt make for a threatening guy. They make sure to incorporate his pouches all over his belt that includes medicine, food, water, currency, gunpowder, etc. His shoulder armors are actually a part of his arms, and moves with them as opposed to being attached to his torso armor.

figma Guts

Cut-out section is particular to figma

Comes with everything you see here

Sculpt on the angry face is very notable



The Dragon Slayer - taller than him.



The figma joint



Chain accessory

Following the chain



Make note of the the rod the cahin ends on AND the brand on his neck



Closer look

As for his skin, this is a big plus for me. Guts is a dirty, and grungy kind of guy, and his skin lets you know. His head has beautifully spiked short hair, and his right eyes is shut because he lost it. His arms are sculpted beautifully.  He isn’t some skinny little boy, nor is he a karate guy with an average strong build. He is a bug, surly man. He has always been muscle bound, but carrying such a thick blade his own height, he must have a body for it, and the arms to go with swinging that thing all over the place. That being said, the veins in his arms aren’t too much, but aren’t too little either. They are just enough to let you know that he is war torn. The left arm is special, and I prayed that that Max Factory came up with a suitable arrangement to portray it as faithfully as possible. They did quite well. You see, as Guts’ right arm has a bandage covered hand, the left arm has a bandage over the elbow area, since from the elbow down is a mechanical arm. I won’t tell you how he lost that arm. You will have to do research for that. They do a great job in keeping articulation at the elbow, while at the same time making it look like the bottom portion of the mechanical arm flows right into the top portion. Such a nice job by Max Factory.

Factory setting



The only guy in my collection that doesn't look like he's in a boy band



Freakin' arm cannon

"You think I just wake up in the morning with my hair like this?"

"Tonight...we hunt."

Sword secures with that plastic piece

See the secondary use of the metal rod? VERY clever, Max Factory!

The Crown Jewel for me comes in the holster for his sword. It’s done by a very clever chain mechanism that connects from the bottom of his bandolier, goes around his waist, and up his back to a metal bent rod on the back of his right shoulder blade. On the chain, however, is a bent piece of plastic personifying the “leather” that would secure his blade while holstered. This mechanism is pretty slick if you ask me. A very cunning design, amplified only by its simplicity. You will see what I mean.

As for special parts, you get a good number, I think. No, it doesn’t come with ten extra hands like BRS 2035, but they do give him open hands (closed fingers), holding hands, angled holding hands, and angry face, an “arm cannon” hand, a sword and a cape. As mentioned before, the chain on Guts’ body is used primarily for securing his gigantic blade. You see, the sword has a small chain link of what would be the chain guard (chappe) on one side of the sword. By sliding the blade onto his back, and having the crease of the “leather” plastic part cup the edge of the blade, you slide the sword downward until the chain link hooks onto the metal hook, and let gravity handle the rest. It’s not the most secure way to holster the weapon, since shaking him or turning him upside-down would undo everything. The real thing to pay attention to is the sequence to get it there. The sword itself is painted nicely, as previously stated, especially with the special wiping of a small coat of what looks akin to shellac or something.  

Reaching for the cleaver

Drawn!

Take notice of the paint job on the blade

Battle Warrior

Grand blade

About to charge

Not really a Guts style, but it's possible

With the cape, you will find that it is a small piece of sculpted rubber glued to a very thin, slightly folded piece of construction paper. Personally, I have not even touched construction paper since grade school, and haven’t seen it in about 20 years. Nice to know that Max Factory engineers are using everything at their disposal for greatness. The cape doesn’t drape over Guts until you take off his head first, but that doesn’t make much a difference to me. The cape can be worn with or without the holstered sword. By unfolding dome of the construction paper in a select area, taking off the pommel and sliding it through new hole made in the cape, you can have both of them at once. In fact, taking the pommel on and off is the preferred way to place it in the hands. This makes sure that you don’t ruin the integrity of Guts’ hand molds. Of course, standard is a figma stand, but has a nice scondary black piece that fits on top of the stand and goes into his back for added straight standing.

For poseability, done expect much from below the waist. His legs don’t go very many places. Not that Guts is a character to do such a thing, this is a figure that you spent money on, and as an owner, it’s nice to know I can do what I want. Though the sword holstering is awesome, it IS as flimsy as can be, and can be knocked out of place easy enough.

The most productive use of construction paper

Drawing again

Ready...

8.5/10. I can only go so far for nostalgia and paint job. It’s nice enough to keep his brand on the back of his neck, which I really liked. He does NOT come with a Behelit at all, which is a bit disappointing. I’m hoping it comes with Griffith. Though it is a great homage to a great character, the paint job can be so well, it can almost comes to its detriment if you’re collecting for figure’s sake. If you really want a great paint job, get a statue. If you really want a great figure, wait until Bandai takes a whirl at this. If you like Berserk, go ahead and get it, for display reasons and fandom’s sake.

For some more motivation, check him out doing what he does best.

Place in the collection

P.S. - figma BRS 2035 was shipped to me via the good folks over at Image Anime. figma Guts was shipped to me by the good people over at Plamoya.

Hope you all enjoyed the review. Comment on the good, bad, and the ugly. if you have an idea for the next review of something you have seen in my collection, give a holler!

Happy Hobbying, everyone!