A place for collectors. Bandai, Hasbro, Takara, Kotobukiya, Max Factory, etc. can be found here, with new additions every month. Reviews, wishlists, anime and such will be discussed here. This one is for the geeks, so take a seat and enjoy.
Well, well. Got some goodness going on today. Finally got around to getting that "thing" I've been holding out on. Just adding to the collection is enough for me. Also, I have been wondering about this certain Hobby Shop online that I want to know about. So here we are, compliments of the good folks at Big Bad Toy Store. Hit them up at bbts.com for business. I can personally say that they are pretty good with shipping...even to a DPO.
Now, don't expect a review for these. I don't plan on doing any reviews for Transformers. There are plenty of video reviews for these, and I'm sure Youtube could help you out with some goodness. I don't mind posting pics of them, but that's probably it. I can tell you all this, however: this masterpiece is pretty awesome, and the Wheeljack isn't bad either. God, I love Hasbro.
Ok, so I know that I said the next review would be on BRS
2035. Well, the reason why I’m not is because I will review what comes in the
mail first before I review what I have on hand. The new arrivals get precedence
over on hand figures. So, unless something else comes in the mail, BRS 2035
will be next. Onto Unit 04…
Evangelion Unit 04. There isn’t much to say about it. Its
pilot isn’t well known. For the most part, it doesn’t have one. Reason being,
it was destroyed/lost before being finished and released for action. The
details behind its disappearance are sketchy at best, and you can look it up
really, if you want to. Start here, if you please: http://evangelion.wikia.com/wiki/Evangelion_Unit-04
First, the packaging. It follows the basic EVA EVO series
style, with a front cover shut with Velcro. Open it up to see the figure and
all it comes with, albeit the stand, that is always taped to the back. Removing
the figure from the plastic, the trademark plastic sheets in between the torso
joints and neck joint have to be removed. They do this to preserve the
integrity of the paint during shipment.
Front: Cover closed
Open Cover
Back Cover
Open Sesame
Full Set
I collected this because I love the line, and Evangelion has
a special place in my heart, ever since a good friend of mine introduced me to
the series back in ‘96. In fact, I believe this series contributed to purple
ending being my favorite color. Well, either that, or the Gargoyles cartoon.
Fascinating neck joint
Love the purple they threw in for the feet. Firs of the line to have 3 colored paints in this fashion.
More of the purple additions
The unique leg joints with the black "cover" piece.
So, a I finally take a look at the figure at base factory
setting, I notice all the same articulation parts from the rest of the EVA EVO
Revoltech line with holes in the back for the stand and umbilical plug. Basic
colors for Eva Unit 04 are silver, black, grey, and white with red trim. This
figure stays true to it, with a few added specials. Purple is my favorite
color, so it’s nice to see the purple shading on the bottom of the feet, and
the neck areas. Also, the feet are two different colors (not including the
ankle guards). I’m also pleased to see that they made sure to add the three
colors on the shoulders along with pink eyes.
Any more questions for poseablility?
It's alive!
Factory settings
These hands are universal for the line.
Now, the nice thing about Kaiyodo’s work is that just about
every piece is painted, and well, at that! The head, shoulders, chest, knees,
and collarbones are all trimmed with red areas. I assume the figure is too
small to add the text on the forearms like the usual Evangelion Units have.
Unit OO had “Prototype”, 01 had “Test Type”, etc. Another thing about EVA EVO
line is the neck piece and leg joints. I find them pretty interesting.
Fearless
KA-ME...kidding.
I...am...Iron Man
They sent me...with a knife.
Knife just happens to be possessed, huh?
Eat your heart out, Tien!
This is what Final Flash looks like, Vegeta.
As for dynamic posing, there are endless possibilities, as
expected from Revoltech. Since this is my first Revoltech review, I think it’s
important to let everyone know that dynamics is all what the line is about. In
fact, you can easily put the knees to its head and create virtually any kind of
acrobatic function you want.
The detail on this thing is nothing short of stunning. If
you know anything about Evangelion and its mech, than you know this was
portrayed quite well, despite being the Evangelion with the least amount of
exposure.
As for special parts, you get some goodies. 6 different sets
of hands, a sub machine gun, a prog (progressive)-knife, umbilical cable, and
bum, bum, bum…a Lance of Longinus!
Eva fans know what the Lance of Longinus is: a powerful weapon that can
penetrate any AT (Absolute Terror)
field. If I have to explain an AT field, you’re better off looking it up
yourself. Anyway, the hands are: closed fists, fingers together open hands,
gripped hands with flared thumbs, holding hands with trigger, open hands with
clenched fingers, open with tensed fingers, and of course the factory setting
open “epic” hands with holes in the palms. The factory hands are able to hold
Unit 06’s spear I assume, what with sharing the same hand. Actually, all
Evangelions of this line share these hands I want to say, maybe save for
Provisional Unit 05 and Unit 02. Now, it doesn’t come with a special gimmick
like its predecessors. No extra Angels, no rockets, interchangeable arm or leg
pieces, lights, anything. I’m fine with that, actually. I don’t know anything
special about the thing, and the only media I can find on it had nothing but a
shield, really. That shield came with the original
release of the Revoltech Unit 04 years ago, and of course, the Lance of
Longinus. As previously stated, the stand comes standard, as well as the small
orange box that houses Revoltech pieces.In fact the only thing missing, is the effect piece for the foot. It's not a big deal, though.
I never liked the NERV guns.
The hole Lance of Longinus
Nothing screams GAINAX like a epic diving "KICK-U!!!!!"
Tryna get the apples from the tree top
Evangelion mating call
Penetrating your AT Field since '96, baby!
All things considered, I give this figure a 9 out of 10.
Simplicity is the key here. Excellent streamline mold, beautiful paintjob and
detailing. Plenty of extra hands for dynamics, and above all things, a welcomed
edition to the EVA EVO family add to the score. I would recommend this only if
you’re fan enough to get it. In fact, it’s a bit hard to find, and I only came
across it by happenstance. This is my first official Revoltech review, and as
such from this line, this particular figure is a retool. That would make 6 of
the 7 in the series good figures as they are. So again, if you can find it, and
you’re willing to dish out the cash, pick it up.
Its place among its brothers
Evangelion family portrait...
Last thing: Here is my ONLY inspiration I could find for
Unit 04. Make you see a little bit of that Lance of Longinus action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqvFhGbC3ZU
Good Ol' Facebook. Look what Tamashi Nations Japan put on their site 2nite.
There is but ONE Gold Saint that looks like that. the newest addition to the EX series. looking for pre-orders now. I WONT miss this one, cause its going fast!
Happy Hobbying, everyone.
P.S. The sites on my blog should help in finding where one of the pre-orders should be.
Lookie what came in the mail. Courtesy of plamoya.com. My first time dealing with them, and I will say, I am very satisfied. In fact, this is the ONLY site I saw this product on. Was starting to think it was just a joke or something.
With this, Units 00, 01 ,02, 03, 04, 05, and 06 are in my possession.
Prog-knife, Sub machine gun, and Lance on Longinus? That's all I need.
This makes for one of my latest pre-orders ALL the sweeter:
Was thinking about the next review while going thru other blogs. First, I think I might consider this "LBX Lucifer" thing. Now, I did just a small bit of research, and what delays me from getting it is: 1) It's price. The thing is about 10 bucks, so I dont expect that putting it together will be all that satisfying. Nothing like a Master Grade Kit, or Kotobukiya Kit. 2) It's targeted toward children, more than adult collectors. it's from a kids show that is nothing more than a new age Medabots/Custom Robo. Not that I'm hating on what the kids like or anything, but I'm not one (though my collection would make one think otherwise). 3) The design does not seem to completely fit the criteria for my particular collection. It's more "juvenile" look is slightly out of range of my normal purchases.
On the other hand, my reasons for wanting to purchase are: 1) The price: at 10 bucks, where could you possibly go wrong? Besides, if I dont like it, it's not like I broke my back buying the thing. 2) The design and color scheme. Though it is a but juvenile looking, it has these marvelous looking purple transparent plastic pieces for the wings and sword. The rest has a nice white and gold arrangement, with black details scattered throughout. 3) If enough of this line is collected, the pieces can interchange, and customization unfolds. I would have ate this up as a kid, but I'm pretty much past that for now. 4) If it looks too juvenile, I can try and hide it in with the other robots I will put it with. Maybe someplace next to the Virtuaroids, or even the SRW line somewhere.
That's all for Hobbyist news. As for the next review, I think I found my victim:
Yep, my first ever figma. It took me quite sometime to breakdown and finally get this. I saw the OVA to this, and some of the gameplay from the game (which is where this particular figure is from). figma is a popular enough toyline that I have been avoiding...mostly since they did have any characters I really wanted. By the time they had something that caught my eye, it was long sold out. But now that I have this, I will make sure to stay on top of the figma line. That Tekkaaman Blade, and Samus Aran look pleasing. So does that mouth-watering Griffith.
Though I can't promise a time frame for BRS, I hope to get it done before the close of the month. Unlike the Vegeta review from the last blog, this won't be so much of a rush job, and I will make sure to point out the paintings, and joint system to better introduce what a figma is. Stay tuned.
Happy Hobbying!
As promised, the review for S.H. Figuarts SSJ Vegeta. Now, I’m not going to go into a very detailed description for the character. I shouldn’t need to. He’s freaking Vegeta…’nuff said. All I’m going to tell you is that he is the prideful prince of the warrior race known as Saiyans, and has an eternal rivalry to Goku, one of the few (and I mean FEW) Saiyans stronger than him. The only real character flaw I have with Vegeta is the stamina. He makes a note in the movies to enter the fray just about as quickly as he leaves, what with getting knocked out of his SSJ form so many times.
Vegeta has always been my favorite main character, next to Piccolo of course. I’m a big fan of using the “pride” factor of human emotion as a driving force. Being the price of an entire race is just about everything to Vegeta. He can pretty much chalk up all his victories as a damn near birthright, since he is elite amongst filth. That being said, when he loses (which is frequent enough) he isn’t the best at dealing with it…ESPECIALLY when he lost to Goku. Thing is, Vegeta isn’t dumb at all, and noticed that he as lost to Goku many times. Not only in combat, but mostly in the display of combat, having lost to many foes that Goku subsequently takes out. I won’t go much further into Vegeta. If you really want to know all there is to know about him, try this out: http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Vegeta
Now, onto the figure. The packaging reveals the figure in entirety. The back side shows the figure in several poses with various special pieces, and includes a small description of the character. This is a basic for S.H. Figuarts.
Packaging
Back of the Box
The first thing I will touch on is the articulation. Over 20 points! By now, this is standard of Bandai works, so it shouldn’t be a big deal. In fact, I knew it was an S.H. Figuarts line product, so I knew what I was in for. What I wanted to see is how they would incorporate the shoulder and thigh joints. Unlike Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo, Vegeta’s legs and waist are smooth instead the baggy karate uniform, making it harder to “blend” the legs into the waist even when they are bent. Also, the knees share the same double joint that the elbows have…something normally seen on the like of Myth Cloths and Play Arts/Play Arts Kai. Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo have different mechanisms for their knees to better accommodate their karate uniforms. Vegeta’s shoulders are also different from his predecessors. Vegeta is the 4th in this particular line, and the first not to wear a Karate uniform. The shoulder joint begins immediately following the strap for his Saiyan armor vest. I personally, was hoping that they give a little more space after the strap before starting the shoulder, but I dare not speak against the genius developing modelers at Bandai. Anyway, the shoulder has a special mechanism to allow for maximum amount of movement without sacrificing the “simple style” that makes S.H. Figuarts just what it is. Anymore tweaking of the shoulder joint for dynamics, and it would have to start altering the torso itself, and rival the modeling formula against the likes of Revoltech and such. I would rather not see that happen.
Regular, Smirk, and Angry face
Shoulder Joint
Add caption
From hair to nothing. No neck = Full articulation
Layered leg joints
Another note I would like to make is the head and neck connection. There isn’t much of a back of a neck for Vegeta, and rightfully so. Unless the pose you’re looking for is from behind, the back of the neck is often times omitted in order to pose the figure with its head held high. Revoltech, figma, and Armor Plus all follow this formula, so expect that on any of your purchases, if you haven’t notice already.
Special parts: I will say, I’m quite disappointed in this part. Vegeta came with a set of “blast” hands, a set of “Big Bang Attack” hands, an angry face (even has the iconic bulging vein) looking to the left, and a smirk face looking to the right. Looking at the opened package, you can see some space for more special parts, but you only get a total of 6…shame. Gohan came with two different SSJ hair levels, and even a cape! Piccolo came with a cape, and turban, blast hands, Special Beam Cannon hand, and even crossed arms! Goku didn’t come with much, but he was the first one, and I can expect as much, but this figure does not allow you to display memorable scenes…not even Final Flash! Vegeta doesn’t have the bent, yet tensed fingers hands. They are the same ones given to Goku and Gohan! Wtf, bro!? Anyway, there isn’t an angry face toward the front either…another reason why a faithful Final Flash can’t be portrayed. But that face could make MANY poses for Vegeta, knowing his quick to anger character.
Saiyan Prince
Elite Class Warrior
Details on the muscles is a must. It's what the series is all about.
Can't be Vegeta without this pose
Get lost!
"Accept my challenge, Kakarot!"
Flying
This is why you need a centered screaming face
Knowing Bandai, there will be a “SDCC”, or “Majin Saga” type of exclusive in which Veget has the Majin head, Final Flash hands, and colored differently. This will sell for more or the same the price as the original Vegeta. I usually don’t get the repainted exclusives, but if it has the right special parts, I’m in. I mean, I DO have SSJ3 Goku on pre-order even though I have Goku already, right?
In conclusion,I give this figure about a 7 out of 10. Its real value lies in the fighting Goku scenes you can make with it. Bandai made sure to make us wait until 2012…several years after Goku was released to deliver this. Teasing us with Gohan and Piccolo in between has only added to the pain of waiting. But now that Trunks and SSJ3 Goku are coming out, I feel that Bandai will soon end this line. DBZ is WAY too big a franchise to mold every character of importance. Hell, not even HALF of the characters can be molded. As of now, S.H. Figuarts is still primarily a Kamen Rider line. It only happened to dabble in DBZ, One Piece, and even Star Driver. Since the One Piece line sees no signs of adding more characters to it (a Zoro would have been nice), I feel the same will eventually come of DBZ. But if you’re thinking of getting this figure, I would only say do it if you have a place in your heart for Vegeta, like I do. I grew up with DBZ, and as such, didn’t really have a choice but to pay my respects to the figures. But I tell you this, if a Brolly ever comes out… I WILL do some unsavory things to ensure one or a few of those things land in my possession.
Not quite Final Flash, but it's the best that can be done
Get ready, Cell
Final...
FLASH!!!!
Big...Bang...
ATTACK!!!!
From the air this time
And this is what the audience sees when the dust settles
No pecs...
No sex!
There's actually 100x gravity going on here
Taking to the air
SHORYUKEN, Bitch!
You're starting to piss me off...
"Vegeta...KICK"
Prepare...
to DIE!!!
I’ll end this with a scene or 2 in which Vegeta is most known for. Maybe give you some inspiration to get your hands on this thing if some are still around for purchase.
