Monthly Archives: August 2011
Review: S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Kiva (Emperor Form)
ぴゅんぴゅーん！テンション フォルティッシモ！
変身！
My knowledge on Kamen Rider Kiva is pathetically close to clueless. And so, to do this review, I watched the Episode 24 of KR Kiva to get a feel on what it takes to be Kiva Emperor Form. However, I find the Tatsulot (used by KR Kiva to unleash his final form) rather irritating and disturbing…
I learn about KR Kiva Emperor Form through one of the episodes in the season of KR Decade. Even though it was a brief entrance towards the end of the season, my eyes were literally glued to the screen when it first made its appearance (at least to me) in the show. And dear me, it is so sparkly gold!
I am so gonna get this dude! Which I came to own right after Machine Decader, it was awfully expensive.
First Impression
I literally drooled when I first removed this figurine out of the box. Everything about this figurine is exquisite. From the detailing to the color, everything is almost perfect! It is a very solid release and the figurine weights 3 times heavier than KR Decade. The feel of the plastic is so reassuring that you may start to wonder if Bandai Tamashii has changed to use an even more expensive mould for this release.
The Head
The head is beautifully sculpted. The golden crown has got some awesome carvings. One thing about the head which I feel I must really point it out would be the green jewel on KR Kiva’s forehead. It is not just done using a dot of green paint! Bandai Tamashii actually went through the pain to sculpt and pain the green jewel to give it a depth. It is as though you can pawn the jewel away if you really wanted to…
The eyes are gorgeous too. The whole eye actually brightens up if you were to shine light at it. My camera is unable to capture the detailing but the eyes have got very detailed compounds. I know it looks different from the show but this is really a beauty to stare at if you know what I meant.
And the mouth reminds me of the mouth of samurai armored face mask, don’t you think so?
The Body
The body sculpting design gives me a very 3D and castle feel. The body armor has got this unique depth that will totally captivate anyone who starts at it for a long time. The carving and painting are almost perfect. Just like the green jewel on KR Kiva’s forehead, the three jewels on the body seem to have a certain depth sculpted. However, I really wished that they share the same color as the one on the forehead. The three green jewels on the body seemed like a rush job done.
I really like the color scheme used. Metallic Red versus Sunny Golden, it is like a perfect match to bring out the bat-theme from KR Kiva in his emperor form. The color looks grainy and it reflects light nicely.
Even though it seems like the body is made up of three different pieces, the truth is the body is only made up of two separate pieces like any other Kamen Rider figurines to give it an articulation at the area above the torso as well as the waist area.
The black color used in this figurine looks a bit flimsy. It would be better if the black is darker and duller instead of being so shiny so that the black areas look more leathery.
The Belt (aka Kivat Belt)
The highly detailed Kivat Belt came as a total surprise simply because I was pretty upset about KR Decade. If only Bandai Tamashii could add line details to Kivat’s eyes, it would be perfect. But then again, considering that this is a mass release, I am probably asking too much.
The Fuestles (whistles which are used by Kivat to summon different power-ups) are located at both sides of the belt. Each of them has detailing sculpted on them and they are painted nicely which definitely adds on to the trip to heaven. You can imagine how jaw-dropping this figurine is because the detailing at the belt area is so hard to notice unless you have a very close up view.
I think Bandai Tamashii really outdid itself for this release. I am totally in love with this release because of the belt.
The Back
One thing bad about this release is probably the back of the figurine. It comes with two pieces of separated red plastic meant for the cape. And trust me that you will still get annoyed even after you managed to put the two pieces of plastics into place to form the cape. Mine is now a bit loose, as in they don’t really hold into place unless I press it down really hard. So guys, please be really careful when you fix the cape simply because you don’t really want to risk breaking the joints.
The design of the cape is really cool. KR Kiva in his emperor from has this habit (or should I call it a tendency or bad habit?) of flipping his cape or pose while holding his cape. If you are able to see pass the fact that the cape is being done using 4 different pieces of plastics, it actually allows you to achieve the poses similar to the show. It is not that bad if you see it from the front though. Some people may just feel weird about it but this is how Bandai Tamashii does it.
The Upper Limb
The shoulder pads are very much in the way, you will probably only be able to lift the entire upper limb up to at most 90 degrees unless you turn the shoulder. But the design and the sculpting is so exquisite, it moderates the posing problem. If you recall, KR Kiva Emperor Form doesn’t do any weird poses with his upper limbs held high, does he?
I only remember KR Kabuto does his grandmother pose with his right hand held high. Weird…
The Tatsulot on the arm looks like a rush work to me. Bandai Tamashii could have done a better job by at least getting the color scheme right. The middle should be red instead of an orange spot. There should be a green jewel at the tail and the silver should be darker…
At least the wrist band is probably done…
The Leg
The legs are annoying me greatly. In fact, the entire figuring has some sort of balancing problem. While you can’t spread the legs too far apart, even if you try to close the gaps between the two legs, the entire figurine still has problem standing still. I literally have to use blue tags to hold the figurine into place.
And the leg feels lighter than the body. Somehow, I feel that the center of gravity of the entire figurine is off the place. And this adds on to the posing problems.
But there are still a few good parts I have to highlight would be the kneecaps, the ankles and the feet. The design of the sculpting makes the legs look more “armory-like” which I find it cool and sturdy.
The Accessories
These includes:
1. A pair of clenching hands (both left and right).
2. A pair of signature posing hands (both left and right).
3. A pair of weapon holding hands (both left and right).
4. Demon Imperial Sword Zanvat Sword (I really hate to type it out so I will stick to calling it DISZ Sword).
The DISZ Sword is amazing! Look at the detailing, it is nicely sculpted and painted accurately. The only thing I could wish for is the straight line in the middle of the grip of the sword extending all the way from the cross-guard to the pommel should be painted gold. As well as the wings, the holes should be painted orange.
Call me a nit-picker! XD
The Zanvat (the sword’s rain guard) can move up and down along the Imperial Blade (the blade of the sword). This means, it is possible to pose KR Kiva Emperor Form prior to unleashing his Final Zanvat Slash!
And of course the sword doesn’t glow. I like how the blade is being done using clear plastic with painted slivers running along. It is as though the clear plastic is being uncased by another silver plastic.
Conclusion
Despite the major problems this release has in regards to balancing problems etc I highly recommend this figurine because of the level of detailing existing in most crucial areas such as the head, body and belt. The color scheme is wonderful least to say I really hoped the black could be more leathery.
After owning this release, I really want to own Dark Kiva too. I am probably looking out for Kiva in the meantime. What can I say? This release is definitely worth the money you are paying for. I have got a feeling that this may be the only release Bandai Tamashii is willing to put so much effort in regards to the detailing and coloring in areas such as the belt itself. You will probably notice and agree with me that it has got the best belt sculpted so far.
Kudos! And thank you for reading!
~Tulcus
Update: Splendor
I have been really lazy lately. Soon, I will be entering into the army to serve my 2 years of National Service, which I think is a more-than-good-enough reason for me to splendor on toys that I have always wanted.
It is like a dream come true!
Earlier this Tuesday, I went down to “Robo Robo” to take a look at the new arrivals. S.H.Figuarts KR OOO ShaUTa Combo just arrived at the shop and it is a beauty! The shop also has plenty of other Combo releases which I really wanted and totally missed out during the 20% sales at “La Tendo”.
And you have no idea how happy I was when the shopkeeper agreed to give me a huge discount. I have already done the math, it will cost me more if I were to pre-order it from Japan.
So I have got myself S.H.Figuarts KR OOO ShaUTa Combo, LaToRata Combo, GataKiriBa Combo as well as Ankh Stand Set at a really well discounted price which I couldn’t ask for more! Thanks “Robo Robo”!
Just yesterday, I went down to “La Tendo” and picked up a really cool display case. I was hoping that it would fit all the S.H.Figuarts KR OOO Combo releases. I may have to make them couch a little bit and remove the steps so that they can fit in.
I also grabbed a copy of Hobby Japan September issue! Inside contains a lot of information regarding the latest releases and write-ups of different Gundam entries modeled by many Japanese as well as those from “Gundam Carnival 2011 in Summer” in full detail. My money well spent.
I am currently doing a review on S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Kiva Emperor Form!
お楽しみに！And thanks for reading~
~Tulcus
Review: S.H.Figuarts EX Machine Decader
通りすがりの仮面ライダーだ！覚えとけ！
I personally feel that KR Decade is the strongest Kamen Rider of them all because everything about him is a cheat. Even his ride is also a cheat since it has the ability to assume other Kamen Rider’s ride as well as exhibiting their respective abilities through the input of the cards into the DecaDriver.
Examples like Auto Vajin and Side Basshar where both are also my favorite rides.
Still, it’s a cheat. It is probably the attribute that made KR Decade so overpowered, or rather, it is probably the only reason why I love this Kamen Rider and his ride so much.
Let’s jump over to the review!
First Impression
The first time I saw KR Decade Violent Emotion, I told myself that I am going to grab the Machine Decader as well. And because of me being ambitious, I was penniless until the next month. It wasn’t that bad since the next day was pay day. I was lucky to be able to get it at a rather reasonable price. I didn’t really know the shopkeeper that well yet so I was sure he ripped me off for both KR Decade Violent Emotion as well as Machine Decader.
Machine Decader feels light in my hands. Like some cheap plastic being sold at a very high price. I am a self-proclaimed plastic-phile. And I feel that this figurine is somewhat hollow on the inside. I was quite disappointed at first because I was hoping that this release could have been more solid since it is an exclusive release. I have to consider the amount of money I have put in to purchase this piece of plastic. The feel is definitely not worth the money. But wait…
Maybe it was just me? I am too strong…
The Front
You can’t deny that the level of detailing is so exquisite. Mainly because the release is totally based on Honda DN-01 motorcycle, therefore, the Machine Decader is so SEXY!
I am a personal fan of Honda. Especially the bikes, the thrill of riding one and the risk of getting scratched by jealous people…
The front of Machine Decader is nicely designed to match KR Decade’s head. And I like it when Bandai Tamashii put in so much effort to take note of the details. You can see how the front lights are reflecting lights when you shine at them!
And once again, the black has a glossy finish. I hate it! I hate it because you can see the tiny scratch marks. They should be scratch-free at least! And I was hoping the black is done in matte.
The Front Wheel
What is a bike without it wheels?
Initially, I was so worried about the wheels. The wheels feel like hard rubbery plastic. And my worst horror didn’t come true! Bandai Tamashii did sculpt the wheels with wheel patterns! Thank god!
And of course it rolls…
There is an articulation joining the front wheel to the bike handlebars which is very much expected. It would look very stupid if you were to try and turn the handlebars but the front wheel (connected by the fork) doesn’t move along with it.
And look! There is a small Decade logo at the side!
The Back
The back is designed to fit in the KR Decade as well as an additional passenger sitting at the back. Although I haven’t try putting another figurine on top of the Machine Decader with KR Decade himself but I believe Bandai Tamashii didn’t forget that Machine Decader can fit in two people. Kudos!
And I like how the back is being designed to match KR Decade’s head once again. Can you see the silver gas exhaust pipe running from the body to the back wheel? It only exists on the ride side of Machine Decader.
The license plate is another thing I was worried about. I was so worried that the license plate will be a blank but it has got a Decade Logo on it! Wow!
And for your information:
1 – A
2 – B
3 – C
4 – D
5 – E
Therefore ‘453145’ stands for ‘DECADE’. Different people have different ways of saying what the number stands for but at least this is my version of how I interpret it. 🙂
The Back Wheel
Same as the front wheel, the back wheel is nice sculpted with wheel patterns. However, it bears no articulation as expected. The only thing I can point out, which I feel that it is also a plus point, is that the back wheel has got some spring effect mechanism (suspension) built in.
For example, if you ride a bike too fast, the bike starts to bounce on the road. The spring effect mechanism kicks in (usually at the back wheel) to absorb the shock created by the terrain the rider is travelling on.
And if you were to press Machine Decader down and release it, it will spring right back because of this in-built suspension. Cool point!
The Accessories
Machine Decader comes with a few but necessary accessories.
These includes:
1. A bike supporting stand.
2. A pair of riding hands (both left and right).
3. A pair of extra handlebars.
The bike supporting stand is essential. I have read many reviews regarding how redundant it is but let me tell you how thoughtful Bandai Tamashii is when this stand is included in the release. It allows you to pose the Machine Decader straight up without having you to go all the trouble to look for some other things that will hold the figurine in place. This is something that I appreciate and glad that it is included in the accessories.
It is true that there is a kickstand located at left side of Machine Decader but sometimes it just looks so stupid to see an awesome bad-ass kicking KR sitting on a tilted bike.
Trust me, you will be worshiping Bandai for the stand.
The pair of riding hands is interchangeable with the hands of the either existing KR Decade (normal release) or KR Decade Violent Emotion. This pair of hands allows both KR Decade figurines to grip on the handlebars of the Machine Decader more naturally and easily. A mini surprise I can say because the weapon holding hands could have done the same job but this pair of riding hands are just better suited for it.
The pair of extra handlebars are made of softer and bendable plastics and they feel even more rubbery that the ones which are already on the Machine Decader. It is interchangeable with the ones on the Machine Decader and for whatever reason I really don’t know.
Probably Bandai Tamashii is worried that the harder handlebars are fragile and therefore included this pair of softer handlebars for emergency purposes? I do welcome as many accessories as possible but it is redundant if it only acts on to the cost.
I still prefer using the harder handlebars. Not as if I am going to perform any stuns on the Machine Decader itself, right?
Conclusion
Machine Decader is an exclusive. As a fan of KR Decade, it is probably something you wouldn’t want to miss if you consider the limited numbers of figurines that will be released from the show (excluding the movies). Let’s count…
Kamen Rider Decade
Kamen Rider Diend
Kamen Rider Decade Complete Form
Machine Decader
That’s only four and probably the other ten riders that appeared in the show? With that you will be stepping into the collection of other Kamen Riders from other seasons too, unless you are talking about the Kamen Riders which KR Decade transforming into where the belt stays as the DecaDriver.
*If you don’t understand what I am trying to say, please imagine KR Kuuga wearing a DecaDriver.
And Machine Decader goes surprising well with KR Decade Violent Emotion. I feel that the color contrast is very similar and compatible. However, there is a slight problem I feel that I should point out…
KR Decade looks a bit small and overwhelmed if they were to be placed together. The torso of KR Decade is driving me crazy. It should be bigger. What do you think?
Thank you for reading!
~Tulcus
Update: Off they go
Even though the initial idea is to clean the house and expect a guest to come over for a stay for the next 8 days, I have decided to set aside my daily routines and spend some quality time to tidy up my toys. This is especially so since my dear mother have decided to start the ball rolling by digging out all the boxes.
*RAMPAGE, ROAR*
That’s right! I am making space for more toys!
I have since placed most of my Gundam collections back into their respective boxes. Apparently, my mother is quite supportive when I suggested giving them away. Most of them are still in good quality, just that after all these years, some have really bad joints. But fret not! I have plenty of joint parts to fix them back!
They are good for pacifying young kids or if you are making/displaying awesome Gundam models, they are pretty good in contributing towards the broken limbs or body parts that can normally be found lying wasted around the display. Do consider! XD
If you are interested, you may drop me a mail, comment or even do it offline! We will work things out from there…
Although I don’t really expect anyone to want old stuffs but they are absolutely FREE! And if I were to receive any payments (out of goodwill), I promise you that all the ‘kachings’ will go straight to the charity~
Let’s name it Tulcus’s Toy Foundation, shall we?
~Tulcus
Review: S.H.Figuarts Super Sentai Shinkenger Kuroko
I probably mentioned it in one of my regular updates. I don’t know why I bought them but I am really happy to have bought Kuroko and add them to my collection since I intend to collect the whole series of S.H.Figuarts Super Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.
Kuroko is a traditional stagehand in Japanese theatres. They would dress in black and help out the main crews as a stage runner. And in Super Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, the Kuroko are a group of commoners who wish to help in fighting the Gedoushu (aka Monsters), however due to the fact that they lack of Mojikara (aka powers to fight against the monsters), they act as support to help the Shinkengers (aka the main casts) so that the Shinkengers are able to better focus on the battle. Their duties vary from doing house chores to helping the people in the city and from preparing the Shinkengers to battle to evacuating the people away from the monsters.
High respects for them!
First Impression
Initially, I didn’t think of getting them since all it does is just squatting there and doing nothing. And it is not exactly cheap, you see…
But I kinda like it as time goes by simply because it is a very solid release. The quality of the plastic is definitely worth the price. The level of detailing is also worth the praise.
The Head
As much as I wished that the cloth covering the face is made of real cloth, however, everything is made of plastic. It works out just fine since you are not supposed to see the Kuroko’s face in order to imply that they are invisible and are not part of the action onstage.
And if Bandai were to do it, they would have to paint a face on each Kuroko which would result in a rise in the cost.
If you aren’t convinced, take a look at the ears. They are nicely detailed! Kudos!
You can also see the neck. Up to this point, this figurine is insanely humanoid!
The Body
As the Kuroko is in a squatting position. The body is slightly bent forward. In this case, Bandai really did a great job in emphasising the “humbleness” of the Kuroko that they are of lower status. I can sense that even though they are like servants, they still have backbones, if you know what I mean. And as I said, that makes me respect them even more.
There are no articulations since it is made up of a piece of plastic moulded together.
The Belt (aka Obi)
The back of the figurine is nicely done too. I love the detailing of the Obi. This is definitely a plus point for the entire figurine. Imagine if you were to pose this figurine with its back facing the front, it will be equally nice.
*For reference sake, I reposted this picture.
The Upper Limb
While the right hand is resting on the knee, it forms a cap on the knee (taking the shape of the knee) which makes the hand looks very natural. Same goes to the left hand. It gives me the impression that the Kuroko is only placing it on the lap giving the Kuroko a very respectful look.
I wouldn’t mind if this Kuroko breaks a plate or two, I will definitely forgive him…
The right sleeve looks a little bit unnatural. It looks like it is defining gravity and is inclining towards the right. This is especially so if you look it from the front. But then, that’s just a minor problem.
My real issue lies with the fingers. They look a little bit blocky to me. The absences of the knuckles are probably the cause. And there are no fingernails. Then, I would expect lines to be painted and hairs to be visible… Dear me…
The fingers, they are annoying me…
The Leg
Beautifully done. The legs are very natural and proportionate. Bandai even bothered to add details to the shoes. The area above the ankles is nicely sculpted! I wish they can do more on the foot because it looks like a job done in a rush.
And below, there is a printed text under the right foot. The left knee and toes are flat too. Can’t be blame since the Kuroko needs the balance to squat down.
The Accessories
I definitely consider this as an accessory simply because the figurine itself is already a bonus. But then, I would really appreciate if Bandai includes a flag in this release since it is not exactly cheap.
This is way too cheapo. I won’t even bother cutting the flag out from behind the box. Maybe I will just refer to the scale and make a copy my own. Using real cloth, of course.
Conclusion
Kuroko is a very nice add-on to your collection if you are a Shinkenger fan like me. It makes your collection feels complete. And it is nice to have these guys around simply because they appear a lot in the show and are part of the show itself. In fact, there is an episode done specially to introduce the Kuroko and to appreciate their efforts.
Not asking you to get one for each Shinkenger because you will find yourself having six Kuroko doing nothing but squatting there. And as far as I know, in the show, it is true that there are lots of them running around, I only saw two Kuroko standing one at each side.
So for me, I do recommend that if you are getting Kuroko, you should get two of them. I got them at a very reasonable price because the boss is trying to get rid of them. I wish you have got the same luck as me.
Meanwhile, please excuse me while I get obsessed with the popping of bubble wraps. Love it!
*pop pop pop*
Oh yeah! Thank you for reading!
~Tulcus
Review: S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Decade (Violent Emotion)
俺は全ての破壊者だ。
俺はそれを受け入れた。
それだけものだ。
Kadoya Tsukasa, to me, is probably the most powerful Kamen Rider of all. No matter who stands in his way, he will have your card and trash you like a rug doll. Especially when he is in Violent Emotion, he is double the bad ass. A good boy gone bad.
Even if you gang up against him, chances are, he will use one of his many cards to turn one of many you into one of his many weapons. For example, KR Blade, Faiz or Kiva etc.
I skipped the normal release of S.H.Figuarts KR Decade simple because of the inaccurate helmet design as well as the wrong choice of color. He is supposed to be Magenta, not totally pink.
I was totally turned off until Tamashii released “Violent Emotion” which I find it a beauty the moment I set my eyes upon it even though it is still in the box up on the shelve sealed away from me in the shop. *breathe*
Lets jump straight into the review, shall we?
First Impression
To be honest, I am kinda bias when I say this figurine is nicely sculpted simply because he is one of my favourite Kamen Rider and I am totally obsessed about owning one. The colour chosen is totally accurate and matches the movies. Or probably because the normal release was done so poorly that even a small enhancement in this release makes me overjoyed?
Then again, I was hoping that the black colour is whole matted instead of being glossy in certain areas because if you were to shine lights at this figurine, the reflection of light can be very annoying.
Now the whole figurine feels like Strawberry short cake with cream. And Tsukasa isn’t shy about it. XD
The name Gekijōtai (激情態) is a pun on the word for “theatre” (劇場 gekijō), which literally translates as “Fury Form”. The May 2010 issue of Hyper Hobby magazine and Bandai’s S.H.Figuarts toy line officially translate this name as “Violent Emotion”, a literal translation of the word gekijō (激情) which omits any translation for the word tai (態, “form”).
Source taken from Wikipedia.
The Head
This release comes with two heads. Both have the same sculpting. The only difference is probably the colour on the forehead. One is purple while the other is yellow. The other head will be covered in a while.
The eyes are gorgeously done to bring out the unique design of compound eyes. Bandai really spent lots of effort getting this done simply because the insides are so detailed before being covered by another clear material to form the eyes. The plus points lay in the area where the eyes reflect light! Like when the Kamen Riders do their henshin, their eyes light up.
Simply gorgeous. The head is beautifully and accurately done. If you compare it to the normal release, you will know what I meant. I don’t own a normal release so I don’t really know much of the existing difference.
The Body
I have a slight issue about the body. Decade’s body seems to be over-killed by the armour plates. The chest and the stomach area seemed to be out of place. What I am trying to say is that the chest looks too big for the stomach and makes the design look kind of heavy and uncomfortable.
While the piece joining the chest and the waist area is a separate piece of plastic, it gives the body two articulations. A point to take note is that if you turn the articulation between the chest and the stomach, you can see the insides of the figurine, not very nice. I was quite disappointed with that when I first discovered it. I was hoping that the stomach piece could be a larger piece of mould. But then again, that could have hindered the articulation? Maybe Bandai gave a lot of thoughts in this so I didn’t bother to post a picture of the problem.
The Belt (aka DX DecaDriver)
*Using the same picture as reference
I think this figurine is a budget release considering that it is in mass production. Probably Bandai has set out to disappoint the Decade fans once again with a green blotch on the belt. Not asking the belt to include detailed drawing of the different Kamen Riders’ logos but if you are going to give us a blotch, might as well include nine more dots of gray paint?
At least that gives the illusion of the nine Kamen Riders’ logos being visible from afar. Bandai, you owe me nine dots of gray paint, I tell you!
The rest of the belt is nicely detailed. Especially the core of the belt, it is like a gem, a cherry on the cake, a gummy that looks gummy! And of course you can expect the belt to be able to open and close.
The Ride Booker is located at the right side and is detachable prior to the kind of pose you wish to have. I will be explaining that in a minute.
This figurine has got a sexy back! Nicely sculpted close to the show! Kudos!
The Upper Limb
It is connected to the body with a ball joint located at the axilla, giving you a nice articulation. However the articulation at the elbow can be annoying due to the articulation at the arm simply because many poses are highly depended on the upper limb since KR Decade’s only weapon is the Ride Booker if you exclude the usage of cards. KR Faiz probably has the same problem. Maybe it is just me? But I still want it included.
There is also a ball joint articulation at the wrist. The hands are interchangeable which will be covered later.
And the good thing is that the shoulder pads aren’t in the way, thus, making poses with the upper limb is somewhat enjoyable.
The Leg
Tsukasa is a very lean actor. Same like the upper limb, the legs are also lean, which helps me build a reference and link this toy to the show. At least it is done properly, unlike KR Faiz, you can tell that it is a guy’s leg.
The kneepads are doing their job in covering the knee joint articulation. I heard of incidents where the kneepads will just pop out if you are not careful with the handling of the figurine. Mine are strongly stuck in the places where they should be although I am afraid that the worst might happen any soon. I am not going to touch them again! Eeek!
The articulation that connects the leg to the waist provides a 45 degrees turn for the entire leg. However I feel that it is not enough. You can’t really make poses that requires the legs to split. Sigh…
Or maybe I was asking too much?
There is an articulation at the ankle as well as the foot. At least when you are posing the figurine, the foot sticks to the ground.
The Accessories
This release comes with a number of accessories which I am quite satisfied with.
These includes:
1. And extra head (which has a yellow paint on its forehead instead of purple).
2. Ride Booker (Gun mode).
3. Ride Booker (Sword mode).
4. A pair of holding card hands (both left and right).
5. A pair of weapon holding hands (both left and right).
6. A pair of clenching hands (both left and right).
7. One pointing right hand.
8. A pair of relaxed hands (currently on the figurine).
I wonder what’s with the extra head. Many fans justified that Bandai included this head in the release hoping to rectify the wrongly sculpted head in the normal release. What do you think?
Or probably it is just another reason for fans to purchase this release?
And I don’t know what the pointing right hand is for. Can anyone enlighten me, please?
The Ride Booker
The Ride Booker is probably KR Decade’s only weapon in the show if you were to exclude the usage of cards. It is located at the right side of the DX DecaDriver and is detachable prior to the kind of pose you wish to have.
And the best part is that, you can open the Ride Booker! Kudos!
And no, there is nothing in there, it is just pitch black. No, you can’t put cards in them and no you can’t even put one card in, if that’s what you are thinking…
It is pretty much expected that the Sword mode and the Gun mode comes in different pieces, which is good since people like me is prone to breaking things. I guess it runs in the family. Or not?
And of course you will need to remove the Ride Booker from the belt if you were to pose the figurine using the Sword or Gun mode. So that the figurine will make sense…
Unless you have the normal and Violent Emotion release! I was thinking of doing the illusion effects but then I am too lazy to photoshop…
Conclusion
This is a solid release. As a fan of KR Decade, this is probably a release you wouldn’t want to miss. And if you already have the normal release then this will probably make your day. I am pretty disappointed with the body (particularly the chest armour) of this figurine but it isn’t that bad if you are able to look past this minor flaw since everything else makes it moderate.
The head is beautifully done. If you grab one of this, you may want to replace the normal release with the extra head included? But then, the colour scheme is totally different so please bear that in mind.
And I somehow feel that this release is incomplete. Bandai should include the row of Kamen Rider Cards thought it was included in the normal release. I don’t mind cutting them out one by one if I have to… 😦
All right, thank you for reading!
~Tulcus
Update: More New Purchases
Again again…
I can resist anything but temptations. Agree?
I went down to “La Tendo” to check out the stocks again and it seems that most of the stuff inside the display cabinet has been moved over to the regular shelves! It means that the 20% pre-expansion sales apply to these merchandises! And today is in fact the last day of sales.
And so, I bought S.H.Figuarts Urataros Imagin from “La Tendo”!
And, I don’t know why I found my way to “Robo Robo”. I was chit chatting with the boss (in fact we chatted for a very long time regarding different KR) and somehow I ended up buying S.H.Figuarts KR Den-o Strike Form (Trilogy Ver.) and KR Kabuto Hyper Form.
He is a natural born sales man. Be careful guys, you will just end up buying stuff the moment you step into his shop. It works differently for me though. He gave me a very huge discount, the price is almost similar if I were to pre-order them online. And so, I got them at a very reasonable price, so reasonable that even until now I am satisfied with the amount I spent to get what I have been wanting. *um chio*
Right now, as you are reading this post, I am diligently writing a review on S.H.Figuarts KR Decade as well as S.H.Figuarts EX Machine Decader. I also hope to do a quick review of S.H.Figuarts Kuroko too.
So please look forward to the upcoming reviews and thank you for reading!
~Tulcus
Update: New Purchases
If the Kamen Rider has got wings, chances are I am already 101% in love with it. I am so glad I have already placed a pre-order on S.H.Figuarts KR OOO Tajyadoru Combo (reissue version) as well as being a proud owner of a S.H.Figuarts KR Cyclone Joker Gold Xtreme! I am currently waiting patiently for the pre-order on Tajyadoru Combo additional parts which I believe will be opened to the public only in August.
お楽しみに！
Last Thursday, I went down to “Robo Robo” just to take a look and didn’t really intend on picking anything up simply because I was (still am) looking particularly for “Super Robot Chogokin Shinken-Oh”. Sadly, the shop doesn’t have any stock for Shinken-Oh. That can’t be blamed since it was released on March this year. I should probably check back in September.
And I ended up with two “Kuroko”. Why did I even buy it in the first place???
I think the boss was right, if you don’t have any of these guys then you aren’t a real fan of Shinkenger!
WHAT!?!? I AM A FAN OF SHINKENGER!
And you need at least half a dozen of “Kuroko” to complete the collection. 6? That’s too many! I only see two, one on each end holding the flag/banner or whatsoever you call them. And since he is giving me a huge discount, why not? 😀
He even attempted to sell me a third one. But nice try…
Maybe I should do a review on “Kuroko” anytime soon.
It has been a while since I last patronized “La Tendo” to sign up for its membership and collect a copy of S.H.Figuarts KR Cyclone Joker Gold Xtreme. Shortly after, I made a pre-order on S.H.Figuarts KR OOO Tajyadoru Combo (reissue version) and S.H.Figuarts Collection Book. I expect to get them in August and October respectively.
It is having pre-expansion 20% sales since 26th of July and I only managed to make for it this afternoon. I was like over thrilled because I can finally get my paws on the figurines I wanted! But then, most of them are already sold out.
What I wanted:
1. Gatakiriba Combo
2. Ratorata Combo
3. SaGohZo Combo
4. TaToBa Combo
So I only managed to get 2 out of the 4 S.H.Figuarts I was hoping to get… Sigh… So, there were others who went on the rampage during the pre-expansion sales. How unfair! I swear there were lots of boxes available for grabs and this is insane!
And I grabbed Momotaros as well since I kinda fell in love with the character even though I am new to the series “Den-o”.
They are sitting on top of my display cabinet right now along with KR Cyclone Joker Gold Xtreme waiting to be unwrapped someday when I finally do my review.
*The upcoming review will be S.H.Figuarts Kamen Rider Decade and S.H.Figuarts EX Machine Decader.
Please look forward! And thank you for reading!
Tulcus reviews on TOYS 