ギガンティックシリーズ
「ゴジラ（1962）」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: JULY 2016

​NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: MARCH 2018

​SERIES: GIGANTIC SERIES

​MATERIAL: VINYL

​FROM: “KING KONG VS. GODZILLA” (1962)
キングコング対ゴジラ

​HEIGHT (HEAD): 18 INCHES / 45.7 CM

​WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 16 INCHES / 40.6 CM

​WIDTH: (TOE TO TAIL) 25 INCHES / 63.5 CM

​LENGTH: (TOE TO CURVE IN TAIL) 17 INCHES / 43 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 6 LBS, 14 OZ / 3118.45 G

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI

​GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD.

X-Plus had tackled fan favorite Godzilla 1962 twice before (in the modern post 2008 series) in both the Large Monster Series and the Toho 30cm Series. The third time is a (big) charm with this latest release. The X-Plus Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962, ギガンティックシリーズ 「ゴジラ（1962）」 was announced in April 2016 and then released three months later in July.

This figure was re-issued for the North American market (through Diamond Distributors) in March 2018.

This vinyl is movie-accurate in both sculpt and paint applications. The result is one helluva King Kong vs. Godzilla collectible. Dare I say that it’s ‘the ultimate’ Godzilla 1962 collectible?

It’s about 18 inches tall and has quite a bit of heft to it at almost 7 pounds. Truly Gigantic.

There was a Ric Boy Exclusive Version which came with translucent dorsal fins tinted blue to recreate the look when Goji fired his atomic breath. A Standard Version with standard painted fins was available in stores. This review focuses on the Standard Version but there are plenty of Ric photos in the Collectors Gallery following this review.

This figure is the fourth entry in the Gigantic Series.

​This monster of a figure comes in a monster of a box. It’s length and width are 19 inches and 20 inches. It’s 22 inches high. Needless to say, shipping for this figure will be on the high side; even when shipped domestically.

The main body is well secured and protected, sandwiched between two foam pieces. The tail, which you must attach, is nestled in a cavity on the outside of the top foam piece.

​To add the tail, you’ll need to warm up the butt of the figure with a hairdryer. And don’t be stingy, this thick vinyl is going to need some persuading before getting soft enough to accept the tail flange. Do NOT heat the tail. You’ll want that flange (suction cup) to be stiff and sturdy when attaching.

But, before you do that, carefully inspect the tail. Unlike most X-Plus figures, the tail is sealed off and totally enclosed. Some figures which have been shipped overseas on airplanes have run into air pressure situations causing the tail to collapse slightly. I’ve heard of collectors simply drilling a hole into the tail to let air in. You’d do this right in the center of the flat plane inside the “suction cup”. And then the tail is heated and coaxed back into its original shape.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 vinyl figure by X-Plus. 18 inches tall and comes in at almost 7 pounds.

It’s the second figure in the Gigantic Series which is not stylized. And the first figure if you’re only counting un-stylized designs which were actually used in a Godzilla film.

​It’s attempt to be movie-accurate is very, very welcome in my book. Stylized sculpts can be quite exciting and dynamic. The Gigantic GMK and Burning Godzilla certainly are that. But, to me, nothing beats the “real thing”.

This figure is faithful to the movie and really, really well done.

Godzilla’s unique head design is captured perfectly in this sculpt. Since it’s larger than your typical X-Plus head sculpt, there plenty of room for more detail, which you do get.

A really nice touch are the eyes. You may not notice this at first glance, but the whites of the eyes are actually recessed into the sculpt. The actual eye surface is clear plastic with large, black pupils painted onto it (from the inside I think.) Upon close-up inspection, this gives them a nice sense of depth.

As usual with all high-quality X-Plus figures, each tooth is individually sculpted.

The head sculpt looks fantastic from all angles. And quite a feat considering the head changes shape depending on which direction you look at it from. The goofy “bullfrog” head-on look is captured perfectly.

I do actually think the side view needs work though if you’re looking to be totally accurate. The top of the head could be a bit flatter. I think the much maligned Large Monster Series sculpt actually does a better job of getting it right. But, I’m not complaining. The Gigantic does it well enough. And it looks freaking awesome. I don’t see how you could not just love this thing.

As with all figures in X-Plus’ Gigantic Series, you get the opportunity to get grand with texture.

Godzilla’s classic tree bark skin is very detailed and deep. And the shadows which its peaks give off when lit from the side add even more visual interest.

The terrain on the chest is flatter, yet still packed with tiny detail.

Another sign that you’ve got a high-quality vinyl is individually sculpted fingers which this guy has 8 of! I could be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that the suit didn’t actually have separate fingers but was, instead, made sort of like mittens. If so, the separate fingers here are a liberty taken by the sculptor. But it’s one I can live with. Sorry if I’m wrong about this. Just thought I should mention it. If anyone out there can confirm this, could you please let me know?

Also, Godzilla 1962 is often seen with rogue pinky fingers hanging lower than the rest of his digits. That detail isn’t present on this figure. Again: not complaining. I always thought that looked weird anyway.

​I don’t know what to say about the gigantic dorsal fins that you could not glean for yourself with the photo above. They’re huge and packed with an awesome, rough texture.

The pose of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 is a tad more dynamic than most. The monster is hunching forward on to one side with his tail curled around his right flank.

There are so many different angles you could use to display this figure and it will look good in all of them. And since the tail is not reaching straight back, it’s not putting any restrictions on which direction you have him face.

And what’s great about this is, every month or so you could give it a slight tweak in rotation to make him almost seem like a new figure.

The one downside to this pose, though, is the illusion of a curly pig tail look you get when looking at his right side.

​There are no moveable joints on this figure. The tail joint is the only one not glued and you will see it only when put the tail on for the first time. After that, the seam vanishes in a grooved ring in the tail sculpt.

You can find seams on the figure if you really want to. But the thing is, you’d have to look for them. None of them stand out well enough that I feel the urge to even mention them.

I think this one is damn near seamless!

There usually isn’t that much to discuss when it comes to the paint apps on most of the Godzilla vinyls made by X-Plus.

He’s usually an off-asphalt black. Is it truly a reserved, off-black? Not to dark and toyish? Yes. Are the whites on the dorsal fins dirty and not overly, toyishly stark? Yes. Are these whites feathered well into the blacks of the fins. Yes. It looks fantastic!

Now on to KingGoji-specific painting details:

The claws — always a tricky area for a ’62 collectible. The feathering here usually looks like sloppy work, with no real boundary between claw and finger. Thing is, that’s how it was on the suit.

The teeth are a reserved off-white. His near-lipstick gums are an equally well-reserved brick red. I’ve already mentioned the work on the eyes. The pupils are painted on the inside of clear plastic shells allowing off white white’s, painted inside, to show through.

There are dusty, light highlights expertly applied to the folds over the knees and touches of brick red here and there on the chest. I don’t know if they belong there, but they do add a nice touch.

Overall, fantastic paint decisions and expert execution.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 is about 18 inches tall and its width from its left foot to the tip of its sideways tail is a whopping 25 inches!

It’s probably the largest figure which X-Plus has put out so far. It’s closest competition is the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995. The two are about the same height and the GBG is definitely longer with its straight tail. But the ’62 seems to have it beat when it comes to mass. It just has a bit more “presence”.

Clearing a spot in your collection for this huge figure to stand will be tricky as it is with all Gigantic Series figures. It’s just huge. Here are some numbers to help you plan:

The figure is about 18 inches tall. Its “front” is at its widest at the feet which are 16 inches apart from outer toe to outer toe.

The tail makes a hard turn to the figure’s right side which means you can place it closer to the wall. You’ll need 17 inches of shelf depth from the front of the toes back.

Though that tail bend is saving you space in the back, it’s taking up room on the side. The figure is 25 inches from its outer left toe to the tip of the tail on the side!

As I mentioned in the Pose section, the curved tail gives you more options when it comes to displaying it. And it could be rotated slightly now and then to freshen up the look.

​Here is a size comparison of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 with the much loved Toho 30cm Series version (right) and the much-maligned Large Monster Series version (front).

​MARCH OF THE GIGANTICS
(Front to back) Gigantic Series Godzilla 2000, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 and Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001.

I didn’t have enough room to line the figures up side by side without having the backdrop creep into the frame, but this shot still tells all. Only the Godzilla 1995 stands up to the new ’62 in height. But the ’62 wins the fight when it comes to sheer mass and bulk.

(If you’re getting a hard-on for Gigantics, there’s more of ’em. Not shown here is the Gigantic Series Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1954 and the upcoming Gigantic Series Shin Godzilla).

X-Plus’ Ric Boy version (or Shounen Ric version) of this figure came with the dorsal fins molded in translucent vinyl which was tinted blue to replicate their look when Godzilla fires his atomic breath. The same asphalt black used on the body was applied to each fin but yielded to the clear blue at just the right distance from each spike.

As great as the blue fins look, this arrangement makes for a sort of visual contradiction since Godzilla’s mouth is not open in atomic breath position. It would have been a nice touch if the Ric went a step further and had an open lower jaw.

I have to say, personally, of all the color-tinted fins I’ve seen X-Plus put out, this one looks the best. They give off a look which mimics how they appeared in the movie really, really well. This is the only color-tinted variation I ever considered getting. I still didn’t get it, because there could be only one Gigantic 1962 in my collection. But they DO look good.

More photos of the blue-finned Ric version appear below in the Collectors Gallery.

​The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 vinyl figure by X-Plus is a masterpiece. Plain and simple. This KingGoji sculpt is accurate and dynamic, features realistic paint apps and has amazing detail and texture. And it’s huge!

I have to say it again: this is probably THE ultimate King Kong vs. Godzilla collectible. And probably one of the top Godzilla figures of all time.

By John Stanowski Originally posted March 19th, 2017​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝30シリーズ 「ラドン（1964版）」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012

​DIAMOND REISSUE: JUNE 2016

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: VINYL

​FROM: “GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER” (1964)
三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦.

​HEIGHT: 12.25 INCHES / 31 CM

​WIDTH: (WING TIP TO WING TIP) 23.75 INCHES / 60.3 CM

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI

​The Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 vinyl figure by X-Plus really does look like it literally flew out of the movie and onto your shelf. It’s based on Rodan’s second film appearance as seen in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, 三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦 (1964). What makes this a monster of a figure is its nearly two-foot-long wingspan. It stands in perfect scale with his buddy, the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. And it is a marvel of sculpting, texture and paint.

It was originally released in Japan way back in 2012. It was reissued for the North American market (through Diamond Distributors) in June 2016 as the Godzilla Kaiju 12in Series Rodan 1964 giving collectors who missed out another chance at grabbing this amazing vinyl.

This review was made with the 2016 North American (Diamond) Reissue.

​Rodan’s monster of a box is 24″x15.5″x6.5″. Shipping should always be a consideration when ordering this figure since its box is two feet long. Place that in a shipping box and you’ve got a large shipping bill. But I think the treasure you get to open on a very big Box Day is more than worth it!

​The box flips open to reveal the figure, fully assembled, seated in an open plastic tray. You’ll have to remove some wire ties to free it. Before you do, just check the tips of both wings to first make sure the paint didn’t get scuffed in transit.

The sculpt of the Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 by X-Plus is a marvel. Not only does it reproduce a miniature mirror image of the suit used in Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, but it’s attention to small details is astounding. I suppose the feature that stands out the most is the expert reproduction of the creases and folds in the wings.

If you watch the movie with this figure in front of you, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a dead ringer for the suit. But keep in mind there were 2 Rodans in that film: the suit and a flying puppet which unfortunately didn’t match up perfectly with the former. This figure is based on the suit.

​The detail in texture continues on the back with a rough surface sculpted into the upper wings and upper back.

​The head sculpt looks perfect from every angle.

Here’s a closer look at that rough texture in the upper wings and back.

And those individually sculpted chest spikes don’t fail at drawing the eye.

Nothing fancy going on here and that’s just as it should be. Just a standard Rodan pose. This guy is looking forward with both wings spread full out to each side, just like the movie.

This figure has no articulated joints and, as far as I can tell, is made up of ten pieces. It comes completely assembled and the meeting places of all ten of its parts are practically invisible.

I think it’s a good idea to know where these pieces are so that when you pick it up, you’ll know if you’re tugging on a glue seam or not.

The head and neck are one piece, and it’s connection to the main body is practically invisible. The two horns atop the head are separate pieces.

The main body runs from the shoulders, down to the knees. It does not extend to the wings.

The wings are attached and glued right up on the sides of the main body. While no seams can be detected from the front, you can certainly see them from the back. The back usually faces the wall, so no problem there.

Each wing comes in two pieces and the connections occur right down the middle.

You probably want to avoid grabbing this figure by the head/neck or by a wing.

The feet are attached and glued right at the knees. These seams are completely camouflaged by the creases in the sculpt.

Overall, this figure ranks pretty high when it comes to hiding its seams.

For a mass produced figure, the paint job on this figure is Top Notch!

Rodan has a base color of a dark, warm brown with only occasional super subtle highlights here and there. What makes this presentation is the reddish, light brown on the front and back of the wings which are expertly feathered into the brown near the “arms” at the top.

In addition, a slighter darker light brown dances around the various crinkles and folds in the wing membrane. And this looks FANTASTIC!

Islands of contrasting color detail spring up on Rodan’s horns, beak, claws, toes and individually painted chest spikes. The gradations of color from bony white to brown on the horns and beak looks amazing. And, most impressively, they did not skimp out on the “toes”. They could have just quickly feathered the bone white of the toes to the brown in the feet, but instead took the time to feather it from light bone to dark bone on just the toes themselves. There is a distinct change to brown matching the sculpt where the skin begins. Just fantastic work.

The Toho 30cm Series Rodan is BIG. At twelve and a quarter inches tall, it’s not much taller than any other figure in the 30cm Series. But it’s nearly two-foot wingspan makes him wider than three figures in a row. Because of this, it has a LOT of “presence”.

​Again, that two-foot wingspan!

Rodan takes up less than 5 inches from front to back. But those wings make it take up the space of three figures side by side.

It would be a good idea to place this figure near the rear of your shelf, allowing one or even two other neighbors to stand in front of the wings. This idea gets even better when you consider that other figures could help prevent Rodan from a tumble later one. See the Caution section for more on that.

The very first size comparison needs to be, without a doubt, Rodan’s buddy from Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster. This Rodan scales perfectly with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. Each figure looks fantastic on its own. But when you get these together, it’s awesome overload.

Here is a size comparison of Rodan with other figures which were licensed for North America early in 2016. Keep in mind that Rodan in the rear and so may appear smaller than it would be in a side by side comparison.

Shown are (left to right): Baragon 1965, Anguirus 1968, Gigan 1972 and Titanosaurus. All four of these figures were originally released in Japan as part of the Toho 30cm Series and reissued in North America (through Diamond) as the Godzilla Kaiju 12in Series. Same thing / different series name.

Point is, if you jumped on the chance to get these reissues early last year, this group here represents what you could have accomplished.

The original 2012 RIC Boy release of this figure came with mini Flying Rodan figure which you can see below. The North American (Diamond) Reissue did not come with this extra piece.

​Unfortunately, this figure is prone to falling. This is a sad possibility with any X-Plus vinyl with skinny legs. When the temperature is higher, the vinyl gets softer and the feet and ankles tends to give under the figure’s weight. You should take care to keep Rodan near the back of the shelf when placed up high. This usually isn’t a problem since that’s where he needs to be anyway because of his large wings.

Keep in mind that this figure is so perfectly balanced that it is able to stand on its own without any help from the wings. In fact, the tips of both wings are well over the ground.

The key here is prevention. I’ve found the best thing you could do to keep Rodan on his feet, is to place him directly behind a sturdy shelf buddy.

By chance, the Toho 30cm Series Baragon 1965 makes an absolutely perfect shelf buddy. You can slip Baragon’s tail under Rodan’s wing (near the body). There is more than enough room for this. Then slide Baragon back until his back is touching Rodan’s wing. Don’t leave any space there. If you leave space, you’re still allowing Rodan to slowly lean forward. By making contact with the two figures, you are preventing any warping in Rodan’s feet from happening in the first place.

The same thing can be accomplished with the Toho 30cm Series Gigan 1972. There is more than enough room for his tail to reach under Rodan’s wing.

If you’re hurting for space, you could use both. This Rodan ain’t goin’ anywhere!

BUT WHAT ABOUT GODZILLA 1964?
At first I didn’t think using the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964 would even work. I thought his tail was just too large and I never even thought to try it. Well, what the hell, I tried it and it DOES work! You can have both 1964 figures “locked” together in such a way that Rodan is completely supported.

The one problem is that you are limited to a very specific arrangement. And it’s this:

This is the only way Rodan’s wing will fit over Godzilla’s tail. So, no face-off here. They’re on the same team, standing shoulder to shoulder staring down King Ghidorah.

What’s good about it is that the one curve under the wing almost seems to lock into place. You have to “find” this spot. Make sure while you maneuver the figures, that Rodan’s feet are flat on the floor.

Also, luckily, one of Godzilla’s dorsal fins should meet Rodan’s wing for even more support.

If you want to give this a go, here are some close-ups of how I did it:

The Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 vinyl figure by X-Plus really is an amazing collectible. The sculpt is super accurate to the suit used in Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster and it makes for the perfect companion piece to the 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. It also adds a lot of variety to your shelves with it’s near two-foot wingspan.

The details and textures in the sculpt are stellar as are the reserved and realistic paint applications. I really don’t know why I waited so long to grab this figure. Thanks to X-Plus and Diamond, I was able to pick one up at a great price.

I really can’t imagine having this figure around now that I have it.

The figure has tons of presence and makes for a literally “big” Box Day!

NOTE: From here down, photos may be sweetened in Photoshop to over dramatize the figure a bit beyond reality.

By John Stanowski Originally posted March 12th, 2017​ on Kaiju Addicts.

Episode 4 of Kaiju Addicts TV is now available.

In this episode, X-Plus made a slew of new figure announcements at the (Winter) Wonder Festival including new Shin Godzilla figures for the Gigantic Series, Large Monster Series and 30cm Series. Yuji Sakai also showed off his new 30cm Shin Godzilla resin kit which is also destined to become an X-Plus vinyl later this year.

X-Plus also revealed a new Toho Large Monster Series Godzilla 2004.

And at Toy Fair, Diamond Distributors revealed a bunch of new (old) X-Plus vinyls set to be reissued for the North American Market including the Godzilla 1954 Train Biter, Battra, Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1992, Mechagodzilla 1975, Kiryu 2002, Gigan 2004 (post repairs) and the roaring version of Godzilla 2014.

If you would like to ask your local comic store to order one of the 4 new Diamond Reissue vinyls, here are their official names and Item Codes:

Godzilla 12in Series Terror of Mechagodzilla 1975 Ver / Item code: JAN178436
Godzilla 12in Series Godzilla 1954 Train Biting Ver / Item code: JAN178434
Godzilla 12in Series Battra 1992 Battle for Earth Ver / Item code: JAN178433
Godzilla 12in Series Godzilla 1992 Sakai Yuji Ver / Item code: JAN178435

By John Stanowski Originally posted March 11th, 2017​ on Kaiju Addicts.