東宝30CMシリーズ「ゴジラ（2001版） ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃」

​JAPAN RELEASE: LATE 2011

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: JANUARY 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: “GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK”, 2001
ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃

HEIGHT: 11.5 INCHES / 29.21 CM

​WIDTH: ABOUT 9.25 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT) / ABOUT 23.49 CM

​LENGTH: ABOUT 19 INCHES / 48.26 CM

​ARTICULATION: LEGS CAN ROTATE, BUT SHOULDN’T

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The established Millennium Godzilla suit design took a vacation for Director Shūsuke Kaneko’s (Gamera ’90s trilogy) “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” also known as “GMK”. For this one-shot continuity, a new design was created with fierce crocodilian features, souless white eyes and a few extra pounds. X-Plus first released their interpretation of this love-him-or-hate-him kaiju in late 2011. This vinyl has a few issues, but in the end is just as badass as the (real) thing.

Note: this figure was re-issued for the North American market with the help of Diamond Distributors/Previews in late 2013/early 2014 and all but sold out. Still, the aftermarket (Ebay, etc.) may make this figure easier to find for a short while.

This review is for the Original Release which has slight difference in paint scheme.

NOTE: I just realized (Feb. 2014) that the fins on my GMK figure (the one in all of these photos) were glued on upside down. So, if you think something looks strange, there is. Fortunately (not for me) this seems to be an isolated case.

​THE HEAD
I think they got the head dead on. At first I thought it was too fat from the front but after reviewing photos I saw that it’s pretty much dead on. (Because of this I also noticed that the head on the 25cm version is actually too skinny!)

Once again, we have individually sculpted teeth. If you look closely you find the odd smaller tooth poking out out of row — amazing attention to detail. The large GMK fangs look great!

SPINES
While the dorsal spines on this figure certainly capture the unique personality of the ones found on the (real) GMK Godzilla, they also seem to come up a little short. To me they seem smaller, softer and rounder. The 25cm figure seems to win out over the 30cm in spine accuracy. Thing is, it’s so hard to tell. While reviewing the movie I did see shots where both figures looked right at some point.

As I mentioned in my review for the 25cm version, the 2001 Godzilla has a myriad of patterns and textures over its body and, again, they are faithfully represented in the 30cm series sculpt.

Many collectors prefer the sculpt on the 25cm version over the 30. I thought so, too. But after spending so much time studying the 30 for this review, I’m beginning to wonder. While it may be true that the 30 is too fat, I’m beginning to think that the 25 is also too thin. I used an in-camera trick in the photo above to make it appear that both figures are the same size. What do you think? Chime in in the comments below.

​The seams on the arms are less noticeable on this vinyl than on most X-Plus Godzilla’s I’ve seen. Particularly impressive is the seam running around the base of the neck which is totally cloaked. (I didn’t even realize there was one there until I recently looked at the unfinished production photos.)

What may be of concern to some collectors are the doll-like joints occurring where the legs meet the body. Combined with his wide leg stance, they are even more obvious. This feature was on the actual suit but looked more like creases in the skin. Here, they look like… well, doll joints.

There is a 1.25-inch indented “line” that’s just as fat as it is deep at the top of the spines on the back of the neck. This feature was also on the original suit but it seems stronger on the figure than it should, probably because this is actually an intersection where 3 different pieces of vinyl meet.

The X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 2001 stands powerfully in mid-roar with arms tucked back and head lurched forward focused on his foe or next target. Every bit of GMK positional personality is captured in this figure. However, though the wide leg stance is typcial of GMK, I’m just not that fond of it. Luckily this is minimized when viewed from an angle which is probably the only way this guy is going to fit on most shelves. (Click on the photo above for a larger view.)

​The legs can rotate, but they shouldn’t. They know where they belong and you should make sure that’s where they are. You know you have it right when the flat areas below the feet are flush with the ground. If you rotate the legs forward to make him lean more than he already is, the feet will start to slant inward and won’t be flat.

​The skin color used on this vinyl figure is another thing that bugs me. Instead of the usual Godzilla Off-Black we have something a shade or two lighter. I think it’s too light. And it’s even more noticeable when the figure is on the shelf between two other X-Plus Godzilla’s which have the proper color.

There is very slight highlighting on the tops of the feet and sides of the tail. And there are obvious highlights brushed over the chest. One thing I like about the actual suit is that there were lighter colors in the cracks between the tiles of skin in this area. If you are into customizing the paint jobs on your X-Plus figures, this may an area to tackle. It would look awesome.

The claws radiate from a dirty tan to an off white and look great as per usual. The inside of the mouth is a very dark red and doesn’t look anywhere near as toyish as some of the others. The highlights on the spines were sprayed on well and they did a fantastic job of taking these colors all the way down to the end of the tail is super subtle increments. The highlights on the stubby spines which run down the tail on many an X-Plus Godzilla figure could learn a thing or two from this guy.

DIAMOND RE-ISSUE
The re-issue of this figure (licensed only for North America and distributed by Diamond Comics) has some differences in paint scheme. Judging by photos, it seems the Diamond Re-issue, thankfully, is clothed in a darker shade of black much more in sync with other Godzilla releases. The claws have less feathering and more defined “crack” lines. Finally, most collectors have reported a sloppy paint job on the mouth. The red used for the gums, expertly applied on the original release, spill out over the “lips” on the re-issue. I would not let that stop you from getting one of these. The originals seem long gone, and after all, it does have a better looking skin color.

​The X-Plus 30cm Godzilla 2001 vinyl figure fits right in with his 30cm Millennium Series buddies and other 30cm figures as well. Though not evident in the photo above, his eyeline is lower than the others but this is due to his forward leaning attack/intimidation pose.

Fans of director Shusuke Kaneko will be glad to know that the X-Plus Godzilla 2001 sizes – and interacts – well with the X-Plus Gamera 1996.

​Above we see how the 30cm GMK compares in size with the 25cm version. For those of you who have never had a 30cm X-Plus vinyl in front of you, the shot with the soda can will give you a good idea of it’s size.

This figure is about 19 inches (48.26 cm) from the nose to the tip of the tail! And it’s still just under 16 inches (40.64 cm) from toes to tail (you can allow the head to protrude over the edge of the shelf). Since the tail goes straight back and has no space-saving curves, you’re not going to be able to fit this guy facing forward on any standard shelf. It has to be a side or angled view for this figure. (Which is just fine with me as I’m not fond of the frontal appearance of this legs.)

​By John Stanowski Originally posted July 26th, 2013 on Kaiju Addicts.

​Kyle Yount from the KaijuCast interviews Diamond Distributors for details on the X-Plus vinyl figure re-issues coming to North America. Diamond says they will be releasing two figures every three months and seem to be committed for two years! And after that…. well, just watch the video!

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 24th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

大怪獣シリーズ 大映特撮編 「ガメラ（1966年版） 大怪獣決闘 ガメラ対バルゴン」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: JUNE 2013

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GAMERA VS. BARUGON”, 1966
大怪獣決闘 ガメラ対バルゴン

​HEIGHT: 7.75 INCHES / 19.68 CM

​WIDTH: ABOUT 6 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT) / ABOUT 15.24 CM

​LENGTH: (NOSE TO TAIL) ABOUT 12 INCHES / 30.48 CM

​ARTICULATION: ARMS AND LEGS CAN ROTATE IN SOCKETS BUT NOT MEANT TO

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

After releasing Large Monster Series Figures of foes Barugon and Gyaos, X-Plus finally makes the big turtle available. The figure is based on the 1966 version and good thing too as that was arguably the best looking suit of the bunch.

I’m not an overly avid Showa Gamera fan, so when it came to writing about the accuracy of the X-Plus Gamera 1966 vinyl figure, I had to consult the movie. After comparing detail after detail, I can safely say that I think this figure is ridiculously accurate.

The teeth are large and rounded but this is just to reflect the suit. A nice touch is that the tongue is not molded into the bottom of the jaw and is, instead, suspended above it.

Most of the fingers are individually sculpted.

There is a lot of interesting texturing on this figure. Swirly patterns adorn the head, the front shell is checkered and the back shell …

The back shell is awesome! It looks like each and every plate was individually cascaded onto the back for a really accurate representation of the suit. Each plate individually hovers over the other like long finger nails. (This really makes me wonder how they pull this out of the mold!) Looks great!

One slight problem with the Gamera 1966 is that the center of the belly is dented inward. It’s looks kind of like an invisible log is pressing up against him. It’s a bit hard to capture this in a photo, but if you look at the Side View pose below you can see it a little.

The arms and legs have round connections and while it’s possible to rotate them, you’ll likely look to the sculpt as a guide to where they should be. You may also have to tweak the rotation of his legs to make sure his feet are flat on the shelf.

​Well, yes, there are seams around everything that’s sticking out of the shell. Obviously this is the sacrifice needed for a figure which can have it’s limbs interchanged. It’s a shame for buyers of the Standard Version though.

Nice pose! I’m just glad they didn’t sculpt him to stand straight up. I mean, the figure has enough of that Showa goofiness we all love already. Instead, Gamera 1966 leans forward almost eager to grapple with Barugon. A nice touch is that the tail does not touch the ground and is suspended in the air above it.

One thing that concerns me is that Gamera is standing at a 45-degree angle. His short tail does little to counter the pull of gravity on his outstretched head and arms. His legs are pretty much the only thing keeping him balanced. The problem with this is that his right leg is a step back. This is the same footwork on the X-Plus 30cm Varan which, it’s reported, tends to fall down when the summer heat softens his feet. Well, today’s 95-degree high here in Philadelphia proved this problem does exist. I gave the figure a gentle poke and it fell forward. (I just read from the X-Plus Kaiju Collectors Club on Facebook that one collector couldn’t even get him to stand right out of the box.)

RIC BOY EXTRAS
The Ric Boy Exclusive Version of this release comes with an additional head, tail and limbs to allow you to put the Gamera 1966 into a crawling pose.

A problem you may encounter when making the switch: the belly becomes jelly when devoid of limbs, especially if you’ve heated it to make it easier to work with. When pressing a new limb into a socket, the bottom half of the shell easily collapses in on itself. It helped me to insert a finger inside to press the belly outward when adding pieces. If your fingers are too large, try using a sturdy pen in one hole to press the belly outward when pushing a limb into another hole. Another tip: when doing the lower body, add the tail first; there isn’t much wiggle room if the feet are in place.

The paint job is boring.
Besides the eyes, mouth and claws, the X-Plus Gamera 1966 is all one shade of black There are no highlights, brushing, dusting — whatever you want to call it. Very often X-Plus will at least use a very slightly lighter black to brush over the higher areas of the skin wrinkles. And I think, maybe, they did that here but it’s so slight and in so few areas it doesn’t even register to the eyes. The good news that liight and shadow do play off the myriad of textures in the sculpt.

​LOOKS GOOD WITH THE 30s
I usually keep my 25’s and 30’s separate from each other but if you do choose to combine them, the Gamera 1966 seems to display well with its larger incarnations.

​LOOKS GREAT WITH THE 25s
Naturally the Gamera 1966 Vinyl Figure fits in well with its other Giant Monster Series cousins. I love the fact that Gamera’s shoulders line up perfectly with the others. He’s in scale, baby!

STANDING POSE
The standard version and pose only takes up 12 inches from nose to tail. Plus, since Gamera is leaning forward to much, a good bit of those 12 inches could be hanging over the edge of the shelf. (If your figure is having balancing issues then you don’t want to do this!) Gamera 1966 doesn’t demand a lot of room in the standing pose.

​RIC BOY CRAWLING POSE
Sorry, I forgot to measure this guy while he was in the crawling pose. However, the Ric Boy web site states that Gamera is 36.5cm (14.37 inches) while in turtle mode. I’ve known the Ric Boy site to get dimensions off from time to time so I can’t confirm that but it can’t be far off. The only thing to keep in mind when placing a Gamera 1966 in crawling mode on the shelf is that your kaiju skyline is going to take a hit. Gamera is really low while in this pose. Hopefully you’ll have a figure you can display behind him to fill the gap.

​Comes in the standard Large Monster Series window box with the fancier Gamera series design. If you get the Ric Boy version then you’re gonna have a lot of wires to untie!

Even though I’m not an über Showa Gamera fan, I’m really glad I got this guy! Even though he tends to tumble, he is a deadringer for the suit in the movie, has a lot of impressive details and fits in well with both scales!

You might also like: X-Plus Gamera 1996 Vinyl Figure Review
You might also like: X-Plus Daiei 30cm Series Gamera 1995 Vinyl Figure Review

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 11th, 2013 on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「ゴジラ（1975年版） メカゴジラの逆襲」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: JUNE 2013

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA”, RELEASED IN JAPAN AS “COUNTERATTACK OF MECHAGODZILLA”, 1975
メカゴジラの逆襲

​HEIGHT: 8.75 INCHES / 22.22 CM

​WIDTH: ABOUT 6.75 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT, NOT INCLUDING TAIL) / ABOUT 17.14 CM

​LENGTH: ABOUT 13 INCHES / 33 CM

​ARTICULATION: LEFT SHOULDER

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​The final Godzilla design from the Showa-era gets the X-Plus treatment. This review is for the Ric Boy version which includes additional an extra arm and Mechagodzilla head. The rest of the review still applies to the more common Standard Version of this release.

One of the highlights of this figure is its intricate surface. The combed Godzilla “tree bark” texture is VERY finely detailed and looks incredible. This one feature alone makes this a stellar X-Plus figure.

Fingers are not individually sculpted. Meh.

UPPER LIP
Ever since the first teaser photos of this figure appeared, collectors have been expressing concern that the upper lip is not accurate. In the movie, the upper lip typically curved upward in the center revealing the front teeth. But on this sculpt, it seems the lip definitely makes a detour from the actual suit. Not a dealbreaker for me, but many collectors have already modified their figures to correct them.

TEETH
Whoa, look at the teeth! Beautiful, individually sculpted needle-like incisors wrap around the upper and lower jaws. It’s a shame that the upper row is hidden under the lip making it necessary to look up into the mouth to even see them. Now THIS is why I collect X-Plus!

RIC BOY EXTRAS
The Ric Boy Exclusive Version of this release comes with 2 additional pieces: a Mechagodzilla head and a specially shaped left arm with which to hold it allowing you to re-enact a scene from the movie “Terror of Mechagodzilla”. I don’t usually dish out the extra money to get the special exclusive versions, but this figure is definitely one of the exceptions!

The extra Mechagodzilla head looks fantastic the same as the heads on the recently released full Mechagodzilla 1974 and Mechagodzilla 1975 figures. But if you don’t own either of those, read on. The head has fantastic detail with individual bolts, weapons in the mouth (which has a hinged jaw) and yellow, plastic eye pieces. It’s interesting to note that though the jaws were hinged on both of the full figures, the mouth could never actually stay closed. The bodyless head from this release has a jaw which really closes up and stays that way.

​The left arm can be rotated at the bicep. This is possible because the Ric Boy version has an extra arm which is better suited to hold the severed Mechagodzilla head. But even without this extra arm, the standard version allows you to rotate the standard arm.

​There are usually seams on the arms of X-Plus Godzilla figures but they’re glued and meant to be hidden. The left arm on this figure, though, does have a slightly noticeable line running around the bicep. This arm is meant to be removed and switched with the extra arm which can hold Mechagodzilla’s head.

Often you can see line around the tail joint on many X-Plus Godzilla figures. One this one, though, the joint is much closer to the body and thus more hidden from the rear. The tradeoff though is the there is a triangular seam visible from the front under the groin area.

​From the front, the right arm seems a bit awkward to me. It’s almost like he’s waving or dancing. But, as you can see, all other angles are interesting and dynamic. Click on the photo above for a larger view.

The standard Godzilla black on this figure has been highlighted with a dusting of a slightly lighter color over most of finely textured skin which looks unbelievably awesome. The inside of the mouth is painted in a deep, dark red and it seems like the teeth have been given a glossy coating making them shine in the light. Collectors at the X-Plus Kaiju Collectors’ Club on Facebook have mentioned that the dorsal fins should actually be more silver than they appear on this figure. Again, I’m not an expert on details like this but I thought I’d still pass that info along.

Sizewise, the X-Plus 25cm Godzilla 1975 fits in perfectly with his other incarnations.

Okay. What? Really?
The X-Plus Godzilla 1975 is almost a whole head shorter than the Mechagodzilla 1975. These figures were released only three months apart. Didn’t X-Plus think collectors would pair them up? Some collectors have told me that Godzilla is shorter because he’s hunched or that Mechagodzilla actually was a lot taller in the movie. I plan to watch the movie again to find out what’s going on here.

NOTE: There is no size comparison photo with the Coke can this time around as I didn’t have a photo to place beside it. If you are a new collector and would want to see something that would give you an idea of this figure’s real size, please take a look at the Godzilla 1966 Review as they are roughly the same height.

This figure’s tail makes a hard turn to its right making it easier to display it on the shelf facing your right. Being 13 inches long, it’s possible to make this figure face full front on a standard shelf.

This figure comes in the standard Giant Monster Series style window box. The main figure comes in two pieces, each wire tied into a plastic shell. You’ll need to attach the tail to the body using a hairdryer or boiling water to soften the flange at the opening. The tail “hole” on this figure is smaller than usual and is tucked in deeper behind the legs. The end of the tail is elliptical except for the top which is flatter. This, and the smaller hole, made it a tad harder for me to assemble.

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 9th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝大怪獣リーズ 「ヘドラ（上陸期）」

​JAPAN RELEASE: DECEMBER 2011

​JAPAN SOFT VERSION REISSUE: MAY 2018

​NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: JULY 2018

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: “GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH (GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER)”, 1971
ゴジラ対ヘドラ

​HEIGHT: 8.25 INCHES / 20.95 CM

​WIDTH: ABOUT 7 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT, NOT INCLUDING TAIL) / ABOUT 17.78 CM

​LENGTH: (HEAD TO TAIL): ABOUT 10.5 INCHES / 26.67 CM

​ARTICULATION: SHOULDERS

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The murky, smog-eating kaiju Hedorah was once accused of ruining the Godzilla franchise but has since become a favorite among many. To me, Hedorah is one of the most interesting of the Godzilla monsters.

Hedorah wasn’t as easy to “read” as the other anthropomorphic kaijus and this made him downright creepy. (As creepy as you can get for a Godzilla movie anyway.) You could always tell when Gigan, Titanosaurus or Mechagodzilla were pissed off, when they were going to charge, etc. etc. But Hedorah acted more like an animal. He just stood there and stared; always calculating his next move behind those two big red eyes. This is why Hedorah is a personal favorite and why I was really glad to pick this guy up in vinyl form!

The X-Plus 25cm Large Monster Series Hedorah (Landing Stage) vinyl figure portrays the slimy beast in his “landing stage” between giant tadpole and full adult. This is how Hedorah appeared when he first flew out of the sea and made landfall in order to feast on smoke stack emissions and melt the flesh of anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

It’s a great likeness. There aren’t very many scenes of Hedorah in this stage, but what you do get to see this figure matches up with fantastically. And looking closer, every drip, drape and piece of goop seems to have gotten adequate attention from the sculptor. The head, being the only feature that really isn’t a droopy mess is faithfully reproduced and instantly recognizable. And the eyes are as creepy as ever!

The X-Plus 25cm series Hedorah is mostly smooth but does some fine rough detail here and there. And, once again, this figure attempts to reproduce the actual suit and this is overly evident in this case with the presence of what basically amounts to a loincloth between his legs (this detail would have been removed immediately by a sculptor making a stylized version).

This figure does have a couple of eyesores. Although there are seams and lines here and there, they’re mostly unnoticeable, except for two. There’s a big ‘ol line running around the waist. And the area where the top part of the tail meets the back has a hideous gap which, fortunately, only the back of the shelf gets to see.

​The X-Plus 25cm series Hedorah hunches forward following the same dynamic set by his droopy tendrils. This pose reminds me of the scene where he leaned over to feast on the emissions of a smouldering smoke stack.

​The arms are articulated at the shoulder and can be posed to lurch forward like Frankenstein or allowed to droop straight down. Letting the arm hang down may be preferable. I recently learned from another collector that in summer his 25cm Hedorah softens up and falls on his face. My figure seems pretty steady in his stance but after investigating I did realize that if his front toes did get soft, he would be front heavy. Having the arms extended in summer seems like it would make him even more unbalanced.

​There isn’t much to say here. Hedorah is almost uniformly a drab and flat, smokey, dark, ash gray. There are some super subtle greenish highlights which can be seen only if you look for them. Nicely done dirty yellow splotches cover his back and portions of his head. Though obviously not painted, the eyes are the final component to Hedorah’s color palette with a dark red base and intricately spiked orange pupils which look fantastic.

Although this figure may seem a tad shiny in these photos, it’s really an uneventful flat gray in person which pales, shrivels up and dies in comparison to the paint job on the 30cm Hedorah which, I admit, I’m not completely sure it should match. It’s possible this stage of Hedorah appeared flatter in the movie.

​Hedorah fits in nicely with his other kaiju buddies in the same scale. True, he’s shorter but that’s because he’s hunching forward.

​The Large Monster Series Hedorah is only about half as tall as his 30cm brother (sister?). And when not gulping down plumes of toxic smoke, Hedorah really likes Coke. That’s not saying much for all you junk food junkies out there.

Hedorah does not need a lot of room to display. His tail curves to the left (his right) and is easily tucked behind the nearest neighbor.

The higher he’s placed, the better Hedorah looks on the shelf. I had this figure on a shelf about waist high ever since I got him last January and always felt he looked like he was hiding his face. While doing this review I placed him on top of my Mac Pro and realized how much better it looks at eye level or above.

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 6th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.