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 FIGURE SPECS大怪獣シリーズ パシフィック・リム レザーバック JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: JULY 2016 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “PACIFIC RIM” (2013) HEIGHT (HEAD): 8.75 INCHES / 22.22 CM HEIGHT (SHOULDERS): 9.75 INCHES / 24.76 CM WIDTH: (ELBOW TO ELBOW) 12 INCHES / 30.48 CM LENGTH: (HEAD TO HEELS) 12 INCHES / 30.48 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 2 LBS, 1 OZ / 935 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI The Large Monster Series Leatherback vinyl figure by X-Plus was released in July 2016 nearly three years after Pacific Rim first hit theater screens. It was followed by only one other of Pacific Rim’s kaijus: Knifehead. Perhaps if X-Plus had got to work on vinyls from this franchise sooner, there would be more of them. But, as it is, we have two gems. And both of them are totally worth getting. Leatherback had some excellent screen time having engaged with jaegers Cherno Alpha, Striker Eureka and ending with an epic fight with Gipsy Danger. This gorilla-ish kaiju was f**king awesome. And, so is the vinyl by X-Plus! (Mostly) Now, let’s look at the X-Plus. THE BOX
Leatherback comes in a plain, brown cube with monochromatic art printed directly on the box. This box is about 14.5 inches on all sides and has slightly more volume than a typical, larger, 30cm Series figure. If you see a round, yellow stick over this art, you’re looking at a RIC exclusive version. (I have and am reviewing the Standard.) Inside, the figure is wrapped in plastic and wire-tied in an open plastic shell comprised of only a “floor” and one “wall”. And that’s all it needs. There really isn’t anything likely to break or pop off with rough handling during shipping. (Note: I removed Leatherback from his packaging two years ago so the photo above is a recreation of an unboxing. Your Leatherback will come to you wrapped in plastic and tied in.) SCULPT X-Plus did an amazing job of recreating the fully CGI Leatherback into a real world vinyl. The likeness is spot on. All of the musculature and flab are accurately sculpted and the array of textures is expertly rendered. That, in combination with a kickass pose, makes the X-Plus Large Monster Series Leatherback one hell of a figure. POSELeatherback is posed on all fours as he was after making landfall in Hong Kong in his battle with Gipsy Danger. This guy literally looks like he’s getting ready to pounce on you!
JOINTS & SEAMSIf you look hard enough, you might be able to detect where Leatherback’s various parts come together. But without such scrutiny, this vinyl is practically seamless. PAINT JOBThe first two things you will notice about the paint apps is that it is both plain and ornate at the same time. The vinyl has a base coat of a rather light bluish black quite unlike what we’re used to with our Godzilla vinyls. This may surprise you when you first see since this Kaiju seemed to be colored a standard black in the movie. But if you look closely at the scenes following Leatherbacks landing, the port lights show this guy actually is a lighter color. Despite this, I think the figure would look better if it were a tad darker. The X-Plus Leatherback’s swirly line pattern is hand-painted in a vibrant blueish-green and, at first, seems toyish. But these lines were luminescent in the movie and this is really the only way X-Plus could have recreated that effect. It’s just that these painted lines look like just that: painted lines. You quickly get used to it though and it really is excellent work.  The tendrils behind Leatherback’s crown are so expertly painted that they almost look as if they were really glowing as they did in the movie. In fact, for the longest time, I thought this piece was actually molded in translucent vinyl, but the effect is actually accomplished with just paint.  A similar bright blue is used on the inside of the mouth and the eyes. Now, about those eyes… WOW! All six of them are so tiny, yet so expertly colored without going outside the lines. And not only that, but catlike pupils and other details were somehow magically added. (This is why X-Plus rocks.)  There are minor blueish highlight on the details on the figure’s black. But, other than that, there is nothing on the rest of the body to give it depth. This is particularly disappointing where skin meets claw on both the hands and feet. Everything is simply the same color. Overall, this figure has excellent paint apps. Yes, it could have been better. But they’ve already done so much to it. This Large Monster Series vinyl actually has the size and mass of a 30cm Series figure. Why X-Plus chose to file this one under Large Monster Series is curious. I say throw the name out the window and display him with your 30cm Series figures. Because that’s what it really is. SIZEThe X-Plus Leatherback takes up a space which is roughly a cubic foot and raises above the shelf about 9.5 inches. This Large Monster Series vinyl actually has the size and mass of a 30cm Series figure. Why X-Plus chose to file this one under Large Monster Series is curious. If you collect only 25’s, know that this figure will absolutely look grossly out of place in your collection. Regardless of the series this one belongs to, I consider it a member of the 30cm Series. I say throw the name out the window and display him with your 30cm Series figures. Because that’s what it really is. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELF This figure has an actual footprint of 12 inches from front to back and 8.25 inches wide. But if you take into account the space he takes up that isn’t actually touching the shelf, then he’s a full 12 inches wide. This figure takes up slightly more space than a 30cm Series figure. But the absence of a long tail makes it easier to fit on the shelf. RIC EXCLUSIVE VERSION The Ric Exclusive version, which I do not have, sports a more ferocious head sculpt with a wider mouth and erect tendrils on the back of the head. I could be wrong about this (it’s been quite a while since it was released) but I think you may get both versions of the head. I seem to remember the head being held on with a magnet making switching them out quick and easy. Also, I believe there were alternate pieces for the back which mimic Leatherback’s EMP ability in action. Sorry that I could not be more specific on the Ric details. It’s been exactly two years since it was released and my memory is fuzzy on it. (Kaiju Battle note: the Ric also includes special paint that would glow under a black light.) SIZE COMPARISONS Here is a size comparison with the Large Monster Series Pacific Rim Knifehead. If you take into account that Leatherback is leaning forward then, yes, they display well next to each other. As for technically being in scale, I don’t really know. Leatherback, a Category IV kaiju is supposedly 267 feet tall while Knifehead, a category III kaiju, is 315. If you go by that, the scaling of these two look about right. (Although I’m not clear on how a Category IV can be shorter than a Category III.) At the very least, they do look good — no, FANTASTIC next to each other on the shelf.  Legendary’s Godzilla (2014) is supposedly 350 feet. Leatherback is said to be 267 feet tall. I don’t know if that’s the height while standing or hunched, but one thing is for sure: It looks like it fits right in beside the 30cm Series Godzilla 2014 Roaring Version.  For those of you who just can’t get by the obvious difference in height, here is a shot of Leatherback balanced on his legs beside the 30cm Series Godzilla 2014 (Original Version) which is about a quarter of an inch shorter than the Roaring Version in the previous photo. As you can see, they’re not that far off. And that subtle difference in height is there despite Leatherback being a part of the smaller Large Monster Series.  The X-Plus Legendary monsters. Left to right: Leatherback, Godzilla 2014 Blue Fin Emission Version, Knifehead, (Star Ace) Kong Skull Island and Godzilla 2014 (original release).  A size comparison with other figures from the Large Monster Series. Something is definitely amiss here. Again, Leatherback is too large for this line.  Here is a real world comparison with a blu-ray disc. SUMMARY The Large Monster Series Pacific Rim Leatherback vinyl figure by X-Plus has a great, movie-accurate sculpt and menacing pose. While its paint apps are intricate, the overall base coat may be a bit too light. It’s a great collectible for fans of the film Pacific Rim and fans of all modern kaiju in general. MORE INFORMATIONX-TRAS    By John Stanowski Originally posted March 31st, 2019 on Kaiju Addicts.
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 FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「アンギラス（1968年版）」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: LATE 2012 FIRST JAPAN REISSUE: EARLY 2015 SECOND JAPAN REISSUE: EARLY 2018 NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: EXPECTED JUNE 2018 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “DESTROY ALL MONSTERS” (1968) HEIGHT (HEAD): ABOUT 6 INCHES / 15.24 CM LENGTH: (WITH CURVED TAIL) ABOUT 14 INCHES / 35.5 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: X LBS, X OZ / X G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI The Toho Large Monster Series Angurius 1968 was first released in Japan in 2012. It was reissued there twice more; once in 2015 and again in early 2018. That last one was scheduled to be released this month (April 2018) and was no doubt produced at the same time as it’s fourth reissue, one for North America. One might argue they are a part of the same reissue since they were probably made at the same time. Although, we’re still waiting on word of this vinyl’s arrival here in the U.S. So, let me be clear on this: this vinyl is coming to America any time now. You can preorder one from your local comic shop. Ask the guy behind the counter to search for it by the Diamond Distributors item code: AUG178399. It’s because of this U.S./Canada release that I’m putting this review out now. I’ve always meant to make one, but now seems like the most appropriate time. Also, since we may have more new X-Plus collectors here than usual, I’d like to talk about the series it comes from. It’s part of the Large Monster Series. This is the literal machine translation for its true name: the Daikaiju Series. You’ll also see it referred to as The 25cm Series (slang). As for its size: I’ll discuss that further down in the Size and Size Comparison sections. THE BOX
The Large Monster Series Anguirus 1968 vinyl figure comes in the typical Large Monster Series window box. All of these boxes have the exact same art on them. You have to rely on the figure itself (behind the clear plastic) and a small black sticker providing the name of the figure down near the bottom of the front. Like the 30cm Series, the figure is wired into a clear plastic shell. And, you will need to attach the tail as it comes as a separate piece. Remember: keep the tail cool and hard and blast the figures butt with a hair dryer to make it soft enough to allow the tail to be inserted. Just be very careful with those individually sculpted spikes on the tail. They can hurt! SCULPT Now, out of the box, what you have is a super, movie-accurate vinyl of Anguirus as he appeared in the 1968 Showa classic, Destroy All Monsters. Part of what makes this sculpt such a faithful reproduction of the original monster suit is it’s individually sculpted horns, spikes, teeth and tongue! It’s intricate and detailed skin texture finally sets this over the top when compared to average, lower-end non-stylized vinyls.  Here’s a closer look at some of those details. Individually sculpted teeth are a standard feature on all X-Plus figures. As you can see care was taken to make the tongue a separate piece and suspend it above the floor of the mouth. This is fucking outstanding work!  The head sculpt remains faithful to the movie suit from all angles. POSEAs for the pose, it’s pretty standard (again, just the way I like it!). Anguirus is standing (half-standing?) on all fours in his typical fashion. In fact, this is a good excuse to again bring up how X-Plus strives so hard to give you a sculpt so faithful to the movie. You can see in the photos below (especially the side views) how it was designed to be worn by a suit actor.
JOINTS & SEAMS Quick refresher: Joints are the meeting of two pieces that interconnect and are free to rotate, even if the sculpt prevents doing that easily. A seam is where two pieces meet without a full round joint. You usually see seams on the sides of the dorsal fins on Godzilla vinyls, or around lower jaws. However, the lines left behind on joints are often referred to as seams. So, let’s just go with seams here. Yes, the Large Monster Series Anguirus has them. You’ll find them around every leg and at the base of the neck. This is very common with X-Plus “crawlers” and can be found even on this figure’s bigger 30cm Series cousin. While this may be unsightly to some, remember that this is a vinyl. And, that’s how vinyls are traditionally made. I feel if you let yourself slip into the “vinyl figure mindset”, these seams will bother you less. Hell, just take a step back and look at the thing as a whole. This thing is fucking sexy! PAINT JOBWhile X-Plus attempts to duplicate the paint apps from the original release on subsequent reissues, there can sometimes be minor tweaks. For this review, I am using the first Japanese reissue to describe it. Anguirus has base coat of a dull brown. One might call it a dark brown, but it’s devoid of any saturation so I will stick with “dull”. And when I say that, I mean it in a good way. Dull = reserved and ≠ toyish. This figure is far from having toyish colors. Affecting its overall “tint” is a very generous amount of lighter color highlights over the skin on the legs, neck and belly. This kicks the visual interest up a few notches. The extra detail in hue applied to the higher elevations of the skin texture really make this thing shine.  The spikes on the back are painted a very, dull boneish, tan and it’s PERFECT. And, now here is one of the places where this figure excels. Each individually sculpted spike is individually painted, and expertly so. If you look at it from above, the back plates are dark brown and the light hues of the spikes come down to meet the back with precision. (Skip down to the photo in the “Footprint Section” to see what I’m talking about. It’s the very next pic in this review.) I have no clue how I would paint this let alone having it done on a mass scale at a factory. Excellent work. Same goes for the paint being expertly and precisely applied to each, individual tooth. It’s a vital component to a complete (or partial) X-Plus Destroy All Monsters line-up on your shelves. SIZEThe Toho Large Monster Series Angurius 1968 comes from a series where typical figures, like Godzilla, stand at about 25cm or just under 10 inches tall. It’s a little difficult to appreciate this figure’s size with the dimensions I’m about to give. For example, at the highest point, Anguirus reach up about 6 inches from the tip of his crown of horns to the floor. The dimensions you really need to look at, though, are those for length since this guy is a crawler on all fours. It’s longest dimension is about 14.5 inches from the front left paw to the tip of the tail. But that tail is making an abrupt curve. If it were laying out straight, then this figure would have a length of something more like 20 inches! That’s about 12 inches for the tail and another 8 from the butt to the nose. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELF Anguirus’ curved tail makes it a lot easier to fit on the shelf. If you have it facing completely forward, then you only need about a foot of shelf space in front of the back wall. By displaying him at an angle, you can make it work on even thinner shelves. The tail, which makes a hard right turn could possibly make it difficult to display figures nearby. But the way I see it, the curves tail makes a space to hug around another figure. The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1968 is able to stand quite close to Anguirus’ right side. SIZE COMPARISONS Possibly the most significant size comparison would be with the Toho 30cm Series Anguirus 1968, especially for new X-Plus collectors who have been relying on North American reissues to fill their shelves. So, yeah. It’s smaller. But it’s supposed to be smaller. The Large Monster Series is a smaller, less expensive line. But it has excellent quality that sometimes even exceeds the quality and accuracy of the 30cm Series. You can fit more in the same space. And they are a big step up from S.H. MonsterArts and Revoltech, common gateway drugs leading to X-Plus.  If you are looking for only one X-Plus Anguirus 1968 for your collection, then you probably want to consider the 30 since it stands half a head higher and is about 15% longer. However, if, like me, you collect BOTH sizes, then YES, you DO need this smaller Large Monster Series Anguirus in your collection. It’s a vital component to a complete (or partial) X-Plus Destroy All Monsters line-up on your shelves. You can’t do that with 30’s. King Ghidorah and Kumonga are not likely to get 30cm versions because of their size.  Now, here is the first real and relevant size comparison. The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1968 is the figure most likely to pair with this Anguirus. They scale with each other very well.  This Anguirus is dwarfed by the Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 1968. But he is supposed to be dwarfed. If you are a stickler for proper scaling, you’ll be pleased. This is how both were sized in relation to each other in the movie.  Here is the Large Monster Series Anguirus with a large grouping of other figures from that series. Everything you see here scales very well with everything else. This is a just a sample of what awaits those of you who have been, up until now, been collecting only 30cm Series figures. There are many kaiju in this series that haven’t shown up in the 30cm Series yet. And many are not likely to because they would be too large.  Finally, for those prospective X-Plus collectors who haven’t taken the plunge yet: a real world size comparison with a blu ray disc. SUMMARY The Toho Large Monster Series Anguirus 1968 (or its upcoming North American reissue, the Godzilla Kaiju 8in Series Anguirus 1968) is an awesome, high quality, movie accurate reproduction of the kaiju suit used in the movie. It’s picture perfect sculpt and paint apps make it an excellent Anguirus collectible. And, again, it is a vital component to a complete X-Plus Destroy All Monsters lineup. It’s also a great addition to a new and growing 25cm Series collection. If you’re not collecting the Large Monster Series and you already have the 30, then, no, you don’t need it. But, if you plan to take advantage of all the awesome 25cm Series reissues coming to the U.S. through Diamond Distributors this year (and next), then, YES, you DO need one! MORE INFORMATIONX-TRAS     By John Stanowski Originally posted April 28th, 2018 on Kaiju Addicts.
 FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「キングギドラ（2001年版）」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: APRIL 2017 SERIES: TOHO LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: 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 WINGSPAN: 23.25 INCHES / 59 CM LENGTH (NOSES TO TIP OF TAILS): 19.5 INCHES / 49.5 CM LENGTH (TOES TO TIP OF TAILS): 15.5 INCHES / 39.37 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 2.375 LBS. / 1077.28 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI KING GHIDORAH, GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. The Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah (2001) is a truly fantastic new addition to X-Plus‘ Daikaiju Series (25cm Series). It’s very movie-accurate sculpt is based on the suit’s appearance in the 2001 film, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, or as we all like to call it, GMK. This figure was up for preorder in February 2017 and later released in late April 2017. The average price for a Standard figure was about $213. The Ric Boy version (which came with a layer of glitter) sold for $266. This monster design is a pretty significant deviation from the King Ghidorahs of old. It still, of course, has all of the familiar characteristics of the three-headed, golden dragon. But, those features have been dwarfed into a somewhat smaller monster. I was never very fond of this new design because of the shorter necks, thinner ankles, etc. But, on the day I got this figure in front of me and saw all of the details and design intricacies that I didn’t see in the movie, I converted. I really dig this design. THE BOX
For a Large Monster Series figure, the box is huge. It’s 17 inches tall, 10.25 inches on the side and a whopping 28 inches across the front. It sports the usual monochromatic line art which all of the larger blind boxes have. Pictured here is the box for the Standard Version. The RIC version is the same but with the addition of the yellow, circular RIC sticker in one corner.
Like the new and improved packaging for the King Ghidorah 1968, this figure comes sandwiched in a firm styrofoam shell. The tail piece is stored on the outside of one of the sides. The main body is securely stored on the inside. The figure is wrapped inside a large plastic bag. Be mindful of the spikes on the tips of the wings when you pull this bag off. Some of these spikes may have impaled the bag so be sure you don’t tug hard when removing it. PUTTING IT TOGETHERWINGS Unlike its predecessor, the King Ghidorah 1968, this figure comes with the wings already permanently attached. This is a welcome change since the wings on the ’68 can sometimes pop out when handling the figure.  TAIL The tails come as a separate piece which you must connect. But, check this out: the usual “suction cup” and hole approach is out the window. Instead, you just touch the tail to the body and it pops in place, held by magnets. Tail assembly has never been easier. The tail seems, at first, to do a good job of staying in place — even when you pick the figure up. But, there’s no guarantee it won’t fall off. Swift movement, bumping the tails against another figure or wandering pets could disengage the connection. Very often when I pick the figure up and put it back down, the tail falls off because they hit the shelf before the feet did. Also, the joint isn’t that snug and can often wiggle in place. The degree to which this happens probably varies by each figure. This connection does do its job when the figure is simply standing on the shelf. But it could come tumbling off when the figure is handled. If this bothers you, a dab of superglue on the butt might do the trick. SCULPTAnd here it is.  The Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 is a f**king WORK OF ART. It has a fantastic, movie-accurate sculpt. And on top of that, jaw-dropping fine details and truly stellar paint apps. The official X-Plus photos really don’t do this figure’s good looks justice. You have to see it in front of you to truly appreciate all it has to offer.  SCALES One of the first things you notice is the incredible, intricate work done on the scale texture. Literally each and every one of them is sculpted to appear as if they were actually individual pieces. The tips are raised, often with space under them. Like I said in my Ghidorah ’68 review, no idea how they pulled this guy out of the mold. This is just amazing work. SPIKES A series of fine individually sculpted spikes run down the backs of each neck. (They’re pretty pointy and can hurt if you grab them.) I was surprised to see what these spikes do next. After running down each neck, they grow and form three toothy ridges on the figure’s back. This detail isn’t really visible in the movie; at least, not that I can recall. So, this X-Plus figure gave me a bonus lesson on the details of the suit.  WINGS The wings look great and seem to match what’s in the movie. There’s a lot less going on in the wing membrane wrinkle department compared to the 1968 suit and figure. This can make them seem a little plain, especially to someone who has had the ’68 on their shelf for the past year or so. But the 2001 wings are smaller and so their digits are closer together creating adequate visual interest. Each digit runs through the membrane and ends with a spike. You’ll have to be very careful with these since they can be snapped off rather easily. Not so much because they are overly fragile, but more because they’re at the ends of this figure’s widespread wings. Imagine opening an umbrella while standing in a closet. The spikes on your umbrella are going to hit something for sure. So always keep this in mind when picking this figure up. As for their material, I assume they are made of ABS plastic just like King Ghidorah 1968 and both Mothra’s. X-Plus’ website says the body and tail are made of PVC but doesn’t mention the wings at all.  HEADS The head sculpts with their stubby snouts look accurate enough. And there’s a lot going on on each one. The bumps and wrinkles on the top of each head make one think of a snarling dog, making this guy a little bit meaner than he came off as in the movie. All three sets of three horns match the suit well and are in good proportion. The three-pronged bony plates (whiskers?) on the sides of the heads is very accurate when compared with photos.  Each mouth is filled with individually sculpted teeth. And, rather than simply being a cheap bump on the bottom of the mouth, each tongue is also individually sculpted. X-Plus does not skimp! TAILS Each tail has just as much intricacy and detail as does the front of the figure. The same attention to detail for each scale runs all the way down to each flared club of spikes at the ends. Also impressive is the way the sculptor accurately captured the way a foam and rubber tail would crease when it’s bent. Truly fantastic attention to detail here. The Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 is a f**king WORK OF ART. POSEThe Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 Version is posed in a standard, museum stance which accurately depicts the limited mobility of the suit and avoids any artistic exaggeration of movement.
The “personality” of position for each head is done exceptionally well. When you look at it, you could almost see the exact awkward puppeteering of each head bobbing up and down making them come off lighter in weight than they should. All of this, combined with the excellent sculpt, make this figure even more a dead ringer for the real thing. JOINTS & SEAMS Super-detailed scales always make joints prone to noticeable gaps and, unfortunately, this new Ghidorah is no exception. The biggest offender on this figure is the tail joint. The scales on this joint do fit together well across the joint. The problem is, though, that the tail does not have a super snug fit. This leaves a nasty gap. See the gap in the photo above? That can be closed, but another gap opens on the other side. It’s like the inside of the tail, where the magnets are, isn’t completely flat. As I mentioned earlier in this review, though, not all figures seem to be the same so yours may look better. Either way, this joint is in the back of the figure and you’re not likely to see it when your figure is standing on your shelf. There is a line of lifted scales at the base of each neck where each connection is made. These aren’t very noticeable though unless the light hits them in a very specific way. They usually not noticed in casual viewing. PAINT JOBThe Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah already has so much going for it. And on top of that it has five star paint work. It’s base coat is comprised of a metallic gold which isn’t too shiny nor too dull. It has a sort of dirty gold quality to it. Even without any added shadows or highlights, it would still look fantastic because of the way light interacts with the color as well as the intricate details on the scale texture. But fantastic isn’t enough because X-Plus added dark brown shadowing in the creases on the main body and a sort of bronze along all of the spike on the back of the necks down to the tips of the tails. As is the norm with X-Plus’ paint applications, this figure has a reserved, deep red inside the mouth and the individually sculpted teeth are individually painted. Once again, I’m stunned by the quality of the work done on the eyes. King Ghidorah’s eyes are straight red and outlined in black with black pupils. Even though the irises are so large, care was taken to still add white to the tiny, tiny space remaining. This King Ghidorah requires more room than usual. Probably the most significant thing you’ll need to deal with is the wingspan which is a little over 23 inches! SIZEThe Large Monster Series (Daikaiju Series) usually makes one think of figures reaching up only to ten inches at best small enough almost to stand on your hand. But now and then comes a figure so big that it looks like it belongs to the 30cm Series. The Toho Large Monster Series is on of those. Part of the reason is this figure really is scaled larger than most of the other figures in the line. All of the vinyls based on the MM28 GMK kits are. This oversizing isn’t new. The Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla Fourth Form, Godzilla 1995 and Destoroyah are all too big for the line they’re in. (Though not large enough for the 30cm Series). If this bothers you, just look at it the way I do: There’s a secret scale in between the two lines averaging 27.5cm for a Godzilla. I just try to keep them separate as if they were their own line. Bonus is, the entirety of the 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection is also in this range. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELF This King Ghidorah requires more room than usual. Probably the most significant thing you’ll need to deal with is the wingspan which is a little over 23 inches! Next, the twin tails reach straight back. Sorry, there are no shelf-friendly curls to help you squeeze him closer to the wall on the shelf. They reach back 15 and a half inches from the front toes. Make that 19.5 inches if you go by the tips of the tails to the tips of the noses. But those heads really aren’t a part of this figures footprint since they don’t come into contact with the shelf. To sum up: this larger-than-usual figure reaches out with limbs and such in all four directions making it a certified shelf hog. But, as I’ve been saying for years now… it’s a good problem to have. This thing is big and beautiful. SIZE COMPARISONS THE GUARDIANS OF EARTH As many of you already know, the Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 by X-Plus uses a sculpt from the MonsterMaker 28 (MM28) resin kit. The recently released Favorite Sculptors Line Large Monster Series Mothra 2001 and Baragon 2001 set are also from MM28 kits. All three are meant to scale with each other. Origins aside, here’s a size comparison of all three. King Ghidorah may look too big for the bunch, but it is as it should be. Both Mothra and Baragon were shorties in 2001’s Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Also resurrected from MM28, the Favorite Sculptors Line Large Monster Series Godzilla 2001 will be released soon, so you’ll be able to own a complete GMK kaiju line-up.  WITH GODZILLA 2001 FIGURES The Favorite Sculptors Line Godzilla 2001 mentioned above isn’t your only option for pairing with this King Ghidorah. On the left is the Large Monster Series Godzilla 2001 (review) which came out eight (!) years ago. It scales fairly well with KG. They are, after all, from the same line. But, it is a tad under in height compared to the Favorite Sculptors line version. On the right is the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 (review) which you are more likely to already have on your shelf since it’s a more recent release and has also been reissued in North America through Diamond Distributors. This one is technically part of the 30cm Series. However, as we all know, all of the figures in the Yuji Sakai Modeling collection are too short for that line. Seeing as how this Sakai figure is the same height as the upcoming Favorite Sculptors Line version, it scales just fine with this King Ghidorah.  KING GHIDORAH 1968 Here’s a size comparison with the KG that started the current rush of Ghidorahs we’ve been getting from X-Plus, the Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 1968 (review). You can see more of this figure at my review at the last link. And, you can still grab one from me at Flossie’s, too.  WITH SHOWA LARGE MONSTER SERIES FIGURES Here is a comparison with other 25cm Series figures: (left to right) Large Monster Series Godzilla 1968 (my first review!), Godzilla 1966, Mechagodzilla 1975 and Jet Jaguar (review).  WITH REAL WORLD OBJECT Don’t have any X-Plus figures yet? Here’s a size comparison with a blu-ray disc to give you an idea of how “big” it is. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: JIM CIRRONELLA A RIC exclusive version of this figure was available to purchase direct from X-Plus. It’s extra feature was a spattering of glitter which I assume was to reproduce King Ghidorah’s look after a dying Mothra transferred all of her life energy into the beaten and inanimate dragon. It’s likely that this detail isn’t photographed easily as you can see in the above Standard / Ric side-by-side photo provided by collector, Jim Cirronella. SUMMARY The Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 vinyl figure by X-Plus has a fantastic, movie-accurate sculpt, a dazzling spread of seemingly individually sculpted scales, an insanely awesome paint job (which you really do need to see in person to fully appreciate) and an amazing “presence” on the shelf. The one (big) downside is a tail overly willing to disconnect and fall off during handling. This isn’t a problem, though, when it’s just standing on your shelf looking pretty. And, it is one helluva beaut! Overall, this vinyl really is a knock out. I feel it’s probably the best Large Monster Series vinyl of 2017, and also a contender for best X-Plus vinyl overall for 2017. MORE INFORMATION
X-TRAS      COLLECTOR’S GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted March 4th, 2018 on Kaiju Addicts.
 FIGURE SPECS大怪獣シリーズ ウルトラマン編 「油獣 ペスター」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: MARCH 2010 JAPAN WONDER FESTIVAL SOFT VERSION: JULY 2011 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “ULTRAMAN” (1966-1967) ウルトラマン HEIGHT: 9.5 INCHES / 24.13 CM WIDTH: (HAND TO HAND) 13.25 INCHES / 33.6 CM DEPTH (FRONT TO BACK): ABOUT 3 INCHES / 7.62 CM REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI PESTAR: © TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS The Large Monster Series Pestar vinyl figure by X-Plus was released in early 2010. It was later reissued as a Wonder Festival exclusive soft version in July 2011. It’s based on the oil-eating menace, Pestar which was featured in episode 13 (titled Oil S.O.S. / オイルSOS) of the original Ultraman television series which first aired in 1966. This interesting monster was unique in that the suit required two actors to move it’s many “limbs”. X-Plus has done an amazing job reproducing this kaiju in vinyl for the starry-eyed collector. THE BOX The Large Monster Series Pestar comes packaged in a wider than usual window box but with the usual Ultraman box art. The design is a little retro and I just know that if my 8-year-old self ever got to see this box, I would probably burst with excitement. At least Big John gets to have one! The figure is saddled into a form-fitting plastic shell and tied securely in place with the same wires as other X-Plus releases. You’ll note the long, thin, black sticker on the lower right corner of the window. This sticker indicates that this is a RIC Exclusive version. (More on that later!) SCULPT The Large Monster Series Pestar by X-Plus has an incredibly screen accurate sculpt which faithfully reproduces the giant oil-eating double-starfish from Ultraman’s very first year on screen.  Even those unfamiliar with this kaiju can appreciate the level of detail in the sculpt depicting the radiating ridges reaching out from the monsters two stomachs. The tendency of this suit to fold and buckle is also captured very well. Together, these two details do well to separate this high-end collectible from mere toys.  The tiny head sculpt, three-quarters of an inch wide and two inches from ear tip to ear tip is done remarkably well. When I look at it, I can almost see it move; quivering as it gulps up the barrels of oil from the episode. When that happens, you know they got it right! One thing which X-Plus did not do correctly is the appearance of the surface of both stomachs. Those are the light bluish-greenish patches in the center of each “star”. In the show, these areas were puffy and smooth; almost like inflated pool toys. Yet the figure sports a dramatic, rocky texture far more dramatic than the actual suit had. I think this actually makes the figure look more impressive even though it does noticeably deviate from being screen accurate.  And, check this out! The back texture is a marvel of detail. I actually never realized that Pestar’s back looked like this until I got my hands on this figure.  While it may seem easy enough to sculpt by merely etching the patterned grooves, note that each shape is individually sculpted into a bevel. This must have been a laborious process for the one who sculpted it. Judging by how well it was done, it must have been a labor of love. The back texture is a marvel of detail. I actually never realized that Pestar’s back looked like this until I got my hands on this figure. POSE X-Plus opted for a museum pose for this figure. It stands with both hands spread out to the sides as was frequently seen in the episode. But it was just as frequently seen bending forward and sideways, creating awkward buckles in the suit. While I’m sure X-Plus could have pulled it off a sculpt which realistically captured those buckles, I’m glad they went for this more standard — and grand — look. JOINTS & SEAMSHoly hell, yes, there are seams all over this thing. Each pair of legs is a separate piece of vinyl. They join with the upper body pieces by zig-zagging along the bottom edge of each stomach. The neck is molding with the figure’s upper left side body, and finally the head is also a separate piece. Despite these five separate pieces being joined together, you will not notice them, or even see them without looking for them. PAINT JOBThe paint apps on the X-Plus Pestar are a collection of primarily three reserved and unsaturated colors. But here lies the second detour from accuracy. The outer edge of each “star” is colored with a dirty, mustardy hue. The suit actually sported a lighter, more vivid yellowish color in that area. But like the rough, textured surface of the stomachs not matching the suit, this color actually looks better on the shelf. Slits below the hands on both sides of the figure are painted a coral-like off-white with light mustard highlights drybrushed over top. You can get a look at these in the Footprint Section below. The Large Monster Series Pestar has a profile and footprint very similar to all of X-Plus’ Rodan figures. It’s very wide, demanding twice the side space of other figures. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELF The Large Monster Series Pestar has a profile and footprint very similar to all of X-Plus’ Rodan figures. It’s very wide, demanding twice the side space of other figures. Yet, it’s pretty slim from the side view. This figure is barely 3 inches from nose to back. There’s no need to worry about space on the shelf though. This figure is well suited to standing at the back of the shelf behind other figures, blocking view of the back wall. It’s overly wide shape will actually add a welcome bit of variety to your Ultra shelf. SIZE COMPARISONS Here is a size comparison of the Large Monster Series Pestar and the Large Monster Series Ultraman A-Type Fighting Pose vinyl which came out came at the end of 2015. For an accurate pairing, you’ll need an A-Type Ultraman so that it matches the episode. As for the two being in scale, it’s hard to tell. In the episode, Pestar was already downed by a Science Patrol VTOL jet and only had one exchange with Ultraman, and that was while this monster was already flat on the ground. It’s probably safe to say that any Large Monster Series Ultraman figure will be a tad too large for a perfect fit. This is, unfortunately, how it is with the entire series. I’ve never understood why X-Plus made the Ultraman figures slightly larger than the Kaiju.  Here is a size comparison with other Ultraman Kaiju also from the original 1966-1967 series. On the left is the Large Monster Series Gesura (which came out around Dec. 2015 – January 2016) and the Large Monster Series Gabora (I believe this may be the “Reborn” version).  Pestar scales well with the Large Monster Series Red King Reborn Version (released in September 2011) and the original release of the Large Monster Series Bemular Reborn (from December 2010).  If you’ve no Ultra Kaiju, here’s a comparison with the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1968 and the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1966.  Finally a comparison with the Large Monster Series Ebirah and the Large Monster Series Titanosaurus.  Here is a real world size comparison for those who have none of the figures above. Here, Pester stands beside the Ultraman bluray set. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVE The Ric Boy Exclusive version comes with a mini oil tank form the oil refinery scene. Unlike extra pieces from most of the Large Monster Series Godzilla figures, this tank is pretty much in scale with the figure itself. And that is a HUGE plus in my book. While it looks like a simple piece, it manages to reproduce almost exactly how the tanks in the episode appeared. This tank in particular was specifically taken from the scene where Bemular shoots his fire beam at tank No. 8. SUMMARYThe Large Monster Series Pestar vinyl figure by X-Plus is an amazing replica of the giant double-starfish from the premiere season of the long-running series Ultraman. Despite liberties taken with one texture and one color, it shines, and is an amazing collectible and keepsake from the series. It will look amazing with the rest of your X-Plus Ultraman collection. MORE INFORMATION
X-TRAS  By John Stanowski Originally posted December 31st, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
Full Review: Toho Large Monsters Series Shin Godzilla (2016), Standard And RIC Vinyls By X-Plus9/16/2017  FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「シン・ゴジラ」 STANDARD AND 少年リック限定版 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: FIRST BATCH: LATE DECEMBER 2016, SECOND BATCH: LATE JANUARY 2017 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “SHIN GODZILLA” (2016) HEIGHT (STANDARD): 10.125 INCHES / 25.71 CM HEIGHT (RIC): 10.625 INCHES / 26.98 CM WIDTH: (FOOT TO FOOT) 6.375 INCHES / 16.19 CM LENGTH: (NOSE TO TAIL) 22.375 INCHES / 59.3 CM LENGTH: (TOES TO TAIL) 19.75 INCHES / 50.1 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 1 LBS, 7 OZ / 652 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI The Toho Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla (東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「シン・ゴジラ」) by X-Plus is based on Godzilla’s fourth form appearance in the 2016 film, Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ), also sometimes called by its earlier title, Godzilla Resurgence. X-Plus was late to the game on this one. One by one, Shin Godzilla toys, vinyls and kits showed up from companies like Bandai, Kaiyodo and more. In the end, X-Plus came through when they revealed their version at Summer Wonder Festival in July 2016. The figure officially went up for preorder in October 2016. There is both a Standard Version with red highlights and a RIC Exclusive version with both red and purple highlights which also came with an alternate head with the mouth sculpted wide open. Shortly after the preorder window opened, something unexpected happened. The response to this figure was so great that they had cap orders very early and then offer a second batch. The first batch was released in late December 2016. Second batch figures arrived in late January 2017. I will be reviewing both versions of this figure. THE BOX The Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla comes in a tall blind box with monochromatic box art printed directed on the lid. To celebrate this significant release, the art is reversed making it stand out as something special. The box is both taller and wider, yet thinner, than the usual Large Monster Series boxes and even the 30cm Series boxes. The extra height (to accommodate the long tail) adds extra space between the main body and the inside of the box providing more protection than usual. Pictured here is the box for the Standard Version. You’ll know the RIC Exclusive version by spotting the round yellow RIC sticker added to the front. The RIC version also comes in its own shipper (case), so if you see an online auction with a box with simple writing on the side, that’s a RIC. As usual, inside the figure rests in a plastic shell in two pieces: body and tail. Both are tied in with wires. There is plenty of room between the figure and the inside of the box to keep it safe. SEATBELTS AND BOOTIES The main body, tail piece and in the case of RIC Boys, the alternate head are each completely wrapped in plastic so nothing is going to get rubbed the wrong way. They also used more wire ties than usual. The main body has three wires holding it in. Make sure you untwist all of them. When I unboxed mine, I didn’t notice one wire around the foot and was confused when I tried to free it from the plastic shell. The tail piece also has three wires. If you got the RIC, the alternate head has one wire. If you’re pretty sure you won’t be reselling, consider skipping all the aggravation of untwisting and just use a pair of wire cutters. Each foot has plastic booties taped on very securely. You may not want to try to just pull them off because they’re wrapped securely around the ankles. Either look for the edge of the tape or try to cut them off.  ATTACHING THE TAIL To attach, make sure the tail piece is good and firm. If it isn’t, place it in the refrigerator so that it will stiffen up. Now heat up the end of the tail already attached to the body with a blowdryer to make it soft. When you are able to squeeze the tail like it was foam, it’s time to get the rest of the tail out of the fridge and attach it. The connection is mostly round, so if you push and twist like I do, it should be fairly easy. And, there are no fins to get in your way.
SWITCHING HEADS If you have the RIC, then you have a second, alternate head sculpted with a wide open mouth for roaring or spewing atomic breath and ray. Right out of the box, your RIC will come with the Standard, closed-mouth head already on the figure. To switch heads, first grab a hair dryer heat the figure all around the base of the neck. (And, DON’T tell me you don’t have a hair dryer. Single? Bald? Perfectly fine with using a towel on your head? Fine. But, you’re an X-Plus collector now. Buy the damn hairdryer already!) After you’ve warmed and softened the neck, carefully pull the head off. If it’s not coming off, then heat it up for real this time and stop messing around. Make it squishy. Is it off yet? Okay. Now just pop the new head on. It may help if you stick it in the fridge for a few minutes to make it hard. As you can see from the photos above, the joint isn’t round at all and has two soft “corners”. You won’t be able to twist this one on, so make sure the head is cool and stiff, and the body hole is squishy soft. After the new head is attached, sit back and admire your work. And, if no one is around… go ahead, make a Godzilla noise. SCULPT The Toho Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla is another home run from X-Plus. It sports a fantastic, movie-accurate sculpt and they did it without any CG info. Good old fashioned sculpt by hand. Wow. Not that I would mind a figure based on CG data, but X-Plus seems to be doing just fine without it. I mean, DAMN! Would you just look at that?   HEAD The head sculpt looks great despite the sculptor not having a chance to “get to know” this new design with years of viewings. It may look a little.. “sculpty” in this photo but remember this is a super close-up. The actual head is smaller than a golf ball. THE TEETH Holy crap! Look at those teeth! Yeah, they look a bit rounded in this pic but, again, this is a super close-up. Those teeth are super tiny. And each one is INDIVIDUALLY SCULPTED! Another fine example of X-Plus quality.  Again, the head looks just right from all angles. (I really need a new way to say that. I say the same thing in every review. But, it’s true.)  Like this new, unhingled, super wide mouth or not, X-Plus did a great job of capturing it in this vinyl.  TEXTURE No tree bark texture here. Shin Godzilla’s new skin reminds me of multiple layers of hardened lava with glowing red still active in the cracks. X-Plus did a fantastic job of reproducing them here. DETAILS REVEALED IN THE FEET The feet are sculpted to look just as they do in the movie but reveal new details we didn’t notice in the theater. A series of tiny claws break the skin on the tops of the feet like afterthoughts or rogue offshoots. This feature is in tune with Godzilla’s mixed-up new body which is following a new set of blueprints being used for the first time combining genetic building instructions from multiple animals all mashed together into one monstrosity. This is yet another example of X-Plus giving you so much screen accuracy that you actually learn something from the figure which you may have missed from the movie.  THE TAIL The rows of Giger-like, rib cagey, boney patterns in Shin Godzilla’s tail are expertly sculpted on the figure. This is impressive considering its girth is about as wide as your finger.  THE FACE In case you’re wondering: yes, “the face” is present on this figure. You can just make out what appears to be an eye socket and boney jaw on the one side of the tail. I was very curious how X-Plus was going to tackle the red glows emitting from the deep cracks all over Shin Godzilla’s body. What they, and other toy makers, did is kind of ingenious. POSEThis figure is posed to faithfully reproduce Shin’s stance in the movie. Even the tail’s distinct personality of movement is perfectly captured. The only possible liberty X-Plus may have taken is with the head’s slight turn to the right, no doubt to make it a little more interesting. I seem to recall that this zombie-like Godzilla couldn’t even be bothered to turn his head when he wasn’t spewing radioactive fire and beams. It could be said that truly capturing an authentic pose is just as important as getting the details in the sculpt right. X-Plus did both. JOINTS & SEAMSI was a little disappointed that such a momentous release came with as many visible seams as it did. It probably couldn’t be helped, though. The sculpt sort of dictates where you can and can’t make the connections. LEGS The biggest offenders on this figure are just above the thighs. Usually, X-Plus takes care to make the upper legs on the same piece of vinyl as the main body. This allows them to hide joints just below the knees, usually under a bulge of Goji fat. For some reason, though, they felt they had to put them right where the legs meet the body. There was an opportunity to hide some of this joint in the crease of the skin bumps and folds. Despite this, these lines still show. ARMS Other obvious seams are visible right above the biceps. The arms connect there and are not glued. There is some wiggle room available but I’m sure that wasn’t intended to be taken advantage of since there is a triangular peak at the joint making it very difficult to rotate the arms. Just leave them alone. NECK On the RIC, since the head can be removed and swapped, there is a line running along the base of the neck. Half of this line in concealed behind Shin’s bulging sternum. Since the Standard version does not have interchangeable heads, the joint is damn near completely hidden behind the paint (another plus for Team Standard!)  THOUGH VISIBLE, THE TAIL JOINT ON THE STANDARD VERSION IS SNUG. TAIL JOINT Of course, there is a small gap where the tail attaches; there always is. This connection is placed specifically along a ridge in the sculpt; a common practice with X-Plus. But Shin’s long and heavy tail just can’t resist the pull of gravity making for a wider than usual gap on the top of the tail joint.  THE TAIL JOINT ON THE RIC BOY IS LOOSE AND HANGS OPEN DUE TO THE SOFTER VINYL. This problem is more common — and severe — on the RIC version since the top layer of the tail, on both sides of the joint, is made with translucent vinyl which is typically softer and weaker than regular vinyl. The entire tail is actually made up of about four different pieces which are glued and completely concealed. You’d never know it unless you looked. It would have been far better for the tail if the entire thing came already glued in one piece and had to be connected at the butt. There would be no gappy joint and the whole thing would have been a lot more sturdier. Thing is, the already large Shin Godzilla box would need to be even larger to accommodate that arrangement. Also, the tail flange (suction cup) which came already attached and glued to the body is far too close to the flanges from the legs. There’s probably some congestion going on inside the main body at that point. Finally, a particularly obnoxious gap occurs in the back of the mouth on the alternate “roaring” head which comes with the RIC. The translucent piece which serves as the interior of the mouth ends just short of reaching the roof of the mouth. Thankfully, you can’t see this from normal viewing angles. Usually, I’m one to be put off by obvious seams, but surprisingly they’re just not bothering me that much. I’m just so happy to finally have both versions of this figure on my shelf. Also, remember, this figure is still a vinyl. And, vinyls come with lines. Most of the time, X-Plus is able to do a better job of hiding them. PAINT JOB I was very curious how X-Plus was going to tackle the red glows emitting from the deep cracks all over Shin Godzilla’s body. What they, and other toy makers, did is kind of ingenious. THE STANDARD The standard Shin Godzilla is molded completely in red vinyl. So, it was really more a matter of “not” painting the red areas to achieve the right look. When they added the black color, they were able to avoid getting it in the cracks so that the red could still be seen. The end result is very well done. All over the main body are traces of red in the lower elevations of the sculpt. The effect is particularly awesome on the tail and back. On the back, there is a sea of red at the base of the dorsal fins which runs all the way down the top of the tail down to the gross, crusty tip (which we’ll get to later). There are deep reds also visible along each main fold in the tail which come and go in a sort of venetian blinds effect. When looked at from the figure’s front, the red disappears. When seen from behind, the reds become more prominent. From the side, they’re just right. THE RIC The main body of the RIC exclusive version is also molded in red. But the whole back dorsal fin section, a strip along the top of the entire tail, the tip of the tail and the neck are all molded in translucent vinyl with a coat of see-through light purple sprayed on the outside. INside, these pieces are sprayed with an opaque white to help make the translucent parts brighter on the outside. THE BLACK Having applied the black paint onto red vinyl gives the color a warmer-than-X-Plus-usual shade resulting in a rich black (a blacker black) giving the figure a bit of a burned look. EYES The tiny eyes on this thing are perfectly painted with a tiny, perfectly round dab of white. And over that, a pin point of black for the pupils. This is insane, very impressive paint detail. The eyes on the alternate (roaring) head for the RIC are painted in a shiny, metallic silver reproducing the protective shields which appear when Godzilla fired his breath in the movie. When held near a light, they reflect a tiny point of specular reflection. Crazy awesome detail! TEETH The individually sculpted teeth are, of course, individually painted as well, and expertly so. A super subtle, feathered strip of the red vinyl is left near the gum area and each tiny tooth is painted a dirty, bone white. CLAWS Each main claw on the feet is painted a tannish, dirty white which expertly feathers into the black nearer the body. The same precision used on the teeth are used for the tiny, rogue claws splintering out behind the main claws. The same color is applied on the hand claws, but with less precision. As usual, I find the paint apps on the claws to be far too “bright” to look accurate and/or realistic. I wish X-Plus would start making these darker.  THE TAILS The tip of the tail on the Standard version looks truly gross and organic. The lower elevations of the boney sculpt are bright red with the higher areas of the sculpt made to appear a dirty, boney white. It seems like they actually painted the red on rather than let the red-molded vinyl show through. Either that, or, they just applied a layer of gloss over it all. It may look sloppy in this super close-up. But with the naked eye, the effects added with the paint look amazing. As for that RIC tail: it gets most of its color from the translucent vinyl it’s made of. It’s tinted a light purple and there are sprays of red added, I think, from the outside. It’s not as impressive as the tip on the Standard, but does a fair job of implying a glowing tail using only the refraction of the clear vinyl and reflected light from the room. JUST ADD LIGHT On a related note regarding appearance, the translucent vinyl on the RIC version, and even the red vinyl from the Standard, can be made to glow with the insertion of lights inside the figure. It’s not designed to do this, but countless X-Plus collectors have had a go at this with fantastic results. Shin Godzilla is 19 3/4 inches long from the toes to the tip of the tail, and over 22 1/4 inches long from the nose to the tip of the tail. SIZEAt over 10 inches tall, this figure is significantly larger than other figures in the Large Monster Series which typically rise to only the nine and a quarter inch mark. It is the fifth figure to break the scale rule after the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995, Destoroyah, Leatherback and Knifehead (Pacific Rim). On the shelf, it looks more at home with the figures from the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection (which are too short for 30’s). Basically, if you don’t have the Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla yet, and want an idea of its size: it basically comes in somewhere between the 30’s and the 25’s… and it won’t really “fit in” with either of those series. But it’s totally complimentary to the Sakai’s and the tall 25’s. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFDAMN, THAT TAIL! Shin Godzilla is 19 3/4 inches long from the toes to the tip of the tail, and over 22 1/4 inches long from the nose to the tip of the tail. If you could unravel the tail and lay it out straight, it would be about TWO FEET LONG from the back of the legs to the tip! Thankfully, its curvy pose from the movie shortens that up a bit. Despite this, it still takes up the same space, if not more, than a 30cm Godzilla. SIZE COMPARISONS LARGE MONSTER SERIES (25CM SERIES) The Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla is significantly taller than most other figures in the Large Monster Series. If you’re a stickler for scale, you might justify it’s extra height by remembering that Shin is the tallest Godzilla so far. With (left) Large Monster Series Godzilla 1973 and (right) Godzilla 1989.  30CM SERIES If you collect strictly 30’s but want to make an exception for this figure, here’s a look at how it sizes up. (Left): 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 and 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 (2000).  YUJI SAKAI MODELING COLLECTION Ironically, this new figure best fits in with the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection. Those figures are known to be shorter than normal 30’s and usually average about 27.5cm. Shin isn’t the only tall 25. The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 is also very tall for the line and also looks good with the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection. The Large Monster Series Destoroyah is even large, but is in scale with the 25cm Godzilla 1995. So, if you’re one to keep your 30’s, Sakai’s and 25’s separate on the shelf, you might want to consider adding Shin here, along with G’95 and Destoroyah to the mix. Seen here: (left) Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 1989 Osaka Landing Version and Godzilla 1991 Hokkaido Version.  REAL WORLD COMPARISON Here’s the new Shin with the Japanese Shin Godzilla bluray release. If you don’t already have any X-Plus figures, this disc will give you a good feel for the figure’s size. SUMMARYThe Toho Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla (Fourth Form) is an amazing vinyl replica of the newest Godzilla from the silver screen. It has an incredible movie-accurate sculpt and has a ton of presence despite being from X-Plus’ smaller line. The red fission glows are reproduced ingeniously and it just looks fantastic. The figure suffers from having more seams than most other figures, and the RIC can have a noticeable gap in the tail joint. Despite this, it’s one hell of a figure. At over 22 inches long, it’s has descent shelf “presence” and is an exciting new addition to the X-Plus line and it’s ready to get your collection up-to-date with the latest craze from Japan, Shin Godzilla. MORE INFORMATIONI don’t think I’ve ever seen another X-Plus figure get this amount of attention. Just look at all of those links. There’s a wealth of second opinions, insights, etc. available from other reviewers. So, dig in.
X-TRAS COLLECTORS’ GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted September 16th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
 FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「ゴジラ1995」 少年リック限定版 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 2015 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH”, 1995 ゴジラVSデストロイア HEIGHT: 10.75 INCHES / 27.3 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 7.5 INCHES / 19.05 CM LENGTH: (HEAD TO TAIL) 15 INCHES / 38.1 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 1.5 LBS / 680 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI The Toho Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 by X-Plus was released in September 2015, not with the expected accolades and praise but with controversy and sometimes even ire. The main reason for this was a muddled head sculpt, so smothered in paint that it more resembled an inexpensive Bandai figure than a high-end X-Plus. I admit I was one of the first to get really disappointed. But, so much of the Large Monster Series Burning Godzilla is good. REALLY good. That’s why I was so pissed off at that face peering at me from inside the box. Why did something so good have to get ruined with that face? I’ve since found that I just had to get over it and focus on the positive. I’m kind of over it. It is what it is. There is still a LOT to like about it. And, it’s not like we’re getting another DesuGoji any time soon. So if you want Burning Godzilla in your collection — your proper, movie-accurate collection — you’ll have to pick this one up. I’m glad I did. I’ve been waiting for an X-Plus Burning Godzilla to come out since I started collecting. Yes, they did release a Gigantic Series version but that doesn’t really count, at least not to me. The Gigantic version is overly stylized and not modeled with the movie accuracy that X-Plus is so well known for and what I mainly want to collect. I wanted a Burning Godzilla that would fit in with the rest of my ‘accurate’ figure collection. So, let’s now review the good, the bad and the ugly on this figure. THE BOX The figure is too large to fit into the standard Large Monster Series window box and so, instead, comes to you in a larger, white blind box with monochromatic art on the front. As usual, the tail comes as a separate piece which you’ll need to attach. New collectors: check out Rich Eso‘s “Squishy Soft” video to see how it’s done. If you got the Ric Boy exclusive version, then you’ll find your “battery box” wired into the plastic shell below the tail. The round, orange sticker on the front let’s you know you’re lookin’ at a Ric. SCULPT Let’s set aside the soft features on the head for now and take a look at what else we get: a really AWESOME sculpt of Burning Godzilla. I just paused writing this to pick it up and give it a good look. I just don’t know what to say about it that I haven’t said a hundred times before. I’m trying not to repeat the same old thing: ‘It looks like it walked right out of the movie’. Oh, the hell with. It DOES look like it walked right out the movie! THE HEAD Hmmm. Well… hmmm. I don’t know what to say that you can’t already see for yourself. The head sculpt looks good from some angles and not as good from others. Some collectors have complained that the cheeks are too puffy. I tend to agree when looking at it from certain angles. Yet at the same time I can find the same “puffiness” in photos from the movie. This figure just has a way of making the puffy bits puffier.
It would be easier to judge the head sculpt if the face wasn’t so smothered in that thick light-blocking paint. SPINES Here’s a dorsal fin comparison. A shot from the movie on the left and the X-Plus sculpt on the right. I invite you to look any fin and compare EACH spike on that fin. I think you’ll find the “spirit” of each spike, it’s direction, angle, etc. are matched on the figure. Holy shit! Who the hell gets THAT precise? X-Plus does.
This is yet another example of how X-Plus delivers more accuracy than you can ever hope for compared with other lines. …so much of the Large Monster Series Burning Godzilla is good. REALLY good. That’s why I was so pissed off at that face peering at me from inside the box. POSELove the pose. It’s standard and subtle; just the way I like it. The front claws are done so well they seem like they’re actually moving. The tail is expressive and gives the impression that it’s getting jerked by that invisible Toho wire. The pose looks GREAT from all angles.
(Don’t forget to click on the photos for a larger view.) JOINTS & SEAMSThe only free joint on this figure is where the tail gets attached and I’m pleased to report that you can hardly see that connection after it’s been put together. In fact, I just picked it up to try to locate the joint and couldn’t find it right away. I actually had to look at photos I had taken of the figure still in the box to see exactly where the tail attaches, which is not near the body but almost half the way down. Glued joints can be found under both shoulders and below both knees. Unfortunately, the sealed joints above the biceps do stand out in a tight-string-around-the-finger sort of way. The knee joints are almost invisible thanks to the baggy folds of skin above them. I can’t find any seams around the jaw or head. And the seams on both sides of the back piece which holds the dorsal fins are equally cloaked with perfect fits. If it weren’t for those shoulder joints, I’d say this is one of the most seamless figures they’ve ever put out. It’s part of the Large Monster Series and should level off around 25cm (9.8 inches) but instead it reaches up to 27.3 cm (10.75 inches)! But WHY? PAINT JOBAs usual, and for the benefit of new collectors: this figure has a base coat of a dusty, off-black color which looks PERFECT. Too often lower end Godzilla toys and figures are too dark and toyish looking. The asphalt black on this figure looks GOOD and is a complement to the realistic sculpt. I have to mention, though, that this off black can come off a little shiny on the head and torso. This is no doubt because these areas are made of translucent vinyl. I don’t know if the change in material is causing this, or if they used a different kind of paint (more likely) which has the ability to block the Ric light gimmick on the inside. There are easy-to-miss subtle highlights on the side of the tail and possibly on the sides behind the arms. (It’s hard to tell with the shinier paint there.) The claws and toes are painted with a tannish, bony color which feathers into the black fingers and toes well. This bony color looks good, but seems a bit too bright for my taste. Then again, I think that’s true of ALL the X-Plus Godzilla figures. Soft ashy whites are added to the smaller dorsal “bumps” from the middle of the tail down. This color is also expertly applied to the small row of fins rising up the back on both sides of the larger fins. Again, very un-toylike and a big part of why X-Plus is so, so good.  The tongue and the inside of the mouth are a dark, reserved red and those teeth… HOLY SHIT! The teeth are probably the most impressive part of this figure’s paint applications. Each TINY, individually sculpted tooth is painted an off white which meets the gums PERFECTLY. I don’t see how it’s humanly possible for this to be done by humans on an assembly line. WOW! No, really. F’N WOW! Scroll back up to the Head section to see what I mean. Keep in mind those photos are extreme close-ups. Now, I’ve saved the best for last…  FIERY PATCHES The X-Plus Burning Godzilla’s burning patches look IN-FREAKING-CREDIBLE and are made possible with a technique I first saw used on the S.H.MonsterArts version, and then again on the X-Plus Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995. Translucent material is used on the body and painted yellow and orange from the INSIDE. The colors from the inside show through while the surface is clear enough for light to refract through the sculpted texture. Dark, opaque paint in added on the outside to confine the effect to the signature patches as seen in the movie. The effect in ingenious and amazing. The same technique was used on the dorsal fins. They don’t look as cool as the patches on the front, but X-Plus has managed to get them to look ALMOST EXACTLY, colorwise, as they do in the movie. Scroll back up and take another look at that fin comparison above! SIZEI don’t usually have a “Size” section on my reviews but this figure has made it necessary due to its unexpected larger size. It’s part of the Large Monster Series and should level off around 25cm (9.8 inches) but instead it reaches up to 27.3 cm (10.75 inches)! But WHY? I have to assume that X-Plus needed more room to work with when installing all of the lights for the Ric Boy versions. I’m still not sure how I feel about that move, though. I am a scale freak and I want everything IN SCALE! I want all of the Godzilla’s on my Large Monster Series shelves to line up at the heads. That is just one (but an important one) of the most important things that make the collection to me. Granted, I (we) should be used to and prepared for minor discrepancies like this since a full third of the 30cm Series figures are too short. At least this figure is taller than it should be instead of shorter. One could also argue that Burning Godzilla was technically significantly taller having shot up to 100 meters near the end of the Heisei series’ third installment Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Okay: small consolation. But consolation nonetheless. Until you realize that most of the Showa Godzilla’s were only 50 meters tall. In the end my solution was just to get the hell over it. Like I said, at least it’s BIGGER than it should be. Let’s move on and see just how much bigger this guy is… SIZE COMPARISONSBefore we get to the most obvious size comparison (with the Large Monster Series Destoroyah), let’s take a quick look at a shot from Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.  As you can see, Destoroyah is a good deal larger than Godzilla.  I’d say these two scale up perfectly. (Keep in mind that Destoroyah’s head is tilted up in the screenshot and lower in the figure shot.) By the way: check out the UNCANNY resemblance between the top of Godzilla’s head in both the screenshot and on the figure. The slope of the forehead and nose are captured so perfectly on the figure that it’s almost scary. Now, THAT’S why we collect these!
Side by side comparisons. (Don’t forget to click on the photos for larger views.)  The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 (100 meters) is actually kinda close to how much taller than he really should be compared to the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1989 (80 meters) on the left. However, the Large Monster Series Godzilla 2001 (60 meters) reaches up higher than the ’89. We’re just going to have to accept that the heights on X-Plus figures can go up and down.  Here, the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 is flanked on the left by Godzilla 1989 and Godzilla 1991 from the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection, which are both short for 30’s. So, here we have an overly tall Large Monster Series figure leveling off with two short 30cm Series figures. That’s actually kind of cool in a way.  Here’s a size comparison with the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995. I often hear collectors say that there’s no need for this Large Monster Series version when one has the Gigantic. That doesn’t work for me, though, since the GBG is so utterly stylized. Movie accuracy is more important to me. And my collection as a whole is, too. I’m absolutely glad this figure in my collection standing with the other movie-accurate 25’s.  Here’s a size comparison with other recent and somewhat recent releases specifically for new collectors. Left to right: Large Monster Series Mechagodzilla 1975 (this is vinyl, but the RMC version is more recent), 30cm Series Godzilla 2014, Gigantic Series Sakai Godzilla 1999, Large Monster Series Ultraman 1966-1967 C-Type Appearance Pose and the 1968 Manda and Mothra DAM set in the front. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELF The Toho Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 by X-Plus is 15 inches long from nose to tail and takes up a tad more room than other Godzilla’s in the same line. The tail curls in toward the figure’s left side making it a little easier to fit on the shelf. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVE The Ric Boy exclusive version of this figure comes with a light-up feature. And of all the light-features put out so far, this figure is surely one of the most deserving, if not THE most deserving. Plug in the power and all of Godzilla’s fiery patches, dorsal fins and eyes go ablaze with light. Well, sort of. It’s not really that bright. But I like it exactly the way it is. It’s subtle and not overbearing. Too often, light gimmicks are way, way too bright. This one’s just right. It’s still a shame, though, that we had to trade in crisper facial features for this light feature. A nitpick: the eyes on this figure light completely opposite the way they do in the movie. Here the pupils are dark and swim in lit whites. But in the movie, it should be the other way around, with blazing pupils and dark whites. Honestly, though, I don’t think there was much X-Plus could have done about this since the pupils here are likely light-blocking decals.  This photo was shot with a long exposure to make the light appear brighter in order to make it clear where the light was coming from, how the paint laid over it and the potential for leaks. The eyes on my figure are not evenly lit as the right one is noticeably dimmer than the left. Not all figures are like this though. Some collectors have told me that the eyes on their figure are even. Another peeve: note how hot the lights are at the base of the dorsal fins, and how dim they are up higher where it matters more. LIGHT LEAKS The glow from inside can leak though in areas which didn’t get a thick enough coat of light-blocking paint. Look closely at the photo above. You can see speckled light leaks on the face, neck, etc.  The light feature is powered with an external “battery box” which plugs into the back of the left leg. Note that with this figure we now have a box much larger than we’re used to. This new design first appeared with the X-Plus Bandai Exclusive Large Monster Series Biollante. I liked the older, smaller boxes better. But, I suppose more batteries and a bigger box to house them is needed here.
This figure comes with a sculpted “plug” to cover the power jack when not in use. A nice new touch which X-Plus began implementing with the Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1989. BE CAREFUL that you don’t loose this piece! It can fall out easily and disappear when you move the figure. SUMMARYThe Toho Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 has a lot going for it. Crazy accurate body sculpt, larger size and wicked burning patch effects. But it also has a lot going against it. Very soft facial features due to over thick paint which doesn’t even manage to prevent light leaks. If it weren’t for these issues, I’d give this figure 4.5 Rads. I almost feel like I still want to rate it that way because I’m so glad it’s finally on my shelf. But in order to more accurately rate this for the collecting community, I’d say this figure is only warm at 3 out of 5 Rads. So much potential lost on this one. Still. I’m beyond glad that I have one. 99% of the time, I see this figure facing off Destoroyah on my shelf unit, too far away to notice the soft face sculpt. (…but I know it’s there! AARGH!) MORE INFORMATIONX-TRAS   COLLECTOR’S PHOTO GALLERYBy John Stanowski, Originally posted February 7th, 2016 on Kaiju Addicts.
 FIGURE SPECS大怪獣シリーズ 「ウルトラマン Cタイプ」 登場ポーズ JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: APRIL 2015 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “ULTRAMAN”, 1966-1967 HEIGHT: (ARM TO FLOOR) ABOUT 10.75 INCHES / 27.3 CM HEIGHT: (HEAD TO FLOOR) 10 / 25.4 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 3 OZ / 85 G ARTICULATION: ANKLES REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI X-Plus has provided Ultraman fans with multiple releases of the original 1966 titan of light from Nebula M78. Each release featured our hero in a different iconic pose. The wrestling pose, a standing pose and, of course, the Spacium Ray pose. For years I wondered when the hell were they going to get around to the Appearance Pose? It finally appeared in February 2015 as a pre-order and hit shelves a month later. And it’s freaking awesome! THE BOXThis figure comes in the standard Large Monster Series Ultraman 1966-1996 Collection off white window box. Ultraman figures from shows post ’96 come in a darker box (blue, I think). As usual, the figure is wire-tied into a plastic shell inside. (I’ll try to add a photo of the box later!) SCULPT As usual, X-Plus Ultraman vinyls have super realistic and accurate sculpts that set them well apart from vinyls from most other companies. And this figure is no exception. I’ve always been amazed at how good these things look. And, while X-Plus makes the same attempt at realism with their Godzilla and Kaiju figures, extra credit must be awarded for accomplishing that with Ultraman. There’s just a lot less room for error when it comes to this guy. And, X-Plus comes through and EXCELS with it. In my earlier reviews, I was fond of saying that X-Plus figures look like they literally walked off the screen. I find the need to say it again with this figure. If you were to light it just right, photograph it and composite it into a photo, it really would be difficult to tell if you were looking at a vinyl or the real thing.  Always a nice touch on X-Plus Ultras: the eyes are molded in translucent plastic which is segmented on the outside and painted white on the inside. This allows the light to create patterns of refraction on the inner, painted surface. The effect looks great!  The ridge running down Ultraman’s back (which hid the suit’s zipper from view) is reproduced so faithfully on this figure. This is actually one of my favorite details to look for on new X-Plus Ultraman figures.  Ridges for the zippers on the suit’s boots are also found perfectly sculpted on this figure. One minor downside to the sculpt on this figure (as on all X-Plus Ultras) is the lack of individually sculpted fingers. When compared to the attention the rest of the figure has received, the hands are not as impressive. I think it would have been a nice touch if X-Plus had applied a darker wash into the groves between the fingers to help out in this, this only weak area of the sculpt. But, NOT complaining at all. I’m still floored that we can get Ultraman figures with such a super-high level of accuracy. As usual, X-Plus Ultraman vinyls have super realistic and accurate sculpts that set them well apart from vinyls from most other companies. And this figure is no exception. POSE For those who are not blessed (cursed?) with an obsession for the original Ultraman, this is his appearance pose. Science Patrol member Shin Hiyata would reach into his breast pocket with his right hand and pull out the beta capsule, hold it up in the air and transform into Ultraman. When he appeared, he would be in the same position with his right hand in the air. Unlike Hiyata, Ultraman also has his left arm curled upward as if flexing a muscle. Preparing to battle kaiju, Step One: Intimidation. Show off that bicep. JOINTS & SEAMSSeams. Yes, ouch. Unfortunately there are always clear seams on the shoulders of every X-Plus Ultraman figure. We’ll just have to look past that. It is a vinyl, after all. Other than that, nothing really noticeable. Ever. On any of them. I should point out that the ankles have articulation as do all X-Plus Ultraman figures. This is really helpful if you plan to have your figure stand on its own instead of using the accompanying base. A slight twist on each ankle is very helpful when trying to find balance. Finally, there is what appears to be a faint seam running around the waist. But hold on there. That was etched into the sculpt in order to reproduce a real seam on the real suit. X-Plus’ attention to accurate detail never fails to amaze. PAINT JOBThere’s not much going on here since Ultraman is basically just silver and red. And in the case of this particular figure, those colors are noticeably brighter than on previous X-Plus Ultraman figures. The red is “redder” and cleaner. And the silver is brighter and shinier. Why? Because this is the appearance pose. He’s only just arrived and has no dirt or debris over him yet. That logic doesn’t really work very well, since the suit got beat up as the episodes went on. I just like to consider this figure the “first” appearance of the C-Type suit. The only other color on this figure comes from the molded blue plastic color timer on his chest and the translucent eyes I mentioned earlier. If you were to light it just right, photograph it and composite it into a photo, it really would be difficult to tell if you were looking at a vinyl or the real thing. SIZE COMPARISONS Here, Ultraman stands among some of his foes. A selection of Ultra kaiju from X-Plus’ Reborn flavor. Left to right: Large Monster Series Red King Reborn, Bemular Reborn, Baltan 1 Reborn and Gomora Reborn. Reborns are newer sculpts to replace previous X-Plus releases. They are larger than original sculpts, yet still no match for Ultraman’s taller and out-of-scale height. I just don’t get why X-Plus does this. Apparently, they think our hero needs to be taller than the bad guys, and taller than he was on the show.  Ultraman seems like a good fit for this selection of Toho Large Monster Series figures. Left to right: Godzilla 1968, Mechagodzilla 1975, Godzilla 1966 and Hedorah (Landing Stage). Even though he looks good on the shelf besides these, technically he’s a bit taller to be in proper scale with them.  Here is a size comparison with other figures which were released around the same time as this one (left to right): The 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1991, Large Monster Series Mothra 1964 and the 30cm Series Godzilla 2014. He actually looks to be in scale with that ’91.  If you’re new to X-Plus but already an Ultraman collector, here’s the figure with some figures from other lines you may already have. Left to right: Ultra-Act Ultraman (the new one), a Bandai and the CCP Type C. (By the way, if you ever order an Ultraman figure from CCP and you get a choice to go for Orange or Red, get the Orange. Their red is too dark while the orange looks perfect.) FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFThis figure barely even has a footprint. Unless you use the base which seems to be wider than it need be. Making room for this guy on the shelf: not a problem. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVE The Exclusive Ric Boy version of this feature comes with a light gimmick which make the figures eyes glow white, and his color timer blue. Usually, Ric Boy’s come with two modes for the color timer: steady blue and blinking red for when his power is running low. This figure, however, only comes with the steady blue. Which, if you think about it, makes perfect sense seeing as how he’s only just “appeared”. He hasn’t even had a chance to run low on power, so no blinky blinky on this one.  While Ultraman gets his power from Earth’s sun, the figure gets it from the base. A port under the figure’s right foot let’s it step onto the plug on the top of the base. A switch on the back of the base controls the light. SUMMARYThis figure has an amazing, accurate sculpt, great paint applications and features the second most famous Ultraman pose of all time. How could you not be excited about this one? Four and a half rads on the Rad Meter!  MORE INFORMATIONX-TRAS   By John Stanowski Originally posted January 8th, 2016 on Kaiju Addicts.
 The new Large Monster Series Mothra 1964 Ric Boy version came paired with a re-issue of the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1964. Some collectors, though, already had the original release of the 25cm Series Godzilla ’64 already sitting on their shelves and so opted to buy Mothra solo. Thing is, there’s a footprint on Mothra’s sandy base meant for Godzilla’s foot to rest in. The new G’64 comes with a small base that rests under his tail and lets one foot sit on Mothra’s base and the other on the shelf. Owners of the original Godzilla ’64, though, have a completely different, fuller base with raises the figure slightly off the shelf and supports it into a standing position. (The figure can’t stand properly without something holding the tail up.)  Now, just because you have an original Godzilla beside a new Mothra doesn’t mean you can’t arrange them the same way as the Ric set was meant to. As I already demonstrated in my recent 25cm Godzilla 1964 Review, you can have the figure stand directly on the shelf and still use the base to support the tail, just not in the way in which it was intended.
So, if you like, you can still “connect” these two figures even if you don’t have that new mini base for Godzilla. Just press his foot into the footprint, press and hold it while sliding the original base behind him until his right heal and tail rest on it. By John Stanowski Originally posted June 13th, 2015 on Kaiju Addicts.  FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣リーズ 「ゴジラ（1964版）モスラ対ゴジラ」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012 JAPAN RE-ISSUE (WITH MOTHRA SET): APRIL 2015 SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES (25CM SERIES) MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: モスラ対ゴジラ “MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA”, 1964 HEIGHT (WITH BASE): 9.5 INCHES / 24.13 CM (WITHOUT BASE): 9 INCHES / 22.8 CM WIDTH: 4.5 INCHES / 11.43 CM LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 13.5 INCHES / 34.29 CM FIGURE WEIGHT (WITH BASE): 15 OZ / 425 G (WITHOUT BASE): 10 OZ / 283 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI. SOME PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY LESTER WAYNE DANIELS AND RICH ESO. The Toho Large Monster Series Godzilla 1964 was released by X-Plus in early 2012. It’s modeled after the suit as it appeared in Mothra vs. Godzilla. This suit was used again (with some modifications) in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster which also came out in 1964. Depending on your level of OCD, this figure will do fine to represent either movie on your shelves. THE BOX
The 25cm Godzilla 1964 comes in the standard Large Monster Series window box. This same box design gets used for all of the Large Monster Series figures that will fit into it. The only thing on the box that’s different and identifies the figure is a long black sticker on the bottom of the front. Inside, the figure is wired into a plastic shell made just for the main body, the tail which you must attach yourself and the base. Special thanks to Lester Wayne Daniels for the photos of the box. My box is long gone. THE BASE This vinyl comes with a base which is needed for the figure to stand properly. A rare move for X-Plus. It is not attached; the figure’s feet simply rest on impressions on the top. It’s fairly snug and the figure fairly steady when on it. If you’re not diggin’ the base, you can push it out of the way and let Godzilla’s feet touch the ground. See the Footprint on the Shelf section for more on that. Not only did X-Plus reproduce the suit’s details accurately, but its personality, movement and gait as well. SCULPT A picture is worth a thousand words, and the one above shows that the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1964 by X-Plus is unmistakably a fantastic representation of the suit. I’m going to have to say it yet again: it looks like it walked right out of the movie.  All of MosuGoji’s unique signature characteristics are captured accurately in the sculpt. The shape of his head, his long, thin fingers and even little details like every spike on his dorsal fins is here on this figure. Note the unique “V” shaped fin at the top of this back, and the extra spikey fin further down. This guy is crazy accurate. Not only did X-Plus reproduce the suit’s details accurately, but its personality, movement and gait as well.  Signature features of the 1964 Godzilla suit are here in the sculpt. The smooth, sweeping eyebrows, jowls and inward slanted teeth are faithfully represented. Once again, I have to point out this excellent X-Plus figure has individually sculpted teeth. Okay, who’s getting tired of reading that? We all know this by now, I know. But I have to consider the new collectors!  The sculpt represents the head on the original suit very well from every single angle! A nice touch are the crinkles in the skin at the bottom of the neck, where the rubber head started to fall forward over suit actor Haruo Nakajima’s real head inside! I’m surprised that this figure does not have the dimples in the sculpt to represent the holes Nakajima was able to see through. X-Plus usually adds that feature on other figures. SCULPT COMPARISONLet’s use some camera trickery to even out the heights and focus on the sculpts.  This is the Large Monster Series (25cm) Godzilla 1964 beside the 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. They are NOT the same size. Actually, the larger figure on the right is standing about 12 inches further away from the camera than the smaller figure on the left. This is a forced perspective in-camera trick to make the two appear to be the same size. I did this so that we could ‘line them up’ and compare sculpt details from both on even ground. And I have to stop and say, Woah, look how similar they are! No really, holy shit, X-Plus! How are you that good?? The proportions line up and the size of mostly everything matches up perfectly. The only difference I see in in the size of the feet. Still… Wow! X-Plus’ sculpting expertise astounds me yet again. WHO’S BETTER? Well, what do YOU think? Comment below and let us know which is your favorite sculpt. That’s if you see much of a difference. The pose is more expressive than most X-Plus Godzilla vinyls. I have to point out the hands right away. They look and feel so real. I actually feel like they’re getting ready to close by themselves. JOINTS & SEAMSFirst, I’d like to review my definitions of joints and seams because I’ve heard the two used interchangeably recently. A joint in the real world is an articulate surface, like a human knee or elbow. Articulated figures have mechanisms referred to as joints because, well, they’re articulated. In the world of vinyl statues, however, a joint is limited to the joining of two separate pieces which are not glued nor have had any attempt at being filled or covered. They are, most of the time, free to rotate. A seam is an area where two pieces are held together with glue. On a vinyl statue these are most commonly seen at elbows, knees and jaws. This connection of separate pieces does not allow for any movement at all. Basically, a seam is a visible line which ideally should not be there in the first place. Now, with that out of the way, this figure’s only joint is at the tail. It’s reasonably concealed within the sculpted bands of the tail. There are seams above both elbows and below both knees. They are relatively unnoticeable with the exception of the right elbow. There’s likely a seam around the bottom jaw but you can’t see it so let’s move on. The entire of row of dorsal fins, as usual, are a attached to a separate piece of vinyl glued onto the body. The seams here, also as usual, are pretty much invisible. Deduct some points from my review for even bringing it up. To summarize, there isn’t much to see here except an excellent sculpt! POSE The pose is more expressive than most X-Plus Godzilla vinyls. I have to point out the hands right away. They look and feel so real. I actually feel like they’re getting ready to close by themselves. There’s a subtle sway in the monster’s step. He’s looking down and slightly toward its left. Also, a big thing to note is that the figure is in mid-step with its right heel still off the ground. Here’s where that base comes into play for making this pose possible. As interesting as the base is, I’d rather the figure had a more standard footing so that the base didn’t have to be there all the while messing up the pattern on my shelves. THE LEAN Which brings me to the lean. If you look at the front and rear views of this figure, you’ll see the lean I’m talking about. It looks great from some angles and makes it look like Godzilla is actually walking. However, from some angle it also seems to be too much. Click the photo above for a larger view and you’ll see what I’m talking about. If you happen to not like the base, or the lean, or both, I have a couple great tips for you down below in the Footprint on the Shelf section. PAINT JOBThe X-Plus Godzilla 1964 is a tad more colorful than other Godzilla figures. It’s black skin is glowing with a blueish/greenish glow with a dull, lighter greenish spray of highlights on the chest. Subtle neutral highlights can be found on the higher elevations of the skin all over the figure. Drab green coats the signature 1964 “eyebrows”. The teeth are an excellent, non-stark, off white and a gummy pink fills in the rest of the mouth. The whites of his eyes are also off white and on the darker side. Like it! Black is used for combined retina/iris balls of mean stare. It looks like they dabbed over the black with a glossy filter paint to give them a little shine — a nice touch for something so small on the figure. The claws are a dirty tan with even darker shadowing sprayed close to the ‘cuticles’. We seem to have some disagreement between the two scales on which shade these bony bits should be colored. The 30cm Series Godzilla 1964 has a dirty ivory color instead of the tan used on the 25. SIZE COMPARISONS The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1964 fits in well with other figures in the line as seen here with the 1966 (left) and the 1968 (right). The 64’s base gives the figure a half inch boost and thus makes him out to be taller than he really is. But you can fix that …  If you like, you can let your 64 touch the floor with only his tail resting on the base, now pushed toward the back. Everyone is seeing eye to eye now.  The 25cm Godzilla 1964 almost seems dwarfed by the Mothra Imago 1961, but these are the correct proportions. Mothra was a big ol’ bitch back then! By the way, you need use the 61 Mothra for only a little while longer since a 1964 version is in the works and due out later this year.  Here, the original release of the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1964 is paired with Mothra 1964. Note how you can still “connect” the two figures by resting Godzilla’s left foot in the footprint on Mothra’s base, and using the old base to hold up the tail only.  Here is the Godzilla ’64 flanked by his Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster buddies, Rodan 1964 and as a stand-in, the King Ghidorah 1968. (The non-scale Mothra larva was the Ric Boy extra that came with Rodan.) As you can see, nice fit!  And just for the hell of it, here’s the Large Monster Series 64 with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. FOOTPRINT ON THE SHELF This figure gets along well with other on the shelf and doesn’t ask more much room. It’s 13.5 inches long from the nose to the tip of the tail. It’s about one inch less if you just go by the front of the base to the tail. TO LEAN OR NOT TO LEAN  This figure has a lean which looks great from some angles, but looks like too much from other angles. There is an easy fix if you’d rather your 64 was standing straight. While keeping the forward leg completely in its footprint on the base, lift the back of the figure and swing it slightly toward the side so that the rear foot comes out of its footprint and rest closer to the edge. That right there will make the figure stand tall, and it’s still reasonably sturdy, too. BASE, AWAY WITH THEE! If you’re just not diggin’ the whole base thing at all, do this: stand your 64 directly on the shelf and place the base (rotated 90 degrees) out of the way behind the figure. Lift the tail and rest it on the same rocky hill it was resting on before, just from the side this time. Note that the figure will still have the lean. If you want a baseless, lean-less pose, slide the tail off the rock and rest it beside it. This will make the figure stand straight. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: RICH ESO The Ric Boy version of the original release came with two mini Mothra larva figures. One is straight while the other has a curl in the tail. They’re a tad small to be in scale with the main figure, but they make nice addition nonetheless. Alas, I don’t have them. Special thanks to Rich Eso for taking a photo of his. X-TRAS       COLLECTORS GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted February 28th, 2015 on Kaiju Addicts.
 FIGURE SPECS東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「キングギドラ（1968）」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: DECEMBER 2014 NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) RE-ISSUE: NOVEMBER 2017 SERIES: TOHO LARGE MONSTER SERIES MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL, ABS, INJECTION MOLDED PLASTIC FROM: 怪獣総進撃 “DESTROY ALL MONSTERS”, 1968 HEIGHT (TOP OF HEADS TO GROUND): 12.59 INCHES / 32 CM HEIGHT (TOP OF WINGS TO GROUND): 18.5 INCHES / 47 CM WIDTH (WINGSPAN): 24.4 INCHES / 62 CM LENGTH (NOSES TO TAIL): 20 INCHES / 51 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 3 POUNDS, 2 OZ / 1417 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI One of THE most eagerly anticipated figures has finally landed! As of this writing, the X-Plus Toho Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 1968 vinyl figure is finally dropping on the doorsteps of eager collectors everywhere causing them to scream with glee like a pack of Japanese school girls. And if any of them tell you any different… they’re lying. This figure is based on King Ghidorah’s appearance in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters. A curious first choice for this monster since it appeared in the movie for only five minutes. No doubt, X-Plus chose the 1968 version in order to provide us with a DAM line-up of vinyls. This figure belongs to the Large Monster Series where most figures come in at 25cm (9.8 inches) tall on average. King Ghidorah, though, is much larger yet in scale with the other figures in that series. Actually, it’s not so much “larger” as it is taller, wider and longer. The body itself is comparable to the 25cm Godzilla 1968. But its long necks, tails and wings stretch out ridiculously far making this… okay, it’s Big! Okay, ’nuff chit chat. Let’s open the box! THE BOX
This figure comes in the standard “alternate” Large Monster Series box design reserved for larger figures. It’s plain white with monochrome figure art on the front. We’ve seen this style of box before with Mothra Imago, the Rodans and Viras. Inside the box, the figure is wired into a plastic shell. The figure comes in three pieces: the main body (including the heads and tails) and two wings. Some collectors, though, are getting their figures in four, five, six or more pieces. But, more on that later. ASSEMBLY – THE WINGS
The wings are made of ABS plastic. Prongs on the end of each wing plug into an ABS infrastructure inside the torso. How successful these connections seem to be are on a figure to figure basis. Many are reporting loose connections. The wings on my figure were pretty loose when I first put them in. However, later, they seemed to get snug. I suspect this has something to do with the vinyl surrounding the connection. Perhaps they help to “hug” the joint. Some collectors have said that they heated the vinyl around the back holes which allowed the wings to slide right in. And then they cooled the vinyl and report the wings seem tight now. Be sure to read the Caution Section further down in the review for more on the wings. STRUCTURE Because of its size, this figure has been reinforced. The wings are made of ABS plastic to prevent droopage. They used this technique previously with the wings on the Large Monster Series Mothra Imago. King Ghidorah also has something going on under the hood. ABS innards allow the wings attach to something stronger than vinyl. Now, while the wings themselves won’t get deformed in warmer seasons or climates, it remains to be seen what role the vinyl itself plays in keeping the wings flying high. Speaking of droopage, all three of King Ghidorah’s heads lay at the end of long, winding vinyl necks. Two of them reach out almost horizontally forward. These are perfect candidates for the dreaded droopage. To combat this, X-Plus inserted metal wires on the inside of each neck to keep its heads held high. This same technique was used previously in the tentacles of the Large Monster Series Biollante. Weight was added to the bottom portions of the figure to help prevent toppling. How it was added, I’m not sure. But something feels solid down there in the leg pieces below the knees and the first few inches of the tails. As a bonus, the figure has a nice heavy feel to it. King Ghidorah’s heads are not vinyl. Instead they are made of injection molded plastic. Because of this, the horns can be snapped off if mishandled. Please see the Caution Section further down in the review for more. SCULPT Do I even have to say anything here?  HEAD As already mentioned, the heads are made of injection molded plastic. And they look good! What really stands out on them, as with most other high end X-Plus figures, are the individually sculpted teeth. The tongues are also individually sculpted. All of it looks more impressive in person because you can’t help but wonder how they managed to get so much detail into a space the size of a quarter.  LOOK, MA! NO WIRES! The necks have been positioned to create a suspended-on-wires look for a truly authentic recreation of the suit from the movie. And that’s a GOOD thing! If they had gone for something more probable and realistic then they would have crossed the line into stylization. Thank God for X-Plus’ devotion to suit accuracy!  The upper legs look beefier than they were on the suit which had a severe case of skinny, horse rider legs with a huge gap between them. In the movie, they looked like shit. The gap between the legs is here in the sculpt, but the scrawny legs are, shall we say, fixed. If I’m right, and X-Plus took a liberty with the design here then that’s okay with me. Hey, Ghidorah. Nice legs!  SCALES Will you LOOK at the scales on this figure! Holy shite! King Ghidorah’s scaly skin isn’t merely a texture etched into the vinyl, but rather a mass of sculpted scales! Many of them peel away slightly from the body. Fan-f’n-tastic!  WINGS The ABS wings look incredible with fabric-like waves and folds the likes of which you might find on a hot air balloon. But, is that suit accurate? The actual wings were probably about as large as a bed and I don’t remember seeing that many waves on them in the movie. The wings on this figure may be a case of artistic liberty. But I’m not going to complain. They DO look good! The base of each wing, where it connects to the body, has a “sleeve” of vinyl material sculpted with scales and done so to match the rest of the figure. You can detect a difference in material between the wings and wing base, but that’s not the main problem here. They stand out as different pieces since they don’t physically blend into each other very well. Dark shadowing applied in this area helps to conceal this gap, but it’s not perfect.  MANES The manes of hair behind each head are sculpted fairly well considering that furry mops don’t translate to vinyl very well. I think they stand out more than they should but methinks that’s more a matter of paint.  TAIL Like the necks, the tails waver up and down as if subtly pulled on by wires in true King Ghidorah suit form. It’s a killer likeness of the suit. It’s huge, painted well, huge and has a lot of fine details along with an incredible scale texture in the sculpt which is reasonable seam-free from the front. And, it’s huge! It’s 3 pounds heavy and feels good in the hand. And huge! POSE
It’s not like there’s a ton of poses to choose from for this guy. The pose is pretty standard stuff, and once again, that’s fine by me. With golden wings fully outstretched, one leg slightly behind the other and all three heads looking like they’re really hanging from wires, the X-Plus King Ghidorah looks purdy on the shelf. JOINTS & SEAMS
Scaly textures usually don’t make for seamless seams. Thankfully, the front view of the X-Plus King Ghidorah is immaculate and you’d have a hard time finding a line without a really, really close look. This is impressive since this figure is made of a lot of pieces. The lower legs are separate pieces but you can’t even tell since there’s no line to give it away. The upper and lower body are two separate pieces with a mostly invisible (from the front) seam running between them right under Ghidorah’s man boobs. This seam is, though, more visible from the back. On the necks, there are seams about an inch behind each mane though I suspect not the middle head. You can’t see these unless you really, really look. And you have to believe you’ll see them before they appear! The base of each neck, where they connect to the body have seams a tad more visible, but again, more from the back. The bottom jaws are separate pieces and do have faint lines visible. The tails are made up of several pieces but so far I’ve seen only one faint seam. I just gave up trying to find them. If I have to try that hard to see them, then they may as well not be there. Now, here’s where it gets ugly. From the back and sides you can see gaps around where the wings connect which, I suppose, is to be expected. Also, the ABS wings have sleeves of scaly vinyl glued on near where they attach to the body. There are visible gaps here as well. Thankfully, from the front and forward angle views, you can’t see any of it. The real mess is left for the wall to see. PAINT JOBPhotos of the X-Plus Large Monster Series King Ghidorah can be deceiving. In these shots, the figure usually turns out looking like it’s covered in bright, super shiny, metallic gold. That’s not ‘exactly’ the case when the figure is in front of you. It’s hard to explain, but it really looks like a dark, dusty gold. The light plays off its semi-glossiness to great effect and creates tons of specular highlights and lots of detailed shadows. In addition to the shadows caused by the light, there is also subtle shadowing applied with a darker shade of gold paint here and there. It looks amazing. And more importantly, it looks like a perfect match for the suit in the movie (in person). The wings, also golden, appear to be a slightly different shade, possibly because of the difference in material. Or possibly because that’s how the suit actually was. Either way, they are a bit too shiny for me. They’re definitely shinier than the wings in the movie. I would have preferred it if they used something more dull here. They do look fantastic the way they are, but I’m just not seeing them match with the movie 100%. Let’s work our way up the necks to the furry manes behind each head. They are a dark, unsaturated brown with highlights brushed onto the higher elevations. Overall, I think they’re too dark. Keep in mind that they look much darker in photos, including my own. In person, they’re not as bad. But they could still use a slightly lighter shade. The eyes have large, shark-like pupils with slivers of red on the sides. From what I could see, they match the suit fairly well. Close enough for me. The individually sculpted teeth are also individually painted! Whether one by one by hand or with the aid of a stencil, the end result is gold teeth (as in the movie) cleanly separated from the pink gums and mouth. SIZE COMPARISONS The Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 1968 towers over the Large Monster Series Godzilla 1968. If you count the wings, KG is twice as high! Unfair height advantage aside, these figures really are in scale with each other. What I usually do to determine this is I see if the limbs line up. Do the knees, hips, shoulders and heads of the suit actor inside meet from each figure. Yeah, I’m sure there were suit actors with different heights but it works good enough.  You saw this one coming, right? MORE COMPARISON SHOTS TO COME. FOOTPRINT Here now is our big problem with this figure: The X-Plus King Ghidorah is going to wreak havoc with your shelves. It’s TWENTY INCHES LONG! Those tails don’t care how much space you have. They don’t want to accommodate the depth of your shelf by curling up into the air. They just gently wave straight back. The good news is it’s only 13 inches long from toes to tail (less if you place it on an angle, but those wings may get in the way). You may have to get used to the idea of those golden heads precariously reaching out over the edge of your shelf. Obviously, the length isn’t the only problem, or even the main problem. The wings rise up 18 and half inches above the ground plane! If you have adjustable shelves, you’re going to have to make a change. And even then it may look odd with all that dead space above all of the other 25’s. I’m sorry to say that the X-Plus King Ghidorah 1968 either needs to be on the top shelf (assuming your ceiling is high enough), or in its own open space. As for width, the wings take up a lot of room, but they angle so far back that they will allow other figures to stand not only in front of them, but almost side-by-side with King Ghidorah. CAUTIONThis vinyl figure has quite a few features that make it necessary to treat it with a little more care. You almost need to treat it as if it were a resin statue. The heads and long necks are glued on in at least three sections and are perfect targets for accidental bumps and collisions, wires or no wires. The injection molded heads have horns which are no where near as forgiving as vinyl when it comes to bumps. The horns can and will give by snapping off. The claws (or hooks) at the end of Ghidorah’s wing fingers (or digits) are also super prime candidates for getting snapped off. This is a large figure and it’s very easy to hit something with the wings when moving it around. Imagine moving around in a closet with an open umbrella. That’s what it could be like handling this figure. Finally, the wings may not fit very snugly into the back of your figure. At first, the wings on mine went in easily and immediately began to pull away from the body. They don’t do that now, and I’m not sure what’s different, but they’re pretty set in now. But they will come loose if bumped. Also, even though the ABS wings won’t droop in the summer heat, I’m wondering if it will have any effect on the joints. Will the holes in the back vinyl get larger or softer? Will they loosen their grip on the wings? Will the ABS pegs alone be able to support them? It may be a good idea to make sure your X-Plus King Ghidorah is on softer ground and give the wings a short fall should they decide to detach on their own. OH-OHThe release of the X-Plus King Ghidorah was not as cheerful as one might expect. Not for everyone. THE GREAT AMIAMI FIASCO The box for King Ghidorah is an odd shape. It’s very tall, very wide but not very deep. And there just aren’t any shipping boxes that even come near its size specs. AmiAmi.com, a popular (past tense?) Japanese retailer who makes it easy for us westerners to get X-Plus, solved the problem by NOT using any shipping box at all. Yeah, you read that right. They just slapped an invoice pouch directly onto the X-Plus box (they stuck it on the front over the cover art) and sent it on its way overseas. …What? Dell Champagne Martinez says his friends in Japan who ordered from AmiAmi DID get shipping boxes. …What? AmiAmi did start to listen to complaints but only half of them. They started to slap the invoice pouches on the top of the box instead of right smack on the art. But they were still sent out without shipping boxes. It should go without saying that the King Ghidorah box is not made to aptly protect the figure inside when it’s tossed into the mail without a shipping box. There have been almost innumerable cases of collectors in the west getting figures with broken horns, necks, legs. Public sentiment in the collector community toward AmiAmi has taken a nosedive, and rightly so. Dumbasses. THE GREAT X-PLUS KING GHIDORAH FIASCO Not all broken figures came from AmiAmi. Yes, even many of the figures which were lovingly wrapped in custom shipping boxes arrived in pieces. Again: stories of broken horns, necks and legs abound. Some collectors got two broken necks. Some got three. King Ghidorah cost over $300, but X-Plus couldn’t make a better box to protect it? Thankfully, heads, necks and legs can usually be glued back on cleanly by the collector. But, should they really have to do that? Getting a busted figure on Box Day isn’t fun. See collector Samson West’s unhappy Unboxing Video. For a lengthy discussion of the atrocities that have been showing up on collectors’ doorsteps, see Rich Eso’s X-Plus King Ghidorah Video Review. The first 20 minutes is devoted to just that. And, please don’t let the horror stories dissuade you from getting this amazing vinyl though. Despite the desecrated box I got from AmiAmi, my figure arrived in fine condition. SUMMARYIf your X-Plus King Ghidorah 1968 arrives intact, prepare… to be blown… away. It’s a killer likeness of the suit. It’s huge, painted well, huge and has a lot of fine details along with an incredible scale texture in the sculpt which is reasonable seam-free from the front. And, it’s huge! It’s 3 pounds heavy and feels good in the hand. And huge! Despite requiring more care, I think this is one of the most amazing X-Plus releases ever! …but only if it arrives in three pieces! MORE INFORMATION
EXTRAS   COLLECTORS’ PHOTO GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted January 2nd, 2015 on Kaiju Addicts.
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Author/AboutJohn Stanowski
Owner/Blogger of Kaiju Addicts, a premiere X-Plus and figure related website. Kaiju Addicts is a guide to collecting X-Plus Godzilla/Kaiju vinyls. It is site that is a web portal featuring all things X-Plus including his own written figure reviews, news, release schedules as well as content from other collectors and reviewers. Kaiju Addicts Reviews and Original photos by John Stanowski, do not copy and reuse without permission. Photos are NOT to be used for selling. Kaiju Addicts also posts content from other reviewers and user submitted photos which are copyrighted by their owners and can not be copied without permission. All articles on this page are
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