Full Review: Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 Vinyl Figure By X-Plus12/30/2017 FIGURE SPECS東宝30CMシリーズ 酒井ゆうじ造形コレクション ゴジラ2001「ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: FEB-MAR 2017 NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: JUNE 2017 SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES YUJI SAKAI MODELING COLLECTION MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK” (2001) ゴジラVSデストロイア HEIGHT: 10.875 INCHES / 27.6 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 8 INCHES / 20.3 CM LENGTH (RIGHT FOOT TO TIP OF TAIL): 15.75 INCHES / 40 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 1 LB 1OZ / 482 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. The Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 vinyl figure by X-Plus was first announced in late 2015. It was released in Japan in late February / early March, 2016. It was re-issued by X-Plus for the United States and Canada in June 2017. This figure is based on Godzilla’s appearance in the 2001 Shusuke Kaneko film, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, the third movie in the Millennium Series. It was sculpted by renowned Godzilla sculptor, Yuji Sakai. It is the fourth in the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection. It follows the 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 (Osaka Landing), Godzilla 1991 (Hokkaido Version) and the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2000. THE BOXThe 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 comes in a plain box (14.25″ x 8.5″ x 13″) with color art only on the cover. Note: the North American (Diamond) Reissue of this figure uses the same box with the exception of the PX (Previews Exclusive) logo added to the front. Inside, the figure is wired into a form-fitting plastic shell. It comes in two pieces: the main body and a tail piece which you must attach. (Watch Rich Eso’s video on how to attach tails the right way.) TAIL BASELike most of the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection, this figure comes with a tail base which it will need in order to stand properly. I really don’t understand Mr. Sakai’s constant need to have his Goji sculpts with their tails up in the air. I would love to be able to pick his figures up and put them down without having to worry about lining up the tail stand first. If you’re not one to handle your figures frequently, then this really shouldn’t be an issue for you. If you choose to not use the base (or loose it) the figure will still display well from the front as seen in the photo above on the left. Side view is another story though, as you can see in the photo above on the right. SCULPTAnd, here it is. It’s practically a masterpiece. X-Plus’ two previous attempts (in modern times – post 2009) at this suit had both fallen short on movie accuracy to varying degrees. While this sculpt is not completely movie accurate in all areas either (more on that later), it’s very, very close. And, it’s off the charts when it comes to its ability to capture the essence of the GMK suit. If you ask me, this one right here is the ultimate X-Plus GMK — for those who prefer movie accuracy — to own. There may be some competition for it when the “vinylized” MM28 sculpt comes out in 2018, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re talking about THIS guy right now. HEAD SCULPT This is one of the areas where this figure really shines. Mr. Sakai did a fantastic job reproducing Godzilla’s head from every angle. No small feat, especially in the world of X-Plus. The head on the 30cm Series Godzilla 2001 was sort of bloated and soft. And the head on the Large Monster Series Godzilla 2001, though better, seems too thin from the front. This Sakai here though… FIVE stars! New collectors will find that the skin textures on this figure are an intricate playground for your eyes and tactile senses. More experienced collectors may find that this figure has a … “sculptor-ly” quality about it. Not on the intricate details like the face and claws, but on wide patches of skin. The skin texture may come off as being too intricate and too deep when comparing it to the suit used in the movie. I don’t think you should let that bother you though. All of the Sakai figures are like that, and you get used it pretty quickly. The dorsal spines on Godzilla 2001 are totally unique to this one suit. And their bony, coral-like design is absolutely nailed on this figure. And an expertly added rough texture makes them look even better. EXCEPTIONS TO MOVIE ACCURACY As I wrote earlier, this sculpt is really close to being movie accurate and, currently, no other X-Plus GMK can match it. But if you want to nitpick, there are a couple of areas where it strays from the original suit. The thighs stand out the most. They are overly muscular with bulging top quads down the front center of each leg. This area is generally smooth and roundish all around on the actual suit. The chest on the figure also seems to be a tad ‘chiseled’ compared to the usually flat chest on the suit. (Ironically, the original 30cm Series Godzilla 2001, which is considered a bit on the inferior side, gets both of these areas right.) But even with these two liberties taken by the sculptor, the 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 is currently still second to none when it comes to looking like the “real” thing. If you ask me, this one right here is the ultimate X-Plus GMK — for those who prefer movie accuracy — to own. POSEApart from the tail, this figure stands face front, arms at sides and legs spread in a pretty standard pose. That’s the way I like it! The figure stands in a neutral way allowing you to get sucked into all of the crazy good detail. The tail, on the other hand, is kind of radical in it’s sweeping curl up along the figure’s right side. If you view the figure from the front, you’ll see that the tail is almost totally pulled to one side. This may cause a little congestion with a neighboring figure on the shelf. Though I don’t have any trouble with it, even though my figures are packed in tight on display. JOINTS & SEAMSThe only free joints on this figure is where you connect the tail and below the knees. All three connections are well hidden. Apart from that, it’s other parts are virtually seamless. PAINT JOBThis figure has the usual asphalt black applied over the main body. Like other figures in the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection, it’s base coat seems to have a richer quality to it. Apart from a touch of lighter black drybrushed onto the chest, it really has no more highlights. But for some reason this doesn’t need them. This thing looks stellar just the way it is. Perhaps because of the way the light plays on it’s deeper textures. Instead of the usual bony tans, the claws are painted a sort of blueish gray which feather well into the feet and well enough on the claws. The most impressive work can be found on the dorsal spines where an off-white (with almost a tinge of blue) expertly feather into the dull black where each bony plate meets the back. Very, very well done. The individually sculpted teeth are individually painted in an off tartar white. A reserved deep, dark red coats the mouth and skillfully fills the space between each tooth. Godzilla’s dead white eyes are sprayed with an off white which does not rush to meet the edges of the skin. This creates a sort of faux shadow look which gives each eye more depth. (It was most likely the easiest way for them to get painted in the factory. Regardless, what you get looks pretty damn cool. The most impressive work can be found on the dorsal spines where an off-white (with almost a tinge of blue) expertly feather into the dull black where each bony plate meets the back. SIZEThe most important thing I could say about this figure’s size is that, compared to the bulk of the Toho 30cm Series, it comes up short at only 27.6cm (10.8 inches). Because of this, it does look smaller all around. But, if you are collecting other figures from the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection, you’ll find that it fits right in with the rest of the figures. All I can suggest is realize that you now collect 30cm figures and 27.5cm figures. Keep them on their own separate shelves and they’ll look great. If you already also collect the Large Monster Series, you know what I mean. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFAs you can see from the photo, and as already mentioned, this GMK has a swooping tail which takes up a lot of space on the figure’s right side. Fortunately, that tail also rises up just enough to let you slip the standard tail of another Sakai below it. So if you do it right, you won’t have a lot of unusable dead space next to this guy. SIZE COMPARISONSTHE SAKAIS This GMK fits perfectly in scale with the rest of the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection vinyls: the Godzilla 1989 Osaka Landing Version, the Godzilla 1991 Hokkaido Version, Godzilla 2001 and the Godzilla 1992 Tanzawa March Version. Unlike most other figures in the Toho 30cm Series, these are actually reach up only as much as 27.5cm tall. If you don’t like zig zags in your X-Plus skyline, just do what I do and display the Sakai’s on their own shelf. THE GMK’S The newer Yuji Sakai Godzilla 2001 is the clear winner when it comes to matching the suit in the movie. The Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 2001 on the left has some issues, but I’m still glad I have one! On the right is the original Large Monster Series Godzilla 2001 (which came out in 2010). It has a far better sculpt than the 30cm version. But, both of them can’t even touch that Sakai in the middle. The Sakai GMK is a lightweight nothing when compared to the mass of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001. But it does have accuracy on its side. The Gigantic’s stylized approach can’t even come close to the accuracy on the Sakai. Here is an essential size comparison with the Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001. Even though they are about the same height, the KG is actually from a smaller scale. But, seeing as how the Sakai Godzilla 2001 is a couple of centimeters short for its series, it’s a good-looking match for this KG. Technically, the Large Monster Series King Ghidorah 2001 should be paired with the Large Monster Series GMK on the left. But, yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s lookin’ a little small to be a good match. The so-called 30cm Series GMK on the right looks like a better match. I suppose this means the new King Ghidorah falls into that newer category of figures which are a bit too large for the line — just like the Large Monsters Series Godzilla 1995, Destoroyah and Shin Godzilla. But getting back on track, if you are lucky enough to have purchased the somewhat recently released GMK King Ghidorah from Japan, your Sakai GMK Godzilla will make a great companion for it. Quick size comparison with some other figures which new and potential X-Plus collectors may have around the house: the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 2001 and the 8-inch Bandai. And, finally here’s a size comparison with a blu ray disc for those who have yet to obtain anything seen above. I hope this shot gives you a good feel for the size of this awesome vinyl. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEA Shounen Ric Exclusive version was available with light-up fins. SUMMARYThe Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 2001 is, in my opinion, one of the best vinyls X-Plus has to offer. It’s very close to movie accuracy and succeeds brilliantly in properly capturing the look of that suit where so many other figures have failed. Its amazing sculpt will quickly cancel out any beef you have with the tail base or it’s unruly tail (which may make it a little difficult for it to coexist on the shelf). MORE INFORMATIONX-TRASBy John Stanowski Originally posted December 30th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
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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 BOXThe 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. SCULPTThe 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!) 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. 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 JOBI 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 COMPARISONSLARGE 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-TRASCOLLECTORS’ GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted September 16th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECS東宝30㎝シリーズ スーパーメカゴジラ ショウネンリック限定商品 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: JULY 2017 NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: MARCH 2018 SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA” (1993) ゴジラVSメカゴジラ HEIGHT: 14.125 INCHES / 35.8 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 6.75 INCHES / 17.1 CM LENGTH (TOES TO TIP OF TAIL): 10.25 INCHES / 17.14 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: (STANDARD) 1 LB, 3 OZ / 623 G, (RIC) 1 LB, 822 OZ REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. The Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla 1993 東宝30㎝シリーズ メカゴジラ and it’s Ric Exclusive version, the 30cm Series Super Mechagodzilla 東宝30㎝シリーズ スーパーメカゴジラ ショウネンリック限定商品, were released by X-Plus in Japan in July 2017. (UPDATE: This figure was reissued (without Garuda) for the North American market (through Diamond Distributors) in March 2018.) I first found out about this figure two years ago in October of 2015 during an interview with Gee Okamoto from X-Plus. It’s been a hell of a long wait. And, if you ask me, well worth that wait. These figures are fantastic, movie-accurate sculpts based on the suit’s appearance in 1993’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II for those of you going by the English titles.) A SIGNIFICANT RELEASE What’s particularly exciting about this release is that it’s the last Mechagodzilla needed to represent all versions of this giant robot in X-Plus’ 30cm Series. It follows Mechagodzilla 1974, Mechagodzilla 1975, Kiryu 2002 Heavy Arms Real Master Collection (and vinyl version), Kiryu 2003 and Kiryu 2003 Heavy Arms version. That’s it! We’ve got ’em all now. The Ric version of this figure comes with Garuda. Finally, the figure is huge at a little over 14 inches tall (as it should be). Now, let’s take a good long look at this glorious bastard. THE BOXThe first thing you notice about these boxes are their size. They’re big! (And, there’s a reason for that. But, we’ll get to that.) On the left is the box for the Standard Version (san Garuda). It sports new, full color box art. On the right is the box for the Ric Boy Exclusive Version and boasts the name “Super Mechagodzilla” because this one comes with Garuda. It has mostly monochromatic artwork which uses a fine screened halftone to add some touches of gray. The Ric box probably doesn’t need the full color treatment since you can order them from X-Plus direct only and there’s no need for them to try to catch your eye on a store shelf. Inside, both figures are wired into a plastic shell. Both come with tail stands. And the Ric has comes with Garuda (separate) wired into it’s own cavity. CAREFUL When untwisting the wires, take note that one of the ankles is wired in. I didn’t notice that at first and almost yanked it out of the shell before untwisting it. PUTTING IT TOGETHERTAIL IS ALREADY ATTACHED Like the subhead says: the tail is already attached. But you will have to pull out the included tail base and find that sweet spot that lets the figure stand flat on both feet. FEET ARE NOT MEANT TO BE EVEN At some point you’ll notice that the toes on your shiny, new Mechagodzilla are not flush. They are not meant to be so there’s no need to mess with the legs. They’re glued and can not be adjusted. ADDING GARUDA TO THE RIC As already mentioned, Garuda comes as a separate piece with the Ric Exclusive version. The Gun turrents are permanently in the down position so as to hang over Mechagodzilla’s shoulders. There are two pegs on the underside of Garuda which match up with two holes on MG’s back. It’s a fairly simple procedure to attach the ship. Just make sure that it’s all the way on snugly. And be careful also not to press Garuda to hard when attaching it. SCULPTThe Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla 1993 has an amazing, movie-accurate sculpt. The Garuda piece which comes with the RIC is equally awesome. I can’t help wondering how it’s humanly possible to sculpt these without the aid of a computer. Maybe they used one, who knows? Either way, this figure looks so good it’s as if they took the suit and shrank it down for your shelf. Mechagodzilla’s signature 1990’s-style curves and soft edges are fantastically reproduced on this figure. Click on the above photos for a closer look at each. The head is well sculpted and unmistakenly MG’93. The individually sculpted teeth perfectly interlock and just looks FREAKING FANTASTIC. What’s especially impressive is that they are lined up perfectly even when articulated the jaw. The eyes are made of plastic and have a line pattern molded on the inside. They look FANTASTIC. Plate lines are etched into the back and sides of the head and are a nice touch. I should point out, though, that they stand out more in the above photo because of the sharpening applied in Photoshop. In person, they’re much more subtle. The head looks good, and displays well, from every angle. The head can rotate left and right. The jaw can open and close. The shoulders can rotate along the Y axis and the wrists can move as well. POSEThe pose is standard and just the way I like it. One thing to note is that the left foot is slightly back behind the the right. Other than that, each side is a mirror image of the other. That is, until you start playing with the articulation… ARTICULATION
JOINTS & SEAMSSince “seams” are already built into the actual suits when it comes to robots like Mechagodzilla, they’re very rarely a concern on the X-Plus figures. The only area where I noticed a join was around the knees and over the knee caps. While the pieces above and below this join fit perfectly, there are hairline gaps on my Standard figure. Doesn’t look that bad though. Other than that, there is virtually no visible evidence that this figure was put together from smaller parts. As for joints, there are several, they move, and you already know about them. PAINT JOBThe paint apps on the figure are very simple. Damn near all of Mechagodzilla’s body is coated in a silver which is shiny enough to look like metal, yet matte enough to prevent reflections and specular hot spots. From what I could see from the movie and its various lighting conditions, X-Plus got this coat of paint mostly right. COOL SILVER I should point out that this base silver coat leans toward the cooler side of the color spectrum. By ‘cool’, I mean that this color isn’t completely neutral but rather comes off… well, cool. It’s has a super slight tinge of blue in it as opposed to the ‘warm’ grays on both the Showa and Millennium Mechagodzillas. You will notice this difference on the shelf. IT’S PAINTED SIMPLY, BUT ACCURATELY The one possible complaint one might have is that it seems too simple, even though actual suit was similarly simple. There is shadowing lightly sprayed on edges in the segments of the neck and tail as well as various other areas. The thrusters on the back and rear legs are sprayed in with black which features out to meet the bright metal on the outside, giving it the burnt… well, that burnt thruster look. The bottoms of the feet are sprayed black with the same feathering. Strong black paint apps occur at the back of the knees, waist, wrists and elbows adding nice details. I just wish there were more. But we can’t go beyond how the actual suit looked. I do, though, think that the kneecaps could have benefited greatly with some of that shadowing. The eyes are made of ABS plastic which is tinted in a yellowy orange. There is a fine line pattern sculpted into the eyes on the inside which naturally create their own highlight and shadow pattern. Overall, the paint job is pretty basic, but also pretty movie-accurate. It was a long wait and I’m stoked to finally have this guy on my shelf. Its release fills a piece of the void in X-Plus’ Heisei line-up. And, I just can’t recommend this figure enough. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFAt a little over 14 inches tall, this figure is taller than most 30cm Series figures. However, it keeps to itself on the shelf. This figure doesn’t reach out with an overly wide stance nor demand room behind it with a long and winding tail. It has a relatively small overall footprint on the shelf. This is good news since his most likely shelf buddies, the 30cm Series Battra Larva and Space Godzilla, are true shelf hogs. SIZEThe Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla (1993) and SuperMechagodzilla is BIG. The figure stands at just a little over 14 inches tall. Needless to say, the size is first thing you’ll notice about this new figure. That and how much taller he is than other figures in the line. It almost seems like a mistake– but it’s not. MG was a BIG guy in this movie and he did indeed tower over Godzilla. So, scale freaks, rejoice! If you’re not nitpicky about accurate scale and prefer your 30’s to be flush at the top, this size discrepancy may not work out for you. SIZE COMPARISONS30CM SERIES Here is the new figure beside its two closest Godzilla relatives: the 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 on the left, and the 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 on the right. Click those linked names above to see my full reviews of each. 30CM MECHAGODZILLAS As mentioned earlier, X-Plus’ line of Mechagodzilla figures in the 30cm Series is now complete. Since the 30cm Series Mechagodzilla 1974 and Mechagodzilla 1975 are the same height, I chose to compare this new guy with only the latter. As for the all 5 variations available for Kiryu, I chose the 30cm Series Kiryu 2003 here to represent them all. If you’re only collecting Mechagodzilla’s, this zigzag skyline of metal heads may bother you. But remember, MG 75 and Kiryu are both around 50 meters tall whereas MG 1993 is almost twice as tall if you go by the movies. HEISEI MONSTERS Here is a size comparison with the Toho 30cm Series Battra Larva and the Toho 30cm Series Space Godzilla. If the Heisei era is your thing, we now have three figures in this line that harken back to the 1990’s. And if size and scale isn’t an issue for you, X-Plus’ Large Monster Series also offers Biollante and Destoroyah. This new Mechagodzilla clearly doesn’t accurately scale with the Toho Large Monster Series Destoroyah. But if your collection is a mixed bag of sizes and scales, you’ll probably agree that they do look good together. Together both are sure to impress with their huge mass and presence. (Don’t let this pic fool you. Both of these guys are pretty big and demand attention.) For those looking for ways to squeeze even more Heisei goodness onto their shelves, the Diamond Select Fire Rodan (1993) vinyl bank can make an okay stand-in until X-Plus decides to get one to us. Casual fans may think this Rodan is far to small to match, but actually, it should be even smaller. Rodan wasn’t very big in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993). The detail on this Rodan sculpt is a little soft, and it’s paint apps don’t even come close to X-Plus standards. It’s up to you whether this guy is welcome to buddy up with this new MG. They’re both from the same movie. RECENT RELEASES Here is a size comparison with recent X-Plus releases. As you can see, this new Mechagodzilla is taller than even the 30cm Series Godzilla 2014! (This was recently released as a Diamond Reissue). Also in this shot from the Toho Large Monsters (left to right): Titanosaurus, Gabara and Hedorah. Here’s a real world comparison of the figure with a bluray disc on the left, and with the S.H. MonsterArts version of Mechagodzilla 1993 on the right. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEThe Shounen RIC Exclusive ショウネンリック限定版 version of this figure comes with an in-scale Garuda ガルーダ which attaches to the back. Attaching Garuda to the figure is not an option as there is no ‘replacement’ back piece to cover the raw back (as you can see in the photos in the Putting It Together section of this review. Note, too, that Garuda’s main cannons are fixed in the down position, so there’s no chance of displaying both the figure and the ship separately. If you do ever tire of seeing this ship strapped to MG’s back, you can, of course, remove it. As long as you have the figure facing front on the shelf, no one would ever know his back was bare. WATCH THOSE CANNONS The main guns are made of vinyl which is unfortunate since we all know what happens when vinyl gets warm. Hopefully, over time, these big guns will not start to droop. As for the ship itself, it looks amazing. It’s a shame that most of this detail will likely be facing your back wall. But it’s guns will always been seen no matter which angle you display it at. Garuda is painted in a combination of silver and white. The silver is a warm shade and you can see the difference between it and the cool silver on the main figure. SUMMARYThe Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla 1993 and the 30cm Series Super Mechagodzilla (RIC) are both amazing, movie-accurate vinyl versions of the original MG suit. Its size is impressive at a little over 14 inches tall which gives it a bit more shelf “presence” over other figures in the line. Despite being larger, it’s really in scale with the other figures, and that warms my scale freak heart. It’s paint apps seem simple but actually do a great job of representing the colors of this giant robot right from the movie. It was a long wait and I’m stoked to finally have this guy on my shelf. Its release fills a piece of the void in X-Plus’ Heisei line-up. And, I just can’t recommend this figure enough. MORE INFORMATION
X-TRASBy John Stanowski Originally posted September 2nd, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECSJAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: NOT RELEASED IN JAPAN. NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) ORIGINAL RELEASE: AUGUST 2017. SERIES: KAIJU 12IN SERIES (30CM SERIES) MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM” (1999) ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム HEIGHT (HEAD TO FLOOR): 10.125 INCHES / 25.7 CM HEIGHT (FINS TO FLOOR): 11 INCHES / 27.9 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE AT ANGLE) 8 INCHES / 20.3 CM LENGTH (NOSE TO TIP OF TAIL): 21.5 INCHES / 54.6 CM REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. A CURIOUS RELEASE We first learned about what would eventually be named the Godzilla Kaiju 12in Series Godzilla 1999 (2000) Version 2 vinyl figure by X-Plus in July 2016. It was on display at Diamond Distributor‘s booth at San Diego Comic-Con. Collectors pointed out that this figure originally appeared as a KOC resin kit, and later a vinyl, which came out around the same time as the movie did. What’s curious about this vinyl is, it was never released in Japan by X-Plus. I assumed it would show up as a Japanese release at some point before we got it here in North America, but that never happened. This is pretty interesting. Might we get more surprises like this? So, what we have here is a first. The U.S. and Canada get this special release and Japan does not. At least not yet. Perhaps it will show up on the Japanese X-Plus site at some point. Either way, we have it NOW so let’s focus on that. This North American Release arrived in stores on August 23, 2017. It has a suggested retail price of $160 and you can order one of these right now at your local comic store. QUICK SIDENOTE I originally dismissed this figure. X-Plus had already put out a proper 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 (2000) and I was more than happy with that one. Plus, this new one looked a bit stylized to me. Perhaps I thought that way because of its dynamic pose and bright fins. It was hard to tell since we’ve had only one photo to stare at for over a full year. Also, on not only my mind but many others’, was the drastic step the figure is taking. It looked like a prime candidate for Vinyl Topple Syndrome. As it turns out, this figure looks really, really good. And, its balance is totally solid. To help you decide whether or not you need this guy on your shelf, I present this review. THE BOXThe first thing you notice about the box is its lively new cover art. On it, the figure is called “Godzilla 1999 Ver. 2” although the full name from Diamond has been “Godzilla 1999 2K Millennium Ver. 2” for the past year. Next thing to notice is its height. At 18 inches, it’s much taller than the average X-Plus box. Open it and you’ll see why. Rather than placing the tail joint near the “butt”, X-Plus decided to have a 7-inch portion of the tail already permanently attached to the body. Since the dorsal fins are not in the way, I can only assume this was done to help keep the figure sturdy with it’s drastic footspan. (It does.) The figure and an additional tail piece, which you must insert, come wired in a plastic shell. The fins on this figure seems to have a bit more room than the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 (original release) does. So if you order this figure in the cold winter, there will be less of a chance for getting one with broken fins. PUTTING IT TOGETHERPutting the tail on this guy is ridiculously easy compared to other figures. Since the joint is about 7 inches away from the body, the female end is a lot smaller. And the male end on the smaller tail piece doesn’t have the usual, flimsy “suction-cup” flange which is often prone to coiling in on itself when attaching. As usual, get your hairdryer and heat up the hole on the main body. KEEP THE TAIL COOL so that it remains hard. When the hole on the body softens up from the heat, just insert the tail and twist. The round joint makes twisting easier. I was able to get this tail on very quickly and with no trouble at all. SCULPTThe 12in Series Godzilla 1999 Version 2 vinyl figure by X-Plus sports a fantastic sculpt leaning heavily toward the movie accurate side of the dial. It’s dramatic pose, though, makes it somewhat difficult to really tell if it could be said to look like it walked right out of the movie. What is clear is that every detail, if not accurate, it completely represented on this figure. Each dorsal fin is comparable to a fin on the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1999. The paths of the textures and even each bump on the face is all there. When comparing this figure to photos, it’s the same thing. All of the details, even the smaller one we never pay attention to, are there. It’s very clear that the sculptor had good reference material and went above and beyond to capture every detail. He accomplished this without having the opportunity to get to know this suit and have this (then) new design burn into his brain with repeat viewings of the movie over a period of years. (This figure came out shortly after the movie was released.) HEAD SCULPT The head on this figure is fan-fucking-tastic! As I mentioned before, each of those bumps on his snout correlates to bumps on the actual suit. And the proportions and sizes look perfect as well. Although the tongue is not individually sculpted, it certainly gives the appearance of being a separate piece. The teeth, which ARE individually sculpted look …fan-fucking-tastic! I’m totally impressed with these incisors and think this may be one of my favorite set of choppers from X-Plus. Not shown here: the roof of the mouth has a series of deep, radiating ridges. It’s good to know there is detail waiting to be discovered on this figure, even when it’s not out in the open. Every angle of the head sculpt looks fantastic. Although the front view makes him look a little drunk in the eyes. But you can see the intentional Godzilla 1962 influence on the design here especially. The top of the head and the “eyebrows” seem a bit too large and high. The original 1999 release wins here. LITTLE DETAILS Do you see that little bulge in the skin right under the jaw on the right pic? That bulge would appear whenever the mouth opened wide on the suit. I think it’s fantastic that the sculptor took the time to capture such a small detail. TEXTURES The sculpted details on the chest match the suit and, in my opinion, actually appear to have received more attention than those on the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 release. While the lighter paint and subtle highlights play a part in making it seem that way, the details really are more chiselled and sharp on this Version 2. DORSAL FINS The sculpting of the dorsal fins is incredible and perfectly capture the new look from this suit. But, there is more going on here than you may think when casually looking. While not completely perfect matches, almost each and every spike follows each and every turn and angle from the spikes on the actual suit. This is insane attention to detail! (Just for the record, the original Godzilla 1999 release also deserves some praise for this.) I have to say, the “personality” of the suit movement and suit actor Tom Kitagawa is captured really well in this pose when you view it from the front. POSEThe 12in Series Godzilla 1999 Version 2 is posed in a braced and forceful forward march. It’s body leans heavily forward and, perhaps most notably, the right leg is reaching far back with the ankle in the air. It reminds me of when Godzilla comes out of the ocean and advances onto the beach before get attacked by the JSDF and also the scene where he advanced toward Orga later in the city. I have to say, the “personality” of the suit movement and suit actor Tom Kitagawa is captured really well in this pose when you view it from the front. That’s the kind of detail that’s sometimes harder to capture than actual physical details. I almost get the sense of movie-accurate movement when looking at this from the front. This figure’s best angle is the forward right angle as seen in the production shot we’ve been looking at for a year. This angle, though, will cause the tip of the tail to poke the back wall making it slightly more difficult to fit on a smaller shelf. The forward left angle also looks great, and here the tail will curve out of the way of the back wall. Also from this angle, more of the chest and front of the figure is visible making an almost picture perfect angle good enough for a movie poster. The left flank of this figure is also a great choice. But the full on right flank is crap because of that backward angled leg lining up with the slanted body. Almost every rear angle looks great but they’re not good for anything other than toy photography since no one will pose this guy facing the wall. I do particularly like the full-on back view of this figure. The combination of the figure’s pose and it’s sweeping tail just looks cool as hell. THE LEANA by-product of this pose, and the first of three minor complaints of mine, is the drastic forward lean seen from about a third of the angles of view. From some views, Godzilla looks like he’s tilted at some near-impossible angles. Impossible, that is, unless he’s about to fall to the ground. I think that it’s just an “illusion”. This position is totally plausible when marching forward like this. Think of an olympic track and field runner first sprinting forward in a race. His whole body is slanted even more forward than Godzilla here. But I can see how it would bother some. One might say, ‘well, don’t display him at any of those angles’. And, I’ll say it now since it has to be said. But it would be nice if we didn’t have to avoid these sides of the figure. On the bright side, this pose is very dynamic and that’s not something we X-Plus collectors are used to getting. And this dynamic pose really does a good job of capturing the essence of this suit’s movement. The first thing you’ll notice about the this new Ver. 2 vinyl is it’s lighter greenish-black base coat. This is one of the many things that sets it apart from the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1999, which made no attempt to acknowledge the greenish shades of the Godzilla 2000 suit in its paint apps. JOINTS & SEAMSThere are obvious seams above both biceps and below both knees. Seams are commonly found in these locations on many X-Plus figures. It’s just that all four seem to be more visible than usual on this figure, possibly due to the lighter paint apps. Click on the photos from the Pose Section for larger views to see these. The is a nearly invisible seam running around the right ankle. You’d have to actually look for it to see it. Since the upper half of the tail comes already attached to the body, there is no gap at all near the butt like we’re used to seeing. The actual tail joint, being halfway down the tail is totally invisible, hidden within a ridge in the sculpt. PAINT JOBThe first thing you’ll notice about the this new Ver. 2 vinyl is it’s lighter greenish-black base coat. This is one of the many things that sets it apart from the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1999, which made no attempt to acknowledge the greenish shades of the Godzilla 2000 suit in its paint apps. (You can see the original figure in the size comparison section below.) So which figure has it right? While the suit was technically a dark green, we barely got to see this in the movie. The only time I can recall seeing the green actually showing up in the film was during Godzilla’s first encounter with the flying meteorite. This was shot at the Toho “pool” and was straight photography whereas most of the other day shots containing Godzilla were so badly composited (and color corrected) against actual locations that he wound up looking like he had the traditional charcoal black color. (There was, though, some effort to show the green in the one CGI shot of Godzilla swimming under water.) Dusty, subtle highlights cover the higher elevations of the skin textures and this is, as always, a really nice touch. The next thing that stands out is the intensity of the magenta/purple dorsal fins. They’re kind of on the bright side. A bit too bright to be movie accurate. I do recall the fins actually looking the same as this figure in a few shots of the night scene where Godzilla confronts Orga. But other than those, the fins tended to appear to have a much more reserved color. So, yeah, this figure is a bit on the flashy side. The paint used on the fins is somewhat metallic and because of that, they’re pretty “shiny”. Perhaps if they were a bit duller, they would appear more movie-accurate. The attention-getting color of these fins is my second minor peeve with this figure. Though I have to admit, they don’t offend all of the time. In darker light they look just fine. They may look a bit crazy in my photos, but remember that I’m blasting them with two huge lights. The figure will look a lot better on your shelf with normal light. Godzilla’s teeth are a (to me) perfect shade of tartar, dirty white and look much better than the overly pearly whites on the original 1999 figure. The eyes are a definite improvement over the original figure as far as contrast and visibility goes. But, I actually prefer the cloudy eyes on the original. Overall, this figure will stand out on your shelf with its lighter, greener skin and flashy fins. As collector Leslie Chambers first pointed out, the Ver. 2 may be a good stand-in for a Godzilla vs. Megaguirus vinyl. SIZEMy third concern about this figure is that, for all intents and purposes, it’s short. At first glance, this new G2K figure seems significantly shorter than it’s predecessor, the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1999. But it looses a lot of height because of it’s forward leaning pose. That fact does not console, though, for at the end of the day, on the shelf, it “looks” shorter. If it makes you feel any better, it’s actually almost the same size as the first version when you lay them down on their sides. Here, the figures line up almost perfectly in height. So, “technically”, this figure is a good match for the 30cm Series. But, if you still can’t get around that, just remember that the 30cm Series Godzilla 1984, 1968 and 2004 are also short. SIZE COMPARISONSIf you’re going to let this visually shorter figure bother you, consider placing him on a different shelf. Here, the Ver. 2 is flanked by the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 1989 and Godzilla 2001. This line is notorious for being too short for the 30cm Series. Some collectors, like myself, choose to display them on their own shelf where they can line up perfectly with one another. The Ver. 2 is, visually, a good match. And, it’s not the only one… Several recent Toho Large Monster Series figures are far too tall for their line. The Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 (left), Destoroyah (not shown) and Shin Godzilla 2016 Fourth Form actually line up well with the Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection, and our new guy here, Godzilla 1999 Ver. 2. If you don’t already have a “27.5cm” shelf, perhaps now is the time to start one. For you Godzilla 2000 super fans, a group shot with the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2000 and the 30cm Series version. FOOTPRINTGodzilla is posed into one large arc, curling slightly inward on its left side. The tail swinging to the left helps the figure keep perfect balance, despite it’s wide step. It also makes it easier to get this guy closer to the back wall. A GOOD STAND-IN FOR GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS?As collector Leslie Chambers first pointed out, the Ver. 2 may be a good stand-in for a Godzilla vs. Megaguirus vinyl. Think of it. How likely is it at this point that X-Plus will put out a (Megaguirus) MireGoji figure? You could take this Ver. 2 and use it as a stand-in. The same suit was used for Godzilla vs. Megaguirus after a few minor tweaks. And, unless you’re a super detail freak, you probably wouldn’t even know the difference. Well, I wouldn’t anyway. What most anyone could notice, though, is that the second movie featured what appeared to be more of a greenish Godzilla. As I mentioned earlier, the 1999 suit was definitely dark green. But due to an abundance of poor composite work, and a lot of night shots, most the green simply got lost. However, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus is packed with straight, in-camera cinematography shot on the sound stage under mostly bright lights. Because of this, we tend to think of MireGoji’s second movie as being greener. And the Ver. 2 vinyl is definitely greener. Plus, it’s my guess that we’re more likely to get a new Megaguirus vinyl from X-Plus than a new MireGoji Godzilla. And, if and when that happens, you’ll already be prepared to pose the Ver. 2 beside it! SUMMARYThe 12in Series Godzilla 1999 Ver. 2 Previews Exclusive vinyl figure does have a few issues. It’s short. The fins are a bit too vibrant. And its marching pose makes him appear to be leaning from several angles. But it ain’t all bad. This figure has a movie-accurate sculpt which skillfully incorporates little details casual viewers aren’t even aware of (including me!). It has a fantastic, dynamic pose which accurately captures the spirit of Tom Kitagawa and the G2K suit. Having spent time with this figure for this review, I can’t imagine not having it on my shelves. It may not be the best. But, it’s certainly no where even near the worst. Plus, it makes for a great stand-in for a Godzilla vs. Megaguirus Godzilla. It’s definitely a keeper and worth getting. WHERE TO GET ONE(Note this sections information is not valid now but is included as it was part of the review.) As of this writing, the 12in Series Godzilla 1999 Ver. 2 vinyl figure has just now been released. Now is the time to grab one. So far this figure is a North American release only. You probably won’t find any from Japanese stores unless they find their way over there via the gray market. This figure is a Previews Exclusive and available only from authorized Diamond Comics Distributors retailers. To find one you need look no further than your local comic book store. There not likely to be in stock when you get there, but they can certainly order one for you. Keep in mind that this figure is not the only Godzilla 1999 figure Diamond ever released. So to avoid confusion, tell the guy behind the counter that you want the GODZILLA 12IN SER GODZILLA 1999 2K MILLENNIUM VER PX FIG. Even better, give them the current Item Code which is AUG162829. If you’re not up for a two to three week wait, you can order one online from a mess of online retailers. MORE INFORMATIONX-TRASBy John Stanowski Originally posted August 27th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECS東宝30㎝シリーズ 「ゴジラ1995」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: APRIL 2017 SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH” (1995) ゴジラVSデストロイア HEIGHT: 12.875 INCHES / 32.7 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 9 INCHES / 22.8 CM LENGTH (NOSE TO TIP OF TAIL): 20.375 INCHES / 51.7 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 2 LBS / 907 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. The Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 vinyl figure by X-Plus was first revealed at the Miyazawa Model Exhibition (a private industry event) in late 2016. Pre-orders for the figure opened February 3, 2017 and ended on February 19, 2017. The figure was released in April 2017. The average price for the Standard Version was about $190. The RIC Exclusive version of this figure came with a mini Oxygen Destroyer and sold for ¥25,920 (about $232). This release marks the first time X-Plus has put out an original 30cm Series Heisei Godzilla original sculpt (Not Sakai) since 2013 with the release of the 30cm Series Godzilla 1984. Also consider that we haven’t seen ANY other X-Plus original 30cm Godzilla’s after 2013 besides the two versions of the Godzilla 2014 figure. Yes, it’s been a long, long time but X-Plus is back with bang. The new 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 is f’n AMAZING. It has a fantastic movie-accurate (mostly) sculpt based on the suit used in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). At almost 13 inches tall, it stands higher than most other figures in the series. It also has quite a bit of heft to it making it “feel” more expensive than it already is. It employs translucent vinyl and painting tricks to reproduce Godzilla’s fission glows without the use of any actual light. It’s an awesome effect which was also used on X-Plus’ two previous (modern) DesuGoji figures. In my opinion, this 30cm Series version is X-Plus’ finest attempt at capturing the look of Burning Godzilla in vinyl. I feel that it is THE must-have version if you’re all about wanting something that looked like it walked out of the movie. While the Gigantic Series version is considered by many to be a flagship X-Plus figure because of it’s size and dynamic ferocity, it is heavily stylized. This new 30cm Series version, though, is very carefully modeled after what we actually saw in the movie; and it mostly succeeds. If I could save only one from a fire, I’d save the 30. So far, the 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 is a big hit with collectors — and rightly so. Now, let’s open that box! THE BOXThe Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 vinyl figure by X-Plus comes in the standard brown blind box design with full color art glued to the cover. As expected, the box is a bit larger than we’re used to. (Its dimensions are roughly 16″ x 14″ x 9″ / 40.6cm x 35.5cm x 22.8cm.) Inside, the figure is fastened into an open plastic shell with several annoying wire ties, each of which needs to be undone or cut before the figure can step out. Extra precautions in the form of plastic booties and gloves help to keep the fragile paint on the claws safe from scratches. A frequent complaint with X-Plus packaging is the close proximity between the left toes and the inside of the cover. Any impacts on the covers get transferred to those toes and potentially cause nicks in the paint. I’m pleased to report that in the case of this guy here, those toes are kept well enough away from the inside of the box. The tail comes in a separate piece and is fastened and taped in beside the figure. TWO LEFT FEET? DON’T PANIC Right out of the box it may appear that your new figure has two left feet, the right foot awkwardly mimicking the angle of the left. Don’t fret. The foot rotates under the knee and it can be adjusted with a slight twist. That foot may have settled to the left when placed in the box, or possibly was intentionally rotated to make more room in the box. Either way, you can fix it easily. PUTTING IT TOGETHERThe tail must be connected by you. The best way to do that is to heat the butt end of the tail (left) with a hair dryer until it can be squeezed as easily as a sponge. Heat makes vinyl soft and pliable. Cold temperatures do just the opposite; they make vinyl figures hard. You want the tail’s flange (suction cup / right) to be hard so that it will easily pop into the soft body end of the tail. After it’s connected, let it cool and the figure will promptly firm up. EASY ASSEMBLY I have to say that this was one of the easiest X-Plus tails I’ve ever attached. It popped right in. A welcome change after the challenging tail on the Large Monster Series Titanosaurus from last month. That was one of the hardest tails I’ve ever dealt with. SCULPTAnd, here it is: the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995. I think it’s one of the best figures to come out in a while. As mentioned earlier, this figure is carefully sculpted to be as movie-accurate as possible. I think it’s damn near perfect. There are some exceptions, though, which I’ll get to further down in this review. For now, I just need to say that “THIS is the one.” This is X-Plus’ best go at bringing us the next best thing to owning the actual suit shrunken down to 13 inches. At least in vinyl (currently). It’s funny — even though I only just received this figure, I feel like it’s been around for a while. I suppose that’s because the Gigantic Series and Large Monster Series (Daikaiju Series) versions have already been in my collection for some time now. This new 30cm Series version, though, is what I always wished the other two were. Is there room for three X-Plus Burning Godzilla‘s in your collection? Hell, yeah. You need that Large Monster Series version to go with the Large Monster Series Destoroyah and the rest of your Large Monster Series vinyls. And, you sure as shit still need that powerful Gigantic Series figure that captures and projects the spirit of the 1995 design so well. If you don’t yet have any of these, and accuracy is your thing, then this new 30cm Series figure is the best one for you. Back to that fantastic likeness. The badassery and doppelgänger looks above are sure to win you over. To check the accuracy of the sculpt, I compared the figure to the Godzilla vs. Destoroyah bluray. I frequently paused the movie and compared what I saw on the television to the figure in front of me. Damn near every time I saw a perfect (or a good enough to make me happy) match. I tried to find little details and compare those as well. And that’s where I very pleasantly surprised. For example, DesuGoji’s corner canines every so slightly project down further than the rest of his double-rowed teeth. That small detail is present on the figure and in just the right amount. I also noticed the horizontal rings on Godzilla’s neck curving over his throat, meeting the vertical tendons on either side. Again, just the right proportions, depth and just everything. One detail from the figure that I could not find in the movie is the way the snout sort of angles upward, the same way your four fingers do, unconvincingly, in a sock puppet. The Large Monster Series version also does this. I don’t understand why they have a problem with this. The top of the snout should be level with Godzilla’s forehead. Also, the details on the front of the snout seem a little… soft. Nothing at all like the botch job on the Large Monster Series version. And, thankfully it’s really only noticeable on the 30cm Series version in close-up photos. Despite these two minor nitpicks, I feel that this head has a great sculpt and manages to capture Godzilla’s power and anger with that FIERCE roar pose and those piercing, yet still somehow lifeless and unnerving eyes. The head sculpt looks fantastic from all angles. This is unmistakably Godzilla 1995’s face from any direction. …this 30cm Series version is X-Plus’ finest attempt at capturing the real look of Burning Godzilla in vinyl. POSEAs usual, X-Plus has sculpted Godzilla in a pleases-all, standard museum pose. If you’re one to over-analyze your figures, you may find an ever so slight series of twists and turns, like a sea snake propelling itself through the water. This is most easily seen from a rear view (see below) or from the top. Though you may not see this fluid twisting from the front, it does cause his head to veer to the right and his arms to the left; particularly the left arm. Nice touch. The X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 will look great on your shelf facing forward or turned slightly to either side. And if you display it in a central, open space, know that it’s going to look good all around. JOINTS & SEAMSFor the most part, this figure’s moveable joints and glued seams hardly bring any attention to themselves. The one obvious offender is where both arms attach to the body just above the biceps. There’s a glaring case of tight-string-around-the-finger there. The left arm isn’t quite as bad as the right. SOFT HANDS What’s particularly interesting with the arms and hands, is that even though they are separate pieces and have no use for the softer translucent vinyl used on the main body (for the fiery patch effect), they are kind of soft. You can easily bend the hands and forearms. DO NOT TRY THIS if your figure is cold and firm. I don’t want you busting off a finger because I mentioned it. The tail joint, which you connect, and the other tail joint you may not have known was there (already connected in the box) are nearly perfectly hidden between the ridged segments sculpted into the figure. LEGS ROTATE Both legs have loose joints below the flab of each knee. They can be rotated, or even removed. Folds in the sculpt over the figure’s left knee, though, restrict any movement. The right knee has total freedom. This is good to know in case you notice that foot may be a little off rotation. Know that you can easily correct it. There’s a zig-zag of a seam running up and down vertically on both sides of the head, just behind the ears. You’re not likely to notice this from a distance. But I bring it up now because so many of my close-up photos show it clearly. You’ll barely notice it when it’s in front of you. PAINT JOBThe Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 vinyl figure has a base coat of a dusty, asphalt black. All X-Plus figures start here and this shade looks realistic, reserved and not toyish at all as you would find on many lesser brands. HIGHLIGHTS Usually, X-Plus brings new meaning to the word “subtle” when it comes to brushing on highlights over the black skin, often leaving you wishing for more. I’m pleased to see that they were significantly more liberal with the highlights which are abundant on the figure’s back behind the arms, the legs and the sides of the tail. These highlights are still extremely subtle and often won’t be noticed consciously unless you take a closer look. FIERY PATCHES As for the most obvious color scheme literally screaming on this figure: fiery patches set the figure ablaze with vibrant orange and yellow paint applications. These bright colors are meant to be a reflective light alternative to reproducing the intense fission glows which plagued Godzilla in the film. In other words, they set out to make the figure look like it is ablaze with light under the skin, without actually using any light gimmick. This technique only goes so far and can appear to be merely paint in some lighting conditions. But to give the effect that extra push, X-Plus ingeniously employed translucent (or perhaps even fully clear) vinyl on the chest, belly and legs. Bright yellow paint was applied ON THE INSIDE of the figure, leave the clear vinyl to refract light on the outside. Reddish / orange “shadowing” was sprayed around the edges to help create a gradation of color and faux light. The black skin color was then applied on the outside and forked into spikes as it meets the burning patch areas. Because the vinyl is clear, the black spikes can appear almost as if they are “floating” over the brighter colors. Fortunately this seem mostly in close-up photos. To the naked eye, the effect looks great. DORSAL FINS The dorsal fins on the back are molded in orange-tinted clear vinyl which easily allows back light sources make them appear to glow. If you have this guy by an open window or in front of a lamp, you can expect the fins to come alive. [ NOTE: in the photo above I have a flashlight beside the figure making the fins appear to light-up. To be clear: there IN NO LIGHT GIMMICK included with this figure. A light gimmick was added to the smaller Large Monster Series version of the ’95 and wasn’t particularly successful. ] TOO BRIGHT? The fiery fission patches on this new 30cm Series version are a LOT brighter than I was expecting. I have to say I prefer the colors on the Large Monster Series version. As for the dorsal fins, they are equally overly bright on the new 30 as compared to the 25 (which seems like they’re darker than they should be). I think a color in between the two would have been perfect. 30 FIXES A GOOF ON THE 25 It’s interesting to note that the translucent orange runs in the dorsal fins much lower on the Large Monster Series version. On the 30cm Series version, they abruptly stop after only four big fins. Don’t worry. X-Plus isn’t skimping. The 30cm version here has it right. This is how it actually appeared in the movie. (Looks like someone took a design liberty on that 25.) GREY FINS The rest of the smaller dorsal fins which run along the tail are not painted in the usual ashy white. Instead, they’re gray; almost a metallic, bluish gray. It looks like the same color they used on the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1984 Shinjuku Decisive Battle Version with nighttime paint scheme. I’m not saying that’s good or bad. I only care if it’s accurate. And I can’t tell from watching the movie. Accurate or no, it looks good. Usually the dorsal fins are painted with too stark a white (for me). This looks good! HOLD ON THERE… NOT SURE THAT’S RIGHT Okay, now this bit here bugs me. This patch on the belly does not match what we see in most of the movie. The belly of the 30cm Series version here is ablaze with this mostly vertical, upside down spearhead of yellow and orange. It should appear as a more horizontal, sort of Superman emblem / Mazinger Z chest piece sort of shape. It’s shaped that way on the Gigantic Series and Large Monster Series versions. It even looks that way on the Yuji Sakai’s new Godzilla 1995 resin sculpt AND the S.H.MonsterArts. (And, of course, 98% of the movie.) Since this patch follows the boundaries of the sculpt, this leads me to wonder if there’s something off about the sculpt itself. I was all ready to complain a LOT more about this until I finished re-watching Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The fiery fission glow on the belly does indeed resemble this shape right after Godzilla attempts to revive Junior and during Destoroyah’s second attack in its adult form. But this is only for a few shots. That leaves us with a little consistency issue here. The presence of this configuration on the belly sets this figure up to be how Godzilla appeared right before his meltdown, and yet there is none of the damage (mostly seen on his left shoulder) from Destoroyah’s powerful “Laser Horn” attacks which occurred a few scenes back. I find it curious that X-Plus got so much on this figure right only to slip up here. EYES The second most attention getting paint app are the figure’s piercing eyes. Each black pupil is surrounded by a light orange iris which is framed in a thin strip of black. Together they float above darker orange sclera (whites). These eyes are insanely well done. I don’t know how it was accomplished but it looks they must be some form of decals. And they’re also kinda of shiny when hit with the light, almost like there was a clear sheet of plastic over them. However it was done, the end effect is hypnotic. My only complaint here is the the “whites” are too light. They appeared much darker in the movie, allowing the irises in the center to stand out more. TEETH Always impressive on most X-Plus figures: individually sculpted teeth individually painted with super precision. It really looks like the teeth are coming up out of the gums. The inside of the mouth and tongue are painted in a reserved, un-toy-like off red. I know I keep bringing up that “un-toy-like” thing, but that’s so important. Using reserved colors make them look more lifelike and more… adult. The fiery fission patches on this new 30cm Series version are a LOT brighter than I was expecting. SIZEIt’s BIG. At 12.875 inches tall, this new figure is a little tall for the series and it can easily see over the heads of most of the other figures. Yet it still fits in well with the rest of the series. Be prepared to be blown away by its size and mass (and its weight, too!) FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFIt’s over 20 and a quarter inches long from nose to tail. You can take away a couple of inches if you go by toes to tail. Its tail has only slight curves on the X-axis which makes it reach nearly straight back making this one a definite shelf hog. If your shelves aren’t at least 18 inches deep, you have to place this guy down at an angle. SIZE COMPARISONSThe Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 is taller than the 30cm Series Godzilla 1954, which was the tallest for years. But, the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 2014 Roaring Version is still the reigning height champion; it beats the new ’95 literally by a hair. A hair! HEISEI 30’S The Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 can see over the heads of all other 30cm Series Heisei Godzilla’s. From left to right: Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1984 (North American Diamond Reissue based on the Japanese release of the Nighttime paint scheme version), Godzilla 1989 and Godzilla 1992. SHOWAS This new Burning Godzilla is also taller than all of the 30cm Series Showa figures. Seen here are the 30cm Series Godzilla 1962 and Godzilla 1964. THE SAKAI’S We all know that the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection figures are actually in some unsaid “27.5cm Series” so it’s no surprise that this extra tall 30cm X-Plus original sculpt towers over them. HEISEI HEAVEN The 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 joins the X-Plus roster during a time where the Heisei series continues to get lots of love. On the left: last year’s release of the 30cm Series Battra Larva. On the right: the 30cm Series Space Godzilla (1994), which has been out for quite a while but can look the new Burning Godzilla right in the eye, and still wins out when it comes to bulk. And there’s more on the way. The Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla II (1993) has just been announced (4/2017). Your Heisei shelf is about to get crowded. That’s a good thing. BURNING G’S Here is the new 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 beside the Large Monster Series version which came out in September 2015. Keep in mind that both figures are on the tall side for each of their series and that the Large Monster Series version is about a “head” taller than most other figures in that line.
If, though, you are anal about scale and insist on having these two together, you could place the Big D further back in the shelf for a fake, “farther-away-look” which would explain the inaccurate scaling. ….know what I mean? FIRE HAZZARD Here are all of X-Plus’ modern Burning Godzilla pieces including the Large Monster Series version (left) and the Gigantic Series (center). In the front, stands the S.H.MonsterArts version. COMPARISON WITH RECENT RELEASES If you’re new to X-Plus and have been jumping on the recent releases: here’s a size comparison for you. Left to right: 30cm Series Godzilla 2004, Large Monster Series Shin Godzilla (Standard) and the Large Monster Series Titanosaurus. REAL WORLD COMPARISON Don’t have any X-Plus yet? Here’s a real world comparison with something you probably have on hand: the Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu ray. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEThe RIC Boy exclusive version of this figure comes with a mini, 1/6 scale Oxygen Destroyer. This is the third time the oxygen destroyer was offered as an extra. The first came in a closed state, all clean and new as seen in the movie that started it all. It came with the 30cm Series Godzilla 1954 monochrome version. A dark and grungy open version was offered with the very first release of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995. This version comes in a slightly opened state. It’s metal skin comes with a chrome-plated “look” and it’s “glass” is tinted green. It’s meant to match the image of the Oxygen Destroyer in the computer generated opening sequence of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Like the two previous versions which came before it, it’s made of ABS plastic and employs real metal in the four rods. RIC Exclusive versions can be purchased only directly from X-Plus. If you order yours from any other store, you won’t be getting this mini replica. SUMMARYThe Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1995 vinyl figure by X-Plus totally blew me away. I’ve been wishing X-Plus would make this one for a long time now. And now that it’s in front of me, it does not disappoint. It came out a lot better than I expected it would. I’m really, really happy with it. It’s a fantastic take on the ’95 suit and it’s extra height and heft are great bonuses. To me, it’s (almost) perfect. If you have your eye on this figure, look for one NOW. You will LOVE it. Based on the way things have been going, it’s very likely it will be reissued for North America (through Diamond Distributors) at some point. But, who knows when and how long you’d have to wait? MORE INFORMATION
X-TRASBy John Stanowski Originally posted April 28th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECSギガンティックシリーズ 「ゴジラ(1962)」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: JULY 2016 NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: MARCH 2018 SERIES: GIGANTIC SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “KING KONG VS. GODZILLA” (1962) キングコング対ゴジラ HEIGHT (HEAD): 18 INCHES / 45.7 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 16 INCHES / 40.6 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TAIL) 25 INCHES / 63.5 CM LENGTH: (TOE TO CURVE IN TAIL) 17 INCHES / 43 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 6 LBS, 14 OZ / 3118.45 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. X-Plus had tackled fan favorite Godzilla 1962 twice before (in the modern post 2008 series) in both the Large Monster Series and the Toho 30cm Series. The third time is a (big) charm with this latest release. The X-Plus Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962, ギガンティックシリーズ 「ゴジラ(1962)」 was announced in April 2016 and then released three months later in July. This figure was re-issued for the North American market (through Diamond Distributors) in March 2018. This vinyl is movie-accurate in both sculpt and paint applications. The result is one helluva King Kong vs. Godzilla collectible. Dare I say that it’s ‘the ultimate’ Godzilla 1962 collectible? It’s about 18 inches tall and has quite a bit of heft to it at almost 7 pounds. Truly Gigantic. There was a Ric Boy Exclusive Version which came with translucent dorsal fins tinted blue to recreate the look when Goji fired his atomic breath. A Standard Version with standard painted fins was available in stores. This review focuses on the Standard Version but there are plenty of Ric photos in the Collectors Gallery following this review. This figure is the fourth entry in the Gigantic Series. THE BOXThis monster of a figure comes in a monster of a box. It’s length and width are 19 inches and 20 inches. It’s 22 inches high. Needless to say, shipping for this figure will be on the high side; even when shipped domestically. The main body is well secured and protected, sandwiched between two foam pieces. The tail, which you must attach, is nestled in a cavity on the outside of the top foam piece. PUTTING IT TOGETHERTo add the tail, you’ll need to warm up the butt of the figure with a hairdryer. And don’t be stingy, this thick vinyl is going to need some persuading before getting soft enough to accept the tail flange. Do NOT heat the tail. You’ll want that flange (suction cup) to be stiff and sturdy when attaching. But, before you do that, carefully inspect the tail. Unlike most X-Plus figures, the tail is sealed off and totally enclosed. Some figures which have been shipped overseas on airplanes have run into air pressure situations causing the tail to collapse slightly. I’ve heard of collectors simply drilling a hole into the tail to let air in. You’d do this right in the center of the flat plane inside the “suction cup”. And then the tail is heated and coaxed back into its original shape. SCULPTThe Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 vinyl figure by X-Plus. 18 inches tall and comes in at almost 7 pounds. It’s the second figure in the Gigantic Series which is not stylized. And the first figure if you’re only counting un-stylized designs which were actually used in a Godzilla film. It’s attempt to be movie-accurate is very, very welcome in my book. Stylized sculpts can be quite exciting and dynamic. The Gigantic GMK and Burning Godzilla certainly are that. But, to me, nothing beats the “real thing”. This figure is faithful to the movie and really, really well done. Godzilla’s unique head design is captured perfectly in this sculpt. Since it’s larger than your typical X-Plus head sculpt, there plenty of room for more detail, which you do get. A really nice touch are the eyes. You may not notice this at first glance, but the whites of the eyes are actually recessed into the sculpt. The actual eye surface is clear plastic with large, black pupils painted onto it (from the inside I think.) Upon close-up inspection, this gives them a nice sense of depth. As usual with all high-quality X-Plus figures, each tooth is individually sculpted. The head sculpt looks fantastic from all angles. And quite a feat considering the head changes shape depending on which direction you look at it from. The goofy “bullfrog” head-on look is captured perfectly. I do actually think the side view needs work though if you’re looking to be totally accurate. The top of the head could be a bit flatter. I think the much maligned Large Monster Series sculpt actually does a better job of getting it right. But, I’m not complaining. The Gigantic does it well enough. And it looks freaking awesome. I don’t see how you could not just love this thing. This vinyl is movie-accurate in both sculpt and paint applications. The result is one helluva King Kong vs. Godzilla collectible. Dare I say that it’s ‘the ultimate’ Godzilla 1962 collectible? As with all figures in X-Plus’ Gigantic Series, you get the opportunity to get grand with texture. Godzilla’s classic tree bark skin is very detailed and deep. And the shadows which its peaks give off when lit from the side add even more visual interest. The terrain on the chest is flatter, yet still packed with tiny detail. Another sign that you’ve got a high-quality vinyl is individually sculpted fingers which this guy has 8 of! I could be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that the suit didn’t actually have separate fingers but was, instead, made sort of like mittens. If so, the separate fingers here are a liberty taken by the sculptor. But it’s one I can live with. Sorry if I’m wrong about this. Just thought I should mention it. If anyone out there can confirm this, could you please let me know? Also, Godzilla 1962 is often seen with rogue pinky fingers hanging lower than the rest of his digits. That detail isn’t present on this figure. Again: not complaining. I always thought that looked weird anyway. I don’t know what to say about the gigantic dorsal fins that you could not glean for yourself with the photo above. They’re huge and packed with an awesome, rough texture. POSEThe pose of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 is a tad more dynamic than most. The monster is hunching forward on to one side with his tail curled around his right flank. There are so many different angles you could use to display this figure and it will look good in all of them. And since the tail is not reaching straight back, it’s not putting any restrictions on which direction you have him face. And what’s great about this is, every month or so you could give it a slight tweak in rotation to make him almost seem like a new figure. The one downside to this pose, though, is the illusion of a curly pig tail look you get when looking at his right side. JOINTS & SEAMSThere are no moveable joints on this figure. The tail joint is the only one not glued and you will see it only when put the tail on for the first time. After that, the seam vanishes in a grooved ring in the tail sculpt. You can find seams on the figure if you really want to. But the thing is, you’d have to look for them. None of them stand out well enough that I feel the urge to even mention them. I think this one is damn near seamless! PAINT JOBThere usually isn’t that much to discuss when it comes to the paint apps on most of the Godzilla vinyls made by X-Plus. He’s usually an off-asphalt black. Is it truly a reserved, off-black? Not to dark and toyish? Yes. Are the whites on the dorsal fins dirty and not overly, toyishly stark? Yes. Are these whites feathered well into the blacks of the fins. Yes. It looks fantastic! Now on to KingGoji-specific painting details: The claws — always a tricky area for a ’62 collectible. The feathering here usually looks like sloppy work, with no real boundary between claw and finger. Thing is, that’s how it was on the suit. The teeth are a reserved off-white. His near-lipstick gums are an equally well-reserved brick red. I’ve already mentioned the work on the eyes. The pupils are painted on the inside of clear plastic shells allowing off white white’s, painted inside, to show through. There are dusty, light highlights expertly applied to the folds over the knees and touches of brick red here and there on the chest. I don’t know if they belong there, but they do add a nice touch. Overall, fantastic paint decisions and expert execution. Godzilla’s classic tree bark skin texture very detailed and deep. And the shadows which its peaks give off when lit from the side add even more visual interest. SIZEThe Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 is about 18 inches tall and its width from its left foot to the tip of its sideways tail is a whopping 25 inches! It’s probably the largest figure which X-Plus has put out so far. It’s closest competition is the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995. The two are about the same height and the GBG is definitely longer with its straight tail. But the ’62 seems to have it beat when it comes to mass. It just has a bit more “presence”. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFClearing a spot in your collection for this huge figure to stand will be tricky as it is with all Gigantic Series figures. It’s just huge. Here are some numbers to help you plan: The figure is about 18 inches tall. Its “front” is at its widest at the feet which are 16 inches apart from outer toe to outer toe. The tail makes a hard turn to the figure’s right side which means you can place it closer to the wall. You’ll need 17 inches of shelf depth from the front of the toes back. Though that tail bend is saving you space in the back, it’s taking up room on the side. The figure is 25 inches from its outer left toe to the tip of the tail on the side! As I mentioned in the Pose section, the curved tail gives you more options when it comes to displaying it. And it could be rotated slightly now and then to freshen up the look. SIZE COMPARISONSHere is a size comparison of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 with the much loved Toho 30cm Series version (right) and the much-maligned Large Monster Series version (front). MARCH OF THE GIGANTICS (Front to back) Gigantic Series Godzilla 2000, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 and Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001. I didn’t have enough room to line the figures up side by side without having the backdrop creep into the frame, but this shot still tells all. Only the Godzilla 1995 stands up to the new ’62 in height. But the ’62 wins the fight when it comes to sheer mass and bulk. (If you’re getting a hard-on for Gigantics, there’s more of ’em. Not shown here is the Gigantic Series Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1954 and the upcoming Gigantic Series Shin Godzilla). RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEX-Plus’ Ric Boy version (or Shounen Ric version) of this figure came with the dorsal fins molded in translucent vinyl which was tinted blue to replicate their look when Godzilla fires his atomic breath. The same asphalt black used on the body was applied to each fin but yielded to the clear blue at just the right distance from each spike. As great as the blue fins look, this arrangement makes for a sort of visual contradiction since Godzilla’s mouth is not open in atomic breath position. It would have been a nice touch if the Ric went a step further and had an open lower jaw. I have to say, personally, of all the color-tinted fins I’ve seen X-Plus put out, this one looks the best. They give off a look which mimics how they appeared in the movie really, really well. This is the only color-tinted variation I ever considered getting. I still didn’t get it, because there could be only one Gigantic 1962 in my collection. But they DO look good. More photos of the blue-finned Ric version appear below in the Collectors Gallery. SUMMARYThe Gigantic Series Godzilla 1962 vinyl figure by X-Plus is a masterpiece. Plain and simple. This KingGoji sculpt is accurate and dynamic, features realistic paint apps and has amazing detail and texture. And it’s huge! I have to say it again: this is probably THE ultimate King Kong vs. Godzilla collectible. And probably one of the top Godzilla figures of all time. MORE INFORMATION
X-TRASCOLLECTORS’ PHOTO GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted March 19th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECS東宝30シリーズ 「ラドン(1964版)」 JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012 DIAMOND REISSUE: JUNE 2016 SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER” (1964) 三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦. HEIGHT: 12.25 INCHES / 31 CM WIDTH: (WING TIP TO WING TIP) 23.75 INCHES / 60.3 CM REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI The Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 vinyl figure by X-Plus really does look like it literally flew out of the movie and onto your shelf. It’s based on Rodan’s second film appearance as seen in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, 三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦 (1964). What makes this a monster of a figure is its nearly two-foot-long wingspan. It stands in perfect scale with his buddy, the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. And it is a marvel of sculpting, texture and paint. It was originally released in Japan way back in 2012. It was reissued for the North American market (through Diamond Distributors) in June 2016 as the Godzilla Kaiju 12in Series Rodan 1964 giving collectors who missed out another chance at grabbing this amazing vinyl. This review was made with the 2016 North American (Diamond) Reissue. THE BOXRodan’s monster of a box is 24″x15.5″x6.5″. Shipping should always be a consideration when ordering this figure since its box is two feet long. Place that in a shipping box and you’ve got a large shipping bill. But I think the treasure you get to open on a very big Box Day is more than worth it! The box flips open to reveal the figure, fully assembled, seated in an open plastic tray. You’ll have to remove some wire ties to free it. Before you do, just check the tips of both wings to first make sure the paint didn’t get scuffed in transit. SCULPTThe sculpt of the Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 by X-Plus is a marvel. Not only does it reproduce a miniature mirror image of the suit used in Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, but it’s attention to small details is astounding. I suppose the feature that stands out the most is the expert reproduction of the creases and folds in the wings. If you watch the movie with this figure in front of you, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a dead ringer for the suit. But keep in mind there were 2 Rodans in that film: the suit and a flying puppet which unfortunately didn’t match up perfectly with the former. This figure is based on the suit. The detail in texture continues on the back with a rough surface sculpted into the upper wings and upper back. The head sculpt looks perfect from every angle. Here’s a closer look at that rough texture in the upper wings and back. And those individually sculpted chest spikes don’t fail at drawing the eye. The Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 really does look like it literally flew out of the movie and onto your shelf. POSENothing fancy going on here and that’s just as it should be. Just a standard Rodan pose. This guy is looking forward with both wings spread full out to each side, just like the movie. JOINTS & SEAMSThis figure has no articulated joints and, as far as I can tell, is made up of ten pieces. It comes completely assembled and the meeting places of all ten of its parts are practically invisible. I think it’s a good idea to know where these pieces are so that when you pick it up, you’ll know if you’re tugging on a glue seam or not. The head and neck are one piece, and it’s connection to the main body is practically invisible. The two horns atop the head are separate pieces. The main body runs from the shoulders, down to the knees. It does not extend to the wings. The wings are attached and glued right up on the sides of the main body. While no seams can be detected from the front, you can certainly see them from the back. The back usually faces the wall, so no problem there. Each wing comes in two pieces and the connections occur right down the middle. You probably want to avoid grabbing this figure by the head/neck or by a wing. The feet are attached and glued right at the knees. These seams are completely camouflaged by the creases in the sculpt. Overall, this figure ranks pretty high when it comes to hiding its seams. PAINT JOBFor a mass produced figure, the paint job on this figure is Top Notch! Rodan has a base color of a dark, warm brown with only occasional super subtle highlights here and there. What makes this presentation is the reddish, light brown on the front and back of the wings which are expertly feathered into the brown near the “arms” at the top. In addition, a slighter darker light brown dances around the various crinkles and folds in the wing membrane. And this looks FANTASTIC! Islands of contrasting color detail spring up on Rodan’s horns, beak, claws, toes and individually painted chest spikes. The gradations of color from bony white to brown on the horns and beak looks amazing. And, most impressively, they did not skimp out on the “toes”. They could have just quickly feathered the bone white of the toes to the brown in the feet, but instead took the time to feather it from light bone to dark bone on just the toes themselves. There is a distinct change to brown matching the sculpt where the skin begins. Just fantastic work. This Rodan scales perfectly with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. Each figure looks fantastic on its own. But when you get these together, it’s awesome overload. SIZEThe Toho 30cm Series Rodan is BIG. At twelve and a quarter inches tall, it’s not much taller than any other figure in the 30cm Series. But it’s nearly two-foot wingspan makes him wider than three figures in a row. Because of this, it has a LOT of “presence”. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFAgain, that two-foot wingspan! Rodan takes up less than 5 inches from front to back. But those wings make it take up the space of three figures side by side. It would be a good idea to place this figure near the rear of your shelf, allowing one or even two other neighbors to stand in front of the wings. This idea gets even better when you consider that other figures could help prevent Rodan from a tumble later one. See the Caution section for more on that. SIZE COMPARISONSThe very first size comparison needs to be, without a doubt, Rodan’s buddy from Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster. This Rodan scales perfectly with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. Each figure looks fantastic on its own. But when you get these together, it’s awesome overload. Here is a size comparison of Rodan with other figures which were licensed for North America early in 2016. Keep in mind that Rodan in the rear and so may appear smaller than it would be in a side by side comparison. Shown are (left to right): Baragon 1965, Anguirus 1968, Gigan 1972 and Titanosaurus. All four of these figures were originally released in Japan as part of the Toho 30cm Series and reissued in North America (through Diamond) as the Godzilla Kaiju 12in Series. Same thing / different series name. Point is, if you jumped on the chance to get these reissues early last year, this group here represents what you could have accomplished. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEThe original 2012 RIC Boy release of this figure came with mini Flying Rodan figure which you can see below. The North American (Diamond) Reissue did not come with this extra piece. CAUTIONUnfortunately, this figure is prone to falling. This is a sad possibility with any X-Plus vinyl with skinny legs. When the temperature is higher, the vinyl gets softer and the feet and ankles tends to give under the figure’s weight. You should take care to keep Rodan near the back of the shelf when placed up high. This usually isn’t a problem since that’s where he needs to be anyway because of his large wings. Keep in mind that this figure is so perfectly balanced that it is able to stand on its own without any help from the wings. In fact, the tips of both wings are well over the ground. The key here is prevention. I’ve found the best thing you could do to keep Rodan on his feet, is to place him directly behind a sturdy shelf buddy. By chance, the Toho 30cm Series Baragon 1965 makes an absolutely perfect shelf buddy. You can slip Baragon’s tail under Rodan’s wing (near the body). There is more than enough room for this. Then slide Baragon back until his back is touching Rodan’s wing. Don’t leave any space there. If you leave space, you’re still allowing Rodan to slowly lean forward. By making contact with the two figures, you are preventing any warping in Rodan’s feet from happening in the first place. The same thing can be accomplished with the Toho 30cm Series Gigan 1972. There is more than enough room for his tail to reach under Rodan’s wing. If you’re hurting for space, you could use both. This Rodan ain’t goin’ anywhere! BUT WHAT ABOUT GODZILLA 1964? At first I didn’t think using the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964 would even work. I thought his tail was just too large and I never even thought to try it. Well, what the hell, I tried it and it DOES work! You can have both 1964 figures “locked” together in such a way that Rodan is completely supported. The one problem is that you are limited to a very specific arrangement. And it’s this: This is the only way Rodan’s wing will fit over Godzilla’s tail. So, no face-off here. They’re on the same team, standing shoulder to shoulder staring down King Ghidorah. What’s good about it is that the one curve under the wing almost seems to lock into place. You have to “find” this spot. Make sure while you maneuver the figures, that Rodan’s feet are flat on the floor. Also, luckily, one of Godzilla’s dorsal fins should meet Rodan’s wing for even more support. If you want to give this a go, here are some close-ups of how I did it: SUMMARYThe Toho 30cm Series Rodan 1964 vinyl figure by X-Plus really is an amazing collectible. The sculpt is super accurate to the suit used in Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster and it makes for the perfect companion piece to the 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. It also adds a lot of variety to your shelves with it’s near two-foot wingspan. The details and textures in the sculpt are stellar as are the reserved and realistic paint applications. I really don’t know why I waited so long to grab this figure. Thanks to X-Plus and Diamond, I was able to pick one up at a great price. I really can’t imagine having this figure around now that I have it. The figure has tons of presence and makes for a literally “big” Box Day! MORE INFORMATIONX-TRASNOTE: From here down, photos may be sweetened in Photoshop to over dramatize the figure a bit beyond reality. By John Stanowski Originally posted March 12th, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.
Rich Eso reviews the Large Monster Series Legion 大怪獣シリーズ 大映特撮編 「レギオン」 vinyl figure by X-Plus. It’s from what is arguably one of the very best kaiju movies ever made: Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, ガメラ2 レギオン襲来 (1996). See more content from Rich at his YouTube channel Fresh Vinyl Reviews. By John Stanowski Originally posted November 23rd, 2016 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECS東宝30CMシリーズ 「ゴジラ(1992版) JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2011 NORTH AMERICAN REISSUE (DIAMOND): NOVEMBER 2016 SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA” (1992) ゴジラVSモスラ HEIGHT (HEAD): 12.125 INCHES / 30.79 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 9.25 INCHES / 23.49 CM APPROX. LENGTH: 16 INCHES / 40.6 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 1 LBS, 6 OZ / 623 G ARTICULATION: NONE REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI GODZILLA: TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. The Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 is based on the Heisei film, Godzilla vs. Mothra. X-Plus first released this figure in 2011, very early on in the modern run of accurate vinyls which had a slow start around 2009. This was X-Plus’ very first Heisei Godzilla figure in the 30cm Series. I had to dish out $500 for this figure in the aftermarket back in 2013. But new collectors will get a way better deal than I did. Five years after this figure’s debut, it’s set to be re-issued for the first time, but only for the North American market. Sorry, Japan! Diamond Distributors will release it in late November 2016. It has a suggested retail price of only $160. But you will find retailers selling it for less. (You lucky bastards.) This figure is known for not having the most accurate sculpt, but it does have other stellar qualities instead. THE BOXLike all 30cm Series figures, this figure arrives in a no frills, garage kit style, brown box. A separate, color cover is glued onto the lid. BIG BOX This box is very noticeably larger than the usual 30cm Series box. In fact, it’s so big, you could open it and put a standard 30cm Series box inside it and have room to spare. Keep in mind that shipping is going to be just a little bit higher for this one. DIAMOND REISSUE The Diamond Reissue box will look the same with the one exception of the PX Exclusive logo added to the cover art. ADDING THE TAIL When you first remove the figure from the box, you’ll find that the tail is separate and must be attached by you. Use a hairdryer on the hole on the body to make the vinyl soft. You’ll want to give this one an extra blast of heat because the tail hole is up high and the figure’s legs may get in your way. It’s been three years since I had to assemble mine and I really don’t remember how easy or difficult it was. SCULPTAnd there it is. The Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 may have a couple of accuracy issues, but holy shit, does that thing look good. I’ve always considered it a good all around, general representative of the Heisei series. I just like damn near everything about it. This sculpt exudes a strong sense of “power” while at the same time seeming relaxed and unimpressed by any rockets, missiles or maser beams headed its way. The two main features which seem off to me are the face and the neck. All of the details seem to be in the right places as far as I can tell. Yet, still, the face seems not quite accurate from certain views. The front and front 3/4 angles seem… okay but that snout appears a little fat from the side view. I don’t know. I’m not an expert that knows every nook and cranny of every suit so I really shouldn’t be talking about this. Look the photos and judge for yourself. Now, putting aside an overreaching need for picture perfect accuracy, this portrait just screams Heisei Godzilla and is a good all around representative of that series. And it looks pretty badass. The horizontal “ribbing” on the neck flanked by two vertical tendons (?) are right for this suit but the detail is a little overly pronounced. Again, not an issue to most casual collectors. TEETH The signature double rows of teeth are really done really, really well here. Each tooth is individually sculpted as they should be for such a pricey figure. And the tongue isn’t simply a raised part of the lower jaw but it also individually sculpted and glued in. Even though it lays flat over the floor of the mouth, it’s still clearly a separate piece with incredible detailing. Also, you may not notice right away, but the roof of the mouth has waves of articulate ridges. Incredible work. This is why I collect X-Plus. I hate to be repetitive, but for the benefit of those seeing X-Plus for the first time: the skin texturing in the sculpt is nothing short of incredible. It’s like they gave separate attention to every single “tree bark” groove, bump, crease and fold. As usual, X-Plus focuses a ton of attention to each and every individually sculpted dorsal fin. Their shapes, arrangement and even the occasional stray reaching too far to one side like wayward teeth are faithfully reproduced in this sculpt. The attention to fin detail runs down the back, over the tail joint and runs all the way down the tail. This sculpt exudes a strong sense of “power” while at the same time seeming relaxed and unimpressed by any rockets, missiles or maser beams headed its way. POSEThis figure looks GREAT from almost any angle. The side and quarter angle views are particularly cool as f**k! I’m not crazy about the front on view but I usually never am, with any of the figures. But that’s just me. JOINTS & SEAMS[ A joint is where two pieces connect and have not been glued and can still move. Tails are joints even though they are not intended to articulate. A seam is a meeting of two different pieces which have been glued and painted over yet can still be seen. ] This figure is made up of at least 8 different parts. Yet, it reveals virtually no seams at all. The arms attach to the figure right above the biceps. A noticeable “crease” can be seen here, luckily, the actual suit also had these creases. Both lower legs attach to the figure below each knee, but you wouldn’t know it by how it looks. I had to look very hard to even find a seam. The back piece which has the dorsal fins is expertly fitted and attached. No sign of a connection at the back of the lower jaw either. It’s only at the tail joint where any line can be easily seen. And even there, the seam is hidden in the sculpted ridges of the tail. It also helps that the connection is up high on the figure and has both legs helping to shield it from view. Five Stars for hiding virtually any evidence of its assembly! PAINT JOBI am using the original 2011 release of this figure so, future proud Diamond Reissue owners, take note: it’s been 5 years. Your newer figure may have slight paint differences. As for this original: The figure has the usual, reserved, dusty, realistic, off black. No toyish, shiny blacks here. There are very, very subtle highlights over the feet, chest and neck. And while not a paint application, the figure’s rough skin is a virtual playground for lights and shadows which help to complicate it’s appearance, in a good way. The dorsal fins are painted with what I consider to be too stark of a white. Often, with dorsal fins, claws and teeth, X-Plus will use colors which are too bright to be overly realistic. And in the case of this Godzilla 1992 figure, they’re even brighter. Despite this, the application is excellent. The tips of the fins are all white, with the off black skin color filling the flank of each fin, and feathering up to the base of each fin spike. Multiple rows of minor fins (more bumps) traverse the tail and are, again, expertly painted. The whites may be too white, but they are well done. This is still a high end vinyl collectible for sure. CLAWS The figure’s 16 claws are painted in a dark, off tan which is only slightly glossy. Be careful with these, the paint on X-Plus toes is easy to scrape. It’s an expensive figure and should be treated as such. MOUTH The mouth has a base of a very unsaturated, off pink and completely avoids looking gaudy like lesser vinyl lines. Each individually sculpted to tooth is individually painted in an off white. The result is fucking incredible, especially with this guys double row of teeth. This kind of attention has always been one of X-Plus’ biggest selling points. EYES Each eye has a large, black pupil surrounded by a yellow iris. To say that they’re piercing is almost an understatement. This figure looks GREAT from almost any angle. The side and quarter angle views are particularly cool as f**k! FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFThe X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 is a little over 12 inches tall and about 16 inches long. It takes up pretty much the same room as most 30cm Series Godzilla figures. The end of the tail curves hard to the figure’s right making it easier to fit the figure on the shelf. SIZE COMPARISONSTHE ’92’S Here is the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 beside the Toho 30cm Series Battra Larva, also from 1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra. But, wait. Godzilla fan and X-Plus collector, Jessica Etchells, had told me that all of the water scenes during the Heisei series used the suits from the directly previous film. That means the battle at sea with Battra was done with the Godzilla 1991 suit! And here is the 30cm Godzilla 1992 with the only other Heisei villain in the whole of the 30cm Series, the Toho 30cm Series Space Godzilla (1994). Here is a size comparison with the ’92’s closest X-Plus relative, the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1989. (I’m not including the Sakai series as blood relatives since they’re so much smaller, but a comparison with the Sakai ’91 is coming up). For the longest time, if you wanted X-Plus 30cm Series Heisei Godzilla figures in your collection, these two were all you could get. That’s since changed with the arrival of Godzilla 1984. Aren’t we about due for another? THE GODZILLAS A size comparison with other Toho 30cm Series Godzillas: Godzilla 2014, 1984 (1985), 1999 (2000) and 2004. Every one of the figures in the photo above will be re-issued in North America (Diamond Reissues). One will come out each month starting now thru Summer 2017. RECENT RELEASES Here is the 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 surrounded by X-Plus Kaiju recently released in Japan and in North America. (Left to right): Titanosaurus, Rodan 1964, Mechagodzilla (Kiryu) 2003, Mechagodzilla 1975 and Gigan 2004. The final size comparison which needs to be made is with the upcoming Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 1992. They represent the same suit after all. Unfortunately we can’t make that comparison because the figure hasn’t even been made yet. So, here to stand in for the new ’92 is the Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modeling Collection Godzilla 1991. You can bet the new ’92’s height will be comparable to this one. As a bonus, the pose on the new ’92 is almost the same as this ’91. I still don’t understand why X-Plus is including these new Yuji Sakai vinyls in the 30cm Series when they’re so short. But what they lack in height they more than make up for in accuracy. (I just keep them displayed separately.) SUMMARYThe Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 is one of the few Heisei entries in the series. While a few details push it the bottom of that short list when it comes to being completely movie accurate, its size and sense of power has no match. There will be a lot of comparisons when the Yuji Sakai version comes out. Despite what will be said, this figure will always have to look down to see the Sakai. It has an amazing sculpt, pose and paint apps (despite the fins being a bit too stark). And when you get the larger than usual X-Plus box in the mail, you’ll have to fight the urge to bow to this king. MORE INFORMATIONX-TRASBy John Stanowski Originally posted November 12th, 2016 on Kaiju Addicts.
FIGURE SPECSギガンティックシリーズ 「酒井ゆうじ造形コレクション」 ゴジラ1999 (ゴジラ 2000 ミレニアム) JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: EARLY OCTOBER 2015 NORTH AMERICAN DIAMOND REISSUE: MARCH 2018 SERIES: GIGANTIC SERIES MATERIAL: VINYL FROM: “GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM” (1999) ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム. HEIGHT (HEAD): 14 INCHES / 35.5 CM HEIGHT (FINS): 15 INCHES / 38 CM WIDTH: (TOE TO TOE) 11.5 INCHES / 29.2 CM LENGTH: (HEAD TO TAIL) 28 INCHES / 71.12 CM FIGURE WEIGHT: 2 LBS, 10 OZ / 1190 G REVIEW AND PHOTOS: © JOHN STANOWSKI In July of 2015, X-Plus announced the then next figure in the Gigantic Series. And, to everyone’s surprise, it was a Sakai. The Gigantic Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1999 (2000) would be the third entry in the Gigantic Series, and the third in the Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection (which, apparently, can now jump into other series). To the disappointment of some—and the delight of others—this would not be a sculpt based on the movie suit but rather an early conceptual work by Yuji Sakai. I’m not clear on the history of this design but I’ll tell you what I think I know. Apparently, this Godzilla was originally created on paper, drawn by Shinji Nishikawa (who was responsible for most of the Heisei monster designs). Sculptor Yuji Sakai then took Mr. Nishikawa’s drawing and realized it in three dimensions. I’ve always wondered why the Millennium suit departs from it as much as it does. Did the producers have it changed on purpose? Were there real world technical considerations which called for the changes? Or could it be that the Millennium Godzilla we all know simply be the best translation that suit-maker Shinichi Wakasa could accomplish? But, back to the figure. I was reluctant to accept this sculpt over a movie version. It was the completist in me which demanded that the Add to Cart button be pressed. I’m glad I did. Three months later, this badass landed on my doorstep. I’ve since come to appreciate this version… A LOT. (UPDATE: This figure was reissued for the North American market thru Diamond Distributors in March 2018.) THE BOXThe first two Gigantics came sandwiched inbetween two large blocks of styrofoam housed in a plain, brown box. The first thing you should notice about this box is that it looks like it belongs to the 30cm series. Yet, at 19″x19″x9″, it’s still pretty big. PUTTING IT TOGETHERThe tail comes in two pieces. Plan ahead and decide which piece you want to attach first. Either way, something is going to get in the way during the next step. I attached the small tail piece to the middle tail first. I used a hair dryer on the hole end and really warmed it up good. The hole is pretty small so there’s less room for the vinyl to make way. I then attached the assembled tail to the main figure. Same as before, I heated the “butt hole”. This took a bit longer than usual. There is a piece of vinyl which runs down the back and holds all of the dorsal fins. It’s glued over the top of the hole making two layers you’ll need to soften up. It’s been quite a while since I had to do this and I don’t remember how easy or hard it was to do. Gomen nasai. SCULPTOne of the first questions that arises when a new figure gets delivered to your door is “did the sculptor get this one right?” In this case there is no question. Yuji Sakai created this version of the design. And this vinyl comes from his own sculpt. In that sense, this is probably the most accurate X-Plus figure in your collection. The only thing left for you to review is the awesome design he created. This thing is fierce and powerful—everything you’d want a new Godzilla to be. And it’s dynamic—even though it’s a static vinyl statue just standing there on your shelf. It seems that every part of the design is rushing to dagger-like points. His dorsal fins are a set of crazy, lightning bolt swords. His frightening head and snout arrows into a point ready to stab his foes with yet more points in the form of his triple set of fangs. His arms are thin, armed with four dagger-like claws on each hand. The tail, unlike previous designs, tapers to a point like a giant spear. Even the texture of his skin seems to want to extrude further into sharp edges. This thing is sharp! The head looks like a dragon. It’s mouth, filled with individually sculpted teeth, looks real enough to bite. It’s inch and half long tongue is finely etched with detail. It’s crazy how much there is to see (and touch) in such a small space. The skin texture is a tactile playground. It’s deep and complex and runs all over the figure. I’m sure it probably looks even better on the original resin version, but this is still one hell-of-a-good-looking vinyl. Probably the most drastic departure from previous Godzilla designs is the look of the dorsal fins, now Millennium Godzilla’s signature feature. And they are so well done on this figure. Each individually sculpted fin is damn near a work of art and protrudes from the figure’s back creating an entire gallery of awesome. But, wait. There’s more! This intricate, radiating array of spines doesn’t end at the base of the back. It continues down almost half of the tail. This toy ain’t no toy! Yuji Sakai created this version of the design. And this vinyl comes from his own sculpt. In that sense, this is probably the most accurate X-Plus figure in your collection. POSESakai’s Godzilla 2000, in mid-roar, is in a standard walking pose which looks pretty fantastic from practically every angle. TAIL BASE You’ve no doubt noticed that clunky base supporting the figure’s raised tail. This is the main (and perhaps only?) drawback on this figure. Yuji Sakai just seems to love sculpting tails up in the air. If can be honest for a sec here… I f*****g hate it. Once in a while, on one or two Sakai figures is okay. But, damn near all of them? I’d like to be able to pick a figure up and put it down without having to line up the tail with that damn base. Grrr! Aaargh! JOINTS & SEAMSNothing bad to report here. The joints below the knees, above the biceps and round the neck are practically invisible. The joins there are filled in very well and really can’t be seen unless you specifically look for them. The tail joint is a perfect fit and doesn’t stand out at all. It looks more like a statue than a vinyl. PAINT JOBThis figure has a base cost of the usual, reserved, asphalt-like, off black. In certain light, it often gives off a hint of having a tinge of green. There are lighter blacks brushed in as highlights but they’re used sparingly occurring mostly at the feet and the side ridges along the tail. Greenish highlights are present on the tail as well. The attention to coloring the inside of the mouth is astounding. The teeth are way-off-white, yellowed and come with a tartar brown near the base of each fang. The tongue is a reserved, dark red with an even darker wash in all of the grooves in the sculpt. A final, clear gloss makes everything look organic and, well, wet. As for those purple fins: what a strange and daring move by Yuji Sakai (and perhaps Shinji Nishikawa?) The fins on the figure are coated with a dusty, almost metallic, purple which are very reflective in the light. This dark shade of purple is very reserved and so are not overly “Goofy Grape” as on a toy. Also, in the right light, plentiful specularities seem to create a band of magenta before fading back to purple. More attention was paid to the toes than we’re used to. The base black feathers up each toe from the cuticle area, but also washes up even further in each ridge in the sculpt. Very nice touch. Sakai’s Godzilla 2000, in mid-roar, is in a standard walking pose which looks pretty fantastic from practically every angle. SIZEThis third entry into the Gigantic Series is the smallest. While its actual height is technically almost the same as the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001 (which leans forward drastically), this figure has noticeably less mass to it, making it less “gigantic”. But, it’s still big. And it’s definitely bigger than anything in your 30cm Series collection. The top of the head is 14 inches high. But, this figure actually needs 15 inches of clearance as the dorsal fins creep up another full inch. Its footspan varies depending on how you angle it. 11 to 11.5 inches. Despite it’s large size, this figure weighs only 2 pounds, 10 ounces. It’s very light in hand. FOOTPRINT / ON THE SHELFFrom the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail, this figure is about 28 inches long and is a clear shelf hog. But the curve of the tail easily tucks it out of the way and against the back wall making room for another figure to stand beside the main body. Take special care of the dorsal fins to make sure they don’t get scraped by the next shelf up when putting him away. As already mentioned, it needs 15 inches of vertical space. SIZE COMPARISONSHere is a size comparison of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1999, and its box, with a couple of real world items. THE GIGANTICS Godzilla 1999 is the smallest of the Gigantics. (Left to right: Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995, Gigantic Series Godzilla 1999/2000). THE SAKAI’S This one is for Sakai groupies. The Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1991 (far left) and Toho 30cm Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1989 (far right). THE 1999ers Millennium fans, here is the Gigantic ’99 with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 (far left) and the S.H. Monsterarts version (far right). RELEASES NEAR WINTER 2015 Here is a size comparison with other figures which were released relatively near the same time the Gigantic Godzilla 1999 was released. Left to right: Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 2014, Large Monster Series Godzilla 1995 and Large Monster Series Biollante. RIC BOY EXCLUSIVEThe Ric Boy Exclusive version of this figure comes with translucent dorsal fins blazing in yellows and oranges just as they did before Godzilla fired his atomic breath in the movie. They don’t light up, but the translucent vinyl used does allow light to pass through them. You can see more photos of the Ric in the Collectors Gallery below. CAUTIONThis figure is large and it has all manner of toes, teeth, fins and tail bits stretching out in all directions. When adding or removing this guy from the shelf, your eyes have to be everywhere. Take particular caution not to scratch the top spikes on its dorsal fins when placing on a shelf (especially if you have the metal units like I do). To prevent any warping at his ankles, take care to position the tail base in an area that doesn’t cause the figure to lean forward. I usually put the figure down, lift the tail until both feet are flat, and then slowly slide the base along the tail until it just makes contact. And watch out for those dorsal spikes while handling. They made be made of soft vinyl, but they can still do some damage. You’ll take your eye out, kid. SUMMARYThe Gigantic Series Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1999 is big, bad and sharp. While not as large and certainly no where near as massive as the first 2 entries in the series, this figure still dwarfs the 30cm Series. It’s smaller… but it’s not small. Although at first this seems to carry on the tradition of very heavy Gigantic Series stylization, this figure is actually dead-on accurate for what it is: a conceptual design which preceded the suit. It’s extremely detailed and intricate. Having this thing in your collection is sure to turn heads! MORE INFORMATIONX-TRASNOTE: From here down, photos may be sweetened in Photoshop to over dramatize the figure a bit beyond reality. COLLECTORS’ PHOTO GALLERYBy John Stanowski Originally posted June 28th, 2016 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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