Full Review: Toho 30cm Series Mechagodzilla And Super Mechagodzilla 1993 By X-Plus

9/2/2017

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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 BOX

The 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 TOGETHER

TAIL 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.

SCULPT

The 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.

POSE

The 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

Well, there’s something you don’t very often in an X-Plus review. Most X-Plus vinyls are basically vinyl statues. But when it comes to vinyls based on robots, we usually get the bonus of articulation. And this one has 8 moveable joints.

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.

As for the elbows, they articulate also but not quite the way you may expect. The arms are sculpted and assembled at a slight angle, so rotating the forearms make them follow that angle. Basically, the higher you move a forearm at the elbow joint, the higher the hand gets and the more the hand aims away from the body.

JOINTS & SEAMS

Since “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 JOB

The 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 SHELF

At 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.

SIZE

The 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 COMPARISONS

30CM 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 EXCLUSIVE

The 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.

SUMMARY

The 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-TRAS

By John Stanowski Originally posted September 2nd, 2017 on Kaiju Addicts.

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