​30CMシリーズ ゴロザウルス

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2008

​RESIN KIT RELEASE: 2010

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: DEC. 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES (12 INCH SERIES)

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: キングコングの逆襲 “KING KONG’S COUNTERATTACK”, 1967.
(“KING KONG ESCAPES”, 1968)

​HEIGHT: 9.5 INCHES / 24.10 CM

​WIDTH: 6.25 INCHES / 15.8 CM

​LENGTH: 16 INCHES / 40.6 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 15 OZ / 425 G

​ARTICULATION: ELBOWS, KNEES, ANKLES.

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

Gorosaurus appeared in the 1967 film King Kong’s Counterattack and Hollywood’s version of it, King Kong Escapes, a year later. Gorosaurus sported krazy, kangaroo-style kaiju kicks before getting downed by Kong – all in less than five minutes of screen time. He appeared again as a member on the DAM roster in Destroy All Monsters in 1968.

The Toho 30cm Series Gorosaurus 1967 vinyl figure was first released in 2008, at the very beginning of X-Plus‘ current ‘way of doing things’. It appeared again as a kit in 2010, and yet again as a special 1968 repaint version in 2011 and, finally, as a re-issue licensed for North America via Diamond Distributors. This review is for the Diamond Reissue.

Before I go on, I just want to say that I was never much of a Gorosaurus fan. I got this figure only because the completist in me just couldn’t say ‘no’ to another X-Plus. And, just as with Varan (also not previously a huge fan of), I was wowed by the figure as soon as I took it out of box. It looks so much better in person than it did in the same old photos I saw on the web for the last two years. What is this power X-Plus has to win me over?

As usual, this 30cm Series vinyl figure comes in a plain, brown box with box art on the front. This Diamond Reissue cover sports a new design which brings it up-to-date with current releases. If you’re not familiar with the original box design, the PX Previews Exclusive logo on the front lets you know you’re getting the North American Reissue.

Inside, the figure is wired into a plastic shell. The tail needs to be attached.

Instead of the larger suction cup-style flange we’re used to seeing on newer figures, Gorosaurus’ tail has a very short, squareish rim. Because of this, the tail can pop off the figure with very little effort. Fortunately, it pops back in just as easily.

Getting the tail on the first time, though, was troublesome for me. The “butt” hole on my figure was squooshed into a horizontal ellipse. The tail hole was squooshed vertically in the opposite direction. Because of this, I blasted the butt with the hair dryer since it was obvious it needed some re-shaping. With the tail end still cool and stiff, I pushed and twisted and it just did not want to go in at first. The hole on the body just completely capitulated to the tail and didn’t have the strength to push its way over the tail’s rim. Blah, blah, blah. Let me just suggest that when you attach the tail yours that you heat and soften the body hole just a little and not as much as you’re used to.

You may notice jacked up feet running at extremely different angles on your Gorosaurus before you even get him out of the plastic shell. Don’t panic, this is easily corrected. This figure has joints at both knees and ankles. AFTER you have the tail attached, stand Goro on the edge of a table and get down low and look at the feet from as close to a zero-degree angle as you can. Then twist both knees until both feet are flat on the floor. Keep in mind that the back of the right foot curves up away from the floor; that’s normal. Also, the figure’s right knee has a subtle step in the sculpt which gives a clue as to where that legs wants to be; start there first.

ALIGN THE TAIL
Goro’s tail has two joints on it and chances are yours won’t be aligned right out of the box. Give ’em both a tweak and set ’em straight. You probably want to do this after you attach the tail to the body since they’re a bit loose.

​As far as my untrained, previously-non-Goro-fan eyes can see: this is one helluva likeness. And what an awesome sculpt! It captures the suit from every every angle! Check out the Pose section for more on that.

I’m in awe of the detailed reptilian skin texture on this figure. It’s like every single bump got individual attention. All of the sculpted folds in the skin is just crazy.

Hate to keep repeating myself, but for the new collectors: check out those individually sculpted teeth! Also, you’d expect no one to bother with the tongue since the mouth is almost closed… but it’s in there! You can’t see it unless you tilt it back and squint yer eyes in there.

​The X-Plus Gorosaurus has joints at both elbows. The right elbow joint is elliptical and will complain if you try to move it. The left elbow is more round and will gladly let you tweak the rotation. As stated previously, both knees have joints and you need them to straighten his feet when preparing it for the shelf. Unfortunately, all four of these joints are somewhat noticeable; especially the elbows. For some reason, I’m not very annoyed by this. The figure looks cool and it is, after all, a vinyl figure. This is an early figure and X-plus has since gotten much better at hiding these connections.

The ankles have joints which just don’t want to bothered. Leave them be unless they came out of place. They are reasonably unnoticeable.

The two joints on the tail are, for the most part, well hidden between the segments in the sculpt. However, they are a bit loose and may easily move out of alignment with handling. The tail matches the body fairly well on the top, yet has a slight gap on the underside.

As for glued seams: there are two. The bottom jaw is a separate piece and has a seam which is only somewhat noticeable, but only if you look. Mine has a bit of a gap on one side and I expect the degree of this varies on each figure. The main body is in two piece as so there is a seam running along the front right above the waist and up the back. Again, it’s mostly unseen unless you look for it. Photos have already turned up online where some figures have large gaps and outright holes along this connection.

​The pose is unmistakably Goro all the way and it looks good from so many angles. This is one of the reasons why I was taken aback when I first pulled it out of the box. I had gotten used to seeing the same old production photos of this figure online for the past two years. I had no idea its pose had so much more to offer.

With so many choices, I can’t decide how I want this figure to stand on the shelf!

Gorosaurus is covered with a dark, dull, unsaturated green (bluish-green?) which seems to be a few notches lighter than it should be when comparing it to the suit in the movie. There are even darker shades sprayed in the creases on his back. (See the Footprint section for a look at that.) His throat, belly and underside of the tail is a reserved tan which fades well into the green. This tan, however, is applied a bit more liberally than on the actual suit. There are dull red highlights (shadows?) sprayed onto the throat, belly and inside the thighs. These red highlights looks great on the figure, though the throat looks as though it needs more of it.

The inside of the mouth and gums are a dark red and, as usual, the individually sculpted teeth are individually painted which makes them really look like they’re protruding out of the gums. Despite being expertly applied, though, the white used on the teeth is too bright and looks somewhat toyish, especially since it contrasts so much against the overly dark colors around it.

Despite the liberties this paint job takes from the suit, it’s look fan-f’n-tastic! The throat is particularly impressive.

​I saved some potentially bad news for last. The X-Plus Gorosaurus is short compared to other 30cm Series Figures. You may not mind this as much if you consider that he’s leaning strongly forward. Myself, I don’t care. I’m having trouble not loving this thing.

Flanked by 30cm Series figures Godzilla 1962 and Godzilla 1968 (which is a shortie, too), Gorosaurus is noticeably challenged in the height department. But he’s not the only one…

​There are 30cm Series figures with heights similar to Gorosaurus such as Baragon 1968 and Gaira.

​Hell, at least he’s taller than Anguirus 1968. Which reminds me…

Gorosaurus would make a nice addition to your collection, especially if you have a 30cm Series Destroy All Monsters shelf.

The X-Plus Gorosaurus is about 9.5 inches (24cm) tall, 6.25 inches (15.8cm) wide toe to toe and about 16 inches (40.6cm) long nose to tail, however it’s only 12 inches from toes to tail (if you don’t mind your figure reaching over the edge of the shelf.)

The tail makes a bend toward the figure’s left side which is perfect for scooping up behind it’s nearest neighbor on the shelf, assuming that the tails don’t collide. This figure seems to fit in well on a crowded shelf. It’s tail could limit the angles you display it at in tighter spaces.

By John Stanowski Originally posted December 21st, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「ジェットジャガー」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: LATE 2010

JAPAN FIRST RE-ISSUE: LATE 2012

​JAPAN SECOND RE-ISSUE: JUNE/JULY 2016

​SERIES: TOHO LARGE MONSTER SERIES (25CM)

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA VS. MEGALON”, 1973
ゴジラ対メガロ

HEIGHT: 9.25 INCHES / 23.4 CM​

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 3 OZ / 85 G

​ARTICULATION: SHOULDERS, WRISTS, ANKLES.

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY LESTER WAYNE DANIELS

The X-Plus Toho Large Monster Series Jet Jaguar was released way back in 2010 shortly after the beginning of the modern era of X-Plus accuracy awesomeness. This size-changing robot appeared once in the 1973 film Godzilla vs. Megalon. And these days, he’s quite a prize considering his rarity and super-high price tag.

This figure is a part of the Large Monster Series (or 25cm Series as it’s often called) and is totally in scale with other figures from that line.

(Special thanks goes out to Lester Wayne Daniels for allowing me to use a few of his photos for this review.)

This figure is packaged in a box which sports the usual Large Monster Series art, although it’s sized down to look more like an X-Plus Ultraman box. Inside, the figure is wired into a clear, plastic shell. It comes with black base with a peg which fits under one foot, but this is optional since the figure is more than capable of standing on its own.

This thing isn’t just a nice Jet Jaguar figure, it’s crazy-accurate! I have to say it again… This figure looks like it just walked right out of the movie.
Now, THIS is the reason I collect X-Plus!

Even with movie accuracy aside for a moment, the details on this sculpt are pretty impressive.

The head and face on this figure really make me wonder how human hands can sculpt something like this. It just looks outstanding. And the detail is insane! Particularly impressive is the mouth “grill”. This pattern is deep and precise… and all in a space smaller than a dime!

The eyes are molded in clear, smooth plastic tinted blue. A series of concentric circles molded on the inside create the ridges for Jet’s eyes. Sidenote: I only now realized how Jet Jaguar’s face was modeled after old Japanese Noh masks and demon paintings. See for yourself: can you find Jet?

Jet Jaguar’s antennae are skillfully etched into the head with fine detail. No, sorry, they don’t fold out.

The back sports the many flat and subtle elevations found on the suit. It’s almost a shame that this has to face the wall while on your shelf. The conjoined arrows in Jet’s “belt” area is insanely detailed for something so small. (By the way, that arrow is pointing toward his junk. What’s that about?) Finally, those subtle lines which look like seams on the mid-upper legs are not seams, but an actual detail on the suit. I never noticed these lines before I got this figure. I looked for them on the blu ray to see if they were actually there and they were. This just goes to show that if you go with X-Plus, you get it all. Even the details you never noticed before while watching the movies.

The head has an unsealed joint but just wants to be left alone. Don’t try to turn his head. The shoulders a freely moving joints and you can pose your Jet Jaguar with the arms up, down or both. The wrists are free to move but are more elliptical than round so you’ll be able to get them to rotate only so far. The ankles can rotate and you’ll probably need to play with them to get him to balance on his own if you choose to not use the stand.

As for seams… they’re aren’t any! At least none that you can casually see. I hereby declare this figure seamless!

​As usual with most other X-Plus figures, the pose is pretty neutral and standard. Perfect for the shelf. Jet’s not completely static, though. His knees are bent ever so slightly making him look a bit more dynamic, especially in combination with his bent arms. With this pose, he could be posing for the camera or ready to fight. Or both.

Jet Jaguar’s silvers, reds, blues and mustard yellows are both vibrant and yet reserved enough to not look toyish. The yellows pop more loudly than the other colors yet are still reigned in. Please note that the yellows in the photos posted here are a tad more colorful that they look in real life.

These colors were also expertly applied and conform very well against the subtle elevations in the sculpt. The painters did a great job of “staying in the lines”. Well done, X-Plus!

The X-Plus Jet Jaguar fits in perfectly with most other figures from the Large Monster Series. Here he is with the X-Plus Gigan and Godzilla 1975.

​At less than four inches wide, there’s barely any footprint at all. There’s practically no reason at all to rearrange your shelf when you get this guy. Currently my figure is standing between two of Kumonga‘s legs replacing some of that dead space above them.

The Ric Boy version of this figure comes with a set of interchangeable open hands which you can see here. Not a huge loss if you can’t get the Ric version. The fist-like closed hands on the standard are cooler and make him look ready to Punch! Punch! Punch!

​By John Stanowski Originally posted December 14th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝30CMシリーズ 酒井ゆうじ造形コレクション
ゴジラ（1989）「第四種警戒体制 大阪上陸」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: OCTOBER 2014

​NORTH AMERICAN DIAMOND REISSUE: APRIL 2017

​JAPAN CLOSED MOUTH VERSION: EXPECTED DECEMBER 2018

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES YUJI SAKAI MODELLING COLLECTION

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE”, 1989
ゴジラVSビオランテ

​HEIGHT: 11.25 INCHES / 28.5 CM

​WIDTH (TOE TO TOE): 6.25 INCHES / 15.8 CM

​LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 19.5 INCHES / 49.5 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 18 OZ / 510 G

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​It’s here! The Toho 30cm Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection Godzilla 1989 (Fourth Kind Warning Systems / Osaka Landing) vinyl figure… has landed!

It’s molded from a sculpt from renowned Godzilla sculptor Yuji Sakai’s ‘Landing Series’. It depicts Godzilla shortly after he climbed out of Osaka Bay and began his rampage through the city.

“Fourth Kind Warning Systems”, or “Alert Level 4” as it’s known in English subtitles, is the warning given when it’s certain Godzilla will make landfall in a specific place, in this case Osaka (home of X-Plus headquarters, by the way. Coincidence?).

Take a look at the photo below.

Look familiar? Is it Real or is it X-Plus? This time it’s real!

I used to say “it looks like it walked right out of the TV screen” a lot in my earlier reviews. It’s time to dust that line off for this figure because, as you can see, it literally looks it was taken right out of this scene!

Okay, let’s dig in.

With the new Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection comes a new box design that starkly contrasts the cool, stylized box art that we’re used to.

I’ve heard it described as everything between being the work of an intern to looking like a 70s record album cover. Okay, so it stinks. But, I’m resolved to look at it this way: it looks like a garage kit box. And that’s ‘sort of’ what this is. Right?

The box comes with the usual X-Plus Garage Toy logo in one corner and the Plex logo in another. A new detail here is the inclusion of a Godzilla vs. Biollante logo.

And for those who need to know, the text reads (in kanji and katakana) Toho 30cm Series Sakai Yuji Modelling Collection. It then repeats “Yuji Sakai Modelling Collection” in English, along with “Godzilla 1989”. Then, in kanji: “fourth kind warning system, Osaka Landing”.

Also new: next to the usual Toho Godzilla licensing sticker is another licensing sticker from Sakai’s company, Zokei Kobo. It says “SAKAI YUJI, ZOKEI KOBO”.

​Now, on to what’s inside!

The figure, as usual, comes with the tail unattached (in this case, two pieces) which needs to be inserted by you.

The tail assembly process should be well known by now: use a hair dryer to heat the “female” end of the joint. This is typically the “butt” of the figure. Warming it will make it soft and agreeable to being invaded by the “male” end (the end with the suction cup-looking flange). Keep the male end cool so that it will be firm. If you are doing this in the summer, you may want to put the tail in the refrigerator (NOT THE FREEZER: you may wind up cracking the flange right off the tail!) for a SHORT while to get it firm and sturdy. Then, just insert, push and twist.

The joints on the tail pieces are not completely round, but this does not get in the way of inserting them. They went in really easy for me.

Since this figure has two pieces, attach the larger tail piece to the body first. Then add on the second, smaller piece.

(Attaching the smaller tail piece to the larger tail piece first would require you to heat the larger piece and, in the process, could soften its male end making it harder to attach to the body.)

​And here it is.

I had some doubts about this figure when it was first revealed. Especially with how it looks from the front. But, I ordered one anyway. (Of course, I did!) And now that it’s in front of me I am just blown away by it. Sculpt-wise… THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT! There are little things that bug me about the other two X-Plus Heisei Godzilla entries, but this… nothing!

As usual, when reviewing a new figure, I sat down to watch the movie with the figure in front of me, my eyes darting back and forth between it and the screen, comparing every detail I could get a good view of and pause on. Every single time, the figure failed to disappoint.

This is my first time seeing a sculpt by Yuji Sakai that wasn’t either three inches high or riddled with articulation joints. I can see now why his name is so revered.

The 1989 Godzilla suit had a bit of a pointy head but that feature is absent from this figure. (Not that I mind; that point always kind of bugged me.) Other than that, the head sculpt looks accurate, fantastic and awesome!

[ UPDATE: It was just mentioned in the comments that the ‘pointy head’ was only on the ‘sea suit’, so Sakai’s sculpt is right; I’m wrong! ]
Okay, so there is just one thing. From the front, the head seems a little skewed to one side. His eyes, nose and mouth don’t line up perfectly. His left cheek seems lower than his right. Something isn’t quite right here. Thankfully, it’s not overly obvious and from angles other than the front, a non-issue.

Check out the mouth on this thing! I’ve never seen so much attention given to the mouth of an X-Plus figure that wasn’t part of the Gigantic Series! W.O.W.!

The inside of the mouth has a deep ridge pattern under the tongue and even on the roof of the mouth! The tongue has a similarly detailed texture, even though it wasn’t nearly that coarse on the suit. This is just unbelievable detail squeezed into a space smaller than a quarter!

The teeth are not individually sculpted like those on the original X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 vinyl, but they are much, much closer to being accurate. The downside is that since they are so small and have a weak paint job and they can look like a fat row of gunky molars rather than the double row of sharp wedges that they were on the suit.

More on the mouth, including photos, are down in the Paint Job section.

As usual with X-Plus, the dorsal fins look great. But this sculpt goes above and beyond the call for accuracy and detail. I paused the Godzilla vs. Biollante blu ray a couple of times to compare the fins on screen to the figure in front of me. I expected them to simply capture the ‘spirit’ of the shapes but I discovered much more than that. Yuji Sakai actually took the time to mimic individual spikes on the larger fins. Look at the photo above. There are short spikes, long spikes, spikes curving this way and that, spike huddled in pairs, etc. Seems kind of random, yes? Well it’s not completely. Many of these “random” dorsal fin shapes are actually ridiculously accurate… down to the spike!

The X-Plus Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1989 not only looks accurate, but is more accurate than you can see!

But, wait, there’s more! The upcoming Ric Boy version of this figure will have light-up fins. In cases like this, X-Plus typically makes the Standard versions the same exact way as the Ric’s, sans the lights and wires. And, also typically, light-up fins don’t look anywhere near as good as those made without the soft, translucent vinyl. But, these fins LOOK GOOD! So, either X-Plus decided to make totally opaque fins for the standard, or they’ve stepped up their game and found a way to make the fins look good and light up at the same time. We’ll have to wait for the Rics to come out at the end of October to find out.

I’m very happy to say that the X-Plus Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1989 seems to be seamless!

There are sealed joints above both biceps, below both knees and at both ankles. The back strip with the dorsal fins are also a separate piece. And at each and every one of these spots, the joints are virtually invisible.

The tail is in four pieces, all of which are not glued and sealed and two of which you need to attach yourself. And all four joints are PERFECTLY matched and practically invisible thanks to the ribbed segments in the sculpt.

I can’t help thinking that there must be a seam around the jaw because I can’t see how the intricate paint job inside the mouth could have been applied otherwise. But I just can find a line.

A+, X-Plus!

I kept changing my mind on how much I liked the pose (from the front, anyway). I couldn’t help thinking that its slightly outstretched arms made it look like a cartoon character tip-toeing up behind Biollante for a surprise attack. But when I gave the Godzilla vs. Biollante blu ray a spin and saw the scene it came from I was surprised to see how faithfully Yuji Sakai captured the pose. (See the photo from the movie at the top of this page.)

Now, I think I very much like its ‘realistic’, un-posed look. Most X-Plus figures look like they’re posing for the camera — trying to look perfect from every angle. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) The Sakai ’89, though, seems realistic and “alive” to me.

It’s also interesting that this figure’s walking pose has one heel off of the ground. Which brings me to …

I wasn’t going to mention this, but it seems clear that I’m not alone with this little problem. The feet do not meet the floor flush as they should. Instead the figure rests on the ball of the left foot and the right foot heel. Raising the tail up about three eighths of an inch (.95 cm) fixes this problem, but leaving you with another problem.

It may not seem like it’s off by much by looking at the animated GIF above, but in person, and at a low angle, it is kind of obvious.

Thankfully, it doesn’t look like that big of a deal when looking at it from higher angles. Still, I’m not sure we should have this problem for a figure that costs well over $200.

UPDATE: Apparently Yuji Sakai likes to sculpt these with the tails slightly in the air. I somewhat confirmed this by taking a peek at the Dream Evolution book and found other sculpts that do the same thing. So, maybe the figure is just following the original sculpt. Well. Um. At the end of the day the figure leans back so I don’t get it.

​The X-Plus Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1989 has a base coat of dusty, asphalt black. But the quality of this black seems different somehow from the other figures in the line. It looks richer. (See the Size Comparison photos below and you can see the difference.)

​HIGHLIGHTS
I noticed later, under bright light, the reason for the richer-looking black is that the figure is smothered with subtle blueish highlights. They’re almost invisible to be seen as actual highlights, yet they’re there enough to affect the overall look.

The photo above shows an exaggerated view of the highlights which I made obnoxiously visible with Photoshop by cranking up the saturation values of just the blues and aquas. Now you can clearly see how extensive the highlights are. If you’re looking at this review on a computer (and not a phone) you can just faintly see these highlights in the first photo at the top of this page.

While I appreciate the work that went into applying the stealthy blue highlights which I can only faintly detect with my eyes, I still feel this figure could do with a few visible splashes, like a bit of dirt here and there (as on the ’64) to break up its overly clean feel.

​MOUTH
The inside of the mouth has a meticulously detailed reddish/purple color filling the lower regions of a very detailed texture in the sculpt. A meaner red coats the higher elevations of this veiny ridge pattern. And if that’s not cool enough for you… look up! They did the same thing to the roof of the mouth which looks even better!

The tongue gets the same two-color treatment but with a muddy purple. (Which confuses me because the tongue was clearly red in the movie.)

It’s not really visible in my photos, but my figure has some slight red overspray around the mouth which, fortunately, can’t be seen with out a camera close-up.

TEETH
Unfortunately, the teeth don’t look as great as the rest of the mouth. And don’t even begin to compare to the simpler, superior paint job on the original X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 1989. The care taken to paint each single tooth on the original (which you can see below) just didn’t happen on the Sakai version.

But, it probably couldn’t happen. The teeth on the Sakai ’89 are so small that they must have been very difficult to paint. They just covered them all in an off white and then added a tartar brown dabbed into the tiny crevices in between each tooth for shadowing. But the result is somewhat of a gunky mess if you look too closely. Even from normal viewing distances, the results look a little sloppy.

Despite the failed paint job, the teeth on the Sakai ’89 absolutely crush the original figure when it comes to being sculpted accurately.

​EYES
The eyes on the Sakai ’89 are painted far more simply than the eyes on the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 which had a palate of brown, black and yellow. The Sakai has only black balls floating on a light brown. Fortunately, the glossiness of the paint used on the eyes picks up the light in the room adding a little specular twinkle for a “third color”.

But which eyes are more accurate? The original figure wins here. The Sakai ’89 eye colors are technically painted too simply. There are plenty of close-ups in the movie which show Godzilla’s eyes looking more complex than depticted on the Sakai ’89. However, there are scenes where the eyes “appear” to be just black and brown. You decide.

BONEY BITS
As is typical with X-Plus, the dorsal fins feather into a boney white along the edges and look great as usual. The smaller dorsal ridges that creep up to the head and all the way down to the tip of the tail fade out nicely. The claws seem to have gotten extra attention on this figure. They’re darker than usual, fading from a black to dark brown to dark tan at the tips.

THE 89ers
Left to right: X-Plus Large Monster Series Godzilla 1989, 30cm Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1989 and the original 30cm Series Godzilla 1989.

TOHO 30CM SERIES YUJI SAKAI MODELING COLLECTION
Left to right: The Sakai Godzilla 1989, 1991, 1992 and 2001. This collection lines up perfectly with itself.

30CM SERIES
Left to right: Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964, Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1989 and Godzilla 2003. The Sakai ’89 will produce a dip in your 30cm Shelf skyline.

THE SHORTIES
Left to right: Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1968, 1984, Sakai 1989 and 2004.

The ’68 was the first “shortie” and was, for quite a while, the only one. But then came the ’84 and shortly after, the ’04 and now the Sakai ’89. This foursome is frustratingly short compared to the typical height of other Godzillas in the 30cm Series. But now they number high enough to make up exactly one third of the 30cm Series Godzilla catalog. If this keeps up, we won’t be able to call them short anymore and just accept the fact that the 30cm Series figures are simply no longer in perfect scale with each other.

Being short ain’t all bad! The fact that the Sakai ’89’s height really places it in a middle category between the Large Monsters Series and the 30cm Series makes it just a little closer to being in scale with the Large Monsters Series Biollante. I don’t think many OCD scale freaks will complain that much if you pair these two together on the shelf.

​Despite it’s lack of height, this figure has a tail longer than most other figures in the series. It’s a whopping 15 inches long (20 inches from tail tip to toes) and reaches almost straight back with very little curves. This makes it just a little bit unfriendly on the shelf. For what’s it’s worth, the tail curves ever so slightly to the figure’s right so placing him on the shelf facing the right is the way to go, especially since this angle matches the scene from which this sculpt sprung.

By John Stanowski Originally posted October 13th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝大怪獣リーズ 「モスラ 成虫 （1961版）」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012

​JAPAN REISSUE: NOVEMBER 2014

​SERIES: TOHO LARGE MONSTER SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL, ABS

​FROM: “MOTHRA”, 1961
モスラ

​HEIGHT: (ON STAND), 15 INCHES / 38 CM

​WIDTH (WINGSPAN): 22.5 INCHES / 57 CM

​LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 10.75 INCHES / 27.3 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 1 LB, 7 OZ / 652 G

ARTICULATION: MANDIBLES

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​In 2012, X-Plus released the Toho Large Monster Series Mothra Imago 1961 Edition Vinyl Figure based on the very first appearance of this classic kaiju from the film Mothra (モスラ) from way back in the early ’60s. And what a beaut! This figure is probably one of, if not THE, very best likenesses of Mosura ever put to vinyl.

What’s particularly unique about this vinyl when compared to the rest of X-Plus’ catalog, is that it’s in flight. Propped into the air with a metal post fixed into a sculpted, rocky base, it strongly contrasts the other bipeds and quadrapeds in your collection by hovering over them with its large, outstretched wings.

WINGS
While we’re on the subject of wings: you no doubt have heard stories about (or experienced yourself) drooping, deformed wings from all three of X-Plus’ Rodan figures. Warm temperatures and the figures’ own weight tends to make the wing tips bend and curve, making the figures lean and, eventually, topple off the shelf. This is not a concern with the Mothra Imago figure. The wings on this buggy beast are made out ABS, a firmer plastic which is immune to high temperatures and gravity. I’ve had this figure for over a year now and both wings are still flying high.

IT’S BIG
The Mothra Imago 1961 vinyl is part of the Toho Large Monster Series. A Godzilla figure in this series is typically around 25cm tall (about 10 inches). Mothra, though, is another story. She’s HUGE and, at first glance, looks like she should belong to the Toho 30cm Series. But this vinyl is actually in scale with the other Large Monster Series figures. Mothra was just plain big in 1961 (and 1964 as well).

From wing tip to wing tip, this figure is 22.5 inches wide. Now keep in mind that both wings are angled upward. If the wings were completely horizontal, this figure would have a wingspan of over TWO FEET!

​The X-Plus Mothra Imago 1961 comes in a big, plain, white box almost 27 inches long (bigger than two 30cm Series boxes put together!) and has monochromatic artwork on the cover. Inside the box, the figure is wired into a plastic shell and is fully assembled. You just need to untwist the twisties and put it on the base.

The base is molded in hollow vinyl and sculpted to look like a piece of Mothra’s rocky home on Infant Island. her “logo” is carved into a stone tablet on the front. A metal pole rises up from this base and supports the figure in the air.

This set-up may look precarious, and could be if you’re not careful. But overall, it’s pretty sturdy. I picked this figure up, base and all, dozens of times while taking photos for this review and there was never a problem. When moving it, just don’t grab the figure by itself, nor the base. Grab the pole instead. And always check to make sure the pole is still sticking out of the hole on the bottom after putting it down. More on that below…

IMPORTANT!
There’s potential for disaster if you don’t place Mothra on her base the correct way. There is a hole in the BOTTOM of the base. The pole needs to go into the base through the top and then ALL THE WAY THROUGH to peep out the bottom hole (see photo to the left). This second hole is needed to keep the pole straight. If you don’t insert the pole into the base all the way through, then your figure may lean, wobble and fall. (This happened to me at first. Luckily there was no damage.)

It goes without saying that this is a very impressive figure. A combination of vinyl, ABS and clear plastic, along with a fancy paint job, makes this piece a prize to be sure.

LIKENESS
This figure seems to be a dead ringer, at any angle, for the ‘puppet’ from the film. But is it picture perfect? No, actually. Allow me to nitpick: the legs are slightly thicker than they should be. The stubby, three-pronged “pincer” at the end of the abdomen which was so prominent in the movie, is less pronounced on this figure. Despite this, I’d say they still did a fine, fine job of it.

Even the patterns on the wings show that a real effort was made to represent almost every jaggy edge in the design. The result also isn’t picture perfect, but the spirit of the pattern is there, intact despite being slightly simplified, no doubt to make it easier on the painters in the factory. The end result is amazing.

FUR
The puppet used in the film had fuzzy, fur all over it which had to be sculpted into a static surface for this figure. And I am just amazed by the fine and intricate detail that was created to cover the main body and parts of the wings. This faux fur texture is yet another clue that this is not some lowend toy… it’s an X-Plus figure.

BIG, BLUE EYES
Mothra’s eyes are brilliantly represented here in hard, translucent plastic tinted blue. The outside surface is smooth while the inside is molded with bumps to mimic the giant moth’s compound eyes. This is a great technique which X-Plus also used on Kumonga, all three Gigans and others.

ANTENNAE
The antennae are thin and precise. They are also soft and bendy. And, in the case of the figure I got, can be on backwards. Out of the box, my figure came with the antennae arcing toward the rear. You can see this in practically every photo on this review. But in the movie, the antennae arc forward. I thought I may as well try and see if they could be rotated… and they could! It seems to me these should have been glued, and maybe they were meant to, I don’t know. So, PLEASE BE CAREFUL if you try this on yours.

MANDIBLES
The mandibles are hard plastic and are articulated for an optional open mouth look. These pieces are sort of stiff and hard to open. The hinges are tiny so use caution here.

There are a few seams to found on Mothra, but they don’t stand out much on her already segmented insectoid body. The head, thorax (middle bit) and abdomen (orange and white stripey thing) are all separate pieces. Lines can be seen if looked for, but like I said, bugs are meant to look like that. My figure has bit of a gap under the neck which thankfully can’t be easily noticed.

All six legs (below the ‘knees’) are separate pieces and are glued to the main body. And they kind of look like they were, too. But, again, she’s a bug and it seems like this should be forgiven. Moving on…

The wings are inserted into the middle section and lines can really only be seen from directly above.

There aren’t very many poses available to adult form Mothra, so posing this figure was a nobrainer. And I have to say, even so, X-Plus did a great job of making it look like it came close to coming right out of the movie. The wings are angled upward and that’s how we saw most side views in the original film.

The front, back and side views seen above may look boring. (Although, I think the side views look pretty freaking awesome.) The pose may seem mechanical and the wings pretty simple and flat. But they actually have subtle curves and waves in them which really shine when you explore this figure from different angles. (Take another look at the first photo at the top of this page to see what I mean.) X-Plus could have taken the easy way out and sculpted the wings perfectly flat like a lower grade toy or collectible… but they didn’t. And that’s why we love them!

This figure has all the right colors in (mostly) the right places. Even though they are each dusty and reserved, the paint job as a whole is an explosion of color. Not in a shouty, overly vibrant, toy-like way, but rather a toned-down, ‘realistic-looking’ and a “I’m kinda flashy so I must be Poisonous so back off” sort of way.

The wings have subtle indents following Mothra’s zig-zagged pattern molded into them allowing the factory folk to paint “in the lines”. There are also some dusty off-whites airbrushed on the wings to give it some gradation. Mothra’s famous big red spots are also airbrushed.

There are some inaccuracies, though. The abdomen should have white stripes which are thicker than its orange stripes. The figure has that reversed. Also the smaller rear wings should be a mustard color gradating into a lightened brick red toward the ends. This figure sports only the red. I’m not going to gripe about this, though. It’s obvious that a LOT of time and effort went into all the little details on this figure and I’m sure they did the best they could in order to remain on budget. The end result may not be 100% accurate in all areas, but it still looks amazing.

​Here the X-Plus Toho Large Monster Series Mothra Imago 1961 is matched up with the Godzilla 1964 from the same line. Keep in mind a completely new Mothra ‘puppet’ was built for Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), so this isn’t really an accurate pairing. (Although the 1961 Mothra was used for just a few flying scenes in film. (Special thanks to Godzilla nerd Robert Dwyer for the info!))

But, alas, this is the closest thing you’re going to get if you want to recreate that film on your shelves. And size-wise, it’s damn near perfect.

​And here is a size comparison with the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964. Despite the inaccurate scaling, they still make a good-looking couple.

Mothra seems to keep getting smaller with each new appearance in the Godzilla franchise. And thanks to that, the 1961 version may make an okay stand-in — size-wise — for the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992 from Godzilla vs. Mothra.

​With an almost 2-foot wingspan, you might consider the X-Plus Mothra Imago to be a shelf hog. But it’s not, really. It’s base is about 8 inches wide and that’s about the same as most 30cm Godzilla figures. But Mothra herself is up in the air and her wings are even higher. If you place her on the shelf with other Large Monster Series figures you’ll find that they fit right under her wings, allowing you to squeeze more monsters into almost the same space.

If, for some reason, you place her with 30cm figures, you’ll find that even they can fit it under her wings. So, although this figure is 22.5 inches wide from wing tip to wing tip, it doesn’t need to take up all of that space just for itself.

By John Stanowski Originally posted September 15th, 2014​ on Kaiju Addicts.

ギガンティックシリーズ 「ゴジラ（1995年版）」

​JAPAN RELEASE: AUGUST 2014

​BLUEFIN SDCC EXCLUSIVE 1999 ° VERSION: JULY/AUGUST 2016

​JAPAN FROZEN VERSION: LATE 2016

​SERIES: GIGANTIC SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH”, 1995
ゴジラVSデストロイア

​HEIGHT: 18.5 INCHES / 47 CM

WIDTH: 18 INCHES (TOE TO TOE) / 45.7 CM

​LENGTH: ABOUT 34 INCHES / 86 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: ABOUT 7.5 LBS / 3401 G

​ARTICULATION: NONE

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 Version vinyl figure is the second entry into this new line from X-Plus. It follows on the heels of the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001 Version which came out late 2013.

The ’95 was first announced in March or April of 2014 and a troubled production pushed its release date down to July (for the Ric Boy versions) and August (for the standard versions).

The two main things to note about this figure, the one before it, and any to come are their (gigantic) size, and the abandonment of hyper suit accuracy in the sculpt in lieu of hyper stylization. So, if you’re accustomed to having your new X-Plus figures look like they walked right out of the movie, you’ll need to adjust your perception in order to appreciate the artistic exaggerations that capture, instead, the power and spirit of these monsters.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 is based on the daikaiju’s appearance from the movie Godzilla vs. Destroyah. In that installment of the Heisei series, Godzilla’s radioactive energy rages out of control which turns his body into a walking overheating reactor. Energy forced its way through to the surface of Godzilla’s tough skin and gave him a firey, glowing appearance. Fans and collectors often refer to this suit as “Burning Godzilla”.

For this figure, the rights were acquired to use the sculpt from a previous kit from another company. That kit came with LED lights to illuminate its ‘burning’ skin. X-Plus had originally wanted to do the same for their release, but production concerns caused them to abandon that plan. But even without lights, this figure looks firey enough just the way it is!

As per usual, Godzilla comes in two pieces: body and tail. The tail is reinforced on the inside with hard foam. No doubt if this foam wasn’t there, the thicker part of the tail would tend to collapse with only a squeeze or firm grip. LEAVE THE FOAM ALONE. Don’t try to remove it. You’ll just make a big mess and ruin your figure.

INSERTING THE TAIL
The traditional procedure requires you to heat the body hole with a hair dryer to soften the vinyl. You would then press in the (unheated and firm) tail into the body. But, this process does not seem to work with this figure. I attempted assembly this way the first time. The tail slid in easily, however it then slid out again just as easily. I suspect that the inner flange inside the body, when heated and softened, becomes too weak to grab onto the tail.

Instead, give it a try with NO hairdryer. I left my figure alone in a warm room while placing the tail in front of an air conditioner for a while to firm it up. After that, the tail popped right in, and stayed in. …mostly.

While the tail may seem snug inside the body, it can still come off fairly easily if you tug on it while pulling downward. I have to admit I’m stumped as to why this happens. It may have been designed to do that for some reason. If you look at the photo you’ll see that the flange at the top of the tail does not flare out as it does on the sides and bottom. I don’t know what to say about this. All I can say is that the tail stays put while the figure is on display, and even while carrying it around the house as long as you don’t tug on it.

Note: one collector I spoke to about this claims his tail is “locked” in and doesn’t pop out with a light tug. Here’s hoping you get one of those.

The X-Plus Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 vinyl figure is Big and Badass!

As already stated, the sculpt never tries to be super suit accurate, but instead exudes a dynamic, artistic interpretation the likes of which you’d find in comic books. Which is okay by me because this thing blew me away when I got it!

It doesn’t totally ignore “reality” because from certain angles it, at a glance, does look somewhat passable as an accurate sculpt. But from most angles, it’s clear this thing is embellished.

It’s like this: the sculpt doesn’t show the Godzilla you see when you look at the TV screen. It shows the Godzilla you see in your mind!

Basically, it’s fat. It’s feet and thighs are too big for its mid-section. And it’s mid-section is too big for its head. Going down: it gets bigger. Going up: it gets smaller. This is reminiscent of what it would look like if Godzilla were actually standing in front of you. He would be large on the bottom and smaller on the top. (Like in the photo above.)

The head sculpt more than aptly captures the essence of DesuGoji’s fierce roar and glare. But, on to the details!

The teeth and tongue look like something you’d find on a high quality resin model and not on a vinyl. The teeth are really pointy and sharp. And the tongue has a ridiculously fine and deep texture. No, these bits are definitely not vinyl. I suspect they are made of hard polyurethane (PUR) plastic like the tongue on the Gigantic GMK was.

Seeing this detail in person, combined with the glaring eyes above it will blow – you – away.

The dorsal fins are sculpted with exaggerated size and are made of sturdy, translucent vinyl with deep textures and are even rough to the very tips. Light from behind the figure passes easily through them.

FIREY PATCHES
I could be wrong, but as far as I can tell, most of the body is molded in colorless, translucent vinyl. The asphalt black paint covers the “cooler” skin. I suspect that red highlights are painted (on the outside) onto the higher elevations of the skin texture in the hot spots. And I’ll bet that the dominant yellowish hues are coming from another layer of vinyl inside the body acting like a “double wall” just below the clear outer layer. (I’ve seen this extra wall inside the body before adding the tail.)

However this effect was achieved, the end result is jaw-dropping! Words just can’t describe how awesome these burning patches look in person nor how their appearance slightly changes as you look at them from different angles. And photos DO NOT do it justice! You have to see this in person to really appreciate it.

TEXTURE
The sculptor went above and beyond expectations when creating the treebark texturing on this figure. Deep and rough don’t even begin to describe it. You know how I always mention individually sculped teeth? Well, I almost feel I have to say that this figure has individually sculpted skin bumps! No, really. It looks like fanatical care went into every bump and groove. Just touching this thing will set your tactile sensors on overload.

Not much to say here except that the open hands with individually sculpted fingers are really expressive and that the claws have finely etched grooves on them. Other than that, the photos speak volumes about the quality of this sculpt.

​There is only one joint and that is where the tail connects to the body. When pressed in, the sculpt lines up absolutely perfectly. However, an ever so slight sliver of a gap may appear along the top of this joint, especially when you pick it up. This is due to the tail not completely locking in.

SEAMS
What seams?? You will not notice a single sloppy seam this figure. None!

But what if you look for them? Okay, if you look hard enough, you’ll eventually find them even though they are expertly glued and filled. They’re really not worth mentioning though, but I suppose in the interest of know where to grab this figure when moving it, I’ll tell you what I saw.

The feet below the knees are separate pieces. Curiously, the tops of the these pieces are not open like the rest of the figure and have solid tops inside. I suspect they may contain extra material to keep the feet weighted down like the Gigantic GMK has. There appears to be a seam running around the waist. there is a peculiar seam running down the back on both sides. Normally, the body is all one piece except for the back strip of dorsal fins. But this dorsal piece extends well out to both sides. There is a tiny seam running over the forehead making me think the whole top of the face is a separate piece. You can’t really see this seam, however, you can and will notice a sudden change in texture complexity on the top of the head. It suddenly stops when it reaches this seam. This is the one and only possible complaint I could have about this otherwise awesome vinyl statue.

Not much to say about the pose. Once again, pretty standard stuff and it looks good that way. The figure’s left foot is slightly further back than its right. The arms seems to be gently swaying to the figure’s right which is logical if it’s taking a step forward with its right foot. Godzilla’s stare is directly slightly toward ground level (shelf level?) and is perhaps 30 degrees from the ground plane. So, this guy is not looking at Destroyah. He’s looking at little, tiny you. Get running.

​Godzilla’s tail swoops up and then down again like it’s being tugged on by one of special effects director Koichi Kawakita’s invisible strings. The tip of the tail does not reach the ground like the Godzilla 1964’s tail was apt to do. I think it looks great. …and really Heisei-ish!

Curiously, most of the embellishing stylization is absent from both side views. This is damn near a respectable accurate sculpt!

This figure has a traditional asphalt black for the cool, un-firery areas. And it’s mostly just that, black. The incredibly deep texture in the sculpt, though, adds TONS of highlights and shadows when you add light. As for paint highlights, there are slight dabs of a lighter black brushed on here and there. This highlight paint is glossy and gives the figure super, super subtle glistens. And while subtle in most areas, this highlight color is suddenly applied very liberally on the face which abruptly ends at the nearly invisible seam behind the eyes. You can see this somewhat clearly on one of my Photoshop composites below in the Extras section.

EYES
The eyes have vivid yellow corneas with thick black outlines floating on a dark red. These eye colors must be decals because if you zoom into the eyes from a high res photo, you’ll find tiny, notchy lines like those found on a clock. You can see a photo of one eye fairly close up in the Sculpt section of this review.

HOT SPOTS
The lack of noticeable highlights on the black skin is quickly forgotten when you feast your eyes on the fiery reds, oranges and yellows on the burning areas of Godzilla’s skin. Words and photos can not even begin to fully impart how AWESOME this looks. As already mentioned in the Sculpt section of the review, it seems that most of the body is molded in colorless, translucent vinyl and that the base yellow color is actually painted on the inside of the figure! This allows the color to show through but also lets refraction give these areas a crystal like effect. Red highlights are adding on the outside surface where it borders the regular black skin.

The comination of paint, translucent vinyl and deep textures in the sculpt make this figure a feast for the eyes.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 looks like it’s a head or two taller than the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001. But they still make for fine shelf fellows since the GMK is leaning forward. If the GMK could suddenly stand up straight, he’d be eye to eye with the ’95. The hands and feet are about the same size on both figures. They look great together. Okay, so who wants to start an entire collection of X-Plus Gigantic Series figures now?

​And now a size comparison with… so, who’s this little guy here? Little? That’s the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992! Breaks my heart to see that 12 inch badass 92 look so small! Do you see what you’re in for now if you get into the Gigantic Series?

REAL WORLD SIZE COMPARISONS

For a ‘real world’ size comparison I brought the old soda can back for a shot. Instead, I’m trying something new. To help you completely and utterly appreciate the size of this figure, here are some shots of collectors with their new Gigantic 95’s.

​It goes without saying that this figure will demand most of the shelf. That’s if you have a shelf big enough to hold it. It’s 18.5 inches tall and 18 inches wide from foot to foot. And if that were not bad (good?) enough, it’s a whopping 30 inches tall from toes to tail. 34 inches if you go nose to tail. And that tail… it doesn’t curve to the side to let you push it closer to the wall. No, this tail goes straight back curving only up and down.

Finding a place to fit this figure into your collection is going to require some thought and planning on your part and might wind up being a big problem for many. But, like I always say: It’s a good problem to have!

​Planning the Ric Boy version exclusive feature for this figure seems like a no-brainer. The exclusive should come with a light gimmick. But as mentioned earlier, that option was off the table. Instead, we got a return to form for X-Plus with the inclusion of a mini figure/prop.

The Ric Boy version of this figure comes with a mini Oxygen Destroyer and it looks suuuh’weeeet! The oxygen destroyer rests on a solid resin base sculpted to resemble the rocky bottom of Tokyo Bay where it was used to dispatch the original Godzilla in 1954. It has a nice texture to it and bears the Godzilla vs. Destroyah title written in katakana. And overly obvious block of legal crap sits below it, much larger than it needs to be.

A nice touch: the oxygen destroyer can be removed from the base!

​The oxygen destroyer piece is a reissue of sorts of the one which accompanied the 30cm Godzilla 1954 Ric Boy original release. It’s made of plastic and features a clear tube to reveal the “ball” inside which held a large helping of Dr. Serizawa’s oxygen destroying powder. It also features real metal posts along with nicely sculpted knobs, dials and bolts.

The only difference with this version is that it’s lost all of its shiny, new looks and instead is painted with a darker silver and expertly dabbed or sponged with dark, grungey paint texture to represent 42 years of salt water corrosion. Oh, and the ball is open! It really is a pretty incredible model.

Is it worth the extra cash? That’s for you to decide. Myself, I have to say it’s pretty nice having a miniature of such an iconic device from Godzilla history on my shelves.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995, 1999° Version SDCC Exclusive was released in the fall of 2016. This version was licensed to Bluefin Distribution in the U.S. and was sold at San Diego Comic Con. Leftovers are being made available to online stores and comic stores.

It came with the tail already permanently attached. The vinyl also featured larger red patches. The smaller, non-translucent dorsal fins are more of a stark white.

The Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995, Frozen Version, ギガンティックシリーズ ゴジラ1995 凍結ver. was released in the fall of 2016. It featured the same details as the original Japanese release with an added ice effect to mimic the scene where Super X III attempted to freeze the monster in the water.

It came with a mini Super X III.

​NOTE: THIS FIGURE DOES NOT LIGHT UP!
The photos depicting glowing light below are merely Photoshop embellishments meant to celebrate the figure’s awesomeness.

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 28th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝30CMシリーズ「アンギラス（1955版） ゴジラの逆襲」 モノクロ塗装版

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2011

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: DECEMBER 2014

​BANDAI RE-ISSUE: MAY 2015

SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN”, 1955
ゴジラの逆襲

HEIGHT: ABOUT 10 INCHES / 25.4 CM

​WIDTH (TOE TO TOE): ABOUT 8 INCHES / 20 CM

LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 19 INCHES / 48.2 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 1 LB, 4 OZ / 566 G

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Anguirus 1955 vinyl figure was originally released in 2011, shortly after the Godzilla figure from the same movie. Godzilla Raids Again was the second movie in the franchise and the first ever to include a foe for the title character. Anguirus was that foe and was, if you ask me, the most fierce version of all the incarnations to follow, including the one from Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004. (Yeah, Anguirus was pretty cool in 2004, but rolling around and hitting your enemies with your back while your head and limbs are safely tucked in is as admirable as kicking in a fight if you ask me.)

Despite his badassery, Anguirus 1955, or Angilas if you prefer, isn’t as popular as the suit design which came after it. And collectors most likely have set their sights on going after an X-Plus Anguirus 1968. Fair enough. But there’s no reason to turn your head and pfft at this historical kaiju suit and X-Plus’ beyond awesome vinyl rendition of it. There’s lots to love here, whether you grew up with the movie or you just dig the 1950’s retro thing. The Toho 30cm Series Anguirus 1955 is a prize.

As with (most) other X-Plus vinyl figures, the Toho 30cm Series Anguirus looks freakishly similar to the original suit. As far as I can tell, every minute detail was studied and faithfully recreated in this sculpt. It’s hard to appreciate at first since Anguirus was veiled behind dark, grainy 1950’s film stock quality. But if you compare it to good photos from the film you’ll find that it’s an outstanding likeness.

They got the head right, and from every angle. And, once again, individually sculpted teeth… and lots of them. And even though it lays flat in the mouth, the tongue is also a separate piece glued in on one end and loose at the tip.

The texturing on this figure is just kerr-aazay! Folds of rough skin and scales cover this beast. New collectors: note the sculpted holes in the neck which recreates the holes the suit actor used to see through!

​Now about those scales. Holy. Shit. They look like they were sculpted one at a time and pressed into the body. This is in no way a “toy”.

The back is covered with individually sculpted spikes. There was no cheap, easy-way-out sculpting done here. This must have been a tedious labor of love to create.

The tail is a masterpiece of foldy skin covered with the same precisely sculpted scales found on the arms and legs along with more sharp spikes which vary from a quarter of an inch to half an inch long. And, yes, these things can hurt you if mishandled!

​Not much to complain about here! The only truly visible seam is around the neck and most of that is cleverly conceiled in sculpted folds of skin. The elbows and knees are all joints which seem to be glued into place and hidden the same way as the neck.

The tail is in 4 pieces. One joint is glued and two aren’t but are tight. The final joint is where it connects to the body and that seam is masterfully hidden by the sculpt. Overall: it seams to be pretty seamless. (Yes, that was a pun).

As for the pose… it’s PERFECT! It literally looks like a snapshot from the movie. Angilas was often balancing on his two rear legs and aiming his front claws and teeth at Godzilla. Even if you don’t recognize the pose from the film, it’s still an awesome position for a monster of a vinyl figure.

And it looks good from all angles. Though its left side is better than its right because of the leg positions. Click on the photos for larger versions.

​Doh, I feel so stupid. After two years on my shelf and after taking all of these photos I find out that Anguirus’ tail should curve DOWNWARD. As you can see in all the photos on this review, I have Angy’s tail curving straight up in the air. And why wouldn’t I? That’s how it came out of the box. But X-Plus collector Michael Erickson set us straight on the X-Plus Kaiju Collectors Facebook Group by posting one of the original production photos. It’s clearly pointing down.

Michael told us to line up the spikes. I never noticed but Anguirus has only 3 rows of spikes: one down the top and one on each side. Use those as your guide. There are two joints you’ll need to rotate to get the right look. And right it is! Now it more resembles the tail on the suit as it was tugged on by a wire on the set.

It would seem the X-Plus factory folk rotated the tail out of shape and into a single curve in order to make it fit into the box. Oh well. Now we know. Take note, though, that twisting the tail into the correct position will add a few inches to Anguirus’ overall length. Yeees, he’s even longer now. If he doesn’t fit on the shelf anymore, you could always just put it back the way it was.

The X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Anguirus 1955 is monochromatic to match his look in the black and white film. The figure is a very light, dusty black; some might say it’s gray.

The eyes, teeth and claws are a super light gray, almost white. And the spikes on its back are a brighter, dirty white. The feathering of this white into the base of each spike is beyond impressive. Also, many of the spikes, especially the crown of them on the head have a nice grungey texture to them.

Subtle highlights are brushed on to the higher ridges on the belly. And perhaps most impressive is the freckling of silver scales on each shoulder. The painters in the factory actually targeted individual scales to brighten. And it looks exactly like it did in the movie.

Now, all of this was done back in 2011 when X-Plus was still trying to prove itself with this line. Let’s just hope that the upcoming Diamond Reissues will have paint jobs which match the quality of the original.

The X-Plus 1950s monochrome monsters. The 30cm Anguirus fits right in with the 30cm Series Godzilla 1954 and 1955. His height is only 10 inches compared to the 12ish of the other two, but remember, Anguirus is leaning forward.

While we’re comparing Anguirus ’55 with Godzilla ’55… One possible annoyance is that, however they’re arranged, these two monsters just don’t see eye to eye. Anguirus almost looking straight up, while Godzilla seems to have set his sights on something at the horizon. It would have been nice if this pair could at least look at each other. But I won’t complain any more. Both of them have perfect poses copying signature moves from the movie and they look GREAT next to each other on the shelf.

And here’s probably the second most obvious comparison to make. On the right is the Toho 30cm Series Anguirus 1968. They size up…..

Uh, hello? Are you still reading?

You’re staring at the ’68, aren’t you? Come on, this review is all about the ’55.

Fine, stare away. I’m moving on.

And, finally, for those who don’t yet have an 30cm X-Plus, here’s a shot of the figure with a DVD to give you a good idea of its size.

​WARNING: SHELF HOG
Even with its tail curved up into the air to cut it’s length, this figure is still 19 inches (48.25 cm) long! If your shelves aren’t that deep, you’ll need to pose this guy on an angle (which you’re likely to do anyway). But, if needed, you can subtract 4 to 5 inches off the length if you’re only concerned with keeping his feet inside the edge of the shelf.

If you also have the X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1955 you’ll be pleased to know that you have the option of interlocking it with the Anguirus ’55. I don’t know if it was planned this way or not, but these two figures actually fit pretty damn closely together. Anguirus’ head fits in between Godzilla’s outstretched arms like he’s going for the throat! And Godzilla’s and Anguirus’ arms are all at different heights so they allow for a really close fight!

This kind of set-up is probably only for diehard Godzilla Raids Again fans since it takes up three feet of shelf space.

By John Stanowski Originally posted July 16th, 2014​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​大怪獣シリーズ 大映特撮編 「ガメラ（1996年版） ガメラ対レギオン」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: JUNE 2014

​SERIES: DAIEI LARGE MONSTER SERIES (25CM)

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL​

​FROM: “GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION”, 1996
ガメラ2 レギオン襲来

​HEIGHT: 8 INCHES / 20.3 CM

​WIDTH (TOE TO TOE): 9 INCHES / 22.8 CM

​LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 11 / 28 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 14 OZ / 396 G

​ARTICULATION: ELBOWS, KNEES (NOT MEANT TO MOVE).

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

When X-Plus announced its Daiei Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 vinyl figure, I was surprised. Up until now they’ve been making Heisei Gamera figures in the 30cm Series and Show Gamera in the smaller Large Monster Series (25cm). But it was a nice surprise. Just one look and you’ll see this is a pretty badass vinyl. It’s based on the 1996 movie Gamera 2: Attack of Legion.

Like it’s taller 30cm brother, this figure is pretty much dead on. It came as both standard and Ric Boy exclusive versions. This review is on the latter.

This Gamera figure comes in the typical X-Plus Daiei Large Monster Series window box. Inside the figure is wire tied into a plastic shell. It comes in two pieces: body, tail. If you get the Ric Boy version, you’ll also find your battery pack for the light gimmick inside.

Note: the figure’s left leg is twisted at the knee so that it fits in the box. You’ll have to fiddle with that to get the foot to stand flat.

The tail connection is extremely elliptical and has fairly pointy corners. For me, twisting is an integral part of the tail assembly and since this joint isn’t round, it gave me some trouble. I admit I was lazy and probably didn’t heat up the body hole with the hairdryer as much as I should have. I also didn’t put the tail in the refrigerator to make it extra firm. In the end, it went in, but not without some trouble. Collector Rich Eso mentions in his video review that he did do everything I skipped this time around, and the tail popped right in for him. Watch Rich’s How To Connect Tails Video to learn how to master X-Plus tail assembly.

Wow, X-Plus does it again! The Daiei Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 vinyl figure looks just like the title character from the movie. And, it also looks like a perfectly miniaturized version of the larger 30cm Series version (released in 2012) but in a different pose. I guess this means that X-Plus got it right the first time too!

​Some areas of the sculpt, like the thin lines under the eyes, have details which are softer than the 30cm version, but for the most part the figure is absolutely comparable. In fact the mouth on the new 25cm version may even be better. New collectors should take note of the individually sculpted teeth. This toy ain’t a toy!

​The head looks amazing from any angle.

​There is incredible detail on the chest and back shell. Click the photos for larger views.

The ridgey skin texture of the suit has segmented folds of skin which are expertly expressed in the X-Plus sculpt. And if you look closer you’ll find super-fine lines etched onto the bony claws and spikes. They filled in a little with the addition of the paint but can still be seen.

​The X-Plus Daiei Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 has several non-glued joints which can be jiggled but are not meant to moved. They can be found at the neck, both elbows and both knees. All of these joints are elliptical in shape and will resist you should you decide to rotate any. (The Ric Boy version requires you to go against the grain and rotate the left knee in order to plug in the battery pack. More on this further down the page.)

The only joint mentioned here which has a visible seam is on the neck. But even there it’s hidden somewhat well inbetween ridges in the sculpt. The elbows and knees are obscured even better by ridges in the sculpt. The tail joint is utterly hidden under the skirt of Gamera’s shell.

(Note: in order to fit Gamera into the box for shipping, its left leg was rotated out of position so the toes would flare to the side instead of forward. You’ll have to tweak this joint to get his foot to stand flat on the shelf.)

The only other seam I’m aware of is on the back. The back shell, minus the “trim”, is all one piece and is glued on. It’s edge naturally occurs at a line in the sculpt and is meant to be perfectly cloaked. (However, the figure I got in the mail recently isn’t so seamless and the edge on one side can be detected if looked for.)

​Standard stuff here with the pose, and yet again, that’s how I like it. Looks good and generic from all angles. The only thing to note is that Gamera’s head is turned slightly to the his right and ever so slightly looking up. Looks great! It’s also worth pointing out that this figure is not lurching forward like its 30cm brother does and so has straighter legs. Let’s hope they don’t warp under his weight as they do on the 30.

​The paint looks great on this figure as it does on all the X-Plus Gamera figures which came before it. The skin has a base coat of a dusty, off-black. It’s slightly semi-glossy and, in combination with the figure’s deep and detailed textures, reacts with the light to create new highlights.

The shell is an overall dark green. But closer examination reveals super-subtle variations between an olive green and a slightly more saturated green. The chest is a dull brown. The claws, spikes and tusks are a bright, boney color which flare into oranges and browns as they meet the body. And they look GREAT, especially the tusks. These boney colors do not blend into the black skin and so require hard edges. X-Plus did a masterful job (at least on the figure I got) of keeping the paint from slopping “outside the lines”. My only complaint is that the boney bits are a bit too bright and give this figure a slightly toyish look when considering them.

The teeth are a brownish yellow and look very un-toylike. Quality job! The inside of the mouth is a glossy, pinkish red which looks very organic… and wet!

Great job on the eyes, too. Black pupils floating in vibrant, green irises were expertly painted on with great precision. A dull orange was sprayed in the corners to add depth.

Note: the base coat of paint used on the claws is brushed on and is prone to scrapes.

The X-Plus Daiei Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 vinyl figure (left) beside the Large Monster Series Gamera 1966. Sizewise, they’re a perfect match. The head on the ’66 is notably larger but that’s just a sign of the times and 60’s suit design.

And here’s probably the next most obvious size comparison to be made. At first glance, the new 25cm version seems almost as large as the X-Plus Daiei 30cm Series Gamera 1996 vinyl figure…

But, let’s change the angle. Now you can see a big difference in mass. But this doesn’t change anything: the 30cm figure, due to its hunched pose, is no taller than the new figure.

The Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 will look just fine amongst your other X-Plus 25cm figures. (Shown, left to right: Godzilla 1989 DeAgostini Version, Gamera 1996, Godzilla 1968 and Gigan 1972.)

THE 1996’ERS
And, just for fun: this Gamera and Ultraman Tiga were the only kaiju game in town in 1996. (See the X-Plus Ultraman Tiga Figure Review!)

​The X-Plus Daiei 25cm Gamera 1996 doesn’t ask for much room on the shelf. It’s 11 inches from nose to tail, but only 8 1/2 from toes to tail. One potential concern may be that this figure, like most Gamera figures, has its feet reaching out to the sides asking for a little more side space than usual. (9 inches of it.)

The Ric Boy Exclusive version of this figure comes with a light gimmick. Firey red light emits from the cracks inbetween Gamera’s chest plates as well as from the mouth. It’s worth noting that collectors in the West were not aware the light would emit from the mouth since X-Plus only publicized the chest. They did the same thing with the 30cm Series Godzilla 1999 in 2013.

Back to Gamera now: the light effect looks great. The glow on the chest does a good job of making it look like a very big can of whoop ass is building up behind those chest plates. And the glow in the mouth is even more impressive. It looks firey and organic at the same time.

A+ for the looks! But a C- for the flimsy, soft vinyl material used on the chest and head. The head piece is very soft and, if you were so inclined, you could squoosh the head and mouth and make it look like it was talking like a puppet. Those large tusks coming out of the lower jaw are also soft and are very bendy. Speaking for myself, I’d rather have the usual sturdy vinyl even if it meant I couldn’t have the light gimmick. And, don’t think you can get away from this super soft, translucent vinyl by buying the standard version; it’s made of the same stuff. The rest of the body is sturdy and fine.

X-Plus’ current mechanism for activating the light gimmick requires a “battery box dongle” which plugs into a port on the back of the figure’s left leg. The ON/OFF switch is also located on this box. It takes two LR44 (watch) batteries and they come included. If you find this box to be an eyesore, you simply unplug it and put it away.

The implementation of this dongle system on the Large Monster Series Gamera 1996 has a problem. The port on the back of the leg is too high and too close to the figure’s shell. In order to access it, you’ll need to rotate the leg at the knee joint. This joint is elliptical and I worry about it becoming loose if it were rotated too often.

Having rotated the leg and plugging in the battery pack, you’ll find that the figure’s left foot is no longer flat. And, when you go to rotate the leg back, you’ll find that the plug doesn’t have enough room because the shell gets in the way. You’ll need to pull the leg forward a little to complete the job. And in the end the plug will be pressing hard against the inside of Gamera’s shell which will bend the wire and press against it. Bending wires like this can lead to loose connections.

Earlier today I placed this figure on my desk in front of me. When I did I noticed that boths legs, ever so slightly, slid outward toward the sides. Just a tiny bit. But enough to make me pick it up and put it back down again to see if it would happen again. It did.

Now, it’s much cooler in this room and the feet are no longer sliding. However, it seems likely this figure is destined to follow in the footsteps of it’s 30cm brother and get wonky legs over time.

WONKY 30CM GAMERA 1996
When I first got my 30cm Series Gamera 1996, the legs were perfect and the feet were flush on the shelf. After only a year had passed both feet have started to slant. The figure’s weight pushes it’s diagonally posed legs outward. You can see it slightly above. If you watched Rich Eso’s video review, you can see his 30cm figure is even worse.

I was really hoping this 25cm version wouldn’t have the same trouble. Slide back up at the Pose Photo and look at the front view. You’ll see the legs are indeed diagonal. So my fear is hot, summer temperatures may make the 25cm Gamera figure’s legs a little wonky. It doesn’t weigh as much as the 30, so hopefully this little Gamera will keeps its feet flat on the ground.

SUPER SOFT TRANSLUCENT VINYL
Meh. The entire head piece is made of translucent vinyl and the variety which X-Plus is using is so soft, you can squeeze it like a stress toy. I don’t know, this just doesn’t feel like quality to me.

And finally, as already mentioned, the Ric Boy exclusive version’s battery plug doesn’t have enough room between the leg and shell to fit properly.

By John Stanowski Originally posted June 24th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

​東宝30㎝シリーズ 「ゴジラ1989」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012

​JAPAN POLYRESIN RELEASE: 2014

​DIAMOND REISSUE: DECEMBER 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE”, 1989
ゴジラVSビオランテ

​HEIGHT: 12 INCHES / 30.4 CM

WIDTH (TOE TO TOE): 7.5 INCHES / 19 CM

​LENGTH (NOSE TO TAIL): 18.5 INCHES / 46.9 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 22 OZ / 623 G

​ARTICULATION: JAW

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​The X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 vinyl figure was first released in 2012. Slowly but surely, it became scarce, as usual, and aftermarket prices became steep. Some collectors found relief in a polyresin version which was announced, I think, in April. But only 50 were made.

X-Plus released this fan favorite from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) again as a Diamond Re-issue in December 2014.

The X-Plus 30cm Godzilla 1989 vinyl figure comes in the usual 30cm plain box with art on the front. Inside the figure is twist-tied into a plastic shell. It comes in two pieces: the main body and the tail. Click here for tips on connecting the tail from Rich Eso.

STANDARD AND RIC BOY
This is the box for the Ric Boy version. You can tell by the presence of the small black sticker under the Godzilla logo. (Click on the photo on the left for a larger view.) The standard box is identical sans the black sticker.

DIAMOND RE-ISSUE
The Diamond Reissue (most likely coming out later this year) should also have the same box, but will come with a small “PX – Previews Exclusive” logo adding in one corner.

It goes without saying that the X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 is FREAKING AMAZING and should be in everyone’s collection. X-Plus has made only three Heisei Godzilla’s. The 1984, 1989 and the 1992. All three have their good points. But, if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the ’89.

​HEAD
Godzilla 1989 is one of my all-time favorite designs. And the head is a big part of that. It makes him look fierce and powerful and Badass with a capital B. The X-Plus vinyl captures all of that in the head sculpt.

What I find amazing is that the head design is captured so well from every angle.

Some features to note are the piercing yellow eyes, the subtle point on the top of his head, even the texture on the tongue is reproduced with uncanny accuracy. I didn’t remember there being much detail on Godzilla’s tongue, but when I watched the movie again in preparation for this review, I got a good look and, WOW, X-Plus NAILED IT! It’s this super attention to detail that makes so many collectors hold X-Plus with such high regard.

THE JAW
An unusual feature on the 30cm Godzilla 1989 is the hinged jaw which allows you to choose from a semi-closed mouth or a full roar position. While I appreaciate this option, I feel the gaping ventriloquist doll line under the jaw takes away from the near perfect look of this figure. This gap is more visible when the mouth is near closed, so I keep mine open wide.

As usual, the teeth are individually sculpted… both rows of them! By the way, all of the fingers are also individually sculpted and very expressive.

​This figure is “mostly” free of visible seams. There are glued, sealed and filled joints at the elbows and below the knees and they’re practically invisible unless you look for them.

The main tail joint is an excellent fit and match. Godzilla’s bulky thighs obscure the sides of this joint and you can see the join only from above, and even then, it’s worked into one of the sculpted tail segments. The tail has two additional “jiggle joints” that aren’t meant to move and they pretty much stay put if you leave them alone. They’re obvious only if you look for them.

The back piece from which the doral fins spring, as usual, looks seamless.

And then there’s the aforementioned hinged jaw which, when not opened all the way, has a very noticeable gap around it.

Once again, pretty standard stuff in the pose department. And, again, that’s how I like it! One thing I particularly like with this figure’s stance is that the legs are not spread extra wide like so many other X-Plus Godzillas. The stance is more subtle and more movie accurate.

The figure has a slight lean to one side which I like. I feel this makes Godzilla look like he’s lumbering forward, swaying side to side. It’s pretty dynamic, but can only be appreciated from the front.

And, once again, (groan) this figure is leaning so far forward (almost as bad as the 30cm Series Godzilla 1984) that it looks like it’s about to topple over. There’s no danger of that, of course, but it looks really odd and unnatural. Fortunately this can only be UNappreciated from the right side and you’re probably not likely to position it on your shelves like that.

The X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1989 has a base coat of that oh-so-awesome asphalt-like, off black which so many other Godzilla figures in the line have. This is first clue you get that your not holding just another toy in your hands but something much, much better. This dusty, dark color looks more realistic than a solid, dark black as often used on toy versions.

HIGHLIGHTS
There a super, super subtle highlight brushed over the chest, neck, arms and legs. So subtle that you really have to look for them. But, subconsciously they will register and give that black skin another layer of realism and detail.

CLAWS AND FINS
The claws at the ends of all four limbs are a smokey, boneish tan graduating to darker shades nearer the “cuticles”. The dorsal fins are a similar color but more on the lighter side. These lighter tones are expertly feathered over the tips of the fins. The smaller “bumps” that run all the way up to almost the top of the head are painted with hard edges while the smaller bumps running down the tail are very soft and “fuzzy” all the way down to the end.

MOUTH
The inside of the mouth is a deep, dark red as are the “cracks” on the tongue. The higher elevations of the tongue are a shade or two lighter; just enough to make the cracked pattern stand out a bit more. This has got to be the best-looking X-Plus tongue after the one on the Gigantic Series Godzilla 2001.

The most obvious comparison to make right away would be with the X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1992.

Size comparison with the X-Plus Godzilla 1964 Japanese Reissue Ric Boy and the X-Plus Godzilla 1999 (2000). The ’89 seems just a bit shorter than the other two, yet still fits in.

And here’s the ’89 with the only Heisei villain in the 30cm Series: Space Godzilla. He’s noticeably shorter. But don’t blame him, SG is supposed to be larger. And this vinyl is probably a bit larger than it should be.

​And here’s the 30cm Series version with its Large Monster Series (25cm) counterpart. This photo shows the DeAgostini version with warmer fins.

It’s not in scale with the Large Monster Series Biollante, but I couldn’t pass up this chance to get this big, green beast in front of the camera again. They still make quite a pair.

​The X-Plus 30cm Godzilla 1989 vinyl figure is about 18.5 inches long from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Take off two inches if you only care about the length from toes to tail.

The tail appears mostly straight but actually has three curves to it. Overall, the tail drifts toward the figure’s right side which means it will fit on the shelf better (if there is a wall at the back) if it faces slightly toward its left. The pose of the legs are ready to accommodate you with this position since the right leg is slightly further back. X-Plus seems to have planned for this to be its best angle.

The Ric Boy Exclusive version came with a mini Rose Form Biollante. It’s almost 4.5 inches tall.

By John Stanowski Originally posted May 28th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝30CMシリーズ 「バラン（1958版） 大怪獣バラン」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2012

​JAPAN REISSUE: (MONOCHROME) 2013

​DIAMOND REISSUE: APRIL 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE”, 1958
大怪獣バラン

​HEIGHT: 12 INCHES / 30.4 CM

​WIDTH: 7 INCHES / 17.7 CM

​LENGTH: 14 INCHES / 35.5 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 12.7 OZ / 360 G

​ARTICULATION: NONE

REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

X-Plus first released the Toho 30cm Series Varan vinyl figure (based on Varan The Unbelieveable, 1958) in 2012. This was followed by a limited release of a monochrome version in 2013. While not impossible to get, both were mostly rare and getting pricey in the aftermarket.

April 2014 saw the release of the Diamond Reissue, made by X-Plus especially for the North American market. Varan has once again become available to collectors who missed out the first two times around. This review is for the Diamond Reissue.

I have to say that I wasn’t expecting to get overly excited for this figure. Varan isn’t very high up on my favorite kaiju list. It was the completist in me that pushed the Add to Cart button.

However, when I finally had the figure in front of me I was kind of blown away! Especially with the sculpt of the head. I always saw Varan as having an unimaginative, short, snouty head, but this figure really made me appreciate the design. So, now, yeah, I LOVE THIS THING!

The Diamond Reissue Box is identical to the one used for the original Japanese release with the exception of English being used on the rear warning label and the “PX Previews Exclusive” logo on the front, lower left. (Previews is the publication Diamond Distributors puts out to alert comic shops of their products.) So, let the Previews logo be your guide when considering purchasing. The Diamond release has a slightly more vivid paint scheme compared to the original release. It also has softer vinyl used on the back and tail. Other than that, they’re identical.

THE TAIL
I have to admit I had a lot of trouble getting the tail attached on my Varan figure for a couple of reasons. One, the tail is made of much softer material than usual and collapses easily with the force required to push it into the body. Second, the body hole is very firm and difficult to soften with heat. The reason for this is that there is a double layer of vinyl there. The entire back piece from nape of the neck to tail, and straight down behind the shoulders is one, separate piece made of softer material. To reinforce the body hole, X-Plus molded the front piece to include an “arc” at the bottom for the hole. This double layer didn’t seem to want to let me soften it up with heat.

The solution is just to heat and soften it up as much as you can while making the tail as firm as it can get by putting it in the refrigerator for a SHORT while. (Do NOT put it in the freezer! You may wind up cracking the flange right off the tail.) That way the “suction cup” flange around the end of the tail won’t collapse onto itself when inserting it into the body.

NOTE
You may want to take this opportunity to insert something into the tail to weigh it down before attaching. I’ve heard many a tale of toppling Varans in the Summer heat. More on this later.

Okay, let’s move on. Behold! Varan The Unbelieveable! …X-Plus-Style.

LIKENESS
To my untrained eye for Varan, this figure is a knock-out representation of the ’50’s monster from the film. I mean, like… wow! I watched the movie last night with the X-Plus Varan on my lap to compare its sculpt to the big guy on screen. And I’d say it’s a very impressive likeness.

THE SPINES
When I watched Varan first crawl out of the lake on all fours, I noticed that the spines on my figure didn’t match up at all to what was on screen. The movie showed the spines being thicker and almost straight, a far cry from the thin, curved protrusions on the X-Plus vinyl. I wondered how X-Plus could get something so wrong. CUT TO: Varan walking upright. Suddenly the spines on screen matched the vinyl EXACTLY, with almost scary precision.

I realized that the appearance of the spines change depending on the angle in which they’re viewed. It turns out they appear wider from above and thinner from the side. Toho monster suit maker, Keizo Murase, made the spines for the suit by cutting pieces of a vinyl hose into short lengths, and then carefully slicing them length-wise so that they would come to a point from above and the side. This seems like a cheap way to add detail to a prop used in a movie, but he was required to make spines that wouldn’t break or impale the suit actor or any crew members. Still, I think it worked great. You’d never know you were looking at hoses in the movie.

So, not only did X-Plus get the sculpt of the spines dead right, they went even further! If you run your finger along the bottoms of the spines on this figure, you’ll notice that their undersides are concave, just like a sliced hose! X-Plus, why did I ever doubt you?

MORE ABOUT THE SPINES
The spines on the head, back and tail are clear. If it weren’t for the refraction from the curved surfaces, you’d be able to see right through them. Light passes through them with ease giving this figure extra points for visual-interest. Plus, this just makes the figure look even more like the suit.

The clear vinyl used is very soft and if you run your finger down the back with some pressure, the spikes will bend out of your way. A nice touch. However, the downside is the squooshy back and soft tail I mentioned earlier.

The unique texture Keizo Murase created for Varan’s back (inspired by peanut shells) is faithfully reproduced on the figure and looks unmistakably Varan-ish.

Another impressive detail is the sculpt of Varan’s wings, or “membranes” as GodzillaFanFreaks called them. There’s just a ton of detail and texture all over this thing.

HEAD
The head sculpt on the X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Varan is freaking amazing! It won me over very quickly and even made me do a 180 on my appreciation for the original design. I think it’s the spikes flaring out from his cheeks that gives him a kind of dragon feel that I never really noticed before.

And the eyes. Those eyes! Those pissed-off-why-are-you-dumping-chemicals-in-my-lake eyes! Wow! If all the X-Plus figures got together and had a staring contest, Varan would win. Well, it may be a draw between him and the 30cm Godzilla 1964. But, that’s not bad!

X-Plus’ devotion to suit accuracy over stylization becomes even more apparent with the inclusion of the peep holes molded into the neck which Haruo Nakajima used to see from inside the suit.

The fingers are only partially individually sculpted, but this may just be how the suit was just like with the Godzilla 1962.

This figure has individually sculpted teeth and if you peer into the mouth you’ll find that even the tongue looks like a separate piece. This is the kind of attention to detail X-Plus puts into their figures raising them above other vinyls. This is one toy that’s not a toy!

The seam at the tail joint is somewhat apparent and seems to me to be needlessly so. The sculpt is tucked in at the joint, like string tied tightly around a finger. And it doesn’t look like there was any attempt to make the back texture cross this line. Perhaps X-Plus was merely following the look of the suit, but I couldn’t get a good look at this area in the movie.

JIGGLE JOINTS noun \ˈji-gəl\ˈjȯints\

There are unglued joints below each knee. Both are free to move and rotate, but both ends are sculpted to fit precisely in a fixed position. So, basically, all you can do is jiggle them; the idea of changing their orientation should be off the table.

Apart from the seams on the tail and knees, there is very little else to interrupt your visual love affair with this figure.

The remaining seams are either filled in very well, or just not really noticeable. There are lines above both elbows but they really don’t stand out unless you look for them. The seams at the ankles are very well hidden. There is a seam along the bottom front of the neck which is worked into the sculpt pretty good. The face (upper jaw, eyes, nose and forehead) is a separate piece as is the bottom jaw. Both well hidden! Finally, the back has seams running down the length of the body, just behind the shoulders and are very well hidden by being worked into the sculpt. I didn’t even realize they were there until I noticed them when I had the figure in front of a very bright light while shooting photos.

I become very disappointed when I get an X-Plus figure cluttered with obvious seams and lines. But, the X-Plus 30cm Series Varan does not offend at all. They did a great job on it.

​The pose is typical of Varan as he marched through the woods against the Defense Force and again as he bulldozed his way through the airport. My only gripe is that his right leg is so far back that this figure is prone to toppling.

The X-Plus 30cm Series Varan vinyl figure may look “just brown” at first, but there really is lots to see. This figure does have a base coat of a very dark brown; almost a light, dusty black. Reddish brown patches cover the chest, arms and legs; the dark brown creeps in to fill the creases in these areas. The peanut shell texture on the back and tail have light brown/tan highlights. This color is also used on the claws which are feathered in on the feet, yet abrupt on the hands. A similar color coats the strips of folded wing membrane on the sides which are also expertly shadowed with dark brown. A more vivid yellowish brown covers the spikes flaring out from Varan’s cheeks. The whites of Varan’s eyes are clouded in a brown tinge making this toy look all the more un-toylike. Finally, the brown creeps up the bases of the clear spines for an awesome looking feathered transition.

This color scheme no doubt came from Varan’s brief appearance in Destroy All Monsters since the original suit was simply a brown/dark tan. I don’t mind the change since the only image we have of a color Varan comes from his second appearance. I do wish, though, that the reds were a little more unsaturated since they seem to stand out a bit much. Overall, though, this is one of the more impressive X-Plus paint jobs I’ve seen.

​1950’s
Here’s a size comparison with two of Varan’s buddies from the 50’s: the Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1954 (which is a little taller than most figures in this line) and on the right, Anguirus 1955.

The 30cm Series Baragon 1968 (a tad shorter than most figures) and Mechagodzilla 1974 (a bit taller than most). Still a good-looking scale match.

The 30cm Series Varan with its Large Monster Series (25cm Series) counterpart.

For those of you who don’t have their first X-Plus vinyl yet, here’s the Varan figure with a DVD for a real-world size comparison.

The 30cm Series Varan is about 14 inches (35.5 cm) long from nose to tail, and about 12 inches (30.4 cm) long from toes to tail. The tail curves slightly to the figure’s left and this makes it a little more accommodating for space if your shelves are up against a wall. This Varan looks good facing front or angled to either side; although the tail might get in the way if you place him facing the the right.

POTENTIAL TOPPLING
As mentioned earlier, The X-Plus 30cm Series Varan is apt to having tumbling issues. The figure’s right leg is so far behind the other that it’s very easy to tip it over if you bump his head just the right way. I don’t have any of the specifics behind these tales of toppling Varans, but I suspect that, in the summer months when vinyl gets softer than usual, that the right foot must start to bend under his weight which is only 3/4 of a pound. This is why I suggested putting marbles or something into the tail before attaching. This would weigh it down and help to hold him upright. Problem is having marbles in one of your figures can be annoying and we collectors shouldn’t have to do that.

Some alternatives would be to prop Varan up with support from another figure on his right side. Or, even better, use another figure’s tail (or some other weight) to lay over Varan’s tail (though the spikes may get in the way). I don’t know how likely it is that your Varan will begin to tilt down, but better safe than sorry. If you choose not to reinforce Varan, just keep an eye on his right leg and especially his right foot in the summer months and look for signs of bending. Hopefully none of this will be necessary. Some collectors have told me that their Varan is fine and always was.

By John Stanowski Originally posted April 30th, 2014 on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝30CMシリーズ 「バラゴン（1968） 発光版VER.」 ＷＦ2014 冬 開催記念商品

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2010

​WF RE-ISSUE: 2014

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: APRIL/MAY 2016

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “DESTROY ALL MONSTERS”, 1968
怪獣総進撃

​HEIGHT: 10.5 INCHES / 26.6 CM

​WIDTH: 7.75 INCHES / 19.6 CM

​LENGTH: 14 INCHES / 35.5 CM

​FIGURE WEIGHT: 15.4 OZ / 436 G

​ARTICULATION: NONE

REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The 1968 Destroy All Monsters version of Baragon was first put out in the Toho 30cm Series by X-Plus back in 2010 making it a rarity today. But eighty lucky collectors got their hands on a 2014 Re-issue made specially for the Wonder Festival toy show in Japan in February 2014. Forty figures were sold at the show, and forty more were sold online.

This figure was re-issued in 2016 for the North American market through Diamond Distributors. The “Godzilla Kaiju Baragon 1965/1968 Version” was released, to everyone’s surprise, with a bonus alternate head so you could go for the Frankenstein Conquers the World look or the Destroy All Monsters look.

This review is for the 2014 Winter Wonder Festival Commemorative Edition. This figure should be mostly identical to the original release (sans the light gimmick).

The 2014 Wonder Festival version of this figure comes in a plain 30cm box. If you’re hunting down the original version online, the box will have art on the front. The figure comes in two pieces (body and tail) twist-tied in an open plastic shell.

Heat the hole on the body with a hairdryer until it’s soft, and then push the unheated tail in. The tail joint is a sort of triangular / elliptical shape and requires a little more effort attaching.

​If you’ve been looking at the same production photos available on the web over and over when trying to decide whether or not to get this guy, know this: it looks a whole lot better in person!

HEAD
The head on this figure seems a little wider than it did in the movie. I suspect that would be because he’s standing and has nothing behind him, whereas in the movie he was crawling and had his bulk behind him.

The real giveaway that you’re looking at the 1968 version is that the horn is pointing up instead of forward as with the 1965 suit. As for details, they’re all there. Note that the corners of his mouth, as seen from the side view, really stretch far back into the head. I’m assuming this is because this suit was so beat up from being repurposed as Ultraman kaiju over and over again.

The jaw is crooked on my figure and leans towards the left. I don’t know if they are all like this or not but it’s not overly noticeable.

As usual, X-Plus figures have individually sculpted teeth.

​The bumpy texture on the top of the head looks amazing! But, I think, the details on the nose and snout are a little soft and look flat under normal lighting. I’m not complaining, though. If you’re a fan of Baragon, this is a must have!

​The mushroom-combed texture on the back ridges is very detailed.

The chunky, bunchy nature of the smooth-skinned Baragon suit shines on this figure. The reptilian-pattern on the chest looks fantastic.

The Toho 30cm Series Baragon has more visible joints than on most other X-Plus figures. The arm and leg joints are visible and aren’t glued or sealed. The sculpt, though, attempts to hide these seams with bulges and ripples in the suit. Unfortunately, nothing can hide the line running around the bottom of Baragon’s neck. It’s times like this that I need to remind myself that these are almost, but not quite, the super perfect statues I’ve always wanted to collect. They are still vinyl figures, and vinyl figures have a long history of doll-like joints. X-Plus just does a better job of hiding them… most of the time.

The ridges running down Baragon’s back and tail do a good job of concealing the tail joint.

The pose is simple and I like that. Though I don’t know where the inspiration for this pose came from. The only scene with Baragon in Destroy All Monsters that I can recall, which was really more of a super quick cameo, had him on his hands and knees in crawling position. But I’m actually glad this figure is bipedal since it’s from the 30cm Series. They’re so big, they look better standing up on two legs.

And this standing pose demands less room on the shelf. His head is turned ever so slightly to his left so displaying him from a forward three-quarter angle on his left side would look best on the shelf. It also helps that his left arm is lower than the right so this angle of him looks especially nice. But this guy looks good from any angle!

The Wonder Festival Baragon Commemorative Edition has a base coat of a dull brown, with plenty of reddish brown highlights which are awesome. They are very subtle and give the base color an overall realistic quality. It does lack, though, the extra layer of brighter highlights which the Large Monster Series Standing Baragon had.

The ridges which run down the back and tail are painted a lighter brown (almost tan) and is much more refined and subtle than on the Large Monster Series version. This looks top notch! That same lighter brown feathers over the claws and ears.

The teeth are a realistic-looking dirty white and look very un-toylike (which is a GOOD thing!) The inside of the mouth also has a more grown up unsaturated shade of red. The eyes are a brighter white and a bit stark, but that’s a good match for the real suit. They also have a glossy sheen to them.

The paint job is just great in my opinion.

​The X-Plus 30cm Series Baragon is, as one would expect, taller than the Large Monster Series (25cm) Standing Baragon released in 2013, even though the smaller figure is really big for the line it belongs too. Pictured in front is the Large Monster Series (Crawling) Baragon.

It fits in well with his Destroy All Monsters buddies, X-Plus 30cm Series Anguirus 1968 and Godzilla 1968.

Baragon sizes up well with the rest of his Toho 30cm Series buddies. Shown here: Hedorah and Mechagodzilla 1974.

​Baragon’s tail is short and curled up in the back which gives him a length of only 14 inches, three of which you can subtract if you only care about the distance from the toes to the tail. This figure is very accommodating when it comes to finding room on the shelf.

The Ric Boy version of the 2010 release came with an extra alternative head sculpted to look like the 1965 version. That extra head does NOT come with the Wonder Festival Commemorative Edition. Instead you get yet another light gimmick. The horn lights up brightly. The eyes light up as well, but not as bright.

And then there are….

​LIGHT LEAKS
I’m sad to report that my Baragon figure is plagued with light leaks. Speckles show up all over his face and even more drastic are lines around the eyes. The figure you get may not be this bad, or have leaks at all. Then again, they might be worse.

I’m seeing light leaks from X-Plus figures all the time now. My 30cm Series Space Godzilla has them, and the entire right side of the face on my new Ultraseven Standing figure gets flooded with unwanted light when it’s turned on. I’m not sure how to fix this. Adding black paint on the inside may help, but in Baragon’s case, his face is deep inside the head piece and requires a 90-degree turn to get to it. Plus the wires are in the way. I guess there’s nothing to do about this problem except to keep the lights off.

WATCH OUT FOR TOE SCRAPES
The paint on the claws and toes of most X-Plus vinyls can scrape very easily when handled. Toe scrapes usually happen when removing a figure from the shelf, moving it and, of course, drops. My Wonder Festival Baragon took a tumble while shooting photos for this review. Above you can see in the photo above: one toe was scraped and another lost a noticeable chunk of paint. My fault, yes, but it’s very easy to do, especially with Baragon’s long, thin toes.

The very nature of these vinyls tend to make one think that they’re safe, can take tumbles and don’t need the same care that, say, a resin model or statue require. But it’s that thinking that makes one overly carefree when handling these figures. Be careful!

By John Stanowski Originally posted February 25th, 2014​ on Kaiju Addicts.