​東宝30㎝シリーズ 「アンギラス2代目」
塗装済完成品

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2009

​JAPAN RE-ISSUE: 2012

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: JANUARY 2016

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

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

​HEIGHT: 7 INCHES / 17.75 CM

​WIDTH: (LEGS) 6.5 INCHES / 16.5 CM

​LENGTH: 20.5 INCHES / 52 CM

​ARTICULATION: SOME IN THE TAIL

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

One of the very first of the modern X-Plus lines, this figure came out way back in 2009. Needless to say, he’s rare and expensive. It was reissued, I think, in 2012. But that didn’t help the availability and cost on this figure much. There is a very good chance that it will be reissued yet again for release in North America through Diamond Distributors. Nothing has been said on this yet, but it’s a real possibility. 

Wow. Would you look at that? Let’s just pause and look at this thing….

Wow.

Not only is it a great likeness of Anguirus from 1968’s “Destroy All Monsters”, but it’s so… un-toy-like. This thing is sharp! The spikes on the head and back are finely sculpted and quite pointy! The spikes on the tail can be outright dangerous. Like it!

Even though you typically can’t see this figure up close like in this photo, it’s nice to know there’s a whole other level of detail there. Look at all the texture on each spike.

Now THIS is high quality. Each of these tail spikes is individually sculpted and there’s no crude “meniscus” from a substandard sculpt. These spikes look like they actually grew out of the tail.

There’s very good texture detail all over the body. I want to thank whoever sculpted this and paid so much attention to each segment, bump and scale.

The base of the neck and the top of all four legs is a non-glue-seal joint. They can be moved but you’d be hardpressed to find a reason to.

The seam around the neck is very well hidden as it blends in with the segmented folds in the skin. The leg seams are also well hidden as they’re all close matches and additionally obscured by the spiny back plate. It’s not until you look at the belly from below that Baby Wetsy Doll seams can be seen. But that’s okay, most of the time they’ll only be visible to the top of the shelf.

The tail connects to the body nearly seamlessly. And get this: it’s actually FIVE separate pieces, all moveable. This movement gets easier the further away from the main body you move where the tail ceases to be somewhat elliptical and becomes more round. I don’t see any reason to rotate any of these, although the joint between the second and third segment may be useful when trying to coax Anguirus into a confined space on the shelf. Just a word of warning: this joint has become a little loose on my vinyl since I discovered it.

But wait, there’s more. There is a glue seam below each knee, below the left heel and yet another on the lower jaw. I had to look for them in order to find them, so they are well hidden. I’m only mentioning this so you’ll avoid any impacts on the rear legs. (Not that you would be so rough with an X-Plus. But just in case…)

Standard stuff here and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is how we most commonly see Anguirus so: good show, X-Plus!

Starting from the most obvious, the X-Plus Anguirus is covered in a dark, dull brown base coat which I like a lot. The spines are a sort of dark “cream” color and most of them are gradated with darker shades closer to the body. They did a (mostly) great job feathering this creamy tan into the body. The top of the back plate is a gray which is lighter than the body brown is. It is only here that I could find some sloppiness in the paint. But it still looks good.

The teeth are dark white, or tan. The red in the mouth is a dark shade and doesn’t look toyish. Bravo! The eyes are painted and look good. They’re also coated with a gloss to give them a bit of a… gloss.

Now for the bad news. On my figure the arms and legs were quite obviously painted at a different station than the body at the factory. There is an obvious paint mismatch where the warmer, kind of yellowish brown legs meet the darker, duller brown on the body. You can see this most clearly in the Size Comparison photos below. This paint mismatch is just a natural variation that occurs at the factory and won’t necessarily be the case on your figure, or the figure you plan to get.

The paint scheme on the X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Anguirus almost matches the one on the Large Monster Series version. The three biggest differences are that the brown is duller and darker on the 30, the back plate is a gray as opposed to the 25’s brown and the eyes are darker on the 30.

​Above: The X-Plus Anguirus Toho 30cm series vinyl figure is on the left and the 25cm Large Monster Series on the right.

It was hard for me to detect much of a size difference between these two on most of the comparison photos I’ve seen elsewhere on the web. And this also happened with most of the photos I took myself. But I managed to shoot two that make the difference in size quite clear.

Here the 30cm Anguirus is beside his good buddy, the X-Plus 30cm Series Godzilla 1968. They’re a good match. (Keep in mind, though, that the Godzilla ’68 is noticeably shorter than other Godzilla’s in the line.)

What a space hog! The 30cm Series Anguirus is over 20 inches long thanks to that tail of his. If you had trouble fitting your 30cm Godzillas on the shelf, wait till you get a load of this guy! The tail does curve to the figure’s right which helps out a little when it comes to squeezing it in between other figures on a crowded shelf.

Awesome likeness, sculpt, paint job, details… everything. All I can say is if you get a chance, “get this guy”.

By John Stanowski Originally posted October 15th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​「ゴジラ（1964年版）モスラ対ゴジラ」

​東宝30CMシリーズ 「ゴジラ（1964版）発光VER.」 少年リック限定商品

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: 2010

​JAPAN RE-ISSUE RELEASE: JUNE 2013

​NORTH AMERICA RE-ISSUE: APRIL 2013

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: “MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA”, 1964
モスラ対ゴジラ

​HEIGHT: 12 INCHES / 30.48 CM

​WIDTH: 7.25 INCHES / 18.41 CM

​LENGTH: 16.5 INCHES / 41.91 CM

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​The 1964 Godzilla suit is a fan favorite and the X-Plus vinyl figure is equally revered. This is a highlight of many a collection.

ORIGINAL LATE 2010 JAPAN RELEASE
The X-Plus Toho 30cm Series Godzilla 1964 was one of the earlier figures to come out and it’s a winner all around. The standard version of the figure has an open mouth and a Ric Boy exclusive version came with an alternate lower jaw for a closed mouth.

JUNE 2013 JAPAN RE-ISSUE
Only a Ric Boy version of this re-issue was offered and it came with a closed mouth and a light gimmick that allows you to light the back fins. This re-issue was very well received. So much so that those figures that still remain in the aftermarket, after only two or three months, already have insane price tags on them.

NORTH AMERICAN DIAMOND RE-ISSUE
This figure will be a North American Diamond Re-issue and is a part of Diamond’s third wave of releases. The window for pre-orders closed last November, but you still may have time to ask your local comic shop about it, or find it online. They are expected to ship March 2014.

These re-issues will go FAST. If you haven’t pre-ordered one, you might be out of luck. If you want one, you should scope the web immediately when they’re released and be prepared to pounce!

It shouldn’t take you long to conclude that the X-Plus Godzilla 1964 is a fantastic likeness. The sculpt (almost) completely captures the shape of the suit. Even the attitude of Godzilla is captured perfectly. I do think, though, that the sculptor may have taken a liberty in making the legs a little thicker than they should be, and placing them a little closer in the crotch than the actual suit had them. What do you think?

(Pictured on the left is the original 2010 Japan standard release with open mouth. On the right is the 2013 Japan Re-issue with closed mouth. They are identical.)

All of Godzilla’s 1964 trademarks are present and well done, most notably his long, individually sculpted fingers, his alligator-ish feet and even the position of his tail which was constantly jerked up into the air by wire in the movie.

X-Plus got the head right! (Although for some reason I don’t think my photos show it.) His flat yet puffy snout is reproduced perfectly as are his smooth eyebrow… things. The eyes are dead on and so are the unique shape and length of his individually sculpted teeth.

​One detail that bugs me is the over prominence of the throat seam. The bottom jaw is a separate piece that’s glued in for all versions except the 2010 Ric Boy. It has a noticeable line arcing over the throat. The path this line follows does indeed mimic a feature on the suit, but it was no where near this visible.

Those of you who acquire the 2013 re-issue won’t be able to enjoy the mouth full of individual teeth. But check out the fangs on the closed mouth version!

​There are glue seals at the ankles, knees, wrists and, as usual, the entire back piece. Most of these aren’t terribly noticeable with the exception of the very top of the back piece behind the neck. The tail joint is an okay fit, but could be more snug on both figures.

As I mentioned already, the most significant seam on this guy is on the front of the neck.

​The pose is awesome. It looks to me like it was taken from the scene in the movie when Godzilla appraoched the grounded Mothra right after she exhausted all of her strength and went to lay with her egg. I love the way Godzilla’s head is tilted downward and his eyes are tucked up to look forward. Again, the position of the tail is typical for this suit. Some collectors question whether the tail should have been positioned the way it is. And I’ve often encountered confusion about why its curved like that. I admit I did the same thing when I first saw it myself. But now I’m glad they did it that way. It’s reminiscent of the movie and breaks the pattern of most other Godzilla tails on the X-Plus shelf.

​The paint job on the X-Plus Godzilla ’64 vinyl figure is a winner. As usual Goji has a base coat of asphalt black but with lots of highlights. Brownish (tan?) areas are airbrushed onto his chest, knees and snout. A sort of off green runs along the underside of the tail and looks great… except where it suddenly just stops with no feathering or attempt at transition where the tail meets the body. The claws look amazing! The eyelids are a dark, dull army green. And, as mentioned earlier, the eyes are painted with perfection. The eyes and the teeth are topped off with a glossy coating.

The X-Plus Godzilla 1964 vinyl fits right in with most of his Toho 30cm series buddies. Pictured here: Godzilla 1954, 1955, 1962 and 1964.

​The Godzilla 1964 vinyl figure is about sixteen and a half inches long. The tail goes straight back with very little curving side to side. One feature of this figure which may affect its shelf placement is the downward curve of its tail. The tip of this tail is basically a third leg and it allows the figure to stand. Without it, Godzilla would lean backward. I’ve found that this tip often falls over the back edge of the shelf, so you’ll have to pull this guy a little closer to the front to prevent this.

The June 2013 Japan release comes with translucent dorsal fins loaded with vivid blue LED lights. The light is brightest near the base of the spines and doesn’t quite reach to the tips, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The lights are controlled from an external black box which holds the switch and a pair of LR44 batteries (the same kind you use for laser pointers). The box has a connector that looks like a phono jack which plugs into the rear of the left leg.

By John Stanowski Originally posted September 16th, 2013 on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝30CMシリーズ 「ゴジラ（1962年版）
キングコング対ゴジラ」

​JAPAN ORIGINAL RELEASE: DECEMBER 2010

​JAPAN RE-ISSUE: OCTOBER 2013

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: SEPTEMBER 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “KING KONG VS. GODZILLA”, 1962
キングコング対ゴジラ

​HEIGHT: 12 INCHES / 30.48 CM

​WIDTH: 9.5 INCHES / 24.13 CM

​LENGTH: 18.5 INCHES / 46.99 CM

​ARTICULATION: NONE

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

In 1962’s “King Kong vs. Godzilla”, the big guy breaks free from his iceberg prison with a whole new look. And X-Plus did an amazing job of capturing that look in this vinyl figure released back in 2010. It’s big and wide and long and has a lot of “presence”. But there’s not much here not to like.

It’s getting really hard for me to review these things. I’ve run out of ways to say they’re “awesome”, “identical”, “dead-ringers” and that they “look like they stepped right out of the movie”. So please choose your own adjective or phrase from this list.

Okay, sorry, I can’t stop myself: this thing looks like it stepped right out the movie! Everything about it, the body, head, fins, eyes, color… they all literally mirror the suit!

X-Plus even got that goofy front head view accurate.

I sat down in front of “King Kong vs. Godzilla” with my X-Plus Godzilla 1962 on my lap to compare details for this review. And I found that these fins are insanely accurate. Not only were the ‘look’ of the fins captured, but most every spike on every fin is very close to how it was on the suit. Now that’s a bit OCD if you ask me but that’s precisely the reason why I love X-Plus.

The tree bark texture on the skin is especially deep on this figure and the light plays off it to interesting effect. This gives the figure even more of a high quality feel.

My only complaint is that most of the fingers are not individually sculpted. Hardly a dealbreaker though for this guy!

This figure comes with the tail as a separate piece which must be inserted as per usual with X-Plus Godzilla vinyls. And the tail joint is a near perfect fit; one of the best I’ve seen so far.

As for glue seals, we have them around each elbow but they are mostly invisible. A bit more noticeable are the seams around the ankles. This area also looks to be a potential weak joint considering how flat his feet are. Don’t go slamming this guy down on the table or anything like that. The only other seam I can find is behind the head where the top of the back piece which holds the fins can be detected. I really like how there are no joints at the knees for a change!

You can see for yourself from the photo above that the pose is fantastic. Every angle is so dynamic that you almost get the impression that he’s really moving.

Godzilla’s whole body is arching and forms a “c” or “u” with his upper torso twisting toward his left. His tail also curves into the same direction like he’s claiming a plot of land. This is a nice change from the mostly face front poses we’ve been getting with more recent releases. This figure looks great on the shelf facing in either direction.

The X-Plus Godzilla 1962 has a base coat of the standard light charcoal black plus a whole lot of highlights. The upper elevations of the deep skin texture is brushed with an ever so slightly lighter black. Brownish highlights can be found on the upper chest, knees, tops of the feet and on the sides of the tail. The bottom of the tail is a subtly lighter black.

The fins are painted very well all the way down to the tip. The teeth are very off white and they did an excellent job of coloring the inside of the mouth around every single tooth. The eyes look just like they did in the movie. The whites seem to have just a tinge of yellow and a clear gloss covers both orbs giving them a wet look. The claws on both the hands and feet look like they’ve hardly been touched by the painter.

The X-Plus Godzilla 1962 vinyl scales perfectly with the majority of the other figures in the 30cm series. Pictured here: Godzilla 1954, 1955, 1962 and 1964.

At about 18.5 inches long, this figure requires some extra space. The good thing is, though, that the arched pose I mentioned earlier makes it easier to fit this guy on a shelf than most other X-Plus Godzillas. When it’s placed facing the left, the tail obediently curves back toward the wall allowing another figure to fit in beside him. If you want him to face right (also a great, great angle to view it) then it will need more room. Because of space restrictions and an overpopulated 30cm shelf, I have mine facing almost forward with his tail hugging the wall. I’m not at all happy with that as I really don’t like his view from the front. This goes for the figure and the suit itself. Hopefully someday I’ll find more room and be able to show him off properly.

​By John Stanowski Originally posted September 13th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​大怪獣シリーズ 大映特撮編 「バイラス ガメラ対宇宙怪獣バイラス」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: AUGUST 2013

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: “GAMERA VS. VIRAS”, 1968
ガメラ対宇宙怪獣バイラス

​HEIGHT: 16 INCHES / 40.64 CM

​WIDTH: 10.5 INCHES / 26.67 CM

​ARTICULATION: NECK, WAIST

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

The third of Showa Gamera’s foes, Viras, is finally unleashed. Though a part of the smaller Large Monster Series line, Viras is tallest vinyl figure to walk out of the X-Plus factory.

​It’s hard for me to tell how faithful the new X-Plus Viras vinyl is to the original. I was never really big on Showa Gamera movies except when I was a kid. And even with that, the only things I remember from back then are images of a spinning Gamera in flight, and Viras. Having to rely on photos and a viewing of “Gamera vs. Viras”, I’d have to say the vinyl comes pretty damn close. All the details are there. They’re in the right places and are in scale relative to itself.

The overall sculpt is a striking resemblance that not only captures the look of the suit, but the subtle ways the suit carried itself. The chisled angles of the face are dead on with the possible exception that the eyes are too dark. The head… spike… things are shaped perfectly as are the tips of the lower tentacles.

TEXTURE
The X-Plus Viras is multi-textured. Under an array of elephant trunk-like grooves is a subtle bumpiness that makes this figure visually interesting. However, X-Plus definitely went a little overboard with it. They have the pattern right, there’s just too much of it. The Viras in the movie was a lot smoother than this figure, especially from the neck down. Not that I see them all, but the last time I saw this sort of skin textures going too deep was on the 25cm Ultra kaiju Gomora Reborn. It makes for a nicer figure, but the tradeoff is accuracy.

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. You’ve probably already noticed the heinous seam around Viras’ neck. It’s there because part of the Ric Boy exclusive version is an interchangeable second head. Okay, that makes sense. But that seam! Groan. I would GLADLY send my spare head back to X-Plus if they would glue seal this joint and fill it in. See the pic at the bottom to see how much better it would look without the necklace.

There are seams where all of the tentacles meet the body just below the neck. Though they are glued and covered over with paint, they’re still obvious if you look closely. The rear tentacle has an obnoxious seam that looks like a flap. This is intentional as this was part of the actual Viras suit and was visible in the movie.

The waist can be rotated but I don’t see any benefit to doing this, though it may need to be adjusted. When I took mine out of the box I found that the legs weren’t inserted all the way. The neck can be rotated only slightly because of it’s elliptical shape.

X-Plus had a few poses to choose from since this six-tentacled kaiju did have some moves. They chose the standard standing pose and is the way we see Viras most of the time while he stood in his cage onboard his spaceship. The mood/feel/personality of Viras’ tentacles and posture in the movie are captured very well in the figure.

BALANCE
Viras stands on his own two feet and is also supported by the front and rear tentacles. As for the former, I found that it hung down too low and didn’t allow Viras to keep his feet flat on the ground. I just gave it a squeeze and it stands fine now.

The X-Plus Viras vinyl figure has a good looking paint job, and an interesting one too. It looks like it was first given a base coat of a dull purple and was then gone over with a light blue, almost teal color. This second color fills in many of the cracks in the texture of the skin, and yet only ‘clouds’ over the rest. It’s hard to describe but it look really good. The paint job overall is semi-glossy and almost seems iridescent. It also seems a bit darker than it should be.

The beak is a glossy silver and, if you can see that close, the eyes are full of detail with arteries fanning out around black pupils with firey orange irises (no pun intended).

Viras is huge and seems to dwarf the X-Plus Gamera 1966. At first they didn’t look to be in scale with each other. Yes, Viras was much taller than Gamera… but this much? I revisited the movie and I’m still not sure. It’s hard to tell as Viras was often squishing and squooshing around Gamera during the fight. Ultimately, I’ve come to feel that, yes, they are mostly in scale with each other. It’s just that the Viras figure is standing tall, and Gamera is slouching.

​So, yeah, look at this. Viras is from the smaller Large Monster Series line and yet is taller than the two tallest figures I have from the 30cm series (Godzilla monochrome 1954 and Hedorah). He’s taller than Biollante. The only figure that comes close to Viras’ height is Mothra Imago, and she’s held up high on a pole!

​Even with tentacles off in every direction, Viras still takes up about the same space a other biped figures. Also, conveniently, the two tentacles that spread out the farthest are in the front and make it easy for other figures to fit behind them. But forget all of that. It’s Viras’ height you need to contend with. At 16 inches, the only shelf this vinyl fits on is the top one.

The Ric Boy version of the X-Plus Viras vinyl comes with a second head. It sports all three head tentacles retracted into a giant spear perfect for impaling boulders and giant turtles. But it may also be capable of doing some damage to vinyl collectors. (You should probably keep this one away from the kids.) This alternate head also features an open beak and derpy eyes looking toward the left. The joint for the head is elliptical and can be a little more challenging to switch than with rounder ones.

​But, wait! That’s not all! The Ric Boy version also comes with a miniature “bumblebee” spaceship. The detail and quality of this item is fantastic except for some flash line artifacts on each of the radar dish thingys. Also some of the antennae feed horns are bent, but can be somewhat coaxed into being straight again. As for paint: good show! The concentric circles of black and yellow are perfectly “in the lines”. The dishes, landing gear and ring are colored in a metallic blue. A+!

​The X-Plus Viras comes in a plain, white, blind box just like the ones for Kumonga, Mothra Imago and the Rodan figures. Viras is wired into the plastic shell with two ties.

​Here’s a Photoshopped example of how perfect Viras could have looked without that ugly seam running around his neck.

​By John Stanowski Originally posted September 7th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「バラゴン（1965年版） 立ちポーズ」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: AUGUST 2013

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES (25CM)

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD”, 1965
フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣バラゴン

​HEIGHT: 9.5 INCHES / 24.13 CM

​WIDTH: 7.75 INCHES / 19.68 CM

​LENGTH: ABOUT 15 INCHES / 38 CM

​ARTICULATION: BOTH ARMS AND LEGS, NECK.

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​The recently released X-Plus Baragon 1965 (Large Monster Series) vinyl figure features the first appearance of this subterranean kaiju. But it is not the first appearance in the line! In a very curious move, X-Plus has released another version/pose of a kaiju already added to the same line previously. Not that I’m complaining! The first Baragon from the X-Plus Large Monster Series came out in August 2011 and features the monster on all fours. It has since become a rarity and very highly sought after by collectors. This new figure gives us latecomers another chance to add this kaiju to our collections. (Note: X-Plus also created a second version of a pre-released character: the Mechagodzilla 1974. They just don’t do this with Godzilla figures, though they have done it with Ultraman Figures.)

Oh, and by the way, this figure is friggin’ awesome.

I’m not a super huge Baragon fan, but from what I can tell, they got the head of this guy exactly right. Hell, all of it looks right. The whole thing is an outstanding likeness.

​Every detail of this figure shines! Baragon has multiple textures. A tiled square pattern adorns his chest and runs all the way down the underside of the tail to the tip. The rough texture on the arms and legs are brilliant. A fine speckled pattern crowns the tops of the head. And the back ridges have a fine ‘combed’ pattern on them which run all the way down to the tail! Incredible attention to detail on this thing!

The arms and legs are not glued and are free to move, but they do have their place. Most of these joints are sculpted to be in a certain position. There are little clues in the texture of the skin which show you precisely where they should be. The only time you really want to mess with these is to make sure both feet are flat on the ground. When I pulled my Baragon out of the box, his right leg needed adjusting for him to stand properly. The head at the base of the neck can also be rotated but you’ll find that that joint moreso than the others has its place.

As for panty lines: all of these joints do have visible seams, but they’re not very noticeable from most angles… except for the neck. This joint isn’t meant to move and it would have been great if they had glued it and filled in the line. But even without that, the seam is well hidden in the sculpt. The tail joint is a good fit and it looks better from the top.

It’s a great pose which looks good from practically every angle. I think his left side is his best though. One detail to note is that his left foot is actually bent so that his heel is off the ground like he’s walking. Nice touch!

​The paint job is incredible and a nice change from the offerings of late. The body has a base coat of brown. The ears and back ridges are a light brown, almost tan. I’m wondering if maybe it’s a bit too light.

But as for attention to detail when flicking the brush over this guy: amazing! The light brown was added to the back ridges with precision. This is even more noticeable on the tail where the ridges get smaller and smaller, thinner and thinner. And the paint is still spot on!

Plenty of subtle highlights are scattered over the brown areas. (This is how they should have painted Skydon!)

The eyes look so good you almost feel as though you’re being watched by the figure. The teeth are a dirty reddish, brown and are glossy. The horn is translucent and fades from a brown to a bone color. (I suspect the entire head is translucent under all that opaque paint.)

This is one of my favorite X-Plus paint jobs so far this year.

The X-Plus Baragon vinyl figure is actually a tad larger than both Godzilla 1968 and Godzilla 1966. Not only is he up on height, his bulk makes him even larger. Ironic since the “real” Baragon probably only comes up to Godzilla’s knee. Still, it’s not too much of a size difference. It still fits in well with other figures in the Large Monster Series.

​Consider this figure with the same demands as a Godzilla. From horn to tail, it’s almost 15 inches long! The feet are a few inches inward than the horn so a good bit of that length can be sticking over the edge of the shelf. Baragon’s tail makes a slight turn to his left while his body turns to his right.

The X-Plus Baragon Ric Boy version brings an impressive set of exclusive features in one box. Not only does it come with an extra set of “alert” ears, but the horn lights as well!

A black box ‘dongle’ with on/off switch plugs into the rear of the left leg. Plug it in, switch it on and the horn glows. A possible downside is that the LED used is a tad too bright. The brown to bone coloring of the horn disappears when turned on and become mostly white. The LED is also too close to the horn itself as there is a hotspot ring visible. What is nice though is that it’s bright enough to illuminate Baragon’s nose below.

The ears on the Ric Boy version pop right off and can be switched for the extra pair. I’ve found they need some coaxing to make a good, tight fit. You find while switching the ears that the head is really very soft; much softer than the rest of the body. The back of the head actually collapses a little when inserting new ears.

The head is so squooshy that you could, if you were so inclined, squeeze the front neck and the back neck to make Baragon’s mouth open wide. I imagine you wouldn’t want to do this very often because of the wires inside and the possibility of cracking some paint.

​Baragon comes in the standard Large Monster Series window box. He’s kept in place with a single wire tie around his body, and another around his tail. The remaining bits are taped in.

​By John Stanowski Originally posted September 4th, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「キングシーサー（1974年版） ゴジラ対メカゴジラ」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: JULY 2013

​NORTH AMERICAN (DIAMOND) REISSUE: CANCELLED

​JAPAN REISSUE: APRIL 2019

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA”, 1974 ​ゴジラ対メカゴジラ

​HEIGHT: (EARS DOWN) 9 INCHES / 22.86 CM

​WIDTH: 5 INCHES / 12.7 CM

LENGTH: (HANDS TO TAIL) 8.25 INCHES / 20.95 CM

​ARTICULATION: ARMS, HIPS, ANKLES.

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

​The sleeping, dog-eared monster King Caesar (Seesar, Shisa), protector of the Azumi Family in Okinawa wakes from his hibernation once again in the form of an X-Plus Giant Monster Series vinyl figure. And wow, did they get this guy right. Sorry to repeat myself again, but it really does look like it stepped right out of the movie! This is what X-Plus is all about!

This figure was originally released in Japan in July 2013. It was available as both a Standard and Ric Exclusive (which came with a mini statue). A North American (Diamond) Reissue was scheduled but later cancelled. A Japanese reissue (April 2019) was offered with no Standard version available. The Ric-only reissue offers light-up eyes.

This review features the original release.

Here’s the part we saw through most of the movie. The head of King Caesar framed in his rocky hibernation chamber. Moving on from the great resemblance, you’ll notice the eyes are a burning orange and must have been molded in plastic. Just below their shiny surface are a series of finely detailed concentric circles. Most of the teeth are individually sculpted. Curiously, though, the front bottom row is not. Hardly something to complain about considering the stellar job X-Plus did everywhere else on this figure.

How do you translate long tufts of knotted fur into vinyl? X-Plus found a way! Each of the long rows of fur falling from Caesar’s mane are detached from the rest of the figure giving them more dimension. There are also six extra tufts of hair glued on to the arms and legs as separate pieces. Awesome job! (I suspect the ‘crown’ over Caesar’s eyes is also a separate glued piece).

The armor-plated scales are very well done. They look accurate and the bottoms raise away from the rest of the body with precision. Some scales actually slightly overlap the ones below it.

As for moving joints, The X-Plus King Caesar has more than a few: both shoulders, legs and feet. Neither of these are likely meant to be moved. The arms don’t have much range to even bother with. The joints at the hips and the ankles are molded to fit snugly in their predetermined position. But you may have to wiggle these to make sure Caesar stands properly.

As for seams: there are quite a few around the mane but are hidden good enough. The seams where the legs meet the body, though, are another story. This is the lowest point for an otherwise fantastic figure. These seams are obvious, distracting and just overall heinous. Traditional vinyl collectors accept this is as just part of the nature of vinyls. But what drew me to X-Plus was the amazing realistic looks these figures have. Seeing these gaping lines at the tops of the legs are a turn off. Thankfully they not visible when the figure is rotated to one side a bit.

​Most biped X-Plus figures without long tails usually have some balance issues either immediately or down the road.  Some collectors have found that they need to rotate King Caesar’s feet outward to give the figure balance. The feet on my figure are most forward and it stands fine. Either way, it is easy to topple with a poke at the head. And I suspect the summer heat could, if allowed to, soften up the feet enough to make poor Caesar lean forward and take a tumble.

The pose of the X-Plus King Caesar has him facing his enemy and poised for action. The “personality” of Caesar is perfectly captured here. They did as a good a job on the pose as they did with the sculpt. Combined, the two make for one hell of an excellent figure. The only thing wrong with this picture are the ears which should be upright while in battle mode. The standard edition has droopy ears, something they really only did while KC was sleeping.

​Awesome paint job! The hair has airbrushed gradients that span dark brown to tan. There are no ‘shadows’ per se (darker colors in the inner grooves of the hairs) but the graduated colors more than make up for that. As for the scales: they pretty much captured a difficult color pretty well. The scales on the suit were a sort of dark brown with a tinge of a purpleish red and the paint on the figure follows suit.

The X-Plus King Caesar vinyl figure is about nine inches tall and fits in very well with other members of the Large Monster Series.

Believe it or not, the X-Plus King Caesar vinyl is almost as long (nose to tail is 8.25 inches) as it is high. Still, as with most biped X-Plus figures, KC doesn’t demand a lot of space on the shelf at all.

The X-Plus King Caesar Ric Boy Edition comes with a few exclusives. A miniature of the King Caesar statue (which actually might have gotten more screen time than Caesar did himself in the movie) is in the box. It’s a great likeness but it doesn’t contribute as much to the figure as the extra set of upright ears!

​The ears pop right in and out with just a tug. The figure may have to be warmed up a little in colder climates to make the switch. Both sets of ears have tiny clues in the sculpt as to where they were intended to be adjusted to.

​The X-Plus King Caesar vinyl figure comes in the standard Large Monster Series no frills window box. The figure is held in the plastic shell with a single wire tie.

​By John Stanowski Originally posted August 31st, 2013​ on Kaiju Addicts.

​大怪獣シリーズ ジャイアント 「スカイドン」

​JAPAN RELEASE: MARCH 2013

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

​FROM: “ULTRAMAN”, EPISODE 34 “PRESENT FROM THE SKY”, 1967
ウルトラマン, メガトン怪獣

​HEIGHT: 7.25 INCHES / 18.41 CM

​WIDTH: ABOUT 7.5 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT) / ABOUT 19.05 CM

​LENGTH: (HEAD TO TAIL) ABOUT 15.5 INCHES / 39.37 CM

​ARTICULATION: NONE

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

THE HEAD
The head is overall a good likeness though I feel it has overly smooth texturing below the eyes. The entire piece is made of a translucent material which allows the lights from the Ric Boy Exclusive version to shine through. Opaque paint hides the light from emitting anywhere except the eyes. Unfortunately, on my figure, there are pinpoints of light visible is some of the cracks in the sculpt. And though light doesn’t emit from the four horns, their semi-translucent quality gives the figure a nice touch.

Overall, the sculpt is a mostly faithful representation of Skydon. All of Skydon’s features are there and are ‘mostly’ in the right place. Multiple textures make this figure visually interesting. There are brick-like armor plates on the back, rough skin on the sides and legs. There is also the combed line texture on the belly left over from when this suit originally belonged to Gamakujira, the pearl-eating kaiju.

​X-Plus’ attention to detail shines for fashioning most of this figure from the actual Skydon suit. The eyes on the Skydon suit were ridiculously out of allignment with each other as his right eye was much higher than his left. The figure recreates this.

However, X-Plus dropped the ball on the tail which is larger than it should be. And to make matters worse, the two spikey horns on the tail seem to be twice as tall as they should be.

The Ric Boy exclusive version of this figure has a removeable head and that features gives you an obvious seam line which runs around the “neck”. From above, this line is only somewhat disguised into the sculpt as it conforms to the shape of the first row of armor plates on the back. The seam is move obvious from below but, thankfully, you don’t really get to seem him from the angle most of the time.

The tail seam is the same as the head. It’s somewhat cloaked on the top by conforming to a row of armor plates and is more visible from below.

The only other seam I can detect runs laterally along both sides above the first row of plates, just above the side spikes. This seam is mostly invisible having been filled at the factory. However, on the figure I have, they “missed a spot” leaving behind what looks like a crack in the body. The seams on the legs are really invisible and you’d have to look really close to find evidence of them.

​The pose of the X-Plus Skydon vinyl figure is pretty standard stuff. And that’s fine with me. Skydon was a lazy kaiju and basically was seen as pictured here, or flat on the ground taking a nap.

​There really isn’t much of a paint job here on this figure. The teeth are a stark, toy white which probably is appropriate for an early Ultraman monster. The inside of the mouth and the “lipstick” area were painted in a desaturated color that’s sits somewhere between red and pink, but being neither. I like it.

Though not part of the paint scheme, the translucent parts are part of the coloring. The four horns on the head are a bronze color and change appearance depending on the light. The eyes themselves are clear, with black pupils painted on. Inside the domes of clear plastic is a colored material giving the eyes an overall yellowish appearance.

As for the rest of the body from the neck to the tail… It’s brown. Just brown. No highlights, tones, shades, etc. Just brown. There does seem to be some attempt at darker shades here and there, but you need to close out the rest of the world, meditate and super focus on them just in order to see them. So, basically, they’re just not there. And it’s a big blob of brown.

But because this figure has so many deep textures, light plays on it very, very well giving it a ridiculously good amount of highlights. It looks especially good in the sun (though I wouldn’t recommend keeping it there!)

​If you like your figures large, then Skydon delivers. He fits in well with the X-Plus 30cm Godzilla figures and is borderline difficult to manage with one hand because of his bulk. As for scaling with the Ultraman figures: he’s really too big for that. They may look okay next to each other on the shelf (see photo below under Ric Boy heading), but scale freaks will likely be disappointed overall.

A good match for the X-Plus 30cm Series Anguirus 1968.

When sized with another quadroped from the smaller line (Gabora), Skydon is significantly larger. Scale freaks will want to keep their Giant Series figures on a different shelf.

From the front, Giant Series Skydon seems to fit in well with this gang of mostly non-Giant Ultra kaiju.

(Left to Right: Gyango – rear, Gomora, Skydon, Red King, Bemular and Gabora. Only Gyango and Skydon are from the Giant Series.)

​As with all four-legged figures, Skydon has extra space requirements. His tail goes straight back but is short. His extra Giant Series size though makes him more difficult to place on a standard shelf.

​The X-Plus Skydon Ric Boy exclusive version vinyl figure has a light gimmick allowing his yellow eyes to shine just like they did in the television series. Above he is seen beside the X-Plus Ultraman C-Type Standing figure, also with light gimmick.

To get the magic to work you’ll have to pull off the head, flick the switch and push it back in. Groan. The figures already comes ready to go with two LR 44 batteries already installed. You’ll have to be careful though as the inner workings of the head comes in two pieces. The vinyl head is precariously glued onto another plastic piece which the switch anchors onto. These two pieces promptly divorced and came away from each other the first time I removed the head. Luckily it all went back together again for me with no problems. You can try to avoid this yourself by heating the parts with a hair dryer. Probably more so than you would need to add the tail.

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

​東宝大怪獣シリーズ 「クモンガ（1967年版） 怪獣島の決戦 ゴジラの息子」 少年リック限定版

​JAPAN RELEASE: JULY 2013

​JAPAN REISSUE: JULY 2016 (WONDER FESTIVAL SON OF GODZILLA SET)

​DIAMOND REISSUE: EXPECTED JANUARY 2019

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

​MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

FROM: “SON OF GODZILLA”, 1967
怪獣島の決戦 ゴジラの息子

HEIGHT: ABOUT 3.75 INCHES / 9.52 CM

​WIDTH: (LEGSPAN) ABOUT 20.25 INCHES (FOOT TO FOOT) / ABOUT 51.43 CM

​LENGTH: (FRONT LEGS TO ABDOMEN) ABOUT 13 INCHES / 33 CM

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

Kumonga is one of my favorite things from the movie “Son of Godzilla” and the X-Plus vinyl figure is easily one of my favorite figures. It was originally released in July of 2013 and was re-issued as part of a “Son of Godzilla Set” for Summer Wonder Festival in July of 2016.

I was tempted to say ‘Really, now, how hard would it be to match the sculpt to a giant spider?’ But after reviewing scenes from the movie I immediately saw distinct details that give Kumonga’s form personality. And I actually recognized these details readily because I had spent so much time with the figure for this review. So, if you ask me, X-Plus did an amazing job of capturing this kaiju in the sculpt. It really does look like it stepped crawled right out of the movie!

If I had to find something to complain about, it would be the stubby spikes scattered over Kumonga’s long appendages. In the movie, the giant spider had large thorn-like hairs which were translated to the vinyl as spikey triangles. Granted, it’s not that easy to reproduce this feature in vinyl, and even if they could it would make for a painful handling experience. So, to me, what we got in the end is close enough.

Kumonga’s set of eight eyes are multi-textured and mimic the (real) thing well. The eyes themselves are semi-translucent plastic domes tinted purple or blue. And under the dome is a bubbly texture creating the insectoid compound-eye look. Nice job!

Nice texturing on the body helps to make up for the lack of any highlights in the paint job.

The X-Plus Kumonga is posed on an incline so that the front half of its body is higher than the rear. Both the standard and Ric Boy versions of this figure comes with a base to help him keep that posture. Pictured here is the base that comes with the Ric Boy exclusive version. It’s larger than the standard base and comes with a Kamacuras entombed in Kumonga’s webby spray.

​The Ric Boy exclusive base is, in a word, awesome, and, in a way, gives you two kaiju for the price of one (or for the extra price of a Ric Boy). The detail on the giant mantis is sharp, maybe too detailed for something under a coating of goop, but I’m not complaining!

​Kumonga is virtually seamless! There are some faint lines here and there around a leg or mandible but this spider’s segmented limbs are covered in ringed lines anyway. The only out-of-place seam is under the spider’s abdomen (the large bulb at the end of his body). There, a round line follows the outer curve of that section. This is curious. It would seem to me that the entire back abdomen section would be molded as one piece but I suspect Kumonga’s entire top half is all one piece, and the bottom half another single piece. Strange choice but they must have had their reasons. Either way, there are no awkward joints or seams killing the look of the great vinyl figure.

​The Pose is Meh
With eight prickly treebranch arms you’d think there are a lot of choices to pick from when deciding how to pose this vinyl. In the end, though, what we got is just standard in a cheap rubber-spider sort of way. Okay, the pose is neutral and let’s it fit in the box well. Plus I understand that any interesting pose would likely melt away as gravity would pull down against the spider’s soft legs. Under these circumstances I think X-Plus did a good job. I was surprised to see that Kumonga’s body does not lie flat against the shelf but actually tilts upward. Not bad. But I wouldn’t have minded having a leg on each side retracted a bit more, pushing its spider knees over it’s current three and a quarter inch height.

​Kumonga is covered in a flat, one-shade off black and airbrushed with yellow markings. The feathering from the sprayed yellow attempts to mimic the combing of the yellow hairs mixing with the black hairs on the original beast, and it does a good job of creating that illusion. But that’s it; pretty standard stuff.

I wouldn’t have minded seeing some highlights (or shading) to mix up the black a bit. It might also have been nice to get some sandy, dirt splotches sponged into the top side dimples on Kumonga’s back to mimic the dirt he just crawled out of.

On a positive note, Kumonga’s dark exoskeleton has decent texturing on the sculpt off which the light plays, creating real highlights.

Fitting in with the ‘Family’
The X-Plus Large Monster Series Kumonga 1967 vinyl at first seems large when placed with other 25cm series figures but is, as far as I know, in scale with them. I have no other 1967 figures so I placed Kumonga here with the next best thing: his Destroy All Monsters buddies, Godzilla 1968 and Anguirus 1968. Yes, Kumonga looks big beside them. But he’s supposed to be big!

​Sizing up to the 30’s
The nice thing about Kumonga’s large size is that it fits in well with the 30cm series figures as well. Here he’s posed with the 30cm series Godzilla 1968 and though the scale may be off, they still look great together.

​Size Comparison with other Huge Figures

The final inevitable size comparison would be with Biollante. Both of these figures are in the Large Monster Series and are supposed to be in scale with each other. As for Mothra Imago, Kumonga has pretty much the same width as her wingspan.

Real World Comparisons

One the left is a fully grown adult cat of average size which is a tad larger than this huge vinyl spider. And for those of you who do not have a fully grown adult cat of average size handy, the photo on the right shows the X-Plus Kumonga atop a soda can which should give you a good idea of its girth.

Talk about shelf hogs! The X-Plus Giant Monster Series Kumonga vinyl figure has a ‘legspan’ of a whopping 20 and a quarter inches! This guy is gonna own the shelf! If you are planning to display him on a standard width shelf (like a bookcase), you’ll have to devote most of it to Kumonga. There’s room left for two more biped figures with short tails such as Mechagodzilla, King Seesar or maybe even a Gigan.

Kumonga is about 13 inches from the tip of his front legs to his butt. On a standard shelf, his front pincers may hang over the edge. The standard base adds nothing to this figure’s space requirements. And the Ric Boy exclusive base, though larger, can still occupy the space already claimed by this figure’s outstretched legs.

It is ironic that such a large figure which demands so much space is not even 4 inches tall. Unless you’re creative with some sort of support mechanism to hoist your Kumonga higher, your kaiju skyline is going to get a new dip.

The X-Plus Kumonga comes in a box similar to Mothra Imago and several of the Rodan figures. It’s plain white with black printing. Inside your vinyl kaiju spider lies nested in a plastic shell retrained by a single wire tie. Below the figure rests the base, also held in place with another wire tie.

A Word of Warning
Be careful when trying to pull your untied wire out from around the base. While I was removing my base, the untied, yet still twisted end of the wire didn’t want to come out of the hole in the plastic shell. I pulled a little too hard and, without realizing it, the wire was pressed hard against one of the small spikes on Kamacuras’ back and I wound up nicking it. A spot of glue will save mine, but a little more patience would have saved me the trouble.

Below is a fan video I found on YouTube which has tons of scenes featuring Kumonga. I’ve embedded it here so that you can review it, pause it, and compare it to the photos above.

By John Stanowski Originally posted August 5th, 2013 on Kaiju Addicts.

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

​JAPAN RELEASE: LATE 2011

​DIAMOND RE-ISSUE: JANUARY 2014

​SERIES: TOHO 30CM SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

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

HEIGHT: 11.5 INCHES / 29.21 CM

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

​LENGTH: ABOUT 19 INCHES / 48.26 CM

​ARTICULATION: LEGS CAN ROTATE, BUT SHOULDN’T

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​JAPAN RELEASE: JUNE 2013

​SERIES: LARGE MONSTER SERIES

MATERIAL: SOFT VINYL

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

​HEIGHT: 7.75 INCHES / 19.68 CM

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

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

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

​REVIEW AND PHOTOS: JOHN STANOWSKI

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

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

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

Most of the fingers are individually sculpted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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