"This town aint big enough for the both of us! Draw!"

Today I will be reviewing the Gunkid DX re-issue, made by Sonokong/Takara. The sample for today's review was provided graciously by our friends over at Big Bad Toy Store.

Without getting into too much detail....Gunkid appears in the anime, Brave Command Dagwon as a enemy to start off with but then decides to defect from the evil side on the Sargasso prison asteriod and join the Brave Command Dagwon team.

To start off with, the packaging is exactly what I am beginning to accept as the norm for these Sonokong Brave re-issues. A heavy corrugated cardboard box with great pictures of the toy inside of the toy in all its modes. Quality, all the way.

Robot Mode

Moving on to the figure inside, Gunkid stands approximately 8.5 inches tall in robot mode and weighs in at just slightly under 1 lb. The figure is comprised of high quality plastics with metal screw holding it together. The combination of the two materials gives the figure a nice solid feel.

I am sure you Super Robot Fans see shades of Texas Mack or Bismark in this figure. The western motif is strong throughout the aesthetics of this toy.

The first cool gimmick is Gunkid's old west style out-law mask that can conceal or reveal the lower half of his face. Also note that on the left and right shoulders, Gunkid has move-able cannons.

As you may have noticed in the first photo above, Gunkid has a cute looking set of mini-wings. Fortunately those mini-wings can be extended giving Gunkid a more flight capable appearance.

As I mentioned above, Gunkids western theme is all over this figure. Check out the spurs on the backside of the legs! Giddy up horsey! Note the tank treads, they are part of the next mode.

Tank Mode

Gunkid can transform into what basically is a giant Bazooka on tank treads. In this mode Gunkid is able to shoot foam projectiles shown further down in the review. Sorry guys, no eye blinding goodness in this toy.

Jet Mode

Jet mode is a pretty cool mode that uses the sight as the cockpit and the cannon as the fuselage. Landing gear extend down from the split trigger handle. You can clearly see those unfolded wings I spoke earlier were meant for this mode.

Bazooka/Hand gun mode

Gun mode utilizes the foam projectiles I mentioned above. In this mode you can use Gunkid as a hand gun or a massive Bazooka for Fire Dagwon/Power Dagwon or use in conjunction with Gunkid's mentor, Lian (sword) to defend Super Fire Dagwon against evil.

Here is Lian (sword above) with his student, Gunkid. I will be covering Lian in a later review.

Initially I didn't care much for Gunkid. I felt the western theme was really hokey, until after I have played with it a bit. Gunkid has really grown on me and is now one of my favorite figures from Brave Command Dagwon. To sum it up, Gunkid is a quality figure with tons of play value, making it a must have!

Raramia's Queadluun-Rea done all cute and cuddly from Macross Frontier.

Raramia's Queadluun-Rea is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget. This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style of Raramia's Queadluun-Rea. Raramia was Klan's sister and a pilot for Pixie Squad.

The figure is non pose-able but is featured in a striking action pose that still makes it look fairly bad-ass even being a super cute version of the mecha.

The figure stands 3 and a 1/2 inches tall. The included mini Vajra is approximately 1 inch tall.

Paint detail is neat and clean and I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed. The figure feels like a nice solid, well made piece not a cheaper lottery/prize item.

The Raramia's Queadluun-Rea is suitably cute and adorable and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures but I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add it to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

Alto'S VF-25F! (Now In Super Deformed Flavor...)

Alto's Battroid is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget.

This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style VF-25F (Alto Type) comes in Battroid mode.

The figure is not very pose-able but with rotation in the waist and shoulders only. It is featured in a striking action pose that still makes it look fairly cool even being a super cute version of the mecha.

The figure stands 4 and a 1/2 inches tall.

Paint detail is neat and clean and I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed. The figure feels like a nice solid, well made piece not a cheaper lottery/prize item.

The VF-25F is suitably cute and adorable and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures but I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add it to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

Klan's Queadluun-Rea in Super Deformed Style.

Klan's Queadluun-Rea is from the Banpresto produced prize items for Macross Frontier. Ichiban KUJI Premium Macross Frontier is sold in convenience stores across Japan as a lottery. Customers buy a 800 YEN ticket you pull from a blind box with a letter on it telling you which item you have won. It's completely random on what your end up with for your hard earned YEN. Available in the set of Premium goods are...

• A. Klan Klang (Melatrandi Pilot) 25cm tall
• B. Sheryl Nome (Finale Concert Dress) 22cm tall
• C. Ranka Lee (Kira Pose) 20cm tall
• D. Nyan Nyan Bowl
• E. Sport Towel Set (Monster Girl, VF-25, Kabuki Alto)
• F. Super Deformed Character Figure Set (Ranka, Sheryl, Klan, Alto)
• G. Super Deformed Mecha Set (VF-25F Alto Battroid, VF-25S Ozma Armored Gerwalk, VF-27 Brera Battroid, Klan Queadluun-Ray, Raramia Queadluun Ray)

I got a complete set thanks to Angolz. They do also offer smaller sets and individual pieces as well for those on a more discerning budget.

This review we take a look at the Super Deformed/Chibi style of Klan's Queadluun-Rea.

The figure is fairly non pose-able with only the shoulders and hip joints rotating which is more than acceptable for the mecha design and price point.

The figure stands 4 and a 1/2 inches tall.

Paint detail is neat and clean and I must say for a “prize item” I am impressed. The figure feels like a nice solid, well made piece not a cheaper lottery/prize item.

Klan's Queadluun-Rea is suitably cute and adorable and while I normally don't collect the chibi/super deformed/nederoid style of figures but I got the entire Banpresto Prize set as a package (I was after the bigger, fixed pose ladies – to be reviewed soon) so I am happy to add it to the growing display of Macross in my collection. Fans of the cute/super deformed style who like Macross F are sure to enjoy it as it is a top quality collectible.

Macross Frontier Ichiban KUJI Premium goods can be gotten at Angolz.

I finally round off the Surplice reviews of the resurrected Gold Saint with Aquarius Camus. HD Video included.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Spoilers below if you have not reached the Hades Saga in the Saint Seiya series...

During The Hades Arc: Sanctuary of Saint Seiya, Aquarius Camus along with the 6 other Gold Saints who died earlier in the series are resurrected by Hades to lead an assault on Athena's Sanctuary and take her head.

As the Hades saga unfolds Camus along with Capricorn Shura and Gemini Saga fights against Virgo Shaka. During the battle Virgo strips the resurrected Saints of their 5 senses leaving them deaf, blind and unable to speak. They end Shaka's life by performing the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation. A sin they repeat once again in the heart of Sanctuary against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo.

From Wikipedia:

“After fighting against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo it is revealed that they were attempting to fool Hades in order to warn Athena of his ambitions, as well as grant the goddess her Holy God Cloth and survive the upcoming Holy War.”

The package is the usual cardboard shadowbox that opens very much like a book. Even going so far as to decorate the spines like they where ancient manuscripts. Generally you will always save the boxes for these figures as you need somewhere to store the extra parts and pieces and storing the spine oput makes it easy to locate a part or piece when you want it.

Inside, clear plastic trays present the figure and all the parts and pieces neatly and sensibly.

The actual figure of Camus is an all plastic type-3 style with over 40 points of articulation. The feet on the figure are pose-able as well but are cast in die-cast metal to match the look of the Cloth (or armors if your new to Saint Seiya.)

While the figure looks spindly without the armor, that is OK as most collectors are looking to add the metal armor to the figure anyway. Being a bit thiner allows these figures to look “right” when the armor is attached to the figure.

Every Cloth in the Saint Seiya universe turns into a statue (called Objects in the series) of the constellation that Cloth is designed after. Aquarius is of course the Water Bearer (and my birth sign)

In Object mode the Cloth looks very nice. Basically you put the armor plates onto a “dummy statue” to make the object mode.

I will not be using this mode for my display but it's always nice Bandai makes sure you can do this even if you do not actually see a Cloth in this state in the actual series or manga. I'll be displaying mine doing the Athena's Exclamation!

Once the armor is on, Aquarius is good to go...

Bandai has added slightly more complicated hinging on the shoulders and hip armors for this series of Surplices allowing the figures to be posed in a wider range of motion while keeping the armor looking natural.

Paint detail is very good on my sample of Aquarius (I noticed some air bubbles on the previously reviewed Gemini after the fact...) and the metal content on this release is very high.

If your a fan you don't need me to tell you to get it. Now I just need to get my hands on a Scorpio Milo and I will be able to display that classic confrontation on my self and most fans would want to too; as for non SCM collectors, well if you like the design and dig metal armor the series is worth a look. Just find a design you like and give it a try.

Just know this really is a series of figures meant to be posed and displayed. There not really toys for kids as keeping track of the parts would/could be a nightmare. But I can tell you this. Every time someone looks at the collection that is my mish-mash of stuff. People's eyes always light up with curiosity when they see the Saint Cloth Myth shelves. They truly stand out in a collection.

HD video embedded below and I have also update the the reviews of Gemini Saga (Surplice Version) and Capricorn Shura (Surplice Version) with HD videos as well.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

In my opinion Dygenguar is one of the coolest mecha designs from the wildly popular Super Robot Wars tactical role-playing game series....Well, except the feet.

With all the hype and excitement about the soon to be released Bandai GX-46 Soul of Chogokin Dygenguar & Aussenseiter, I thought it would be a great time to review Kotobukiya'a Dygenguar full action model kit.

Dygenguar is one of the coolest mecha designs from the wildly popular Super Robot Wars tactical role-playing game series.

Starting off with the beautifully illustrated box. The box cover really gives you a feel of the characters coolness. As you can see in the photo below, he is sporting his famous pose. Man, is that sword huge or what?

Without boring you with all the details of the build, I will just say that it is fun and at sometimes a little challenging. The kit is molded in color so you really don't have to paint it. Of course, you can paint and detail the finished figure if you would like to. All the pieces are clearly marked for easy assembly. The kit is made of high quality plastic that feels very similar to the plastics used in high end Gundam kits. The kit is basically a snap together kit but, if you plan on handling your finished Dygenguar figure you may want to glue some areas.

The completed Dygenguar figure stands approximately 8" tall at the tip of his red shoulder armor. Dygenguar features 24 points of articulation and includes 2 swords as well as three sets of hands, one closed, one open, and one for holding his weapons.

On to the pics!

The cool background in the photos was provided by our friends over at Action Figure Displays. You can get this background as well as many others at their site.

In conclusion, Kotobukiya's Dygenguar model is a great build and if you are a fan of the character and you like to build models.... Its a no brainer, you gotta pick this kit up!

Capricorn Shura (Surplice) is next up in my latest round of Saint Cloth Myth reviews.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Capricorn Shura is one of several Gold Saints that dies in battle against our heroes, the Bronze Saints during the early story arc “The Twelve Temples of the Zodiac”. I'm not going to recount his entire Saga but if you would like to know more you can head over to Wikipedia for more.

During “The Hades Chapter – Sanctuary” Shura along with 5 other former, dead Gold Saints are resurrected and given new life by Hades. The price for this new life, bring Hades Athena's head.

Capricorn Shura, Gemini Saga and Aquarius Camus battle with Gold Saint Virgo which leaves them deaf, blind and speechless. They ultimately resort to combining there power and performing the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation. A sin they repeat again later in the heart of Sanctuary when battling Leo Aiolos, Aries Mu and Scorpio Milo.

From Wikipedia:

“After fighting against Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia and Scorpio Milo it is revealed that they were attempting to fool Hades in order to warn Athena of his ambitions, as well as grant the goddess her Holy God Cloth and survive the upcoming Holy War.”

The box is standard Saint Cloth Myth fare, a book style package that opens to reveal 2 windows too see all the bits and pieces neatly arranged. The box features both art from the anime and pictures of the actual product.

The body of Shura is the newer Type 3 body. Bandai over the past few years has added more and more pose-ability to their figures. A type 3 has more joints in the torso. Ironically all of the extra pose-ability goes out the window when you put on their armor. Armor tends to form fit the torso section so joints there do not get used.

The body is made of plastic and the feet are die-cast metal (designed to match the armor.)

Figure is highly pose-able...

... as are his feet.

All the armor's in the Saint Seiya universe form an object/statue when they are not being worn. Originally being the Capricorn Gold Saint his object is a darker restyling of the Capricorn goat.

Each Cloth/armor in this universe is aligned to a constellation.

Like I mentioned above the surplice version of Capricorn is colored different and while it looks the same it is subtly restyled and an all new sculpt (I don't own the original Capricorn so no comparison photo – sorry.)

This surplice does offer the extra hinges in the shoulder and thigh plates allowing a much wider range of motion.

Die-cast content is very high with this release. Only the torso armor and headpiece are plastic.

Bandai again does a great job bringing this cloth to three-dimensional life. The addition of the extra hinges allows you to pose the figures in their Athena Exclamation, an attention to detail that I as a collector really appreciate.

I think that the coloring on this one may have a very broad appeal to Chogokin collectors and of course fans of Saint Seiya should pick Shura up without hesitation, especially if you want your very own Athena Exclamation on your shelf. Bandai is always consistent with quality and and attention to detail with this line. Been curious to check one out, pick a design you like and get it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Review sample provided by Angolz.

Thank God for suggestive sales as when I got to the checkout the salesperson was wondering why I wasn’t going to purchase “The large one? ” “The large one? Could you show me where it’s at?” Sure enough on a different aisle was a boxed large scale 13 inch Astro Boy for the buy me price of $7.99!

Astro Boy.

I just do not know why I have not made it a habit going into Big Lots or the .99 Cent store every week to look for odd Japanese toys at blow out prices. Both are less than a five-minute drive from my house yet I always forget that historically I have always found great Japanese toys at blow out prices at such establishments.

If you remember the late 1980’s when many toys were being cleared out at places like Sears’ Surplus and Pick N’ Save, these discount stores were the places to go to purchase the last breath of all the great toys from the early 1980’s. I remember going into a Pick N Save in the late 1980’s and seeing HUNDREDS of Matchbox Voltron I and Voltron II stacked across the risers at the blowout price of $25.00 each. What the heck ever happened to all those mint boxed Voltrons?! It just boggles the mind!

Flash-forward to 2006, I was in Big Lots picking up odds and ends and supplies for my film and I saw a small Astro Boy action figure for $2.99. “Hey, it’s Astro Boy for a few bucks.” Thought nothing of it and tossed it into the cart. Thank God for suggestive sales as when I got to the checkout the salesperson was wondering why I wasn’t going to purchase “The large one? ” “The large one? Could you show me where it’s at?” Sure enough on a different aisle was a boxed large scale 13 inch Astro Boy for the buy me price of $7.99!

There are some toys that if you are a Japanese’s toy collector you must own at least one example in your collection out of respect even if you do not particularly collect the series. This list includes a Valkyrie, a Mazinger, a Doraemon, a Voltron, a Godzilla, a RX-78 Gundam, and a Totoro. One toy I believe that should be on that list is an Astro Boy. Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy is a cornerstone of the entire anime racket and his classic look and art design is one of the most recognizable of all anime characters.

That is what so great about this Astro Boy. Bandai seems to have captured what is so great about this Astro Boy and more. It is one of the most active toys I have bought in a long time with many great features and gimmicks which leads it to feel that is was released in the 1970’s or early 1980’s.

The boxed Astro Boy is sandwiched between two sheets of vacuform plastic with many of his features exposed. Because each limb has some sort of feature, it is best to discuss one limb at a time. Let us start with his head.

The sculpt of his head and hair is great and captures that whimsical 1950’s hairstyle perfectly. When one twists the head another set of hidden eyes are exposed and light up. The spring-loaded head snaps back into place when you are through. His concerned look on his face looks like it could have been better, but on the whole looks fine.

The chest area has two buttons on the belt and makes sound effects. If you push the right button it snaps open the chest to expose the light up heart with sound FX. Now if you hold both belt buttons down and twist the head at the same time the toys makes a unique power up sound FX and lights up the heart in a different pulse sound.

The right arm clicks open and the wrist opens the scanner. If you slide one of the five cards that are included it “scans” the card and makes another sound FX. In classic 70’s Chogokin style, the right fist shoots off and opens up the inner wrist mechanics when you push the button on the arm. There is nothing cooler than shooting fists on a Japanese toy and this Astro Boy is one of the best current examples I have seen in a long time.

Both legs open up and expose the inner mechanics of the jet engine. Another great feature that Bandai just nailed is when you engage the buttons on the back of the legs spring loaded jet exhaust and flames appear from the bottom of the feet. It just captures the spirit of Astro Boy so perfect and the clear parts look great and well thought out. Beautiful job Bandai! I only wish one could take the toes off for that foot-less Astro Boy jet look I like so much.

Snap all the gimmicks close and you have one of the nicest looking Astro Boy toy on the market without having to break the bank. I do not know how much these were selling when they were released but spending $30.00-$40.00 on one of these today and you would definitely not feel let down or that you overpaid. The plastic is solid, the articulation is within reason and the charming likeness of the character is captured perfectly. And most importantly it is BIG.

In fact the only way Bandai could have improved on this figure is if they made it out of metal and put an “Astro Boy” stencil in Japanese across the belt or chest. It is that well done. Astro Boy looks perfectly at home with all your other Chogokins and Valkyries in the display case and is a beautiful link to the past of the early days of anime.

©2009 article & photos Leonardo Flores and Collection DX.

Last year when I reviewed my Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius figure I bemoaned the fact that I was never able to purchase the companion piece to it, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga. After the review I made it a priority to locate what I though was the last Spiral Zone figure I needed to complete my collection.

Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga

Last year when I reviewed my Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Sagittarius figure I bemoaned the fact that I was never able to purchase the companion piece to it, the Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Gemini Saga. After the review I made it a priority to locate what I though was the last Spiral Zone figure I needed to complete my collection. One was eventually listed on Yahoo Auctions Japan and $80.00 less in my account I am now able to review one of the rarest items in the Spiral Zone collection.

Gemini Saga was one of three Saint Seiya figures that were manufactured using the 36-point articulation Systeminjection figures as used in Bandai’s SF Spiral Zone action figure line. I had only seen one once when I was a kid at Pony Toy Go Round in Los Angeles Little Tokyo district and it has always haunted me since, as I was never able to purchase one for my collection.

There are a few first with this figure. First off it is the only SZ figure that features a supernatural appeal to it as the figures face is molded in blue, the eyes are red and the hair is grey. Second it is the only Spiral Zone set that includes two uniforms: The Gemini armor and the Pope armor.

The best part about purchasing this set was that it was in NOS condition and had never been put together before so all the parts were verified and included. Accordingly one would think that the parts would be in perfect condition but after years of the parts rubbing together in the box some of the once beautiful chrome has rubbed off in the raised areas of the armor. Bandai asks you to paint the parts that need to be painted such as the figures under-suit and fists and the many armor highlights and the beads and spikes on the Pope armor. Many of the raised parts are to be repainted but since I do not paint any of my Spiral Zone figures those defects will stay exposed.

As stated before while the SZ Kamen Ride Black was pure toy and the Spiral Zone line proper was the fine line between toy and model kit the SZ Saint Seiya figures were pure model kit. The packing is typical of model kit packaging with a lid top and no artwork on the underside of the box. The artwork on the top of the box is beautifully rendered and there is one clear window showing the Gemini Saga figure.

The Gemini Saga figure needs to be assembled but due to the age of the figure I did it very carefully as old plastic becomes brittle. I suggest picking up a good set of sprue cutters from a local hobby shop so one could get a clean cut of the parts from the sprue.

The parts are molded in three colors, black, Chrome Gold and Chrome Red. The molding is excellent and all the minor details of the armor are included, the best features are the Gargoyle on the Pope headdress and the evil and good twins likeness on the Gemini helmet. The set also comes with two real cloth capes for the armor sets that attach to the back. This Gemini set is actually easier to review if I split it into four parts: The Gemini figure, The Pope, The Gemini armor and the Statue.

The Gemini figure is perhaps one of my favorite Spiral Zone figures. The sculpt is great and captures the evil twin of the Gemini Saga character and definitely stands out among all the Spiral Zone figures. The blue face, grey hair and red eyes demand attention on the shelf. The figure features all the above average features of Spiral Zone figures including moveable fingers and 36-point articulation.

The Gemini Armor is much more complex that the Sagittarius armor to apply to the figure. The real cloth cape is a nice touch. Sadly the Gold chrome has faded over the years so it does not shine like it once did. I especially love the helmet. While the Sagittarius helmet is just a headband with wings this is a full on helmet that needs to be assembles around the head and it looks great. The only fit that was not easy was the leg armor and the boot armor to the figure. There just does not seem to be enough area to go around for both parts at the same place and it feels like you are going to break the parts when you apply them both at the same time and there is a very visible gap between the parts and no articulation.

The Pope armor is what really makes this figure work. After being somewhat let down by the Gemini Armor the Pope Armor is just top notch. The red chrome was beautifully done and the parts were crisp and well sculpted. The Pope’s helmet sculpt just left me speechless, there is nothing like it in the entire Spiral Zone universe and the helmet something that demands to be looked at. The Gargoyle and its wings is one of the best examples of the Saint Seiya armor design and helmets fits snug on the figures head. Together with the white robe and the long spikes of the shoulder armor this uniform really takes the place as one of the best Spiral Zone sets.

Finally I always thought the Gemini Armor Statue was one of the evilest looking statue of the all Saint Seiya statues. It looks like a weird two faced, four-legged spider with these inhumanly long limbs. The SZ satutes captures all the weirdness and most importantly it stays together quite well unlike the SZ Sagittarius statue.

The only feature I am let down with is how the gold chrome had faded over the years. This is a good example of just because a toy is NOS does not mean its perfect example of a toy. This set had never been touched but time can still get to an item and do it in.

Finally, the day after I received this figure set from Japan I had the thought if there was one other Spiral Zone Saint Seiya figure that was produced besides Sagittarius and Gemini it would have been Pegasus as he was the lead character of the series. I got to talking with a fellow Spiral Zone collector and he informed me with photographic evidence that was indeed a Spiral Zone Saint Seiya Pegasus figure manufactured by Bandai. He stated that the standard figure was molded with silver chrome but a premium figure was also manufactured with Gold Chrome as well. A Spiral Zone Pegasus is definitely a rare figure and I hope to locate one to review on Collection DX.

I am happy I was finally able to pick up Gemini, an item I was never was able to purchase as kid, and include it in my collection. The Pope armor more than takes this one over the top and it has a lot of presence on the shelf even next to other Spiral Zone armor sets. If you are a hardcore Saint Seiya and Spiral Zone collector this set is definitely worth picking up but generally due to high cost, rarity and better examples of this character on the market I would pass this one up.

©2009 article and photos by Leonardo Flores and Collection DX

I've been quiet on the Saint Seiya front here at CDX for a bit but fear not, there is tons of cool stuff coming over the next few months so to get things going again I have a review of Gold Saint Leo Aiolia and his Appendix release. Spoilers exist for those who have not finished watching the series. This is the only warning you get...

Leo Aiolia is a character from the manga and anime series Saint Seiya and like all of my Saint Cloth Myth figures he comes courtesy of Angolz.com where I get all of my Saint Seiya collectibles.

For a complete and through breakdown of Leo Aiolia head to Wikipedia. For the abridged version read on.

In the early story line told in the Sanctuary Arc, Leo Aiolia is one of the Gold Saint loyal to Pope Aries, and fights against our heroes, the Bronze Saints. Leo Aiolia is brother to Sagittarius Aiolos, and it isn't until his dead brothers Cloth comes to Pegasus Seiya's aid in a confrontation with him that he realizes there may be more to our heroes than meets the eye.

As the series progresses Leo fights along side our heroes in fighting to defend the physical incarnation of Athena. The characters high points lead to using the forbidden technique, Athena's Exclamation and ultimately sacrificing himself at the Wailing Wall with the other Gold Saints during the Hades: Inferno Arc. Leo Aiolia proves himself a great and noble warrior in the series and is most definitely a favored character of mine.

The package is the standard Saint Cloth Myth fair, a book style package that opens to reveal two windows with the parts and pieces all neatly laid out in clear vacuum-form trays. No surprises here. Always a nice presentation though.

Here is an interesting fact about the packaging I have not mentioned in reviews before, the writing around the box is actually code written in Greek, Latin and other languages that gives hints to what later releases will be in the Saint Cloth Myth line. Honestly I don't have the time to dig up what the code on the box means, and news of new releases tends to be out to the fan community long before the codes come out so it hasn't been something I have focused on myself. Just know , as usual, Bandai spares no detail with this series. Something fans truly appreciate about the line.

The figure itself is a Generation 1 body type with copious amounts of articulation. Later generations (there up to 3 now) have a fuller range of motion in the torso. This generally isn't an issue though as Gold Saint Cloths (armor) design tends to have full torso armor so movement in the waist would be limited even if there where more joints in that part of the figure.

The Cloth looks very nice, however being an earlier release many of the die cast parts are a bit thick limiting his pose ability. The coloring of the “jewels” in the Cloth are off as well. They should be more of a turquoise but on this release are blue. Overall, the completed figure doesn't look bad but many of the parts just look a bit to thick.

All Cloths in the Saint Seiya series are designed after a constellation. Gold Saint in particular are one of the twelve Zodiac in addition to being a constellation in the night sky. So when the cloths are not worn they form the constellation they are designed after. Leo, of course turns into a Lion. Object mode is basically a “naked” statue that you fit the parts of the Cloth onto, when done you have a statue of a lion. Looks good. Looks like a lion. Not much else to say about that...

Being an early release, Aiolia's face sculpt isn't as nice as later releases. Honestly he's downright ugly... Poor Aiolia, how's he's supposed to mack on the babes with a face like that. Don't feel to bad for him though Bandai has a fix for the “ugly face syndrome” but more on that in a moment. Later releases don't suffer from this problem as Bandai has improved their sculpting and manufacturing process the further they get in the series.

So fans who supported the early releases are not left high and dry with ugly figures Bandai started releasing “Appendixes” for previous figures to fix their early mistakes.

An appendix is several things rolled into an inexpensive package.

One, they have replacement parts to improve sculpts, slim the silhouette and make the character overall more “anime accurate”. Basically they fix any mistakes in the early release.

Two, they tend to include enough new parts to get the characters into more subtle and “anime accurate” hero poses and sometimes include accessories that appeared later in the series. The hero pose or hero moment is a a big deal with these characters and collectors of the series. Like I have said in previous reviews, the series is very much about the drama of the cloths and every character gets its moment in the spotlight. So being able to display the character in an exact pose or moment from the series is important to a Saint Cloth Myth collectors.

Three, there is a bust and display stand included. So if you want to just capture the characters big “hero moment” you can in the form a display bust while leaving your figure dressed in their Cloth or leaving the Cloth in object mode. Choices, it's all about choices and Bandai makes sure fans have that when they invest in these collectibles.

So while some might complain Bandai is soaking it's customers twice. I do think they give you enough to justify the extra purchase and I would rather buy a $15.00 accessory pack than a whole new $50.00 figure to get the improvements. Perspective folks, it's all in how you choose to look at things.

So by itself the initial Leo release is a bit of a disappointment. While it has lots of die cast and doesn't look horrible it just falls short in capturing the character so as a fan of the series and the toys I'm a bit disappointed. However combine it with the Appendix release and it really shines. Saint Cloth Myth collectors should grab Leo and his Appendix, just know you will swap out more of the die cast parts for plastic ones but you end up with a fantastic representation of Leo Aiolia. If you watch the series you know you need Leo in the mix.

For non fans and collectors in general it's probably a pass. While I like the design I don't think the general collecting community would find a lot of joy in this piece unless you have a thing for lions. Should you want to pick up Leo Aiolia or any other Saint Cloth Myth release you can head over to Angolz.com where I get all of my Saint Cloth Myth releases.

And last, but by no means least I have included a video review: