It's a Whole Lotta Gokin! Read on, with HD Video Review

We reviewed the original EX-Gokin way back in 2006, but unfortunately I never got my hands on one. I always wanted one though, and when fewture announced a Repaint version, I knew I had to get my hands on one.

Well, thanks to our fine friends at Angolz.com, I now have my sweaty mitts on the new Repaint Version Getter 1.

It's awesome.

The awesomeness comes with a price though. The Getter 1 EX Gokin will run you 24,800 yen, or about $250 USD. There are few cases where I think the price is worth it, and this is one of those cases.

Lets start with the packaging. The entire package is sealed in a slipcase with a monochrome print of the Getter 1. Inside, the outer box is glossy heavy cardboard, that is made out of a lid and the base tray. The fit between the two is so tight that a vacuum is created when you try to separate the two. Inside of that there is a double flap, followed by the toy in styrofoam.

When you first pick up the EX Gokin Getter 1, you are immediately impressed with the weight. It feels as if the entire thing is made out of metal.

The toy is big, much bigger than your standard SOC. All said, it's about 9 inches tall.

There's so much to talk about.

Starting from the top, the head is all PVC, including the double jointed neck. The head has a removable faceplate that is translucent in the right places.

From there down, its mostly metal. The chest is a mix of ABS and diecast parts, but it is very solid. There's lots going on here, so it deserves its own paragraph.

The chest features two removable diecast plates that are held in place with nothing but small pegs and friction. The bottom plate goes under the top plate, both are heavy, thick metal. When you remove the plates you can see the inner skeletal structure, with the core engine of the getter visible. This core is removable.

Moving around to the back, the outer structure is metal, with pegs for three different medallions. these medallions designate the three different Getter machines that make up the Getter 1. You are presented with two different sets of medallions. One uses English numbers (1,2,3) and one uses old Chinese calligraphic symbols. Once in, they are a pain to get out.

Below the chest is a diecast waist. The two are held together with a ball joint that is just a bit too loose for the figure's weight. You could probably take it apart and strengthen it, but you shouldn't have to for $250. The waist features an opening crotch-door that has a removable circular cover. The cover is supposed to be for a translucent green tube, but the tube cannot slide in, so you get both the cover and a tube.

Moving back up to the arms, you get a shoulder joint that a) rotates, b) swivels out and in and c) moves inwards towards the chest. Moving it too far forward will pop off the metal chest plate.

The upper arms are metal, leading to a plastic elbow joint that clicks with movement. The forearms are also metal, and feature a removable panel that can be replaced with the sharp plastic arm blades.

The hands are interchangeable. There are two sets of hands, Open hands and grabbing hands. The grabbing hands are not quite fists, but they are hinged at the knuckles. They feature holes in the palms to attach the Getter Tomahawks.

The hips have great clicky joints that are loose in the forward-backward motion, but SUPER TIGHT in the side to side motion. You might think you were going to break it trying to move the legs out, but they will go, almost to a right angle.

The upper legs are solid metal. The knees are double jointed with a solid metal center. The lower legs are solid metal as well, leading to the feet.

The feet are also solid metal, and are hinged in the toe. The ankles are plastic and metal, and rotate, swivel and bend.

Impressed yet?

Getter 1 also comes with the Getter Wing attachment. You have to remove one of the back medallions, and place the wing in its cavity, then you replace the medallion. The wing is solid ABS plastic. It looks great, but would have been better with a little articulation.

For weaponry, the Getter 1 comes with two Getter Tomahawks. The tomahawks are made out of PVC and feature a ball on the handle that plugs into either hand.

Also included with the set is the Getmachine Eagle. For those not in the know, the Getter Machines are the three ships that combine in various ways to create the three Getter robots. Technically the Getter 1 and the Getmachine can't exist together because they are the same, but who cares really.

The Getmachine ship is also metal, and is a fine toy on its own right. The chest and underside plates are metal and are removable, revealing the inner workings. The rear engines (which form the arms) are articulated and can be moved out to the side to replicate the ship as it looks during combination. You can even attach another set of arm blades and even the hands for more effect. They even included extra medallions to place on the vehicle as well.

The toy includes a stand, but I didn't bother to take it out of the package. It's unnecessary. The figure stands fine on its own.

So you may have read the part above that says "Repaint version". So what is different from the 2006 version? Well, not much. Mostly there is slightly different paint applications, such as the white on the body being turned a slight grey, and the yellow eyes turned white. If you missed the first run, this one looks pretty much the same.

This toy is a masterwork. There are a few small flaws, but it is absolutely gorgeous and full of metal. The two weak points are the easily popped-off chest plate and the loose chest joint. I can overlook that though, because the rest of the toy is sheer awesome. The finish is perfect with an automotive like sheen.

If you collect gokin, and can tolerate the high-end pricing, do not miss this one. These appreciate in value like crazy, so if you wait, expect to pay more.

You can get the EX Gokin Getter 1, and the other EX Gokins, at Angolz.com

For me, this is the last nail in the coffin of Chinese vinyl.

I'll cut right to the chase. When dealing with a glow in the dark soft vinyl toy, there's really only 3 things to be concerned with. Sculpt, paint and glow power. And while some may say 2 out of 3 ain't bad, 1 out of 3 is. And unfortunately, that's the case here.

Excellent sculpt.

If you're a fan of Hedorah, there's a good chance you would really like the sculpt of this toy, unless you want articulation. This is simply a 7" vinyl, static posed statue, but it looks pretty nice, especially if you like the base with the name on it.

Sloppy paintjob.

Unfortunately, the paint job on it leaves something to be desired. In some places (like the eyes and the buildings), it's pretty good, but in other spots, it's like they just stopped trying entirely. The back (pictured above) looks atrocious to me. And much like the I Was A Teenage Werewolf 12" figure from B.F.F.F. International last year, there are spots where they tried to add depth, but shouldn't have even bothered because it just looks worse than if they'd just left it alone. Which brings me to the worst part of the toy...

Dismal glow!

Look at that. Isn't that pathetic? The picture above shows this toy getting completely pwned by a glow Namegon from B-Club. I know that Chinese vinyl has a bad reputation in terms of glow power compared to the more superior Japanese vinyl, but c'mon! Especially when you consider the promotional photos that got me interested in this thing in the first place. I mean, there must have been some serious adjustments made to those pictures to make it look like it glows that bright. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

This was one of the more disappointing toys I've gotten in a while. Especially when you consider that it comes in an unnecessary box that serves only to increase the shipping cost. This toy retails for about $50, but with shipping it ended up being closer to $85. A good old fashioned bag and header would have been just fine, thank you.

The back of the box shows some other figures from the line. I have the Mothra, which I like despite it's weak glow because it just has such an awesome sculpt, but rest assured, I will not be getting any more of these. In fact, I have every intention of selling this one before too long. Hopefully I can at least break even.

Cute, cuddly versions of fearsome metal mecha!

Normally I don't go in for SD mecha, but these look cool. Each is around 10cm tall, full of diecast and changeable parts. Jeeg is 100mm Goshogun is 180mm, both will retail for 7800 yen. Due September 2009.

Jeeg w/Panzeroid

Goshogun

Fantastic glow version of an amazing sculpt.

Wow, look at this thing. It's a glow version of the 19cm cinema series Hedorah. Cast in soft vinyl, this figure oozes with toxicity! Scheduled for release in July 2009, this green monster will set you back only 5,000 yen. Sculpted by Tatsuhiro Huzihara.

The Fewture Getter Series has been the most exciting modernization of the classics I have ever seen. They inspired me to change my collection, increase my price range of purchases, basically now I go for quality not quantity...imagine my dismay of this tale of worry, woe, and weirdness involving the company that led the revolution.

The Fewture Getter Series has been the most exciting modernization of the classics I have ever seen. They inspired me to change my collection, increase my price range of purchases, basically now I go for quality not quantity...imagine my dismay of this tale of worry, woe, and weirdness involving the company that led the revolution.

I bought a silver version of Boss Borot awhile ago, very little die cast, kind of ugly, so I sold it, with the intent to never see again until...one day on eBay I saw the color version for half price so I bought to "round" out my collection. It was shipped fast and I took the sealed Fewture shipping box and put it away. Come almost a half of year later I opened to do this review and display. I cut the tape, undid the bag on the Fewture box, and opened for the first time. Here is where it gets weird, wild, and worrisome. When I looked at the robot in the tray, nothing, I repeat, nothing was damaged about the packing materials...HOWEVER...every piece of chromed or silver metal was oxidized... otherwise known as rust!

Think of this review as a warning, OPEN your robot boxes even if they are factory sealed...not the trays per-se, but at least look at it. Of course I got paranoid, crazy, Freaked Out!!!...and checked the rest of my untouched collection ( I have some displayed some stored because of space)...sigh...thank God they were perfect and I made sure I when I repackaged them, that any plastic bags have some movement/space and no "new" major temperature change in their future....only thing I could think of that caused the mace, the chest, the pins in the claws, and the silver screws to be rusty was sealed bags with extreme temperature change. Also, for the x-file that is this robot a leg nut was missing...yes in a factory sealed box...maybe it was repackaged...that is just too paranoid:(

Well, after sadly accepting the chogokin was now worthless and honesty I am sooo anal about my collection, it was now on my "hate list", I set around to taking apart, sanding clean the rust, painting all waist posts, and wd-40ing any rusty screws.

It came out pretty good and silver poles instead of chrome matches the plastic silver parts...so now that drama is over I can get to the review....

I can see why this robot has been collecting dust on sellers shelves and even now Angloz.com has Boss Borot for 50% off what was originally asked. I did have the Doublas (all plastic...yes it is long gone) and the same "quality" as with Boss Borot...allot of plastic, very little die cast and poor construction. The pink head had to be adjusted to fit (and still falls off with a minor breadth) and one arm was frozen/glued at two joints...so I had to take apart unfreeze and then reassemble. Yes, I had to do a heck allot of fixing for a brand new chogokin.

Boss Borot comes with the normal stand (does seem thinner/cheaper that the other Fewture stands I have...) two plastic claws, plastic hammer, and metal like mace (coolest part)

Overall the joints are stiff, Borot does not move at waist and arms legs really move more like a person drowning in the ocean than a dynamic chogokin. I admit it does looks cool, but the normal Fewture type poses are impossible. Also the stand while screwing into the back lacks the tension and strength to hold him well. My other Fewture robots you can have them kick or fly with the stand holding them...with Boss's he just slowly flops back to a standing position (no matter how you tighten the screws this still happens)

Fewture is company that while overpriced, makes figures I truly enjoy...the size, the die cast, the poseabilty...all lead me to hope and pray that Boss Borot and Doublas are the exception to the rule. Even on clearance...really really think about buying, they look cool but just seem cheap. I do have to say, there is the strong possibility I am just bitter.

Finally, if you learn anything from this review...is even if it sacrifices some resale value...look at all figures the same day you receive, store in cool dry place, and make sure the robot is not in a sealed plastic environment in which moisture might get trapped ( I use to wrap the stored boxes in shipping plastic to protect product boxes, now I use tissue paper to keep off the dust.)

Take care, and I hope you never get a brand new, sealed robot that you have to nick name rusty???

And Yes, I will buy Fewture in the future...lets hope Gatchaman (G-Force) is not like Boss Borot!

More from Fewture Models today. I'm not sure if this has been reported elsewhere, but it's the first I've heard of it. It looks like they've got EX Gokin versions of Shin Getter 1 and the entire Machine Blaster set in the works! Price and sale date are still unknown, but it sounds like they expect to make the official announcements in the summer.

Shin Getter 1

Robo Kress

Bull Caesar

Sandaio

Boss Palder

EX Gokin Gatchaman series 2!

Due out in December from Fewture Models will be second series of vehicles from Gatchaman including the G-3, G-4 and God Phoenix. No word on size or die-cast content but the set will retail for ¥24,800.

Set A (also ¥24,800) is blurred out in the pictured below. You can see it better in Josh's initial post about this series.

Not to be outdone by CM's, Fewture unveils a prototype of their new REAL GOKIN Mugen Calibur.

Not to be outdone by CM's, Fewture unveils a prototype of their new REAL GOKIN Mugen Calibur.

Personally, i think this version looks much better... price, scale and release date TBD.

New line of SD-style gokin from Fewture

This one caught me off guard. Looks like Fewture (who does the EX gokin) is getting into the SD game with a new line called ES Gokin. These gokin toys are packed full of gimmicks and transformation and are due late 2009. Exact price TBD.

ES Gokin Goshogun

ES Gokin Baikanfu

ES Gokin Dancougar

If these little ships are any indication, we could be in for a treat.

These were seen at the Fewture display at a recent show.... EX Gokin Gatchaman? It says EX Gokin on the card.

Lets hope so.. more info when I get it..