Variable Action Sakura's Koubu from Sakura Wars by Megahouse
Megahouse has released some finalized details about their upcoming toy of Sakura's Koubu from Sakura Wars. This is going to be another high-quality action figure in their Variable Action line. This prolific Japanese game series started off on the Sega Saturn way back in 1996 and has gotten numerous garage kits and high-end toys over the years. This figure of the titular character's steam-powered robot (called a Koubu) should stand around 17 centimeters tall like most Variable Action toys and has an MSRP of 7,600 yen. So far they have shown off its opening cockpit gimmick and a sword with matching scabbard accessories. They even teased a possible Ichiro Ogami's Koubu follow up! Sakura's Koubu is scheduled for release in September 2013.
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5 comments postedWhile there have been a few toys of the Koubu and it's descendents, I don't know if I'd call any of them high-end (at the very least, there aren't any modern renditions), so I'm pretty excited for this. I'll be bummed if they have an opening cockpit and don't include a Sakura torso, or at least make one available for more money, but this has been a long time coming.
Medicom released (in 98 I think? - Zinc Panic is down, alas) their Mircale Action Figure Sakura Wars Koubou Kai figures that were quite high end. They are posable, nicely painted, have movable light "eyes" and with a push of a button shout out key phrases from the video game. The young blond girl's voice is so shrill it can peel paint off the walls. Each one is powered by three watch batteries.
Ogami's white Koubou was a mail order exlusive with the purchase of all the other Koubous.
So I am exicted about this line, but it has a lot to live up to!
I was actually thinking of the old Medicom releases when I wrote that. To be fair, it's been a long time since I'd handled one, but I remember not being thrilled with some paint issues and general poseability. Though, it's a koubu, so that last part is probably being overly critical. In fact, my whole memory might be clouded, so I just threw out a bid for one. It's a good thing thing they've gotten super cheap, at least in the case of the Kouran/Iris versions.
The end of Zinc Panic hurts, and I agree, it makes trying to find original toy dates a much more esoteric effort. HLJ Japan says December 1999, and vanilla HLJ says January 2000, not that it makes too big a difference.
The Medicom MAFs are excellent! IMO, the posability is mostly limited by the design. They did everything they could with the legs, in particular, under that bulky torso and armored skirt. Plus they're all hard, tough plastic, with robust joints.
They can even sit down comfortably... http://www.recognizer.net/coppermine/displayimage.php?pos=-596
...and those poseable hands are much appreciated. http://www.recognizer.net/coppermine/displayimage.php?pos=-594
And they really took advantage of the huge torso to shove in all those electronic features - the eyes that move in a synchronized back-and-forth wave AND light up is a really excellent gimmick.
But anyway, I picked up Kouran's Koubu Kai on auction for 500 yen. I'll be happy to have been mistaken on this one.