It's been a few years since the original Shin Seki Gokin Neo Getter (7 years, in fact) and Aoshima is still getting mileage out of the mold. The original Black Neo getter was announced at the 2003 Tokyo Toy Show, but was never produced, much to fan's dismay.

Now Anime-Export has put out an exclusive black version in conjunction with Aoshima/Miracle House. Who are Anime-Export.com you ask? They are a retailer and wholesaler of Japanese goods based out of Japan, with a strong presence in Europe. They have a history of making exclusive versions of Aoshima toys, often times much improved over the original.

Skip to video

The Black Neo Getter 1 is a fantastic toy with a few small shortcomings.

First - the positive. The paint is stunning - glossy black and gold, there is not a flaw to be had on the finish of this toy. The green insets actually glow in the dark, and they glow pretty bright.

And the metal.. oh the sweet sweet metal. This toy is almost 90% metal.

The box is an all-new exclusive black box, the cardboard is embossed and has the texture of the old Orguss boxes by Takatoku.

The toy features MOST of the accessories included with the original, such as the missile-firing back units, interchangeable hands, and the energy beam. What is NOT included is the chain fist arms, even though the spots are there in the Styrofoam.

Neo Getter also features redesigned elbows that are exclusive to this release. This version now features the elbows that are like those used in their Mazinkaiser release. You first pull the arms down and THEN bend them. They look great, but this is where the big negative comes in.

See, the arms don't like to stay on. The friction between the arm peg and the socket is not enough to support the heavy weight of the arm. I bet you could fix this easily by applying a drop of nail polish on the peg and letting it dry, but still, it is an inconvenience. Perhaps I just got a bum one?

It's also a slight bummer that there are no chain fists, but they have adjusted the price accordingly - its about $30 cheaper than the regular version.

The black Neo Getter is a limited edition item, with only 1500 being made, and is available exclusively at Anime-Export.com