Even though 19 years have passed since its initial release, this set remains a solid example of quality Japanese toy engineering. Its proportions may not be completely show-accurate- the toys are often lovingly referred to as “chunky monkey”- but the die-cast arrangement, durability, and realistic transformation makes it a standout.

Multi-video review included!

In the year 1999, humanity was in the midst of the Third World War. Then, a massive artifact fell from space and crashed onto the small South Ataria Island in the Pacific Ocean. The arrival and hard-landing created havoc across the world, and shaky treaties were established to send an expeditionary team to the island. The team was amazed to find that the object was in fact an alien spacecraft of immense and unparalleled proportions- over 1.2 kilometers long! A massive reconstruction project was initiated to explore, rebuild, and launch the so-called Alien Star Ship-1 for defense of the world- surely something so powerful, mysterious, and dangerous would be wanted back by whoever had built it. After ten years of continuing border conflicts during the reconstruction, the technology aboard the Super Dimensional Fortress (aka the SDF-1 Macross) had introduced brand new ideas, and brought about revolutions in manufacturing , communications, weapons, and social structures just on the small island on which the ship had first crashed. But before the top secret project could be made known to the world at-large, a different fleet of even more-immense alien space battleships arrived in January 2009 to claim the Macross for their own. Thinking that this signaled the beginnings of a new war, the Macross- commanded by WWIII-veteran Captain Bruno J. Gloval- rose up to defend Earth. But, having never used the alien supra-light space fold engines before, the Macross made a miscalculated jump from the Pacific Ocean all the way out to the orbit of the tiny pluton Pluto at the edge of our Solar System! Having accidentally dragged all of South Ataria Island along with it, the thousands of workers and their families were evacuated into the fortress. But when the Macross made that first jump, her space fold engines disappeared into thin air- meaning that they would have to make the long journey back to Earth on her sub-light drives... all the while harassed by the alien invaders and their incalculable resources and battle prowess.

. . .

The VF-1 Valkyrie series is a high-mobility fighter designed and built for the United Nations Space Navy (UN Spacy) for use in both in atmosphere and in Earth-orbit. The unique capability of this craft is that it is variable – it can rapidly change from the high-speed air-superiority Fighter Mode, to a humanoid-shaped Battroid mode which can stand toe-to-toe against 12m-tall Zentradi-sized soldiers, and a third hybrid mode called a Ground-Effect Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint (GERWALK) which combines some traits, mobility, and multifunction of the other two modes. Three primary combat models are available, differing mostly in their weapons and slight changes in capabilities: the standard mass-production VF-1A, the less-numerous squadron-leader VF-1J, and the more-limited senior commander VF-1S. A two-seat trainee version- the VF-1D- also exists, as well as a limited-armament two-seat VE-1 “Elintseeker” space-only reconnaissance fighter. Valkyries are nimble in an atmosphere as well as in space, but do not have enough fuel reserves or power for their paired thermonuclear engines needed to rocket out away from the planet unassisted; however they can successfully re-enter Earth’s atmosphere unassisted.

Later on, after the Macross had successfully returned to Earth, but was redeployed (with its angered civilian population still intact within) to draw the now-named Zentradi away from their homes, the UN Spacy detachment aboard developed a second series of armored sections, wielding the mass-production of the Fuel And Sensors Tactical (FAST) Pack armor system which increased range & mobility, augmented weapons & fuel supply, and generally increased the Valkyrie to a more-capable space-superiority fighter while allowing it to continue to easily switch between its three modes without losing any of the armor. Before the end of what would become known as Space War 1, most space-bourn VF-1 Valkyries would have use of the FAST Packs, the so-called Super Valkyrie(s).

The Valkyrie presented here is the VF-1S model. Various trivial stats aside, the easiest way to identify this particular model is in the head- it has a wide rounded green visor and four laser cannons on either side. The VF-1S model is perhaps best-identified as having been flown in the series by young Lieutenant-Commander Roy Focker in his Skull Squadron based aboard the Macross. While many Valkyries are liveried in white, the so-called “Roy Focker Special” is easily picked out by its base-white with black and yellow highlights, and has the skull-and-crossbones across both the canopy shield and twin V-tail diagonal stabilizers. After Focker’s death, his kohai and co-fighter pilot First-Lieutenant Hikaru Ichijyo would inherit his VF-1S, but kept the livery in-memorandum. Later on in the series, Ichijyo would be the first pilot to use the optional FAST Pack armor upgrade with his VF-1S.

. . .

In 1982 when “Super Dimensional Fortress Macross” debuted in Japan, the Valkyrie mecha imagined by the series’ creator & mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori, became a near-overnight success as quickly as many of his other creations in the anime series. While there were other mass-produced transformable robots on the market from other unrelated series and movies, none of them seemed to have the appeal of the smaller and non-combining “real robot” Valkyries. Indeed, twenty-six years later, despite numerous sequels and successors throughout other “Macross”-titled series, the VF-1 Valkyrie has become and remains a legendary icon for science-fiction anime and toy/model collectors at-large both in Japan and across the world.

However, the complexity of the design at the time meant that toys and models often were designed to come apart in order to achieve the three modes of the variable fighter- a trait that continued to plagued designs for years to come. Takatoku Toys (aka TT) was one of the first to produce a fully-complete 1/55-scale Valkyrie that could transform without removing almost any components- utilizing both ABS plastic and die-cast metal to achieve strength and integrity. After the Takatoku Toys Valkyries became an equal hit, accessory sets for the Armored and the FAST Pack set were added.

The VF-1S Super Valkyrie made it American shores earlier than the 1985 TV series “Robotech” (an amalgamation of “Macross” and two other unrelated anime series- “Genesis Climber MOSPEADA” & “Super Dimensional Calvary Southern Cross”) in the form of the Autobot Jetfire in the anime series “The Transformers” (1984-86). This is because, at that time, the rights to the designs from “Macross” were not handled clearly, and Takara Tomy acquired the Valkyrie molds. Afterwards, however, the original rights were restored to Bandai, and Jetfire was no longer legally allowed to be manufactured under the Transformers™ trademark. (In 2006, under the Transformers Classics line, a brand new toy was designed for Jetfire, which functioned & looked similar to the earlier red and white Takatoku Toys 1/55-scale figure, but did not infringe upon the trademark still held by Bandai.)

When Takatoku Toys folded under in 1984, Bandai purchased the rights and molds to many of their toys, including the 1/55-scale toys, and released this VF-1S Super Valkyrie “Roy Focker Special” set- containing both the basic fighter toy & accessories, and the bonus Super FAST Pack armor.

For the 20th Anniversary of the start of the Macross franchise from 1982, Bandai commemorated the achievement in 2002 with limited-run reissue of the VF-1S Super Valkyrie- though it more closely resembled the original TT design rather than the 1990 reissue which will be covered here...

Fighter Mode

In this form, the Valkyrie more-closely resembles a late 20th-Century jet fighter, like the McDonnell Douglass F/A-18 Hornet (and more-so the later F/A-18E Super Hornet). And yet, it has variable-sweep wings and expanding jet thrust nozzles like that of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, allowing it to achieve supersonic speeds. In space, air-lifting surfaces are useless, and so it is equipped with thrusters at all of their tips.

On either side of the nosecone and rectangular air intakes are a pair of non-functional laser cannons. The cockpit canopy is transparent, and allows a view of the pilot’s seat, though it is a simplified design and the canopy cannot open. This is different from the original TT design, which had a completely-removable canopy so that the cockpit shield used in Battroid Mode could be swapped out. The canopy here is screwed into place internally. Wedged tightly between the engine intakes and the undercarriage is a small rotating turret with four additional pulsed laser cannons. As mentioned above, the main wings angle away from the chassis, but can also sweep backwards. The twin V-tail diagonal stabilizers have a single large skull-and-crossbones logo on the outside of each one, denoting this VF-1S as being part of the Macross's Skull Squadron. Though they move during transformation, they cannot move about in Fighter Mode. Along the engines near the exhaust nozzles are smaller flight stabilizer fins which cannot move, but do bear Focker’s squadron ID number (001) which is repeated elsewhere with decals across the toy. The exhaust nozzles themselves have small ribbed patterns across them to indicate vent fins; the nozzles are solid rather than being hollow enough to see inside of them. Two features that are inconsistent from the series, though, are that there are no hard points under the wings with which to attach missiles (none were ever made for these toys), and the provided spring-powered gun pod cannot attach to the undercarriage.

For movable features, the Fighter Mode features the aforementioned swing-wings, the exhaust nozzles can independently open and close (again due to the transformation), and the turret beneath can turn side-to-side a little & point the cannons down/up a ways.

Of interest to me, though, is the landing gear… The original TT design had spring-open landing gear struts which were completely die-cast. Here, the spring in the nose gear has been removed, and all four wheels on the toy have been replaced with dark-blue ABS plastic versions. While the back gear retains their springs to open, they must be manually opened rather than triggered. To hide this, the ABS on the lower legs/engines were extended to cover the gaps for the trigger & now-missing additional cover door.

GERWALK Mode

The basic GERWALK form retains the Fighter Mode’s nose & main chassis, but then deploys the arms and legs of the Battroid Mode. There are two infrequently-seen variations of this-

• with the arms remaining stored, but the legs are deployed and the V-tails left open
• the arms and legs are deployed, but the V-tails are also left opened

-but the GERWALK is mostly seen with both the arms & legs deployed, and the V-tails retracted. While GERWALK Mode is capable of flight, it can hover across land faster than the Battroid Mode can, also allowing for more-effective close-range evasive maneuvers than Fighter Mode. All weapons from Fighter Mode are accessible here, while adding the accessibility of the arms and hands for grappling.

The two parallel engines- which run most of the length of the aircraft- fold downwards at the intakes to form a pair of reverse-knee legs & feet. The undercarriage from between the engines in Fighter Mode form the arms- the shoulders of which come to rest to either side of the air intake/hips. The V-tails have been collapsed down on top of each other, and the platform upon which they are mounted swings up-and-over to form a thruster backpack on top of the fighter’s back-half. The laser cannon turret remains between the air intakes/hips though. With the arms deployed, the Gatling cannon pod machine cannon can be inserted into the right hand-only since the left is a solid fist.

Figure articulation enters the picture with the GERWALK Mode... The shoulders ratchet forward backwards every 30°, and ratchet outwards every 30° out to horizontal. Because of the design of the toy, the swinging transformation joints that move the shoulders from between the legs to outside of them rest at a notable outwards angle, so bringing the shoulders straight down is not possible (even though they are shown as such in the anime series). Both swiveling joints in the elbows allow both full-twisting, and 90°-upwards movement. Both the knees and hips ratchet at every 30° forward/backwards, but unfortunately, the ankles do not move about, so putting the GERWALK into more-dynamic poses is not possible; thus, the legs become limited because of balance issues. (Really, all you can do is make it stand straight because the legs & feet are not capable of balancing the toy in any other way.) The laser turret- without the undercarriage to block it- can now swivel around 360°.

Battroid Mode

The entire purpose of making a transformable fighter in the "Macross" universe is so that it can literally engage Zentradi soldiers at their own height since they are normally four times the size of humans! (According to the series’ lore, the GERWALK Mode was not intentionally designed into the VF-1 prototypes, and was accidentally happened-upon during the testing phases when an incomplete-transformation occurred.) The missile pods usually attached to the wings are disposed of since the wings need to be folded back for improved dexterity. But on occasion, wings with un-fired missiles can be left open, though this can potentially throw off the Battroid’s balance within a gravity field. The Gatling cannon pod can be wielded like a rifleman’s machine gun, and it retains full use of the four laser cannons along the lower turret (now acting as the head of the Battroid). While it is still capable of flight in this mode, the Battroid is mostly meant for ground-based, even melee-range combat as its engines can quickly overheat from supporting itself without air-lifting wing surfaces, despite being V-TOL-capable. (In space, this obviously becomes a non-issue.)

While the legs straighten out and can now bend in a more human way, the main top-half chassis splits down the middle crosswise, and folds in upon itself, with the wings retracting behind the new humanoid form. The cockpit is now positioned in the center of the torso- covered by an additional retracted layer of armor- and the laser cannon turret moves to form the head of the Battroid. Bandai- when they purchased the rights to the 1/55 toys- took an extra step, and redesigned the head for this release to give it a more anime-accurate design, as opposed to Takatoku Toys’ original more-blocky design. Also changed is the cockpit shield, which is now provided as a two-pronged accessory which clips onto the inside of the chest. The original TT version had a removable cockpit canopy which could be replaced with an identical-sized cockpit shield equivalent. (Why the shield was changed, I don’t know.) The arms go through no changes in the transition between GERWALK and Battroid Modes.

. . .

One of the more baffling issues with the VF-1 design for toy and model makers was the transition that the legs make- going from behind & below the cockpit to now hanging aside it. In official series line art, a collection of hydraulic pistons swing the engines/legs down and forwards, and then a pair of clamps emerge from the nosecone to grab onto them, forming the hips. Then, before the transformation is completed, the pistons release their grip on the legs, and retract back into the chest section. The magic of TV and instantaneous-transformation animation made this a non-issue, but most toy and model designs have simply substituted this process for detaching the legs completely, providing an accessory part which clamps onto the nose, and then reattaching the legs onto the now-hip joints.

Takatoku Toys was one of the first to solve this in a practical way- its 1/55-scale toy was breakthrough in making a complete and realistically-transforming Valkyrie. A pair of silver die-cast levers extend just beyond the leading edges of the air intakes ending in a pivot point. Then, during transformation, the levers pivot on these points, and allow the legs to swing down further than they could on their own. But, unlike a “real” Valkyrie, these die-cast levers do not detach once the transformation is complete, and can still be seen to either side of the cockpit in Battroid Mode.

. . .

For accessories, a Gatling cannon gun pod is provided, which can shoot five plastic projectiles (which actually resemble the missiles used under the wings in the series). Though not appearing in the series, there is a small sensor atop the gun pod which acts as the trigger for the spring-powered projectiles.

Rather than being held within a hidden storage compartment, the VF-1s carry their 50mm Gatling cannon from the undercarriage in Fighter Mode. The toy cannot do this as there is not enough clearance provided by the landing gear to do so; also, there is no slot or clip for the gun to attach to as there is not enough room amongst the undercarriage itself. However, as in the series, the Gatling cannons can be affixed to the outside of the forearm (as they are in Fighter Mode). Since the toy cannot do this (needing to make room for the retractable hands), an accessory clip is provided, into which the handle of the cannon can be attached. (Alas, I have lost mine...)

. . .

Also of interest is the point that most of the detailed labels from the original TT version were replaced with decals that had to be applied by you after you removed it from the box. (While later releases would restore most of the originals’ stamped-on labels, decals were still used.)

FAST Pack (Super ver.)

Bandai’s “Roy Focker Special” set included all of the parts necessary to convert the standard VF-1S Valkyrie into a Super Valkyrie. These consist of:

• Two boosters and a connecting panel (needs to be assembled)
• Two fuel pods with clips (needs to be assembled)
• Two additional paired missile launchers

While the 1/55 Valkyrie toys were not designed from the start to incorporate accessory armor components, the FAST Pack had to still work in all three modes without significant interference. This is accomplished by using small tabs and clips on the armor which merge & hook onto the original toy.

In the series, the large boosters on top of the Fighter Mode are attached directly to the retracted/folded V-tail backpack. But since the original toy had no purchase, a special accessory ABS plate slips over the backpack, and then the boosters connect to the plate. (The other pairs of armor can’t really be attached in Fighter Mode.)

In Battroid Mode, the additional missile launchers hook and snap over the top & bottom of the outside of the lower arms. This way, when the arms form the undercarriage, there is still space allowed for the legs & arms to swing about.

The spare fuel tanks/thrusters for the legs are actually made of two pieces each. The larger exterior section must be carefully hooked over the two small flight stabilizer fins, and then held in place as the back section(s) slip into holes. An extended length of ABS along the inner-side of each leg- and the small clips along the fins- prevents the completed assembly from slipping off.

. . .

The completed Super Valkyrie is able to pose and transform just as easily as if it did not have the armored sections in place. The only limiting factor may be that the backpack thrusters add a good share of weight- putting it onto carpet may risk having it fall over backwards! Same with GERWALK Mode- because of the limits in the legs, balance is also a potential problem here as well, but on a hard flat surface there is no issue.

The other is that, in Battroid Mode, to prevent the Valkyrie’s own smaller backpack from hinging open under the new weight, the blue panel which is slipped over it has an extended bar that rests directly against the folded-up wings. (This, alas, prevents the Super Valkyrie from being posed in Battroid Mode with the wings open. You can optionally hold the backpack in place yourself if you want the wings open, but the moment you take your hand away, the backpack boosters- and thus, the toy- will suddenly flip over backwards!) In both Fighter and GERWALK Modes, however, this is unavoidable because that bar is not resting against the wings, so don’t turn it upside-down unless you’ve got a good grip on it. Now, during transformation, it is required that the backpack still be able to open easily like this, so you just have to deal with it.

When the Super Valkyrie is in Fighter Mode, the legs intentionally curve downwards- as they do in the series- to make room for the additional fuel pods on the lower legs; whereas without the armor, they are straightened.

. . .

In the feature film, “Super Dimensional Fortress Macross- Do You Remember Love?” (1986)- which is an alternate retelling of the series- a new version of the FAST Pack is introduced- the Strike Valkyrie. (This is limited only to commanding pilots in VF-1S models; all other Valkyries use the standard Super Pack.) The only variation is that the right booster is replaced with a double-barrel laser cannon that can also fold down over the Battroid’s right shoulder.

Unfortunately, Takatoku Toys- despite the success of their “Macross” toys- folded under before the film’s release. Bandai did, however, later release a VF-1S Strike Valkyrie (Hikaru Ichijyo ver.) set which could easily swap the front of the right booster with the paired movable laser cannons.

Even though 19 years have passed since its initial release, this set remains a solid example of quality Japanese toy engineering. Its proportions may not be completely show-accurate- the toys are often lovingly referred to as “chunky monkey”- but the die-cast arrangement, durability, and realistic transformation makes it a standout. My own (as you can obviously see in the photos) saw many battles and travel great distances under my care to get to where it is today. It is one of the founding pieces of my collection, and even now remains one of my most-treasured and honored despite its age and wear. This does not surprise me, as I saw one- and only one- on eBay going for $500! Even today, it remains a solid design compared to some of the toys I see coming from Japan. And the Super FAST Pack was very carefully designed afterward to interact with the basic toy while allowing flexibility and transformation to remain relatively unchanged. (When transforming it, the arm-mounted missile launchers need to be removed to gain access to the fist-extending tabs, but that’s really the only pick.) While later toys and models would allow greater flexibility in the legs and arms, they still substituted completely removing them or using thin skeletal frameworks in order to switch between the three modes. And to be honest, while it would have been nice to have a removable cockpit shield, I could see how making a new clip-on may have avoided losing or breaking it. But, hey, I’m not complaining! By itself, the 1/55-scale Hi-Metal Valkyrie toy is fantastic. Adding the Super Pack to the “Roy Focker Special” set makes it just that more intricate and fantastic. This is any Valkyrie-collector’s dream-come-true: a big, fully-transformable, show-accurate, and durable toy representation of their favorite mecha.

After a bit of a hiatus, CDX's resident Jumbo apologist returns with another JM review and makes a case for the much maligned Five Robo. With video!

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman (地球戦隊ファイブマン) was the 14th show in the Super Sentai series and aired for 48 episodes from March 2, 1990 to February 8, 1991. It's main mecha, Five Robo (ファイブロボ), was released as in 1991 under the Jumbo Machinder banner. It was the first toy to feature the brand name since 1982's Dol Dragon and would be the last such toy, although later there would be model kits of Dangioh and Nu Gundam from B-Club that bore the name. However, those are generally not considered real Jumbo Machinders. In fact, depending on who you ask, the same could be said of Five Robo, too.

The reason for this is due mostly to the fact that the toy is made entirely out of hard plastic, unlike the polyethylene or vinyl of traditional Jumbos. This really sets the toy apart from it's brethren. It just really sticks out like a sore thumb in a lineup of vintage Jumbo Machinders. Besides that main detriment, there are a few other things that make this a pretty unpopular toy. At 21" tall, it's a bit smaller than a full sized JM. The proportions looks a bit goofy, too, especially the legs and feet, which seem quite large.

Some people also don't like the box, which is also different from classic Popy JM boxes. It's made out of thick, sturdy cardboard with full color graphics all around it and a lid on the top. Come to think of it, it's actually a lot like the first series Jumbo villain boxes, only with a lot more effort put into it.

One thing I never knew until getting the toy myself is that the image from the front of the box actually continues on to the right side, which I think it pretty neat. Also, the instructions for the toy are printed directly on the back side.

Ok, so what are this toy's good points? Well, if you look at it on it's own merits, there are actually quite a few. And when I say to look at it on it's own merits, I mean, think of it from the perspective of a child instead of a collector. First, it's still pretty large and though it looks a bit goofy compared to older JMs, it actually does look very much like the robot in the show.

Five Robo also has some neat gimmicks, including light and sound features. If you press a button on the shoulder, his chest and eyes flash and you hear a beeping sound. The next feature is similar, but a bit cooler. You can place a clear sword in his right hand and when you press the button there, the sword lights up and you get the previous sound again. On top of that, you can remove the sword and replace it with one of two different guns and then they will light up if you press the button. When not in his hand, both guns can be stored halfway up the arms. So Five Robo is fully armed and ready for battle at all times.

Unfortunately, because of the electronics involved, you do lose some other features. For instance, the head cannot be turned at all and the right fist does not launch. You have to store the batteries inside the right fist and right behind the head on the back. However, you do still get rocket punch action from the left fist so it's not a total loss.

Ok, now the next gimmick is really something that it gets a lot of flack over and rightfully so. It's quite silly. Five Robo "transforms" into a vehicle, but the transformation consists entirely of laying the robot down on it's back. That's it. Seriously. I didn't even bother taking a picture of it. There are 20 plastic rolling wheels on the back (6 on each leg, and 4 on both sides of the back) and the arms also have stickers on them the mimic wheels there. Those stickers, as well as all the others on the side, need to be applied but many collectors do not bother since the toy looks exactly the same from the front without them. All the sticker ornamentation on the front of the robot is already there when you open the box.

The Jumbo Five Robo is probably the easiest Jumbo to acquire. Not only is it very common, but most people don't even want it, which of course helps keep it very affordable. It's a very common sight on both Yahoo!Japan auctions, as well as in shops in Japan, but it's seen less frequently on Ebay so prices there are usually higher. If you're interested in one, make sure you shop around before buying.

Far less common than this toy is it's Korean counterpart. I remember seeing one on Yahoo!Japan auctions many years ago, but I was just beginning to collect at the time and I didn't know for sure that it was an actual Jumbo. It was listed under "Jumbo Machinder", but there was no mention of size nor anything in the pictures for scale. The legs on that version opened up and you could place action figures inside. For many years, I questioned my own memory of whether or not I really saw it until recently JoshB unearthed this picture. Now I just gotta find one!

Although most Japanese toys from the 60’s and 70’s generally still hold up well over the years Japanese model kits from the same era generally have not faired too well.

Although most Japanese toys from the 60’s and 70’s generally still hold up well over the years Japanese model kits from the same era generally have not faired too well.

Before Bandai started to produce their famous Mobile Suit Gundam Model kits most Japanese Model kits were seen as unassembled toys that one puts together and when through, still have the same play value as toys. Usually the kits had the same gimmicks as their toy counterpoints: wind up engines, shooting missiles, slot car conversions, bonus figures, collector cards just to name a few examples.

Being an avid fan of 60’s and 70’s Anime and Japanese live-action programs and an avid model kit builder things can get a bit shady when purchasing my favorite model kits representing subjects from the 60’s and 70’s. For example most the model kits from this era never pictured the actual model kit on the box. Usually it was beautiful oil or watercolor rendition of said subject on the box art. Also the kits were just as expensive as the toys. When I arrived home and opened up the box I would be disappointed to find that the model kit that I just purchased was nothing but a simplified representation of said subject with the likenesses horribly out of scale. Model kit manufacturing techniques and what modelers expect from a Model manufactures have improved signifiently since the 1960’s when many of these model kits were originally produced.

What I plan to do is review some of these older model kits and see which ones still hold up over the years and which ones should be treated like garage kits that one has to scratch build parts for or be built out of the box as historical model kit representations of our favorite subjects.

I purchased my Great Mazinger from the model kit aisle of the local drug store roughly in the early 90’s for what I remember $10.00. I believe this model kit is a Korean bootleg as it is from a company that I have never heard of before. It also looks like it was originally manufactured as a toy that was back engineered into a model kit. Also this model is called Great Maginger as opposed to Great Mazinger. A mistranslation or a licensing avoidance, perhaps a little of both. I would have to believe it’s a box scale somewhere between 1/100 scale and 1/144 scale.

Box art includes somewhat decent airbrush picture of Great Mazinger on top of and around the sides of the box and some small photos of three built, but unpainted, versions of the kit inside. It appears it was modeled in at least four different colors of white, blue, red and silver. My version came molded in dark blue and dark red with the sword molded in silver. Modelers definitely prefer kits modeled in white or light grey, as bright and dark colors are difficult to hide under lighter colors. Again going back to the toy theme most likely in was molded in so many colors so kids did not have to paint the model kit.

The kit comes with three sprue (1x red 1x blue 1x silver) 1x one sided instruction sheet and one sticker sheet.

One item I first noticed was that the kit was modeled with screw holes in Great Mazinger back inner legs and behind the arms. This is where I believe it was a toy at one time as the model kit does not include any screws and the instructions do not refer to the holes in anyway. One of the most time consuming aspect in building this kit was filling in all those holes with sheet styrene.

The kit went very well together although I wish there was some more details inside the head area, especially with Mazinger’s spaceship. The kit comes with no clear part. I would suggest scratch building some clear parts into the spaceship window, as it’s an open gap. A modified Lite Bright peg would go great here. The Mazinger face likeness looks great and modeled in crisp details and captures the Go Nagai’s design quite nice.

Many robot kits from this era had very basic movement and this model kit is no exception with movement limited to circular movement in the head, arms, wrists and very limited movement of the elbows, knees and feet. Because of this lack of movement I decided to build this kit in a static position of Great Mazinger ready to fire his rocket punch missiles. Because of the lack of internet resources back in the 90’s I did not scratch build blades coming from the forearm because simply I did not know what they looked like, although these days I would have added those blades. With its lack of movement I was still able to get a decent stance from the kit.

I scratch build the head in a looking up position with some sheet steryne. I also modified some of the enclosures on the jet pack and added nozzles to the jet back wing. I also filled in the holes in the hands, as I was not going to use the sword. The jet pack wings were curved around the leading and trailing edge with sandpaper because it looked a bit flat.

The kit was painted using Model Master flat non specular dark sea blue, Testers aluminum metalizer, Testers flat yellow and Testers flat red with a Badger 350 airbrush. I did not spray a flat or gloss sealer although looking back a flat coat would look good. The weathering ideas came from an old 1986 issue of Hobby Japan that had some pictures of a well built resin Great Mazinger model kit.

The model kit comes with a sheet of stickers for the wings and belt area. Again a very charming aspect of the kit but something that better represents the toy appeal of this model kit.

Although this model kit had some issues with the inner head details and the numerous unneeded screw holes and being modeled in some really awful colors, generally speaking this model kit is holds up quite well and with a little work could be converted into an ace looking model kit. I build this kit about at least 10 years ago and if another came my way most likely I would like to have another attempt at it and I would purchase another one. It could also be built into a nice looking toy model with the stickers and sword, perhaps best painted in glossy colors for that Popy look. Either way I think one would be satisfied and impressed with the results.

I have never seen Kamen Rider Amazon, but Wikipedia says that Kamen Rider Amazon was unique due to the fact that the character is patterned after a komodo dragon rather than a beetle or other insect. Regardless of the characters origins, I have always liked this character over the other Kamen Riders due to its unique design.

Kamen Rider Amazon (仮面ライダーアマゾン) was the fifth entry into the Kamen Rider series. The show aired from 1974-1975 and lasted for 24 episodes.

I have never seen Kamen Rider Amazon, but Wikipedia says that Kamen Rider Amazon was unique due to the fact that the character is patterned after a komodo dragon rather than a beetle or other insect. Regardless of the characters origins, I have always liked this character over the other Kamen Riders due to its unique design.

In 1990 Bandai created a series of affordable soft vinyl figures based on its popular Tokusatsu characters. In order to better organize the line, Bandai broke the figures into several different series, such as Ultraman Hero Series, Henshin Hero Series, and Kamen Rider Series. The figures are packaged in similar boxes and have similar construction.

This figure, although a modern toy, has a nice vintage feel. The articulation is limited to the arms and waist, and the toy is made of soft vinyl.

The finish on Kamen Rider Amazon is kind of sloppy, but for the price it is reasonable. One thing to notice when considering purchasing this figure is to look for wear on the front of the white belt. This part rubs against the cellophane window and often has wear in a MIB piece.

I’ve always associated Robot Keiji K with wearing a swanky red blazer and a cap, but this version shows him in his fighting form.

Robot Keiji K (Robot Detective Kロボット刑事 K) comes from the 1973 Tokusatsu TV series Robotto Keiji (ロボット刑事) created by Shotaro Ishinomori.

This figure is part of Bandai’s Henshin Hero Series of vinyl figures. These were a low-cost line of hero figures that were sold on shelves at toy stores in the 90s.

The figure is a simple 6” vinyl representation of the character. Articulation is limited to The arms and waist.

I’ve always associated Robot Keiji K with wearing a swanky red blazer and a cap, but this version shows him in his fighting form.

This unremarkable figure was the first in Bandai’s Henshin Hero Series of vinyl figures.

Barom-1 comes from the show Chôjin Baromu-1超人バロム１ (Superman Barom-1), a Tokusatsu show that aired in 1972 and only lasted 35 episodes. The story tells of two children Kentaro and Takeshi, who are given the power to transform into Barom-1. The two children use the magic of Kopuu to transform into Barom-1 to fight the evil alien Doruge.

This unremarkable figure was the first in Bandai’s Henshin Hero Series of vinyl figures. These were a low-cost line of hero figures that were sold on shelves at toy stores in the 90s.

Articulation is simple, limited to the waist and arms, but the sculpt is really nice. It’s an affordable way to get a representation of Barom-1 in your collection.

Gerukadon was from the Ultraman Movie "Ultraman - Towards The Future" made in 1990.

Gerukadon was from the Ultraman Movie "Ultraman - Towards The Future" made in 1990. Made out of vinyl, this is the standard 6-inch Ultraman villian, missing its tag.

(Ultraman villians can be like Beanie Babies in the sense that they are move valuable with the tags).

There was a later 9" version of the character released in the USA.

This is a Korean bootleg of Bandai's Pla-Dela Liverobo from the series Liveman. The original toy was produced in 1988.

This version simplifies the mold from the original. The wings on the back look like they should move but do not. The feet still turn down as part of its "transformation" process. The korean version also omits the shield and guns.

Liverobo comes packed in styrofoam with 2 characters from the show - Red Falcon and Green Rhino. They are made of a very waxy plastic, and have begun to deteriorate over time. Liverobo also comes with a sword, but not the same sword the original come with.

This is a Korean version of the ST Popy / Matchbox Voltron 3 (aka golion). It is a 1:1 scale replica of the original toy, but is made entirely out of plastic. It is interesting to note that they decided to use the US name, "Voltron", instead of the Japanese "Golion" name. You would have thought they would have gone with Golion, seeing how close Korea is to Japan.

What makes this toy unique is the additional weapons and shield. The 4-headed lion shield is an original Korean design, not found on any other version. The waist guns are original as well.

Voltron comes packed in a nice styrofoam tray, inside of a window box. It also includes with a set of trading cards.

This is one of the higher quality Korean bootleg robots I have come across. The pieces are molded nicely, the paint is good, and there are minimal sprue marks.