Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger is such an under-appreciated mecha design from the 80's.

Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger is such an under-appreciated mecha design from the 80's, and I am so glad Yamato is showing it some love. But I am always confused as to what this thing is called. The box Says Sasuraiger, but the vintage toy says Batrain. So which is it? I'm going with Sasuraiger.

Sasuraiger comes from the show "Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger" which aired in 1983. It was the third in the J9 trilogy, following Braiger and Baxinger. I think its cool that Yamato released all three robots in the GN-U DOU line. I mean, all three J9 robots together? That's all kinds of awesome.

Sasuraiger comes courtesy of Angolz.com.

This is a stunning represetation of Sasuraiger. The proportions are so stately and dignified. It's a really modern sculpt of a classic character that has remained intact. I still think that Sasuraiger has one of the best robot heads out there.

Articulation is fairly limited on this one. Sure, all the GN-U jointwork is there, but the design of the character restricts the range of motion. For example, the hips are covered and have almost no clearance to move. There are two side straps that tuck into the hip that can come out if you try to move the figure too far.

Accessories... well you get a gun and a hand. That's it. GN-U figures usually don't include many accessories, and this is no exception.

So there you go - Sasuraiger. It looks cool, but does not move much.

If you would like some Sausraiger to brighten your morning, go to Angolz.com.

Batrain comes from the anime "Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger", which was produced by Kokusai Eiga Sha, TV Tokyo, and aired from April 1983 to January 1984.

The main mecha of the show was called Batrain. Takatoku toys put out several different toys of this character in the early 80s. The toy is a very solid mix of die cast and plastic. The die cast content is limited to two swing bars in the waist. Transformation is simple, but involves removal of the arms.

Batrain included missile firing fists, a gun, and missiles.

The toy pictured here may be a bootleg. I can't find any markings on it anywhere, but I have not had the opportunity to examine another one to compare. The pictured toy is missing the gun, missiles, and a small green ring that goes around the yellow stack.