Though Gunbir-Oh displays no particularly abilities greater than those of Engine-Oh, its weapons are more aggressive, and it allows a second Engine gattai to take the battlefield at the same time.

Video review included!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Sets required for this combination:

Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca

Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator

See the Gunbir-Oh's debut on YouTube here!

In Grand Prix 07- “Partner Amigo”, Bombe Banki has grown to giant size, and just shot Engine-Oh with a powerful beam which is rapidly rusting the Engines! As he closes on the three helpless Go-Onger and their decaying Engine Casts, the newly-arrived Gian race Engine Carrigator arrives after making friends with Go-On Green and Black, with their own Engines Birca and Gunpherd riding atop his back. The three split up and engage a swarm of Bandou Moth fighters. Quickly defeating the massed grasshopper-like mecha, Go-On Black is impressed at what a powerful ally Carrigator is turning out to be.

[Carrigator]- “It is time to become one!”
[Birca]- “It can’t be… we can be like Speedor-tachi?”
[Gunpherd]- “Can we combine?”
[Carrigator]- “We can!”
[Birca]- “Speaking of which, I learned this in school, al dente... Long ago, it was said the Gian race had the ability to combine with all Engines.”
[Go-On Green]- “Let’s try it!”
[Go-On Black]- “Carrigator, show me your soul!”

Engine Gattai!

Though Gunbir-Oh displays no particularly abilities greater than those of Engine-Oh, its weapons are more aggressive, and it allows a second Engine gattai to take the battlefield at the same time. It now uses two Engines on its arms, allowing it access to both the Gunpherd Gun and Bircutter Slash attacks, in addition to the new Bircutter Storm typhoon-like attack. The only downside may be that it cannot grip anything, but using its left arm allows it to deflect bladed weapons and then dish out its own cuts. And for its finisher, it has the energized Gunbir Grand Prix- the left and right arms slash, followed by the chest lifting up and then all three Engine’s energetic souls shoot out at the same time to demolish the target.

Gunbir-Oh: Tune Up!

Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh (back) has unusual features, though not nearly as wacky as the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh first presented. The head is similar in that it has gold[-painted] exhaust pipes for its crown, but then has red eyes with a more traditional blank silver mouth plate. However, Carrigator’s front set of six wheels rest on either side of his head; even though it cannot turn. His torso is a rectangular block, and is accented by having Carrigator’s head cover the whole front side; a small gold-painted “V” sitting on top of the chest. (I don’t know why that “V” is there, but it reminds me a bit of the one on Engine-Oh’s V Shield for some reason...) Surprisingly for a combo mecha this big, the shoulders are rather plain small orange-and-black rectangular blocks. Engines Gunpherd and Birca- the right and left arms, respectively- are in their Engine Busou forms identical to when they form Engine-Oh Gunpherd and Engine-Oh Birca. The legs are where things get interesting. As opposed to more mecha-like boots, a different approach was made, and they have something of a three-point high heel foot, taking up more than half of the lower legs! Very different. (I don’t know why it has those painted green stripes along the front of each foot.)

This time, also unlike Engine-Oh, you can look at it from different angles without groaning about the Gunbir-Oh only looking good from one angle.

. . .

As far as weapons go, you don’t have any hand-held weapons to deal with. Instead, you have Gunpherd and Birca which you can use the same as you always do with Engine-Oh; which means that you get to keep those great elbow-twisting joints. As to Gunbir-Oh’s range of motion, it brings a few nice changes to the table. During the process of changing it, you suddenly realize that this toy has very versatile shoulder joints. Not only do you get the standard 45°-increments forward & backwards, but you can actually make the arms snap out 45°- and 90°-increments as well! Adding in the two rotating elbow joints and you can get those arms into some very dynamic poses [for a DX Super Sentai mecha]! Now, unfortunately, if you want to recreate the Gunbir Grand Prix finisher, you’re kinda on your own for this- while Carrigator’s head can pivot up freely, it doesn’t snap to the 90° position that it does in the series, so you have to hold it up. The legs do not move, and snap into those slightly-angled positions while changing Gunbir-Oh.

All three Engines Souls are still fully accessible in this form as far as their activation buttons go. However, inserting or removing them while it is transformed like this is in no way easy. Since Carrigator’s is in his mouth, and that is pointed downwards here, if you open him up the cartridge just dumps onto the floor. And with Gunpherd and Birca, you have to disconnect them since their access doors also are also their elbow connection joints. Ironically, Carrigator’s is the only one of the three where you can still see its bright red LED light when it activates in this form; it shines out through Gunbir-Oh’s chest/Carrigator’s head.

I’ve already given my recommendations and opinions on the three individual Engines, so I’ll not rehash that here. Though the lower legs have those three-point feet which seem rather out-of-place on a Super Sentai mecha, it does give the mecha an interesting if misplaced appearance. The combination of the colors & decorations used across the three Engines is sufficient, though I kinda disagree with Gunpherd being all black which kinda makes you not notice him as easily in the gattai. If I sung praises about the elbow joints on Birca and Gunpherd, I am absolutely thrilled with the shoulders on this guy! You heard it here first: “I couldn’t have asked for anything better” regarding their simple design and yet amazing functionality. Could the head have been able to turn side-to-side? I don’t see why not. I actually find fewer problems with this combination than I do the Engine-Oh as far as overall shape, functionality, and transformation. It’s not quite as simple as its predecessor either, so that was a bonus point there. And it looks a bit more coherent than a totem pole-arrangement of the Engines’ faces too. If only Gunpherd had had a little more functionality to his transformation, or an additional feature of some kind… But, separate from my opinions of its separate components, the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh is definitely worth shooting for!

. . .

…but hold on a moment-! Carrigator has one last role to fulfill before I’m done with him.

In Grand Prix 09, just moments before he expires, the teleporting camera-themed Lens Banki transmits photos of his battle between Gunbir-Oh and the revitalized Engine-Oh to the Gaiarc ministers, revealing all of the techniques used against him before his destruction. With this insight, the ministers cooperate in Grand Prix 10 to create a special monster that is a hybrid of all three of their specialties- polluted earth, water, and air- a mirror monster called Kagami Banki which can replicate and counter any attack used by the Go-Onger. Knowing since they were joined by Carrigator that more-powerful enemies would come soon, Ren begins to work with Bomper to modify the Engines…

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator is the final component required to make a new combination which also utilizes all four DX sets released thus far. And so, go on to the final page to read the review on the Engine Gattai Engine-Oh G6!

Carrigator has the persona of a samurai or higher-class citizen, but has the intentionally-exaggerated, -melodic, and well-recognized speech patterns of classic Japanese kabuki theater, so he ends up with quite an accent whenever he speaks.

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

. . .

Bomper was helping the five Go-Onger track down two underground signals appearing to have Gaiarc signatures. As they entered the vicinity of the famous Tokyo Tower, they see it suddenly rust and collapse! Springing into action to rescue injured bystanders, they surmise that even for a new building like the Tower to suddenly rust like this is quite improbable because of its modern construction techniques and materials; the Gaiarc creatures- which have now split apart from each other- must have done it. Gunpei (Go-On Black) and Hanto (Go-On Green) go south, while Sousuke (Go-On Red), Renn (Go-On Blue), and Saki (Go-On Yellow) go north. As the former two reach the quiet lake, Hanto jokes about a monster being under the water and throws a stone in. Ironically, he is right- a giant orange and black monster does suddenly raise up out of the lake! Surprised that the creature is already giant, they call for the Engine Attaché Case containing their Engine Casts, Birca and Gunpherd. As the two Engines engage the monster, the other three Go-Onger find the other Gaiarc monster- the gas cylinder-themed Bombe Banki- and challenge him. As Go-On Green and Go-On Black fight, it is revealed that their own opponent is actually a giant Engine from the mythical Gian Clan, Carrigator! The orange-and-black Engine quickly overpowers both Gunpherd and Birca, and then demands to know why they attacked him. They try to apologize for mistaking him for a Gaiarc monster, but he defends his honor. Seeing the other two Engines as weak for allowing humans inside them, Carrigator begins to recognize a special power within them which he seems to lack despite his own strength and endurance. He decides that he wants a part of this special power and aligns himself with them, giving his Engine Soul to Go-On Black.

Engine Number 6 – Carrigator (back) While he does not have a dedicated human partner like the previous five do, his Engine Soul and Engine Cast are protected by Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black). He is represented as a combination of a long nose semi-truck car carrier and an alligator. He is an honorable and prideful Engine, recognizing how Gunpherd and Birca were able to accept humans inside of them in order to gain power. But Carrigator is also a rather simple-minded Engine- not immediately identifying himself to the Go-Onger or recognizing them by saying that he was pursuing Bombe Banki underground as opposed to aiding him; and thus the Gaiarc ministers were able to indirectly use him to distract the Go-Onger from their real plans. But his physical strength and powerful jaws are weapons not to be underestimated, as is his ability to carry other Engines on his back over long distances. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the last two syllables of his name, “Geh-ta geh-ta!” Carrigator- as a member of the mysterious Gian Clan- can initiate powerful combinations on his own, and so he serves as the head, torso, and legs of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

Now, unlike both Engine Birca and Engine Gunpherd, here is an Engine that fits in with the vehicles-merged-with-animals theme of the series! His entire body is by far the largest one seen yet (15in / approx. 38cm), almost twice as long as Engine Buson from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh! His head is quite long and flat, but along the top there are the ridges, snout, and eyes of an alligator; all cleverly incorporated into the appearance of a semi-truck. (See the little green windshield on top between his eyes?) However, the animal motif does not end entirely with the head- aside from his length, a pair of painted orange stripes runs in a crocked fashion across both sides like very poorly-implied scales, culminating in the stylized orange “6” on the back end. Even the back ramp- usually seen extended- is stored in a lowered position as part of his ‘tail’ end. Along the top of his whole body are various segmented panels, which represent the raised grating deck of a real car carrier trailer.

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below), Carrigator rolls about quite well with his 14 small black wheels. (There actually an even smaller wheel mid-body underneath where Gunbir-Oh’s helmet is stored. Why, I don’t know; it strikes me as unnecessary.) Additionally, Carrigator’s entire head can freely twist about 45° to either side! But if you don’t want to mess with his head turning, you can push backwards on it about 1.6cm to lock it in place; a function of later transformations. As mentioned earlier, Carrigator- just like in the series- can haul around Birca and Gunpherd on his back. They just sit loosely on the platforms i.e. don’t turn them over or they fall off. According to the instructions, all five of the smaller separately-sold Chogokin Engine vehicles (think Hot Wheels™-sized die-cast versions of the first five Engines, none of which I will be covering) can also sit loosely at the same time on Carrigator’s orange platforms since they are each at least half the size of the smallest DX Engine, Bear RV.

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #3 set comes with Carrigator’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its orange ABS casing, the stylized “6”, and the phrases “ES” & “06” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Carrigator’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located in his mouth. To access it, simply lift the top of his head up, and stick it in. (Opening Carrigator’s mouth actually reveals some additional techy details inside right on top of the Engine Soul compartment, such as implied teeth and a long narrow tongue!) The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through a hole in the top of Carrigator’s head, just in front of the green cockpit windscreen.

Carrigator’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Ky?sei Tsukui. (He returns for a fifth time to Super Sentai here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances, and he also did a one-time voice in 2007’s “Kamen Rider Den-O”.) He says, in Japanese:

• Oh, Carr-ee-geh-ta!
• Geh-ta geh-ta
• Pardon me for biting [“Kamitsuki gomen”]
• Unlimited strength [“Goriki museigen”]

Carrigator has the persona of a samurai or higher-class citizen, but has the intentionally-exaggerated, -melodic, and well-recognized speech patterns of classic Japanese kabuki theater, so he ends up with quite an accent whenever he speaks.

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a diesel engine running followed by hydraulic brakes hissing. Now, if you place Carrigator’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Like Birca and Gunpherd before him, access to Carrigator’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular mode and transformed mode:

• Oh, Go-On!
• Geh-ta geh-ta

This time, however, instead of a diesel engine rumbling, you hear the sound of metal clash twice followed closely by muffled glass shattering first. But it is still Carrigator speaking.

As with Birca and Gunpherd, if you press both of Carrigator's sound-activating buttons at the same time, most of these phrases will be repeated (though now preceded by the crackle of a radio), and a single new phrase will also sound which can only be found in this way:

• What a coincidence that we meet here, my enemy. Be prepared for the end of your life here. [“Kokodeattga Hyakunenme”] (a line from a classic poem)

(I found the translations for the three long phrases in, ironically, another review, so I’m completely dependent on what they said he says; if they’re wrong, please let me know immediately so I can remove them. And you can certainly help me by watching the video review below!)

The activation buttons for Carrigator are the small black fuel tanks on either side of his head directly below his eyes

The Power Rangers’ version of Engine Carrigator has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. If I were to take a shot in the dark, I’d say the front- and back-most orange lines on his body are left the plain black plastic, the green lines along his ‘tail’ are also left un-painted, the silver lines under both platforms are removed, and the black Go-Onger logo from his nose. I’d also venture that all Engine Soul cartridges (whatever those will be called) will be either modified to have fewer-or-no electronics, or completely eliminated from the line. There’s no PVC or die-cast metal, so that’s not a problem. (No metal in a car-shaped vehicle? Who’d‘ve thunk it?) I doubt any plastic coloring will be changed, but there may be very minor paint changes.

As a stand-alone, this set is rather fun. The personality expressed in the series by the character certainly carries over into the toy. And it is a good blend of car carrier and alligator; it may not have feet & legs, but the flattened appearance of the body, and clever merging of the control cabin and his animal head are good enough for me. I also really like that you can turn the cab/head side-to-side as opposed to having it fixed-forward. One odd thing that struck me, though, is that Engine Soul compartment- if you open his mouth to imitate him talking, the Engine Soul pops out and presses back in each time, triggering the activation sound. I think a small latch of some kind could have been used here so that you didn’t have to worry about that. I would also have liked some sort of clip mechanism to keep Birca and Gunpherd fixed to his back as opposed to slipping side-to-side so easily; they just sit on thin ridges, and their underbellies rest on top of the platform rotation joints. But, that the two smaller Engines can even fit on there is really awesome. Even if it weren’t for its combining capabilities, I would still recommend getting Engine Carrigator.

. . .

…but wait-! The story’s not over yet!

The Gaiarc ministers’ original plan was to rust the Engines using Bombe Banki so that they (and thus the Go-Onger) would become powerless. Unfortunately, Carrigator got in the way and started chasing him down through the underground tunnels. With Birca and Gunpherd distracted by the proud and ignorant Gian Clan Engine, Bombe Banki grew to giant size, and Engine-Oh was summoned. Though Bombe Banki wasn’t a particularly brave Gaiarc monster, he could still instantly rust things. Faking running away, he suddenly turned and shot a red beam at Engine-Oh. Rust quickly covered the three Engines, and they broke apart and shrank back down to injured Engine Casts! With Sousuke, Ren, and Saki cradling their disabled partners’ Casts in their hands, Bombe Banki closed distance…

But then they all turn, hearing a rumbling growing closer...

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator is the final component required to make a new combination which also utilized both Engine Birca and Engine Gunpherd. And so, please proceed to the next page to read the review on the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh!

The InterAction Wall-E toy is a voice activated animatronic toy. This means that Wall-E can "hear" you, and will respond with physical motions - head movements and arms flailing. Read on, for full review, with video.

Jump to Video Review

Wall-E was a great movie. If you don't agree then your soul is as black as pitch, and you should remain at least 50 yards from children at all times.

Seriously though the movie is really good, as are most pixar movies. Sometimes I think they are the only thing keeping the disney empire alive.

We actually got this toy for my son some time before the movie had come out. He had seen the trailer and then once we were in the toy store he had to have him. But Wall-E didn't get a lot of attention in our house until the movie came out. After I came home from the movie I ran downstairs into the playroom, grabbed Wall-E and stuck him in the photo tent. The movie was something special, and this toy deserved a second look.

The basic premise of Wall-E is that he is a trash robot, left behind on a polluted, abandoned earth for 700 years. There were many Wall-E units at one point, but he appears to be the last one operating. Each day is the same as the next, collecting trash, and creating cubes which are then stacked as high as skyscrapers. Every once in a while, Wall-E comes across a curiosity from the civilization that lived here years ago. Through these items he develops a personality - Wall-E is incredibly curious, and even creates a collection of items that he has come across in his travels.

In the future, a Robot collects toys. Think about that for a minute.

One day, Wall-E's routine is disrupted by a probe ship from outer space. The human race is living on a cruise ship, and it sends out probes to look for vegetation samples, a sign that the earth is ready to be re-populated. One such probe is the little white robot EVE. Wall-E falls in love with EVE, or whatever passes for love with robots, and the story begins there...

The InterAction Wall-E toy is a voice activated animatronic toy. This means that Wall-E can "hear" you, and will respond with physical motions - head movements and arms flailing.

The toy itself is solid and nicely done. The treads are rubber and roll manually - Wall-E cannot move around on his own.

The front panel on Wall-E opens and there is a decal that shows the trash that compacts inside of him.

The body is a weathered yellow cube, but not as dirty as seen in the movie. The bulk of Wall-E is here - there are buttons on the top that can activate the lights and sound, as well as a button on the back. On the bottom there is a three way switch that goes from off/try me/on.

Wall-E's arms are removable and can be repositioned to a spot lower and more forward on the body, however only when they are inserted in the upper holes do they move automatically. Each hand has individual articulated fingers, but not individual finger joints.

The head has a small bit of movement, but the instructions on the back ask you to not move it because of the possibility of damaging the internal mechanism. I'm sure all those little kids who can't read will pay attention to this.

The whole InterAction gimmick is nicely done, and it really makes the toy enjoyable. When Wall-E is in the on mode, he can hear you talk through a small microphone on his chest. You will know when Wall-E hears you because his eyes will light up as it detects sound. A short pause later, Wall-E springs to life. Unfortunately, he doesn't specifically answer you, he just responds to sound in general.

However, should you get the InterAction EVE, the two can babble on and on to each other for hours.

In short, the Thinkway InterActive Wall-E is a lot of fun, for both kids and the adult collector.

"Power is its own justification."

Updated on July 10th with new info and pictures!

REVIEW UPDATED ON July 10th, 2008 w/ NEW WEAPONS FEATURE & PHOTOS!

. . .

Optimus was a young and optimistic recruit in the Autobot Academy, wanting to face off against real Decepticons in a battle as part of the Elite Guard. Unfortunately, he missed the war by a few million years, and eventually failed to pass the Academy. His ambitions and dreams crushed, Optimus was instead assigned command of a small maintenance crew for the tedious and boring duty of repairing and cleaning-up the Space Bridge network. But when the Autobot crew accidentally comes across the very powerful, life-giving All Spark which was lost at the end of the war, they are suddenly ambushed by the greatly-feared leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, and his own broken army of experienced soldiers in their search for the legendary artifact. The Autobots get away from the Decepticon warship, and Megatron is destroyed in a fluke explosion, but damage causes their ship to crash on an unknown planet. Optimus Prime and his crew go into emergency stasis lock for 50 years, and reactivate in the future underneath Lake Erie near Detroit, Michigan. The Autobots reformat their alternative forms to match those of Earth vehicles so as to blend in. As they begin to explore Detroit, they come across a human girl named Sari Sumdac, whose father owns the largest robot manufacturer on the planet. When she sneaks aboard their ship to see more of the transforming alien robots, Sari encounters the All Spark, and it rebuilds her electronic key card to carry many of its own powers. With Sari’s help in understanding Earth’s unusual cultures and customs, Ratchet, Prowl, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Optimus Prime swear to protect the All Spark from rogue Decepticons until Elite Guard reinforcements arrive.

Here is a bot who is destined to lead the Decepticons. In fact, he will be the greatest leader of the Decepticons in history! It’s just that no one- least of all their current leader, Megatron- knows this yet. He is cunning, ruthless, sneaky, always looking for the advantage, and above all the model idea of back-stabbing. But for one obvious fault- Starscream is rather incompetent, and tends to jump the gun. But, so long as he functions, his quest for absolute power will be second only to Megatron’s… which absolutely annoys and enrages Starscream all the more. He didn’t believe in the fabled All Spark that his soon-to-be-destroyed leader did, but after thousands of stellar cycles of searching, Megatron finally found it aboard a simple Autobot maintenance ship. As the Decepticon leader stepped off his warship, Starscream patted him on the back and wished him good hunting… at the same time planting a small-but-powerful explosive on him. After the explosion destroyed Megatron and sent the helpless Autobot ship careening out of control, Starscream celebrated and finally claimed the title of ruler of the Decepticons! But the shockwave from the explosion damaged the Decepticon ship, and the others scattered. 50 years later, after pushing the warship to its limits looking for the All Spark again, Starscream crashed it onto the Moon, and then headed for Earth. While the primitive species on the planet was no match for him, he decided to play along and scan one of their air interceptor jets for his alternate mode so that he could sneak up on the unsuspecting Autobots. His plan worked, and he became the first Decepticon to hold the All Spark in his hands! But in his arrogance, Starscream victory was short-lived, and he was fooled by a game of Keep-Away, and once more lost the All Spark to the untrained Autobots when the ancient artifact decided to defend itself. But no matter- he may not have contact with the Decepticon army now, but Megatron is still gone, and he is now their undisputed leader. And Starscream is no coward or prone to giving up easily once he’s set his fowl mind to achieving something. Now, if bots like Lugnut would just stop questioning everything he does…

. . .

The voice of Decepticon Starscream is performed by cartoon-veteran actor Tom Kenny, who also covers Dr. Isaac Sumdac and several other guest characters in “Transformers Animated”. (Perhaps he is best known for providing the voice for the title role in “SpongeBob SquarePants”.)

Starscream’s vehicle mode (back) is based on one of the future Air Force’s high maneuvering jet interceptor fighters. These were part of an acrobatic display one day meant to honor Detroit’s newest heroes, the ignorant and puny Autobots. Starscream wanted to crash the party, so he initiated scanning and replication and snuck into the flying formation. Remember the praise I had for the design of the Voyager-class Decepticon Lugnut, in that there was little-to-no kibble on his undercarriage compared to almost all past flying Transformers toys? Well, the undercarriage kibble returns with a vengeance- not even attempting to hide the robot parts, just like all of Starscream’s predecessors. Guess I was wrong about that new level of evolution for the toys… And up front, the other obvious giveaway is the layered appearance of the nose which is lacking from his “…Animated” counterpart (Having the nose cone being positioned inside an engine intake is a familiar trait of some real jet fighters, such as the former Soviet Union’s Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21.) The transparent-orange cockpit canopy is divided into two halves by black paint only, and there is a molded airbrake directly behind it painted slightly paler than the grayish purple ABS. While inside the cockpit has a small seat with control panel in front of it, larger details just outside of it are six air intakes, each with its own set of air flow fins. While the bottom intakes are not painted, the top-front ones have a slightly darker-painted paneling, and the ones directly behind are all-black painted. As to the forward-swept wing design, which science-fiction has often uses to make air- and spacecraft look cool (as is certainly the case here), perhaps Starscream here derives his dorsal profile from the real Russian-built semi-stealthy Sukhoi Su-47 prototype- with the exceptions of the loss of the forward canard wings, and the twin vertical stabilizers [the tails] being pointed forward instead. (Intentional or not, it’s actually kinda creepy how similar Starscream’s vehicle mode is to the non-production Su-47 technology demonstrator.) Though his jet exhaust nozzles are not right next to each other like the Su-47’s, they still incorporate ball-and-socket joints for thrust vectoring - a real technology which tilts the nozzles up and down for increased agility!

Starscream actually has quite a few movable features in vehicle mode compared to Lugnut. There is the aforementioned thrust vectoring nozzles. He also has three-point landing gear which can be raised & lowered; the back two flipping about nearly 135°! Though the landing gear are unusually close to each other, he’s not back heavy or prone to tipping over because of this. Between the engines underneath are two spring-powered missile launchers, each of which holds a single transparent-orange projectile. Now, Starscream uses his trademarked null ray cannons which hang under each wing in the series, much like his G1 counterpart from 1984, but these were changed to missile launchers on the toy; probably to give him a notable Voyager-class action feature. But here’s the cool part- though normally stored pointed diagonally backwards, each launcher has a friction joint which then allows you to flip them around to point forward under the nose! And since the triggers are on the sides of the launchers, they can be fired in either position. When pointed forward, the launchers will touch the ground, but won’t lift the wheels up; they will not touch when facing backwards.

Automorph Technology is a special feature which was introduced in the “Transformers: Armada” (2005) line, and returned in “Transformers: Cybertron” (2006); though it was not called such until the debut of the toy line based on the first live-action film “Transformers” (2007). What Automorph does is- depending on which toy is involved- use a series of internal levers & gears, triggers, and buttons to move one part of the figure without you having to move it yourself; it automatically transforms for you. Sometimes, an Automorph feature will be electronically-powered, though this is reserved for special larger sets only.

For Starscream, there are three Automorph features, though they are all interconnected in some way:

• As the waist section & legs are flipped under/ forward, the smaller section of the nose will retract backwards into the fuselage to make room for the rotating lower torso. Starscream’s head is hidden under the cockpit (though you can’t see it), and will shift upwards at the same time. This will-
• -cause the arms to extend out on their own via a gear system inside the retracting nose.
• When the nose is fully retracted and the waist has been snapped into position by you, and the arms have extended far enough, the wings and back dorsal paneling will spring downwards where the arms used to be stored; this also reveals Starscream’s head. While they flip down automatically, you have to finish the process by snapping the wing assembly over the retracted nose landing gear, which locks it in place.

While it’s really cool to see everything move on its own, you have a hard time finding places to hold on as all this happens. To transform him back to vehicle mode, you have to change him in the reverse order described here. The arms and nose will always move by themselves, but you have to start the process by holding the wings upright as you move the arms into place. It’s hard to describe, but there are actually two shafts inside of the torso/nose- one for the nose itself which is connected to that hip joint, and the other- connected to the shoulders- which Starscream’s head is attached to. So, if you move the shoulder Automorph joint too early, the nose section will pop his head off of his ball-and-socket neck! You need to keep track of what is going on inside for it to all work properly; if unchecked, his head will just hang around inside the cockpit while disconnected, and you won’t notice until you change him back to robot mode!

Starscream’s robot mode (back) is definitely an homage to his G1 self, but with the modern interpretation of the “...Animated” design-style. As this style is more reminiscent of a caricature, Starscream’s head- or rather, his chin- is stretched out quite a bit. His eyes- and, surprisingly- mouth are transparent-orange, so when light shines through the back of his head, they light up. Does it work…? Yes! Though with his pale face, he’s kinda Halloween ghost-like with the orange instead of the red eyes from the series. There is also a rather unusual high collar around his head, which doesn’t appear in the series, and doesn’t seem to have any useful function other than aesthetics. Strange… The upper torso remains the same as many of his predecessors- with the red engine intakes on either side of his chest, cockpit in the center, and up-turned wings on his back. In this case, the top-most engine intakes from the jet mode are now used as back-up thrusters. One modification, though is the addition of those stabilizer fins on his back, which are not present in his TV form. (Though shown extended in the instructions, I don’t see any need why they have to be extended in robot mode, which would closer match the TV version of Starscream. They’re also a real pain to transform in either mode.) His arms are actually kinda buff-looking. Each hand features the four poseable fingers which move as one part, and thumbs which move independently. One modification from most of Starscream’s predecessors is the placement of his missile launchers on his forearms as opposed to them being traditionally located on his upper arms. (Again, he uses the traditional null ray energy cannons which are mounted to his upper arms in the series, not on his lower arms as here.) His legs- particularly in the thighs and knee armor- have that same distorted style; with the rear landing gear merging in perfectly with the front of the lower legs instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. My only problem with the legs might be that those two tails in back just fold over sideways but still stick out; if they had wrapped around or folded into the legs somehow, I might have liked this arrangement a little more. The feet are both inverted “V” shapes- with ball-and-socket joints in the center of them (also transparent-orange ABS) to subtly imply jet engine thrust.

Special features are limited to just the missile launchers on his forearms. One thing about the transparent-orange projectiles themselves which I have not read anywhere else is that they have subtly-molded jagged teeth and eyes like a shark on the warhead(s)! Starscream’s range of motion is just awesome! Notable highlights include poseable fingers (the ones on mine are quite loose), and the only ball-and-socket joints in his neck and ankles. Let me say that again- poseable ball-and-socket ankle joints! There are ratcheting joints in his shoulders (one axis), hips (two), and knees (one), with all the others swiveling about freely. Perhaps the only thing missing are wrist joints, but I’m certainly not complaining about what’s already available here! Some people will mistakenly position the knees tilted forward against the knee guards as when they unfold out from vehicle mode, but they are supposed to be tilted backwards one notch like this. While pushing them forward may be more show-accurate, they toy cannot balance properly and will tilt over frequently. (Adjusting the ankles can compensate a little for the former if you must insist.) The high collar around Starscream’s head does not prevent it from turning side-to-side 180°, but it does impair looking up a lot.

I didn't think I'd have to whip this out with a "Transformers Animated" figure, but it is time for the return of...

What the Instructions *Don’t* Tell You

[fanfare warbles from old age, being overplayed]

(EVA_Unit_4A, looking irritated at the original full-sized jukebox, kicks it)

[fanfare plays properly]

Better. (*looks warily at jukebox*)

There's a rather important feature here that I completely overlooked. And it didn't appear in the series, so I knew-not to look for it.

• When in robot mode, if you push the missile launchers [individually] down along the lower arm toward the hands, two panels along both sides of his forearms will flip open. Reversing the process is easy enough, but whatever you do, do not press on the panels; they will pop-off and they are not designed to take that kind of force! I suspect that these are hidden cannons of some kind, but there's no way to tell since there's no real detail under them to determine this.

I suggest that you remove the missile projectiles before you slide the launchers forward, so that you don't break them or accidentally set them off in your eye.

Special thanks to CDX-user Mike for pointing this unmentioned special feature out to me!

Many people and longtime Trans-fans were once more greatly disturbed by the newest incarnation of those famous shape-shifting alien robots in disguise; for example, turning the famous Optimus Prime into a measly wannabe with no ambitions and trust issues, or the overall design style of merging & graceful lines/curves matching that of other recent cartoons such as Disney’s hugely-popular “Kim Possible” (2002-2007). And yet after a rocky start in trying to win back the minds of the fans, the show has become a hit on its own as much as it is a tribute to the original G1 series from 1984. Plus, “Transformers: Animated” is an original American series like “Beast Wars: Transformers” (1996-99) and “Beast Machines: Transformers” (1999-2001) before it, rather than being a dubbed anime production from Japan. The same can be said of the toys thus far in their initial releases. But as word has spread across the Internet, the toys have come to shine on their own- not just for their functionality, but for their absolute and striking similarities to their on-screen counterparts, which has never been as fully successful before- where proportions were usually off, colors were wrong, and functions were off or not mentioned. In other words, after 23 years, we are finally getting in our hands what we see on the screen in a way never seen before in Transformers history.

This is a bot we all know and love. He’s easily recognizable as the back-stabbing second-in-command from the G1 series; perhaps the only thing missing from that interpretation is his cowardliness in facing off against Megatron. But he remains incompetent in being able to truly achieve his goals; often relying on the most fragile of alliances which- not unexpectedly among Decepticons- often backfire and frequently break at the drop of a hat. But, this toy also looks like the air-commander, even if he does not hold this rank in “Transformers Animated”. There is no doubt that it is him- the cockpit in the chest, thrusters in his feet (awesome idea with the ball-and-socket ankles!), and up-turned wings on his back. Oh, and that arrogant, devious grin. (It’s not quite as bright as I would like when light shines through, but it’s certainly better than a complete failure. Also, why couldn’t his eyes have been red like they are in the series? I miss that.) Yes, as some have pointed out, there are a few quality-control issues- on mine, his fingers are very loose to the point of almost falling off, the panels on his back which fold out into fins are hard to change (and frequently pop-apart as a result), and the back landing gear are incredibly difficult to pull out from the engines. (I accidentally pulled both of the back gear out the first time I tried to flip them down; both of them, the first time! I really have to force them, but my fingernails are unequal to the task. Some sand paper may be in order here soon...) Oh, yeah, and the return of the undercarriage kibble was really disappointing in spite of the awesome work done with Lugnut; I know we get it all the time, but I was hopping that the design(s) of the series had changed sufficiently to finally eliminate that frequent flaw. On the other hand, as with most of the toys from the series [I’ve seen so far], this one is very close in appearance to his TV counterpart, right down to the expression on his face! While he doesn’t have boring laser cannons- instead using missile launchers- I was surprised and quite impressed to find those shark-like faces on the heads of the projectiles. An easy-to-miss detail, but that was awesome! Same with the pop-out arm panels; they don't really have any significant detail, but that they're in there was pretty awesome too! The Automorph is rather cool, but it gets tricky when you have no where to hang onto that’s stable as he is transforming. And while they aren’t on the wings like in the series, I like that the launchers can be folded around to fire in either direction. This incarnation of Decepticon Starscream was one of the first toys from the new series that I saw, and I immediately fell in love with it. I strongly recommend getting him!

Oh... and please forgive me my little GERWALK moment here; I couldn't resist.

--Renewing the Charge--

[DISCLAIMER: This last section is not supported, advertised, or endorsed by either Hasbro, DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures, or Warner Brothers Records. It is a fan-supported effort completely independent from all companies affiliates with the 2007 film "Transformers".]

Not even a week after "Transformers" entered theaters on July 3rd and became a blockbuster, scores of fans were clamoring for a copy of the original musical score by Steve Jablonsky. However, WB Records said in an official statement that the score would not be released for the foreseeable future. In protest, a fan-supported online petition was set-up to persuade the record company to reconsider. By the end of two months, over 5500 signatures had been recorded (your's truly at #1112).

Victory for the signers was claimed when “Transformers: The Score” was released in October that same year, containing just-shy of one hour of the original score. Jablonsky also personally wrote to the creators of the petition thanking them for their efforts. The CD would go on to become the 32nd best-selling soundtrack on Amazon.com at the time of its release.

However, victory was short lived. Because the CD was so popular, it disappeared from shelves rapidly, and was not restocked. By the end of 2007- a mere two-and-a-half months later- new CDs were no longer being produced, but were still being sought after. Reports of online price scalping were not uncommon when stores ran out, easily selling for double the original prices. (Don't worry- I got my own copy in October, and loved every minute of it!)

. . .

Well, the folks at The Knight Shift who brought you the first petition have come back, and they are saying "Give the people what they want". I recently learned that a new Petition 2.0 is now up, and is accepting signatures once more. This new effort is directed at Warner Brothers Records, and is asking for an extended reissue of "Transformers: The Score", with the potential for additional original tracks to be added.

(Yours truly is petition signer #563.)

If you signed the original petition, I both thank you and ask you to put forth your effort on this new petition as well. If you did not sign the original petition, but got the CD, please sign this new petition. If you are a fan of Steve Jablonsky, please sign this new petition. If you are long-time Trans-fan, or you simply enjoyed the film the movie, then please sign this new petition. I thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the original CD release, and I want others to share in it as well.

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids!

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Though the excitable Hanto Jou and former-police detective Gunpei Ishihara didn’t know each other, they were both strongly intrigued when they first saw the Go-Onger fighting against the Ban KiZoku Gaiarc. Gunpei (with Hanto following cautiously behind) actually managed to track down the Go-Onger’s private RV, and then steal the Engine Attaché Case with the three dormant Engine Casts in it, and kidnap Bomper! After interrogating Bomper in a tunnel, they learn about the origins of the Go-Onger, and both then insist on joining the team. Later, as the Go-Onger are loosing in a battle, Bomper recognizes positive qualities in Gunpei and Hanto when they help some civilians, and he gives them Shift Changers & Change Soul cartridges so that they may officially join. Though initially suffering a rocky start between the five Go-Onger, they manage to get along and become a real team.

. . .

Though Gunpei is an official Go-Onger, he still needs an Engine partner to grant him access to the same powers that Sousuke, Ren, and Saki have- such as even the standard MantanGun sidearm! Towards the end of Grand Prix 3 – “Basic Investigation” (aka episode 3), Bomper announces that the energy signatures of two Engines have appeared near Earth from Machine World. After some difficulty tracking down and acquiring both newcomers’ Engine Casts and Engine Souls in Grand Prix 4 – “Engine Trouble”, Birca and Gunpherd secure their place among the other Engines as they help Engine-Oh beat back the Spray Banki monster.

Engine Number 5 – Gunpherd (back) His partner is former police detective Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black). He is represented as a combination of a semi-automatic pistol and a German shepherd dog. On Machine World, he is a dedicated police Engine with a serious mind and no-nonsense policy- even criticizing Go-On Black one time in Grand Prix 7 for missing three shots while using the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher! But he is also loyal and understanding, providing helpful suggestions & insight when needed. With a sniper’s accuracy, he uses the barrel in his long muzzle (pun intended) for his Gunpherd Gun attack to knock enemies down in a fury of bullets. But he also frequently teams up with Engine Birca for a combination attack. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the first syllable of his name, “Gaan Gah-Gaan!” Gunpherd serves as a right arm component for any combination, but usually is seen as part of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids! (When’s the last time you heard a Saturday morning American cartoon say the word “gun”? Not even in dubbed anime.) But here, it works, because in Japan they usually don’t shy their children away from uncomfortable subjects; certainly not the way most Super Sentai series [and even the darker Kamen Rider franchise] work out! While it’s a little difficult to distinguish a German shepherd in there, you can at least tell that Gunpherd is of a dog- or wolf-like nature, with small whisker-like lines on the forward cowls, pointed ears, and small but distinguishing jowls on his muzzle. And as a representative of the Engine police, the square-like muzzle and silver trapezoid nose are clearly indications of a modern pistol. And keep in mind (as I keep having to remind myself) that Gunpherd is not trying to imitate a police car even though he has four wheels, a police shield beneath the stylized “5” against a white-painted panel on either side, transparent-red ABS on top of his head above the green-painted cockpit to indicate police strobe lights, and a front fender. Despite having larger back wheels, Gunpherd does not tilt downwards in any way, so his aim is always straight-on. (Should I mention that I chuckle when I recall that the hole for the barrel is actually a small black decal...?)

As with the previous four Engines from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh and Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca, Gunpherd’s identical wheels are represented on either side of Go-On Black’s helmet.

. . .

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below), you can only really just roll him around. While you can extend his nose & face forward a little less than an inch , it doesn’t really do the Gunpherd Gun attack justice. (It doesn't bounce up-and-down like it does in the series when he talks.)

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #2 set comes with Gunpherd’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its black ABS casing, the stylized “5”, and the phrases “ES” & “05” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Gunpherd’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located in front of the back wheels, and requires very minor transformation to get access to. The head needs to be pushed forward (unless you have small fingers and/or strong fingernails) in order to access the lever on top, which will then swing down the wheels and open up the Engine Soul compartment. The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through Gunpherd’s head, and right into the transparent-red plastic on top of his head. When the Engine Soul is activated, the LED shines through and into the plastic, making it glow!

Gunpherd’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Kenji Hamada. (He makes his Super Sentai debut here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances.) He says, in Japanese:

• Gunpherd!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!
• Target [???]... Lock On! (gunshot sound repeats)
• Emergency Deployment

I suspect he's saying something like "Target is acquired" or something like that in that third effect, but I'm not certain. (You'll just need to watch the video below and help me figure out, please!)

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a fictional/techy-sounding gunshot. Now, if you place Gunpherd’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Unlike the three previous Engines from both the DX Engine-Oh set, access to Gunpherd’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular form, and his Engine Busou form:

• Go-o-o-o-o On!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!

This time, however, instead of a gun firing, you hear a police car klaxon first. But it is still Gunpherd speaking.

As with Birca, if you press both of Gunpherd's sound-activating buttons at the same time, most of these phrases will be repeated (though now preceded by the crackle of a radio), and a single new phrase will also sound which can only be found in this way:

• Roger!

Because of the similar design of the center lower parts of their bodies, Gunpherd’s Engine Soul activation buttons mirror the location and function of those on Engine Birca- set directly behind his front wheels.

The Power Rangers’ version of Engine Gunpherd has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. If I were to take a shot in the dark, I’d say the silver paint on all of the wheel hubcaps & on top of the transparent-red plastic, the white painted lines in front of his eyes, and the Go-Onger logo on the nose were removed and left the plain coloring of the plastic. I’d also venture that all Engine Soul cartridges (whatever those will be called) will be either modified to have fewer-or-no electronics, or completely eliminated from the line. There’s no PVC or die-cast metal, so that’s not a problem. (No metal in a car-shaped vehicle? Who’d‘ve thunk it?) I doubt any plastic coloring will be changed, but there may be very minor paint changes.

Engine Busou - Engine-Oh Gunpherd

Components required for this combination:

• DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh
• Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

In Grand Prix 6 – “A Maiden’s Heart”, after growing to giant size, the sound-stealing Speaker Banki faces off against Engine-Oh. But it can’t fight against the increased power of the destructive sound waves. However, Go-On Black realizes something...

[Go-On Black]: “Gunpherd can shoot through that sound wave barrier!”
[Speedor]: “Really!?”
[Gunpherd]: “If we do an Engine Busou and do an energy charge, that is.”
[Go-On Black]: “Everyone, go with Engine Busou.”

[Go-On Red, Blue & Yellow]: “Right!”

Engine Busou!

“Engine-Oh Gunpherd: Tune Up!”

Go-On Black’s theory proves true, and the Gunpherd Gun shoots out Speaker Banki’s speakers, disabling him. And then Engine-Oh Gunpherd destroys him with the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher. Smoke still floating from the muzzle, Engine-Oh Gunpherd casually blows on the barrel to cool it off...

Engine-Oh Gunpherd (back) s the second upgrade of the series for the lead mecha. The right arm is now dominated by the extended barrel from Gunpherd, and is now fitted with a scope-like sensor above it. The scope sensor is made by removing Gunpherd’s back wheels and attaching them to his head; this also exposes the connection joint which they were snapped to. Though rather oversized compared to Engine-Oh’s regular arms (reaching to within 2” of the ground it stands on), this new right one has an added advantage over the former. At the connection point in the upper arm region, there is a ratcheting joint which allows the entire lower arm to twist in 45° increments all the way around at the elbow! Unfortunately, like Engine Birca, with Gunpherd’s upper body pushed forward, the shaft which allows the Engine Soul’s LED light to shine through is now cut in half and can’t be seen anymore when activated; however, both activation buttons are still fully accessible.

Again, I am more surprised because of the cultural differences between the US and Japan that this character is directly based on a real firearm rather than a more-fictional energy-based weapon. (You just know that it will be changed for its PR incarnation to just that to please the censors. After all, Disney is a family-friendly company, and wouldn’t dare show violence of any kind in one of their TV series. Should I mention that of all the TV networks that Disney owns, not once has a single PR episode appeared on The Disney Channel...?) It’s a good little toy, though a bit featureless compared to some of the others. I did like the light-up strobe light detail using the Engine Soul’s LED, and how well the dog & gun features were blended together. But the backside of the Engine seems a little lackluster compared to the rest of him. Using the back wheels as a sniper scope was an interesting idea, but I didn’t like how you have to separate it to get there, and it doesn’t really blend in once this is accomplished. But again, I can’t argue with the advantage of that new ratcheting elbow joint, which I absolutely love on here! Between this one and Birca, I think I like the latter a little more just because it has more moving parts. (Oddly, as of Grand Prix 16, we haven’t seen Engine-Oh with both him and Birca attached at the same time.) But that doesn’t mean I dislike Engine Gunpherd any less. I think that Engine-Oh Gunpherd is also a good little upgrade, though perhaps without the dramatics of Birca’s Engine Busou. Regardless, he passes, so go-on and get ‘im!

Lazengann is a lanky mecha with a style similar to the Eva units from Evangelion, but aside from proportions, the similarities end there. Lazengann's body is covered in red circles and the chest is a large face with giant grinning teeth. Oh yeah, and he's got a TAIL.

One of the downsides of being a parent is that you don't have a lot of time to just sit around and watch TV. That, coupled with running CDX, virtually ensures that I watch almost NO modern anime. I did give Gurren Lagann a good go, but stopped at episode 5 or 6. I'll get around to it eventually, but I won't let that stop me from reviewing the latest Revoltech Release, Lazengann.

Lazengann of course comes from Gurren Lagann, but he appears much farther ahead in the series than I got, so I'll have to take this toy at face value.

Lazengann is a lanky mecha with a style similar to the Eva units from Evangelion, but aside from proportions, the similarities end there. Lazengann's body is covered in red circles and the chest is a large face with giant grinning teeth. Oh yeah, and he's got a TAIL.

For articulation - Lazengann is about as good as it gets. It's simple design and lack of accessories allow you to focus on the poseabili