the 2008 Miyazawa model exhibition is on, with some looks at new stuff from Bandai, Yamato, etc...

the 2008 Miyazawa model exhibition is on, with some looks at new stuff from Bandai, Yamato, etc...

Bandai SDX Knight Gundam Chogokin

Bandai 1/60 DX Chogokin VF-25G & RVF-25

Bandai Chogokin 1/1 Phone Braver 7

Gundam Fix Metal Composite #1005 Z Plus

HCMPro 00 Gundam + O Raiser

Megahouse Cobra and Bike

CM's Brave Gokin GGG

CM's Mecha Action Series

CM's Machine Blaster

Yamato Destroids

Yamato Patlabor

Max Factory Figma Plawres Sanshiro

Revoltech SFO Guile

More coverage Here

These Max Factory Guyver figures are known for their amazing sculpts, articulation, and high price tags.

Bio Booster Armor Guyver  was a manga series from the 80’s created by Yoshiki Takaya about an alien device that bonds with a human, forming the ultimate biological weapon.

I first discovered Guyver in 1993 from the old VIZ comics, but I’m sure most people remember the live-action Guyver movie from 1991 B-movie starring Mark Hamill (that’s LUKE SKYWALKER to you pal.)

Japanese toy maker Max factory made these cool but expensive action figures starting in 2005. Up until then I think the only Guyver figures were garage kits. These modern figures are known for their amazing sculpts, articulation, and high price tags.

The Bio Fighter Collection MAX Fullaction Figure Series features assorted characters from the Guyver series, and is unfortunately relatively unknown amongst collectors. While no bigger than a Marvel Legends figure, these figures can run upwards of $50 new.

This hyper-articulated figure features a body made out of hard plastic, with flexible rubber plates in strategic areas. This allows for a natural look while posing. This figure can pull off some really amazing, normal looking poses.

The figure comes with variant hands and longer arm blades.

The chest panel opens up to reveal the heart of the Guyver.

This figure comes from the collection of Matt Doughty of Onell Design fame. Thanks to Matt for letting me check out this figure!

a Fantastic looking 'dog from the 35MAX AT-COLLECTION SERIES

a Fantastic looking 'dog from the 35MAX AT-COLLECTION SERIES, the VOTOMS Commando Vorct Scopedog Assault Rane custom. Features lots of parts. Plastic.

due January 09 for 8,190 yen.

New Figma from the VOCALOID2 video game

Kagamine Rin and Len come from the Vocaloid2 video game, a popular music making video game. Each are part of the Figma line from Max Factory - due in October 2008 for 2,500 yen each.

Max Factory's 35MAX Votoms series continues with the 35MAX AT-COLLECTION SERIES 08 FATTY

Max Factory's 35MAX Votoms series continues with the 35MAX AT-COLLECTION SERIES 08 FATTY

Due November 2008, 135mm tall, 6,090yen.

Just who is this Haruhi Suzumiya anyway? Why does she grab onto the hearts of Otaku across the globe. Is she simply a Moe idol, or is there much more to her?

Just who is this Haruhi Suzumiya anyway? Why does she grab onto the hearts of Otaku across the globe. Is she simply a Moe idol, or is there much more to her?

At first glance, Haruhi Suzumiya seems scientifically orchestrated to pull at the desires of the lonely otaku. The schoolgirl outfit, the bows in the hair, the doe-eyed stare. I supposed it would be easy to dismiss here as just another pubescent obsession. Suprisingly enough, there is more to Haruhi than you might expect.

According to Wikipedia, Haruhi Suzumiya is nearly a god. She has the ability to alter reality, but doesn’t know it. She may be one of the most powerful characters that ever existed, but unless you know the show, she is dismissed as just another anime schoolgirl.

Regardless, you can’t deny the popularity of the character or the show she hails from – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The dance during the show’s end credits has become an otaku phenomenon, and it shows no sign of stopping.

It seems only natural then that the one of the first releases in Max Factory’s FIGMA line would be of Haruhi. What better way to launch a new line of figures than to start out with one of the hottest characters out there.

As I mentioned in the Figma Saber review, the Figma line is a direct competitor to the Revoltech Fraulein line. But Max Factory does it better. They just seem to have a better grasp of how to make an articulated female figure.

The Figma Haruhi Suzumiya is a great toy, even if you are not familiar with the anime. It’s solid construction, fantastic articulation, and great details.

Haruhi comes with three different facial expressions and several interchangeable hands. The hands can all be attached to an included holder, a nice touch. Each hand has a wrist joint for added articulation.

Other accessories include two different arm bands one of which is a Chou Kantoku (Super Director) band (whatever that means). There is also a yellow megaphone looking thing that she tends to point at people.

The display base is really nice, featuring clear construction and an articulated support arm that attaches to the back of the figure.

Also included is a cool plastic bag with the Figma logo on it to store all of your parts. What a great idea.

So it appears Figma is taking off big time, and now is a great time to get in on the ground floor. You can get your Figma Haruhi Suzumiya at Angolz.com

http://www.angolz.com/home/productDetails.aspx?PLU=0000105909&catId=904

Figma's take on Saber is even better than the Revoltech version

Figma, for those of you not in the know, is Max Factory’s answer to the Revoltech Fraulein line. They are poseable action figures but they are not just limited to female figures (but lets face it, most of them will be).

Jump to Video Review

Saber is actually the third release in the Figma line, but it is the first one we are covering here at CDX. No, it is not mecha, but they are really nicely done action figures and we think they are worth checking out.

Saber comes courtesy of Angolz.com, our sponsor for all our Figma reviews.

You may remember our previous Saber reviews from the Kaiyodo Revoltech 2G line. We loved those – they were done really well. Imagine our surprise when Max Factory comes out and does one BETTER.

That’s right; I think the Figma version is better than the Revoltech version.

Saber comes with a bunch of accessories, including a load of variant hands, 3 different faces, 2 different hairstyles, 2 different swords (with sheaths) and a display stand.

The faces can be swapped out easily by removing the front part of the hair, and can express all kinds of rage.

The hands easily plug into the arms, and each also has a swivel joint at the wrist. There are hands that can grab the swords, and hands that just look cool. And as an added bonus, included is a holder for all the extra hands (like Microman figures come with).

Both swords are intricately detailed, even with etched runes on the blades. Each blade slides nicely into the included sheath.

Saber is really constructed solidly, and all the joints are tight. They don’t click like the Revoltech ones do, but they don’t really need to. The way each joint is cut allows for a fantastic range of motion, especially in the knees and hips. Watch the video, you will see what I mean.

In addition, the armor of the figure is actually made out of several layers, and made out of different kinds of material. For example, the silver chest armor is actually a rubber-like material, and underneath it is a fully detailed and sculpted costume. The flowing skirt is a mixture of rubber and plastic, with the individual parts of the skirt being jointed independently.

The figure is just done right on so many levels.

The stand is clear plastic with the figma logo embossed on the base. The jointed arm is secured by screws at the hinges, and connects to the back of the figure. It’s tight and solid, enabling a variety of poses.

But by far the coolest thing included with this toy is one of the simplest things. I’m surprised more people don’t do this, and I hope more follow suit.

A plastic bag.

Figma includes a plastic zip-lock bag with the Figma logo and a large white writable area on it. Toss the box, because all your parts now fit in here, and you can label it so you know which fists each one goes with. How cool is that?

The Figma Saber figure is highly recommended. If you collect Revoltech figures, Moe figures, or just action figures in anime, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Saber can be found at Angolz.com.

Saber can be found at Angolz.com.

Max Factory's Max Gokin Godannar is a really phenomenal toy. It looks great, feels great, and is one of the most poseable gokins I've ever had.

Max Factory’s Max Gokin Godannar (MAX合金　ゴーダンナーツインドライブモード) is a really phenomenal toy. It looks great, feels great, and is one of the most poseable gokins I’ve ever had.

Godannar is the main robot from the show “Shinkon Gattai Godannar”. This toy is actually of Godannar in its Twin Drive mode. You see, Godannar is actually two robots, Danner and Neo-Okusaer.  When the two combine, they form Godannar. The anime itself is pretty cool, full of giant robots and fan service.

Godannar comes in a great box measuring about 13" by 16" by 4". The lid unfolds and reveals a styrofoam tray with an inset cut in for the instruction booklet. Lift off the cover and there is Godannar. Every part has its own resting place.

Whats inside

Godannar comes with an interesting assortment of accessories. First thing you notice is the sword. Its one of the biggest I’ve seen come with a toy, coming in at almost 18 inches (44cm). The main robot of Godannar is there, wrapped in plastic, as well as 2 different colors of flaming hair (red and blue). A plastic tray holds the 8 hands, as well as sword parts. Underneath that tray is the base of the stand, and beneath that, other stand parts.

The Sword

If this sword were metal, you could carve Thanksgiving dinner with it. Unfortunately, it’s just plastic. The sword comes in several parts – the blade, two different hilts, and some small covers. One hilt is just for display, the other has a hand permanently attached to it. Godannar’s other hands do not grip tight enough to hold the weighty sword. This special hilt has a tighter fit into the arm than the other hands so Godannar can hold the sword despite its weight. Max Factory supplies you screws to assemble the sword parts, but I don’t recommend using them. The sword sections snap in place easily and unless you really plan on giving this to a kid to play with, they will stay intact. Two small plastic parts cover the screw holes once assembled.

The Stand

The stand is very black and shiny - no fancy nameplates here. There are holes for the storage of all the fists, and a groove for the sword to fit in. A small metal bar with a clip props up the sword. Godannar is held in place by a large metal and plastic arm. This arm gets screwed into the base at the bottom. It features several ratcheted joints that can be adjusted with an included allen wrench. This enables you to place Godannar into a variety of “airborne” poses, such as a flying kick.

I find it odd that they give you a wrench to adjust the stand, but no screwdriver to assemble it.

Godannar

Godannar is an imposing piece of gokin, standing 8 inches tall and weighing just over one pound (476 grams). There’s a lot of metal in this toy, which makes it even more remarkable how poseable it is.

The head has several joints in it, allowing it to both rotate and tilt. The flaming hair is placed on a peg on the back of the head, so you can rotate that if you want. Godannar comes with two sets of flaming hair – red or blue; I really don’t know what the significance of either is. Red looks better in my opinion.

The chest is actually several different parts that have their own joint system. It makes for an impressive range of movement. Even the little gold nubs at the waist are articulated.

One of the cooler features of Godannar is the elbow and knee joint system. This double joint allows you to get a greater range of movement without sacrificing looks. Basically, you have a standard elbow joint and then you have an additional section of the forearm or leg that collapses to allow it to move even more. It’s really a revolutionary design, and it works very well. I wish more toys would use ideas like it.

The legs have a full range of motion, and the feet are great. Because they are so big, they provide a stable base for Godannar to stand on. The red bar on the front of the legs moves, so as you move the foot there is no gap at the bottom.

So, what’s not to like?

Godannar has a few flaws, but none of them are major. The most glaring flaw is in the knee joint design. While the double joints allow for a greater range of motion, the knee joints have a little too much range, resulting in metal-on metal contact. If you fully bend the leg, you will get some slight scratches where the back of the leg meets the white thigh.

I also think that the sword should have been made to snap together instead of using screws. And why not include a screwdriver when you are already including an allen wrench?

I have heard reports of breakage with the top section of the chest, and looseness with the chest joint overall, but I have not experienced any of these things with my toy.

Finally, the price is a bit high - 17,800 yen (around $150.00 USD)

I think it's worth it.

A new statue based on a variant of one of the most popular characters from the fan favorite video game series Dead or Alive will soon be available exclusively in North America through Diamond Comic Distributors!

A new statue based on a variant of one of the most popular characters from the fan favorite video game series Dead or Alive will soon be available exclusively in North America through Diamond Comic Distributors!

In 1996, Tecmo introduced a video game that would not only change the face of fighting-style games in the industry, but also propelled the company to the ranks of the top game manufacturers in the world. With its 3-D boards, smooth gameplay, and beautiful graphics, Dead or Alive became an instant hit, both in the arcades and on home consoles. Since the release of the initial game, the popularity of the series has not shown any signs of slowing down. The recent release of Dead or Alive Ultimate was among the top-selling games on the market. Now, fans of the hit series can celebrate their love of the game with the release of the Dead or Alive: Kasumi White Version PVC Statue.

Imported from Japan and manufactured by Max Factory, this statue depicts one of the most popular characters of the game: Kasumi! This 1/6th scale statue is the variant white "Player 2" version of the sold-out Kasumi Statue and stands 10" tall. Sculpted by Hiroki Katayama, the statue comes packaged in a deluxe window box and is scheduled to ship in August 2005.

Fans can find these and other great products based on anime and manga at their local comics shop, or by contacting the Comic Shop Locator Service toll free at 1-888-COMICBOOK (1-888-266- 4226) or online at http://csls.diamondcomics.com/.