Better than the original? Can the Legend top the Icon?

• Monday was Dangard Ace (Planet Robo Dangard Ace)
• Tuesday was Starvengers (Getter Robo G)
• Wednesday was Spaceketeers (Starzinger)
• Thursday was Grandizer (UFO Robo Grendizer)
• Friday was Gaiking (Great Sky Demon Dragon Gaiking)

Muteking? Saizance? Doesn’t ring any bells??? Well, me too… It’s a shame though, because the anime gave Popy license to produce one of the coolest and uniquely designed toys…

Muteking? Saizance? Doesn’t ring any bells??? Well, me too… It’s a shame though, because the anime gave Popy license to produce one of the coolest and uniquely designed toys…

I had this toy from 1984. From the moment I had this toy until 2008, I don’t know what this toy was all about… until with the magic of the internet, I found the origin of this toy.

This toy came from an anime called Tondemosenshi Muteking (High Roller Muteking). It is an old anime that aired from September 1980 through September 1981 for 56 Episodes. The anime has the same spirit as the Time Gokan series - it’s a gag anime. The story itself is about Rin, who can transform into a roller skate wearing super hero, fighting the Crodacow Blazers to protect Earth. Muteking is aided by various animal-based robots. One of the robots is Saizance, a rhino that can transform into a plane. The person who is responsible for the mecha design is none other than Kunio Ohkawara of Gundam fame.

The Toy is made of plastic, diecast and rubber. The body is diecast mayhem, with plastic for the head, feet, wings (in plane mode) and some parts to cover the body. The landing gear is made of plastic with plastic wheels and rubber tires. (Note: I removed the landing gears because it’s in bad condition and the rubber is completely worn off). I say it’s about 45% diecast, 50% plastic and 5% rubber. The toy is well made and can take serious beatings.

The length is about 15 cm in rhino mode and 18 cm in plane mode. The sculpt of this toy is dead on with the anime counterpart; crisp with detail and lining with sculpted cockpit. The paint is very good. There is little use of decals, most details being painted. And there’s the must have of 80’s toys, it’s name on the toy. Saizance is painted on the left side while Muteking is painted on the right side.

The transformation process is fairly simple. Just flip the legs inward and press the tail. With the magic of mechanical springs, the shell will flip and become the wings while the head moves inside to reveal its cockpit, just like in the anime. Simple and very shape changing at the same time. And fun thing to do, watching it flip open.

Besides the transformation, Saizance is also able to shoot missiles from the missile compartment that is located in the wings section. Unfortunately, my missiles are long gone.

Articulation only exists in the jaw and cockpit. The jaw can open and close, while the cockpit hatch can be opened. Originally, there’s a pilot (Muteking himself) in the cockpit. But the 7 year old me removed Muteking and now it’s long gone.

The bottom line, it’s a great toy with good play value. Doesn’t shame the Chogokin name and had a great and unique design. Now, if I can find the other robot in the series, the squid one… I would happy as a chimp.

While the rest of the USA is watching the Super Bowl, here I am reviewing Gold Lightan.

I never "got" Gold Lightan. He was one of the many curiosities that I discovered on my journey through the world of Japanese Toys. Only in Japan would they make a toy out of a lighter.

Gold Lightan comes from the show Gold Fighter Gold Lightan (Ougon Senshi Gorudo Raitan - 黄金戦士ゴールドライタン), which aired from 1981 to 1982. The story revolves around Hiro, a young boy who fights evil with his robot buddy from another dimension, Gold Lightan.

This is a reissue of the classic Gold Lightan Chogokin originally released by Popy in 1981. This new version faithfully reproduces the crystal cut chogokin and comes courtesy of Angolz.com.

The packaging has been updated for 2007. Inside the box is a replica of the original box, as well as a velvet lined tray. The toy comes packaged in lighter form.

Transforming from lighter to robot is an exceptionally simple affair. Pull down the feet, flip down the top, fold out the arms, flip up the head. That's pretty much it.

Gimmicks include firing fists and firing missiles. The missile launchers are hidden under the front skirt of Gold Lightan.

If you think Gold Lightan looks like a brick then you are right. In terms or articulation it IS a brick. Sure the legs bend at the knees and ankles, it has elbows, but thats about it. The head doesn't move at all. But if you are buying this piece that is not what you are looking for. This is a big block of vintage toy design. If you dig this aesthetic than this is an affordable way to get a great 80s chogokin.

Gold Lightan is available at Angolz.com.

I picked up King Joe at the last East Coast Summit from my pal and fellow contributor Roger. I was jonesin’ for gokin and he had my fix.

I picked up King Joe at the last East Coast Summit from my pal and fellow contributor Roger. I was jonesin’ for gokin and he had my fix.

For those who have not read the previous three King Joe reviews, let me recap. King Joe is an evil robot from space, and an enemy of Ultra Seven. Ultra Seven, of course, is one of the Ultraman shows, airing in 1967.

This toy was released by Popy in 1978 as part of the Chogokin line of toys. Each chogokin had a number designation – King Joe is GA-94.

King Joe separates into four separate parts. The legs are sturdy and largely made out of diecast metal.

The abdomen is a small plastic part. Included are attachable antennae for when the abdomen ship is not attached.

The upper body is also largely metal. It clicks into the abdomen and features cool holographic stickers on the chest.

The head and shoulders attach to the top of the chest via a clip. The whole top assembly is plastic. Each arm features a firing fist which can be replaced with one of the included yellow missiles.

I love the funky inaccurate toys like this, with giant name stickers on the waist. It reminds us that these were toys and were primarily designed for fun, not collecting.

Voltes V (Pronounced Voltes FIVE) was the second part of Tadao Magahama’s Romance Trilogy.

I had gone back and forth on whether or not to pick this toy up. I had all of the other Shogun Warrior ST figures, so I thought I should eventually get it, but I was in no rush. To me Voltes was never as cool as Combattler. However a deal came about with a partial trade and I figured I would go for it. It wasn’t a Shogun Warrior box, and it wasn’t in the best of condition, but the price was right. (Thanks Sanjeev).

Voltes V (Pronounced Voltes FIVE)  was the second part of Tadao Magahama’s Romance Trilogy. See our other Voltes V Reviews for more background info on the show.

The Chogokin GA-80 Voltes V ST (超合金 ボルテスＶ) is a really nice toy. It features firing fists, Firing head, and a removable chest part that becomes the hilt for the sword.

Included accessories:

• Manual
• Rocket Punch (4)
• Swords (2)

The swords can be held in either hand and use the red chest section as the hilt. The Swords have a tendency to tarnish really easily.

Voltes V can also transform into Battlewagon mode in the same fashion as Combattler V. With Voltes, you have to pull the rear wheel assemblies out to the sides, rotate them down, and then push them in. The plastic here tends to get worn and loose so be careful.

Packaging

The packaging features a painting of Voltes V instead of a photo of the toy. Towards the end of the GA series, Popy had moved away from photos of Jumbo Machines and Prototypes and began using character artwork on the boxes.

Another thing you might notice is the smiling mug of a jolly Japanese fellow on the box. That’s Susumu Abe (阿部進), a famous Japanese educational commentator. Born in 1930 (and still alive) Susumu Abe had a weekly serialized column in Shonen Jump Magazine in the 70s. From there he took his advice for children and by agreement with Popy (a heavy sponsor of Shonen Jump) and placed small nuggets of wisdom on the back of  Chogokin Boxes.

The ST Combattler holds a place in my collection as the Shogun Warrior that never was.

I remember this day well.

It was a cold and rainy day in Tokyo. Dave and I were on day 2 of our toy hunting expedition. We were armed with a printout of the web page of a small toy store in a town called Machiya. I distinctly remember the taste of pink grapefruit flavored halls in my mouth as we exited the station.  Under the grey sky we made our way past the koban, our umbrellas barely keeping us dry. Around the corner and across from a kendo supply shop we saw it.

It was one of the better stores we had seen on our trip, and it was previously unknown to us. The shop was small, but it was packed full of all kinds of goodies. Large glass cases lined the walls while vinyl hung in bags over the counters.

Dave went right up to the shopkeeper to ask about some Jumbo Machines while I quickly spotted some Gao Animals that a friend needed. As I looked deeper into the cases I noticed that a lot of the boxes weren’t in that great condition. This was actually a bonus for me – tattered boxes brings pieces that I wouldn’t be able to afford within my budget. I spied this Combattler V toy in one of those cases, and it was a little steep – 9800 yen. Still, I hadn’t seen another Combattler toy on my trip so far, so I decided to get it.

Bringing the toy up to the counter, I handed the shop owner my business card, and he handed me his. We exchanged some nods and some of the only words we both knew.. “Chogokin”….

I then took out photos of my collection to show him. He was amazed that this big American had such a collection. After all was said and done he ended up giving me  15% off of my purchase.. He was a really nice guy. This encounter was worth the price. My ST Combattler may not be in the best of shape, but my memory of acquiring it makes it one of the most valuable pieces in my collection.

Combattler V ( コン・バトラーＶ) comes from the 1976 Japanese Television series Chōdenji Robo Combattler V (超電磁ロボ コン・バトラーV Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V). The show was the first of Tadao Nagahama's Robot Romance Trilogy, which would later include Voltes V and Daimos.

This is the ST or Standard size Combattler V chogokin. Popy also released a deluxe combining chogokin made up of individual popynica vehicles.

If you are looking for a large chunk of metal, look no further. It is suprisingly heavy despite its small size.

The ST Combattler V does not have a sword or any kind of missiles. In fact, the only accessories included with the toy are four fists. But that is not to say that Combattler is lacking in play value. Combattler can actually transform from robot mode to Grandasher mode by lying the figure down, moving the leg treads around from the back and pointing the fists forward. Each fist can fire by pushing a button on the forearm.

While this is the ST version of Combattler, it has some of the transformation features of its bigger brother. First, the head can launch off by pressing a button on the back. Secondly the toy separates at the waist where it is secured by a magnet. This results in three separate ships (as opposed to the DX's 5).

Supposedly there are two versions of this toy, but I do not know what the differences are.

I've always been a fan of the Combattler V design since the Shogun Warriors comic book was released. I was always curious as to why the character was in the comic book, but the ST toy was not in the Shogun Warriors line. (The DX was released as U-Combine Combattra, and a 3" version was released). Further confusion was brought on when some of the Shogun Warriors appeared in Force 5, but others, like Combattler, did not.The ST Combattler holds a place in my collection as the Shogun Warrior that never was.

You are looking at one of my personal holy grails, the GA-09 Black Raideen. As my Raideen collection inches toward completion, the remaining pieces become more elusive and more expensive.

You are looking at one of my personal holy grails, the GA-09 Black Raideen. As my Raideen collection inches toward completion, the remaining pieces become more elusive and more expensive.

The prices have actually made me question whether or not I want to see this obsession through to completion. How can I justify spending thousands of dollars on what will essentially sit on a shelf? At the end of the day, what does it get me?

Fortunately, opportunities have arisen here and there that have allowed me to obtain some pieces that I thought were out of my reach. This toy comes from the collection of Ed Sanford, founder of Robot-Japan. Ed is a great guy and a good friend. We managed to work out a deal that finally landed the Black Raideen in my possession.

Ed had obtained this Raideen from a Japanese seller years ago. The story goes that he was part of a collection of an older man who had passed away. The room with his collection had been sealed for a year before the widow had begun selling his collection. When the figure arrived in America, it still had the dust on it from being locked up, and included a nice note from the widow about the toy.

The Black Raideen was released by Popy three years after the release of the original GA-09. It marked a turning point in the Japanese Toy Industry – It was the first “Black version” toy. I’m not sure why Popy decided to make a black version. Perhaps they were looking for a way to get more revenue out of a mold? Maybe it was an attempt at targeting collectors? Whatever the reason, it started a trend that continues to this day.

The box is identical to the 2nd version Raideen box, aside from a black band printed around the front of the box that says “Deluxe Super Metal Black”. The figure is the same as the original, but all the plastic is cast in black and the metal is painted black. New decals with gold highlights have been added to the toy.

My black Raideen has lived a long life, and all things considering, it is in pretty good shape. I wish the old collector knew that his Black Raideen was in good hands.

There was a reissue of the Black Raideen in 2000, but the molds were poor and it did not have the gold stickers. The box was entirely different as well.

Bandai created a Black Raideen as part of it’s THE Chogokin line. It was originally an exclusive to the Chogokin Expo in 2004, but was later released to mass markets.

The GB-35 ST Golion toy is one of the best representations of this character to this day. I, like many other Americans, grew up owning the stripped down version of this toy put out by matchbox in 1984. I would play with it, knowing that there had to be something more. The fists looked like they should fire, but they don’t. Where was the sword and shield?

If you have been a reader of CollectionDX for some time, you probably know that Voltron III (the lion one) came from a Japanese show called Golion. It should be no surprise then that the US miniature Voltron III toy is largely based on a Japanese toy.

The GB-38 ST Golion toy is one of the best representations of this character to this day. I, like many other Americans, grew up owning the stripped down version of this toy put out by matchbox in 1984. I would play with it, knowing that there had to be something more. The fists looked like they should fire, but they don’t. Where was the sword and shield?

It wasn’t until I was an adult collector that I found out about the original Japanese toy. There was a certain satisfaction realizing that the original toy DID have all those gimmicks, that I was right all along.

The ST Golion is essentially the same mold as Voltron, but different enough to be worth getting. The toy is almost all metal, save for the arms, wings and head. Each arm fires a lion-headed fist, and each fist can also hold the included shield and sword (the Blazing Sword and Shield were sold separately in the US). The feet can also be fired off by pressing buttons behind the legs.

There are some subtle color and mold differences as well. The teeth on the head of the Matchbox version aren’t as sharp as the teeth on the Popy version. The blue paint on the leg is darker on the Popy version as well.

When Popy released their toy, it was made in Japan, and had the appropriate Japanese stickers under the feet. By the time Matchbox wanted the license to the toy, Popy had been folded into Bandai. All of the Matchbox toys have ©TOEI and are made in Taiwan by Bandai.

If there ever was a toy that deserved the Chogokin name, this is it. This is one heavy bot!

If there ever was a toy that deserved the Chogokin name, this is it. This is one heavy bot!

For years I only had the US version, the Deluxe Galactic Megazord. I thought it was really cool, but people would tell me “You gotta get the Japanese version! It’s all metal!”.

One of my bigger regrets is missing out on this toy when it was on clearance at Mugentoys. I could have had this for a measly $20! They sold out however, and I missed my chance. This year, through a trade, I finally got him.

Believe the hype – this thing is AWESOME. It has tons of metal – it’s a Chogokin brick.

The Gingaioh DX Starbeast Combination (ＤＸ 星獣合体ギンガイオー) comes from the 1998 sentai show  Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (星獣戦隊ギンガマン). It featured 5 mythical star beasts that combined to form the mighty Gingaioh!

• Silver Gingaleon
• Silver Gingalcon
• Silver Gingarilla
• Silver Gingaverick
• Silver Gingat

Silver Gingaleon forms the chest of Gingaioh. He’s a blocky metal lion. See the red body? It’s entirely solid diecast metal. Also metal are the legs, and the connecting bar to the head. The horns are stored under the body and are removed and attached to Gingaioh’s head. My toy is a little beat up, and missing the tail, but you get the idea.

Silver Gingalcon is a Falcon like star beast that becomes the wings of Gingaioh. The front half of its body is diecast metal. Gingalcon features a cool gimmick where you push the head down and the wings move. Once Gingaioh is formed, Gingalcon can separate and part of him becomes a weapon called Galcon Bowgun.

Silver Gingarilla is a gorilla that forms the legs of Gingaioh. He too is loaded with metal; the entire upper legs are solid metal. The hands of Gingaioh are stored in his feet.

Silver Gingaverick is the Yellow Wolf that becomes the left arm of Gingaioh. Both of the large silver plates on the shoulder are metal. The mouth opens.

Silver Gingat is the white wildcat that becomes the right armo of Gingaioh. It too has metal shoulder plates. My Gingat is beginning to yellow a bit due to age.

Combined they form Gingaioh!

Gingaioh is 11" tall and tips the scale at 3.5 pounds! It’s simply massive. Gingaioh comes with a cheesy rubber-ish sword that he can hold in either hand.

Bandai Also released a limited black version if the toy, the Gingaioh Starbeast Combination Chogokin DX GD-11B black version.

In an odd twist of events, Bandai America released a limited edition Exclusive Die-Cast DX Gingaioh in the spring of 1999. it had original Japanese packaging with a small sticker on it that said “Exclusive Diecast Zord”. They also released a variant on the black version with the Deluxe Gold Galaxy Megazord. This Megazord was a FAO Schwartz exclusive version, partially plated in 14k gold.

For those who want to replicate the powered up version of Gingaioh, Bandai also released a Super Armor Shine set, which included a modified chest and head piece for Gingaioh. I think this was a mail away item.

The first of a new line of Chogokin had been released, and it was in America, right under our noses. Who knew?

In 1996, Bandai Japan released a toy called the Kabuterios Chogokin DX (超合金ＤＸ 大甲神カブテリオス), from the series B-Fighter Kabuto. This was the first toy released in the new Chogokin line, and it was dubbed GD-01.

B-Fighter Kabuto was brought to the USA as Beetleborgs Metallix. Bandai America imported the Kabuterios Chogokin DX and renamed it the Deluxe Transforming Roboborg.

This toy is pure gokin. It's heavy as hell, weighing in at 1lb, 4oz, and it's 9" tall. The shoulders and lower body are solid diecast. It even comes in a styrofoam tray!

Roboborg transforms from beetle to robot. In beetle form, it features moving claws, and barely articulated legs. The legs are prone to falling off. Also, due to the weight of the toy, the legs don't actually support it. Roboborg looks like a squashed bug with its legs spread out.

In robot mode, Roboborg features a giant sword that unfortunately droops due to the soft plastic used. Articulation is great in the arms, but non-existant in the legs. The head does not move.

Although Roboborg looks cool, he has some serious quality control issues with the paint. Mine has paint bubbles anywhere paint is applied over metal. Big, 1cm bubbles. Attaching the stickers helps, but some cannot be covered. Combined with the floppy sword and weak legs, Roboborg just has too many flaws.

Roboborg could have been a great toy. The design is beautiful, but the paint issue really kills it for me. Maybe there are some that have not bubbled. These things are inexpensive for being DX chogokin. It's worth gambling on one; maybe you'll luck out and get one with good paint.

Bandai America took this mold and bade another toy called Boron. This toy was not released in Japan.
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